FOURTEENTH AND FIFTEENTH CENTURIES 55 



" a garland set upon his heed." The annual rendering of a 

 rose was a common kind of " quit rent." Sometimes the exact 

 sort of rose is carefully specified in the lease as " a rose from 

 a rose-tree," 1 or " a red rose," 2 or " a double rose," 3 or again, 

 " a barbed arrow with a rose." 4 A flower or seed of the clove, 

 pink, or gilliflower was also frequently the payment, and 

 even a daisy might be held sufficient. 5 The lily ranked next 

 to the rose in importance in a garden, and vied with the rose 

 for a share in the poet's song. 6 The white lily (Lilium ccmdi- 

 dum) served to typify all that was good and pure, or beautiful : 



" First wol I you the name of Seinte Cecilie 

 Expoune, as men may in hire storie see : 

 It is to sayn in English, Heven's lilie." 7 



" That Emelie, that fairer was to seene 

 Than is the lilie or hire stalke grene." 8 



" Upon his hand he bore for his delyt 

 An eagle tame, as any lily whyte." 9 



The yellow flag and purple iris are sometimes indiscriminately 

 spoken of as lilies. In the old medical MS. already referred to, 

 the lilie" that waxit in 3erdis" (groweth in gardens) is described 

 as white as any milk, and the three other kinds of the field 

 and wood were yellow, " like saffron," and one " blue purple " ; 

 but these are also spoken of as " gladdon " and " yreos." 

 Other flowers were brought in from the fields and woods, and 

 perhaps improved by cultivation. The geranium of the flower 

 garden in the Middle Ages was the wild cranesbill, or small 

 herb Robert. The wild scabious and poppy were in the place 



1 " Unam tosam de rosario,'' Ancient Deeds Record Office, vol. iv., 

 A7962. 



2 Among the receipts of Bicester Abbey, 19th Rich. II., for lands and 

 tenements : " Una rosa rubea recept' di Henrico Bowols de Curtlyng- 

 ton . . . et de uno g'no gariophili rec' de Rog' o de Stodele . . .," etc. 

 (Dunkin, History of Bullington and Ploughley). In most instances the 

 clove seed =the clove spice of commerce. 



3 " Rosam dupplicatum," Ancient Deeds Record Office, A10395. 



4 1 8th Ed. I., ibid. A6529. 



6 2nd Ed. II., " Flore minor e consolido," ibid., A8168. 



8 " Lillys " and " roses " are the only flowers mentioned on the 

 gardeners' rolls of Norwich Priory. 



7 The Second Noune's Tale. 8 Knight's Tale. 9 Ibid. 



