142 A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND 



in. those that make them ornaments for their wearing." 1 

 Another original button-hole was the Fritillaria, which, says 

 Parkinson, was " worn abroad " by the " curious lovers of 

 these delights." 



Some flowers had particular meaning attached to them, and 

 were therefore worn on special occasions — a practice which has 

 not altogether died out. One interesting survival of such old 

 customs is the sprig of Thyme carried by the Order of Odd- 

 fellows (Manchester Unity) at the funeral of one of their 

 brothers, and cast into the grave. In olden days Rosemary 

 was borne at funerals : 



" There's rosemary, that's for remembrance," 



said Ophelia, and strange to say, it was also worn at marriages. 

 Anne of Cleves, when she arrived at Greenwich as a bride, wore 

 " on her head a coronet of gold and precious stones, set full of 

 branches of rosemary." At a rustic wedding witnessed by 

 Queen Elizabeth at Kenilworth, " each wight had a branch 

 of green broom tied on his left arm (for that side is near the 

 heart) because rosemary was scant there." 



" Down with the rosemary and bays, 

 $4 Down with the mistletoe ; — 

 Instead of Holly, now upraise 



The greener box, for show. 



* * * * 



When yew is out and birch comes in, 



And many flowers beside 

 Both of a fresh and fragrant kin 



To honour Whitsuntide, 

 Green rushes then, and sweetest bents 2 



With cooler open boughs, 

 Come in for comely ornaments 



To re-adorn the house." 



Herrick, Candlemas Eve. 



Parkinson again refers to the flowers in houses when writing 

 about wallflowers. " The sweetness of the flowers," he says, 

 " causeth them to be generally used in nosegays and to deck 

 up houses." The " greater flag " was also used for the same 

 purpose. Plants were grown in rooms also, and Piatt gives a 

 long paragraph with suggestions of the best plants to grow, 

 1 Parkinson. 2 A sort of grass (Agrostis). 



