AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 313 



held in such honor that the name of Glycera, of Sicyon, a famous 

 artist in that line, has come down to us and would compete with 

 the name of Constantine. Her lover painted her portrait and 

 Lucullus paid no less than $1,500 for a copy of it. Whatever the 

 time of year the Roman must then have a rose in his wreath. 

 The most common bouquet was made of violets, myrtle and roses. 

 Stout old gentlemen then who wished to drink unusually deep, 

 without feeling unpleasant consequences, wore double wreaths of 

 roses about their heads and necks as preservatives ! The generous 

 rose did, however, something for the ladies too. When the re- 

 nowned and not over scrupulous Aspasia was a child, she had a 

 wart on her face which defied nurses, doctors and caustic. The 

 pretty Aspasia cried herself to sleep one night at the blot on her 

 beauty, and lo ! while she slumbered she saw Venus' dove, and 

 the dove told her to take some rose leaves from the statue of the 

 goddess and lay them on her cheek. The girl did so, full of 

 faith, and she became as perfect in beauty as in intellect, and 

 helped Pericles to corrupt the morals of the Athenians with 

 infinite elegance. In the classical period, the rose seems to have 

 been employed on every occasion, from the birth to the death, 

 both inclusive. Nero did something more, fountains flinging up 

 rose water while roses covered the ground, were stuifed into 

 cushions on which the . guests reclined, having rose garlands on 

 their heads and rose wreaths around their necks, and at dinner a 

 rose pudding challenged the appetite of the guests ! To encourage 

 digestion they drank rose wine. Heliogabalus bathed in it, and 

 had swimming baths filled with rose wine and absynth. He got 

 sick, however, and his doctor touched his liver and gave him a 

 dose of rose." 



Daniel C. Robinson, Esq., remarked that Psestum of Italy was 

 always distinguished for the roses which flourished in its 

 vicinity. That although for ages desolate of people and culture, 

 still he picked a charming rose, somewhat of the form of the tea 

 rose, and very fragrant, near the celebrated temple whose ruins 

 have drawn so much attention. 



