GARDEN WALL-FLOWER. 



Greece, the Romans took up the taste for flowers, and their 

 love of floral wreaths was so great that the use of certain 

 flowers was prescribed for special purposes. These rulers 

 of the then known world cultivated both violets and roses, and 

 whole fields, covered with these flowers, soon encroached on 

 the domain of Ceres. The valiant Gauls were long without 

 the delicacies of life ; their warlike hands disdaining even the 

 use of the plough. With them, the garden was the territory 

 of the mistress of the family, and contained nothing but 

 aromatic plants and potherbs. In time their manners became 

 softened, and Charlemagne, the terror of his foes and the 

 father of his own people, was fond of flowers. He recom- 

 mends the culture of the lily, the rose, and the wall-flower. 

 Exotic flowers were not ' introduced amongst us until the- 

 thirteenth century. In the time of the Crusades, our warriors 

 brought many new kinds from Egypt and Syria. The monks, 

 at that time the only skilful cultivators of the soil, took care 

 of them. They soon gave a pleasing charm to their quiet 

 retreats ; thence they spread over our parterres, and became 

 our chief festal decorations, and the luxury of our castles 

 and halls. Still the rose remains the queen of our groves, 

 and the lily the king of our vales. The rose does not last 

 long, and the lily passes away almost as quickly. The Wall- 

 flower, less graceful than the rose, less superb than the lily, 

 has a more lasting beauty ; a difference which Moir has noted : 



" Rich is the pink, the lily gay, the rose is Summer's guest ; 

 Bland are thy charms when these decay — of flowers, first, last, and best ! 

 These may be gaudier in the bower, and statelier on the tree ; 

 But Wall-flower, loved Wall-flower, thou art the flower for me ! " 



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