114 BACON'S ESSAYS 



white flower ; herba muscaria ; lilium convallium ; the 

 apple-tree in blossom. In July come gilliflowers of all 

 varieties ; musk-roses ; the lime-tree in blossom ; early 

 pears and plums in fruit ; genitings, quadlins. In August 

 come plums of all sorts in fruit ; pears ; apricocks ; 

 berberries ; filberds ; musk-melons ; monks-hoods, of all 

 colours. In September come grapes ; apples ; poppies of 

 all colours ; peaches ; melocotones ; nectarines ; cornelians ; 

 wardens ; quinces. In October and the beginning of Nov- 

 ember come services ; medlars ; bullaces ; roses cut or 

 removed to come late ; holly-oaks ; and such like. These 

 particulars are for the climate of London ; but my mean- 

 ing is perceived, that you may have ver perpetuum, as the 

 place affords. 



And because the breath of flowers is far sweeter in the 

 air (where it comes and goes like the warbling of music) 

 than in the hand, therefore nothing is more fit for that 

 delight, than to know what be the flowers and plants that 

 do best perfume the air. Roses, damask and red, are fast 

 flowers of their smells ; so that you may walk by a whole 

 row of them, and find nothing of their sweetness; yea 

 though it be in a morning's dew. Bays likewise yield no 

 smell as they grow. Rosemary little ; nor sweet marjoram. 

 That which above all others yields the sweetest smell in 

 the air, is the violet, specially the white double violet, 

 which comes twice a year ; about the middle of April, and 

 about Bartholomew-tide. Next to that is the musk-rose. 

 Then the strawberry-leaves dying, with a most excellent 

 cordial smell. Then the flower of the vines ; it is a little 

 dust, like the dust of a bent, which grows upon the cluster 

 in the first coming forth. Then sweet-briar. Then wall- 

 flowers, which are very delightful to be set under a parlour 

 or lower chamber window. Then pinks and gilliflowers, 

 specially the matted pink and clove gilliflower. Then the 

 flowers of the lime-tree. Then the honeysuckles, so they 

 be somewhat afar off. Of bean-flowers I speak not, 

 because they are field flowers. But those which perfume 

 the air most delightfully, not passed by as the rest, but 

 being trodden upon and crushed, are three ; that is, burnet, 



