ways paid especial reverence to the rose. 

 The custom of blessing the flower, still 

 observed in Rome, being celebrated on 

 the day known as Dominica in Rosa. 

 Its architectural adaptation is seen in 

 most of the decorations of the Catholic 

 Churches, the motif of which is the rose 

 in combination with the cross. The ro- 

 sary derives • its name from association 

 with the flower. It appears that there is 

 some acid in the petals of the rose that 

 has a peculiar action on iron. This is 

 taken advantage of in the manufacture 

 of rosaries. The petals, cloves and other 

 spices are pounded together in an iron 

 mortar until a thick black paste is 

 formed, which, when exposed to the air, 

 becomes hard and is then turned and 

 polished to produce the perfumed beads. 



The old Latin maxim that the rose 

 is born amid thorns is only a plagiarism 

 of the older Israelitish proverb that "he 

 who delighteth his nose by walking on 

 roses will find his feet full of unpleasant 

 prickles." Asia as well as Europe was 

 long familiar with the plant and its rev- 

 erence in all climes has brought about 

 it many associations and traditions, both 

 pagan and Christian. 



As the national flower of England, 

 many theories have been advanced to 

 account for the selection of the red and 

 white rose as the emblem of the two 

 great factions whose struggles for su- 

 premacy are known as the "wars of the 

 roses." Shakespeare has given the most 

 probable origin of the famous badges. 

 According to the great dramatist the 

 Duke of York and Earl of Somerset, to- 

 gether with their followers, were en- 

 gaged in an altercation in the gardens 

 of the Temple. After high and angry 

 words had passed between the repre- 

 sentatives of the two great families, 

 York called upon all who believed in 

 his statements to show their faith by 

 plucking a white rose. Somerset imme- 

 diately requested a similar demonstra- 

 tion by a selection of a red rose, and so 

 the two floAvers divided the company, 

 and later on, nearly divided a kingdom. 



In spite of all the splendid flowers 

 that have resulted from modern horti- 

 culture, the rose has maintained its scep- 

 ter, and it is not surprising that the an- 

 cients should have had many stories ac- 

 counting for its origin. In almost everv 



instance, these traditions and myths are 

 in some way associated with the senti- 

 ments of the heart. Among the Greeks 

 and Latins the rose was dedicated to 

 Cupid or his mother, who excelled all 

 rivals, as does the rose. It was also 

 said to be the transformed body of a 

 nymph, Apollo giving the vivifying 

 power of his beams, Bacchus bathing 

 her in nectar, Vertuminous lending the 

 perfume, Pomona the fruit, and Flora 

 the diadem of flowers. 



Originally the rose was white and it 

 has kept people busy, in all countries, 

 accounting for its change of color. Ac- 

 cording to Theocritus, the flowers were 

 stained by blood from the foot of Venus, 

 who stepped on the thorns, while hasten- 

 ing to succor the wounded Adonis. An- 

 acreon claims that the rose was dyed 

 with nectar by the gods when it was 

 first created, but another version states 

 that Cupid, while leading a dance on 

 Mount Olympus, overturned a vase of 

 nectar, thus staining the white petals. 

 On one occasion Venus got after Cupid 

 and thrashed him so soundly with a rose 

 branch that the buds became stained ; 

 but a far more satisfactory explanation 

 is that the rose was dedicated to Au- 

 rora, and reflects the glory of her coun- 

 tenance, even as the blush rose retains 

 the color from^ Psyche's glowing cheek. 



Medieval French writers have much 

 to say in this connection. Rosalia was 

 a beautiful maiden, who, exciting the 

 jealousy of Diana, was stricken down, 

 and her lover rushing to her rescue, 

 found her transformed into a tree of 

 flowers, to which he gave her name. 



Rapin, a French Jesuit, states that a 

 queen of Corinth, possessing extraordi- 

 nary beauty, being pursued by her three 

 lovers, took refuge in a temple of Apollo 

 and Diana. Apollo, to shield her, 

 changed her into a rose bush, in which 

 form she still rules as queen, while the 

 lovers were made to take tire forms of 

 a butterfly, a moth and a beetle, which 

 continue to hover about their trans- 

 formed mistress. The queen is pro- 

 tected by her subjects, whO' were changed 

 into thorns. 



Among the eastern nations the Turks 

 believe that the rose sprung from the 

 blood of Mohammed. Whenever they 

 find one of the flowers lying on the 



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