136 THE SHAKESPEARE GARDEN 



that this view is very generally accepted, that these 

 are the same lilies of the field that 'toil not neither 

 do they spin/ which Our Lord used to illustrate His 

 immortal lesson. Truly Solomon in all his glory 

 was not arrayed like one of these." 



The Adonis flower {Flos Adorns} spoken of by 

 Ben Jonson and others has nothing to do with the 

 anemone. It is a kind of camomile. "Some have 

 taken the red kind to be a kind of Anemone," says 

 Parkinson. "The most usual name now with us is 

 Flos Adorns. In English it is also called the May- 

 weed and Rosarubie and Adonis Flower." 



HAREBELL (Scilla nutans)> The "azured 

 harebell," which Shakespeare uses in "Cymbeline" 

 for comparison with the delicate veins of Fidele 

 (Imogen), has been identified as the English jacinth, 

 blue harebell, or hare's-bell. Browne's "Pastorals" 

 show that this flower was only worn by faithful 

 lovers; and, therefore, the flower is most appro- 

 priately selected for association with Imogen. 

 Browne says: 



The Harebell, for her stainless, azured hue 

 Claims to be worn of none but who are true. 



This flower is also called the "wild hyacinth." Blos- 

 soming in May and June, it is one of the precious 



'See p. 207. 



