162 SYLVA FLORIFERA. 



and which after mass he carries in proces- 

 sion ; and then sends to sovereigns or 

 presents to princes who visit his capital : 

 and it was the custom until about these last 

 forty years, for the prince who received this 

 rose-tree to give a sum equal to five-hun- 

 dred pounds to the person who brought him 

 this present from the Pope ; but the rose- 

 tree by its weight alone was worth twice 

 this sum. 



Pope Julius the Second sent a consecrated 

 rose of gold, dipped in chrism, and perfumed 

 with musk, to Archbishop Warham, April 5, 

 1510, to be presented to Henry the Eighth, 

 at high mass, with the apostolical bene- 

 diction. The king received the precious rose, 

 and more precious benediction, with pro- 

 found reverence and excessive joy. But every 

 body knows how soon the remembrance of 

 this rose faded with this capricious monarch. 



Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, sent a mag- 

 nificent silver rose-tree to Ronsard, the French 

 poet, of the sixteenth century, which was 

 valued at two thousand crowns, with this 

 inscription : Ronsard) VApollon de la Source 

 des Muses. As a specimen of his verse we 

 give his ode on the rose. 



u Mignonne, allons voir si la rose, 

 Qui ci> matin avoit dcclose 



