134 



THE SYMBOLISM ON FLOWERS. 



Roderick Dhu, the truculent lover of Ellen Douglas 

 and the chief of the Clan Macalpine. The High- 

 land boatmen therefore hail Roderick with this 

 barcarolle — 



" Hail to the chief who in triumph advances! 



Honor'd and blest be the evergreen pine ! 

 Long may the tree, in his banner that glances, 



Flourish, the shelter and grace of our line ! 

 Heaven send it happy dew, earth lend it sap anew, 



Gaily to bourgeon and broadly to grow. 

 While ev'ry Highland glen sends back our shout agen, 



Roderigh Vich Alpine dhu, ho ! ieroe! 



" Ours is no sapling, chance sown by the fountain. 



Blooming at Beltane, in winter to fade ; 

 When the whirlwind has stripped every leaf on the mountain. 



The more shall Clan Alpine exult in her shade. 

 Moored in the rifted rock, proof to the tempest's shock. 



Firmer he roots him the ruder it blow, 

 Menteith and Breadalbane, then, echo his praise agen • 



Roderigh Vich Alpine dhu, ho ! ieroe V\ 



Some flowers have been and are held symbolical 

 of those higher interests which belong to the relig- 

 ious sentiment. We have alluded to this in relation 

 to the shamrock in our observations on national 

 emblems. In this category we must reckon the 

 passion flower (Fig. 7). It is considered a symbol 

 of Christianity, and received the name of passion 

 flower because the eyes of the enthusiastic Span- 

 iard who first greeted it amongst the floral treasures 

 of the New World imagined that they saw in its 

 curiously shaped style and stamens nature's repre- 

 sentation of the tools of torture employed during 

 the consummation of the passion of our crucified 

 Redeemer — the hammer, the nails. 



The ordinary white garden lily (Liliuni caiidi- 

 diDii) was anciently considered as dedicated to 



the Virgin Mary, and hence as an emblem of vir- 

 ginity, purity and innocence. In all, or very nearly 

 all ancient paintings of the "Annunciation," we 

 find the blossomy panicle of this delicate and stately 

 flower somewhere introduced — either in the hand 

 of Mary, in that of the Angel Gabriel, or perhaps 

 growing in a pot in the foreground (Fig. 7). Doubt- 

 less it was this idea of the white lily being emblem- 

 atic of innocence which gave the key-note to Bryant 

 in his lines entitled "The Child and the Lily :'' 



" Innocent child and snow-white flower I 

 Well are ye paired in your opening hour. 

 Thus should the pure and the lovely meet. 

 Stainless with stainless, and sweet with sweet. " 



It may be said here that in the French ' ' Language 

 des Fleurs " the Star of Bethlehem {Ornithogalum 

 iiinbellatuin. Fig. 7) of our gardens is also allotted 

 to innocence. 



In this connection we may mention the amaranth 

 and asphodel (Fig. 5) from their fancied connection 

 with another world. This idea appears to go back 

 even to the ancient classic times of Greece and 

 Rome. The amaranth {Amaranhis melancholicus) 

 and its kin supply several of our favorite garden 

 flowers — as the Prince's feather and the cocks- 

 comb. It has always been held to symbolize 

 " happy immortality," and our great Puritan poet 

 speaks of it as the "immortal amaranth." The 

 asphodel, on the other hand, is considered as ex- 

 pressive of the sad and lugubrious side of the eter- 

 nal life, and is emblematic of "regrets beyond the 

 tomb." 



Loudon. John Black. 



Fig. 8. Symbols of Great Britain. — Rose, Thistle, Shamrock, Leek. 



