ROSA DAMASCENA 
of the sixteenth century, including Lyte and Shakespeare, makes it 
certain that some Rose supposed to have come from Damascus was 
well known in England at that time. Hakluyt says expressly that 
the Damask Rose was brought in “ by Doctour Linaker, King Henry 
the seuenth and King Henrie the eight’s Physician” 1 ; and Johnson, 
writing in the Dictionary of Gardening on the plants which were to 
be found in English gardens in the sixteenth century, adds that 
Dr. Li nacre brought it from Italy. 2 
In Turner’s New Herball 3 the Damask Rose is thus referred to: 
“ The rose is so vvel knowen that it nedeth no description / Dioscorides 
maketh mention but of one kinde of roses / but Mesue maketh two kindes / that is 
of the whyte and rede : but sence Mesues tyme / there are found diuers other 
kindes as Damaske rosens / incarnation roses / muske roses / with certayn other kinds 
whereof is no mention in any olde writer.” 
In Lyte’s HerbalP the following passage occurs under “The 
Names ” : 
“ The first kinde of garden Roses is called in Italy, Rosa damascena , in this 
Countrie, Rose alba\ in Frenche, Rose blanche', in high Douche, IVeisz Roosen : 
in base Almaigne, Witte Roosen : in Englishe, White Roses. And this kinde 
seemeth to be that, which Plinie calleth in Latine, Campana Rosa." 
In 1551 Nicholas Monardes, the Spanish physician, published a 
series of very short medical treatises, in one of which, entitled De Rosis 
Persicis, sen A lexandrinis , he says : 
“Amongst the Italians, Gauls, Germans and other tribes frequent use is now 
made of these Roses, which they call Damascena! because they believe them to 
have come from Damascus, the chief city of Syria. But with us this species has 
only been known for about thirty years.” 
Gerard’s HerbalP contains much information about “all these 
sorts of Roses we have in our London gardens.” He tells us that — 
“ the ‘ Province, or Damaske Rose,’ Rosa Provincialis sive Damascena, ‘ the 
common Damaske Rose ’ in stature, prickly branches, and in other respects is like 
the White Rose; the especiall difference consisteth in the colour and smell of the 
floures ; for these are of a pale red colour, and of a more pleasant smell, and fitter 
for meat or medicine.” 
After describing the Great Holland Rose, he continues : 
“ The Damaske Rose is called of the Italians Rosa incarnata : in high Dutch 
liebfarbige Roosen : in low Dutch Provencie Roose : of some Rosa provincialis or 
Rose of Provence : in French of some Milesia, the Rose of Milaxo a citie in Asia, 
from whence some have thought it was first brought in to these parts of the world. 
The Great Rose, which is generally called the Great Province Rose, which Dutch 
men cannot endure ; for say they, it came first out of Holland, and therefore to 
be called the Holland Rose ; but by all likelyhood it came from the Damaske 
Rose, as a kinde thereof, made better and fairer by art, which seemeth to agree 
with truth.” 
1 Principal Navigations , ed. 2, vo). ii. pt. I, p. 165 (1599). 
2 P. 57(1829). 4 P. 655 (1578). 
3 P. 116(1551). 5 P. 1080(1597). 
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