190 THE SHAKESPEARE GARDEN 



The marigold that goes to bed with the sun 

 And with him rises, weeping, 



is Perdita's idea of the shining flower, which in these 

 few words she tells us closes its petals in the eve- 

 ning and at dawn awakens wet with dew. 1 



Then in the beautiful dawn-song in "Cymbe- 

 line" 2 "winking Mary-buds" remind us that the 

 gold-flower is consecrated to the Virgin Mary. This 

 song, so full of the freshness of early morning and 

 the sweet perfume of flowers holding in their deep 

 cups sufficient dew to water the horses of the sun 

 just appearing above the horizon, is one of the love- 

 liest of lyrics : 



Hark! Hark! the lark at heaven's gate sings, 



And Phoebus 'gins arise, 

 His steeds to water at those springs 



On chalked flowers that lies; 



And winking Mary-buds begin to ope their golden eyes ; 

 With everything that pretty is My lady, sweet, arise : 



Arise, arise. 



"The Marygold," says Lyte, "hath pleasant, 

 bright and shining yellow flowers, the which do close 

 at the setting down of the Sun and do spread and 

 open again at the Sun rising." 



And Lupton writes: "Some do call it Spousa 



'"The Winter's Tale"; Act IV, Scene III. 

 'Act II, Scene III. 



