VII 

 OF THE FIRST ROSES 



THEN Sir John tells of a field nigh to Bethlehem, called 

 Floridus, and here was a maiden wrongfully blamed, and 

 condemned to death, and to be burnt. 



44 And as the fire began to burn about her, she made 

 her prayers to our Lord, that as wisely as she was not 

 guilty of that sin, that he would keep her and make it to 

 be known to all men, of His merciful grace. And when 

 she had thus said, she entered into the fire, and anon was 

 the fire quenched and out ; and the brands that were 

 burning became red Rose trees, and the brands that were 

 not kindled became white Rose trees, full of Roses. And 

 these were the first Rose trees and Roses, both white and 

 red, that every any man said ; and thus was this maiden 

 saved by the grace of God. And therefore is that field 

 clept the Field of God Flourished, for it was full of Roses." 

 * * * # * 



And later Sir John tells how he saw the Elder tree on 

 the which Judas hanged himself. And he tells of the 

 Sycamore tree that Zaccheus the dwarf climbed into. 

 And of a plank of Noah's ship that a monk, by the Grace 

 of God, brought down from Ararat. 



Then Sir John comes to Java on his wanderings, and 

 by that isle is another called Pathen, and here he saw 

 wonderful trees, bearing bread, and honey, and wine, and 

 poison. Of the tree that bears the venom he says : 



44 And other trees that bear venom, against which 



191 



