MAKE "THE CITY BEAUTIFUL" 17 



Go forth great King! Claim what thy birth bestows; 

 Conquer the Gallic Lily which thy foes 

 Dare to usurp." 



Wordsworth: Archbishop Chichley to Henry V. 



"I would I had some flowers o' the spring, that might 

 Become your time of day; 



* lilies of all kinds, 



The Flower-de-luce being one! O, these I lack, 

 To make you garlands of." 



Shakespeare: Winter's Tale. 



A particularly noticeable illustration of such use is found in 

 Longfellow's poem, "Flower-de-Luce," which is given on 



Tradition also has it that when Louis VII of France joined the 

 expedition of the Crusaders he adopted the Iris flower as his 

 coat of arms, and that hence it came to be known as "Fleur-de- 

 Louis," (Flower of Louis), subsequently corrupted in English to 

 Flower-de-luce. 



"I cannot give due action to my words, 

 Except a sword, or scepter, balance it. 

 A scepter shall it have, have I a soul; 

 On which I'll toss the Fleur-de-luce of France." 



Shakespeare: 2 King Henry VI. 



"Methought, upon the Neva's flood 



A beautiful Ice Palace stood, 



* * * * 



A light through all the chambers flam'd, 

 Astonishing old Father Frost, 

 Who, bursting into tears, exclaim'd: 



'A thaw, by Jove we're lost, we're lost!' 



* * ' * * 



Those Royal Arms, that looked so nice, 



Cut in the resplendent ice 



* * * * 



Proud Prussia's double bird of prey 

 Tame as a spatch cock, slunk away; 

 While just like France herself, when she 

 Proclaims how great her naval skill is 

 Poor Louis' drowning Fleurs-de-lys 

 Imagin'd themselves water-lilies." 



Thomas Moore: Dissolution of the Holy 

 Alliance. 



