198 Gleanings from the 



"With rofes crowned, on flowers fupinely laid, 

 Anacreon blithe the fprightly lyre efTayed." 



Love fleeping among the rofes and ftung by a 

 bee, or caught by the Mufes and bound with 

 wreaths of rofes, or the ode on " The Rofe," 

 imitated by Dr. Broome, which begins : 



"Come, lyrift, tune thy harp and play 

 Refponfive to my vocal lay ; 

 Gently touch it while I fing 

 The rofe, the glory of the Spring." 



Thefe are famples of the feftive ideas connected 

 with rofes among the luxurious Afiatic Greeks. 

 The flavour of rofes was ufed to improve cookery, 

 and fo there was a Greek conferve, like our 

 marmalade, compofed of rofes and quinces. 



In the Middle Ages, the rofe was one of the 

 few flowers which men found leifure to cultivate 

 in England. It would not be often feen on the 

 cottage-wall, as with us at prefent, but more fre- 

 quently in the pleafance or even the little garden 

 on one fide of the caftle, fhut in between two of 

 its angles, fuch as may yet be feen at Stirling. 

 The French writer of the "Romaunt of the Rofe " 

 would naturally expect it to bloflbm in the garden 

 which he fomewhat profanely, though only after 

 the fafhion of his time, defcribes as : 



" There is no place in Paradife 

 St> gode in for to dwell or be, 

 As in that gardin thoughtin me." 



And the God of Love is attired by him in a 

 garment : 



