SELECTION 131 



Mar^chal Niel. The latter is, I think, the greatest 

 acquisition, because we had, previous to its intro- 

 duction, no hardy Yellow Rose, realising, as this 

 does — in the wonderful beauty of its pendant flowers, 

 which should be seen from below, their size, shape, 

 colour, fragrance, longevity, abundance, in the ampli- 

 tude of its glossy leaves and the general habit of 

 the plant — our every desire and hope. We possessed 

 some approximation to Gloire de Dijon in our Tea 

 and Noisette Roses. Charles Lefebvre was a de- 

 velopment of General Jacqueminot, even as the 

 General had been an improvement on Geant des 

 Batailles ; but of a hardy Golden Rose, more precious 

 and more welcome a thousand times than those 

 Golden Roses which popes have sent to favoured 

 kings, we saw no harbinger. The beautiful old 

 Yellow Provence was all but extinct. I have never 

 seen it, except in the gardens of Burleigh — * Burleigh 

 House by Stamford town.^ The few splendid petals 

 of the Persian Yellow only increased our sacra 

 fames auri — the egg-cup made us long for the 

 tankard of gold. Solfaterre had not depth of colour, 

 and its flowers were faulty in shape ; Cloth-of-Gold 

 was not meant to be worn out of doors, and was 

 quickly tarnished by rough weather ; and even the 

 Mar^chaFs own mother, Isabella Gray, had dis- 

 played such feeble charms that no one mourned 



