a handful of strange roots which the 

 travellers said bore wonderful flowers, 

 richer and more varied in colour than 

 any that they knew. 



These treasures were planted in the 

 quaint Dutch gardens by the " Vrouw" 

 herself, and were watched and tended 

 with infinite care. It was not till 

 16M that what the world knows as 

 the " tulip mania " reached its height, 

 and thousands of florins were not 

 deemed too high a price to pay for a 

 choice specimen. The Dutch were 

 proud of their prowess on the sea, 

 and named many of the lovely flowers 

 after their famous admirals, as the 

 highest honour to be conferred. 



There were at one time in all Hol- 

 land but two bulbs of a certain variety 

 called Semper Augustus. One was 

 treasured at The Hague, the other 

 at Amsterdam. Doctors, merchant 

 princes, savants vied with each other 

 20 



