Herrick entreats the Daisy — 
“ Shut not so soon ; the dull-eyed night 
Has not as yet begun 
To make a seizure on the light, 
Or to seal up the sun : 
No marygolds yet closed are, 
No shadows yet appear; 
1 Nor doth the early shepherd’s star 
Shine like a spangle here. 
Stay but till my Julia close 
Her life-begetting eye: 
And let the whole world then dispose 
Itself to live, or die.” 
There are many varieties of the Garden Marygold; one of which, the Proliferous, called by Gerarde 
the Fruitful Marygold, is, as he says/ cc called by the vulgar sort of women, Jack-an-apes-on-horseback.” 
Although this Marygold is generally yellow, there is a variety with purple flowers. The Cape Mary- 
golds, specifically so called, as well as some others, natives of the Cape, have a deep purple centre or disk; 
and the florets around it, which are called the rays of the flower, are of a violet colour without, and a pure 
white within. 
These kinds, like our common Garden Marygold, open when the sun shines, and close in the evening, 
and in cloudy weather. Two of these, the Grass-leaved, and the Shrubby, are perennial plants: the others 
are annual. 
The Garden Marygold, and the Great, the Little, and the Naked-stalked Cape Marygolds, may be 
sown in April or in March ; the first singly ; the others, four of them, or five, in a pot ten inches wide. 
If they all come up, the two most promising should be preserved, and the rest rooted out ; they will not 
bear transplanting. The Grass-leaved kind is best raised by a gardener ; and should be housed, but not 
kept too warm, in the winter. The Shrubby Marygold is increased by cuttings planted in any of the 
summer months, and shaded from the sun until they have taken firm root, which will be in five or six 
weeks. In winter, this must be treated as the last. 
The Marygolds must not be suffered to remain dry, but must have but little water at a time. Most of 
them flower from June till August ; but the Garden Marygold continues in bloom till stopped by the frost. 
Madame Lebrun in one of her charming pictures has represented grief as a young man pale and lan- 
guishing ; his head appears to be bowed down by the weight of a garland of marygolds. All the world 
knows this gilded flower, which has been made the emblem of distress of mind; or rather, we should say 
of that inquietude which is caused by uncertainty as to the sentiments of the one we love with a peculiar 
affection. The lover longs to know whether there be a reciprocal feeling in the heart of his mistress 
towards himself, or whether he has been buoying himself up with false hope. We verily believe that there 
are few who would not prefer to receive the dread intelligence that his suit is rejected than remain in this 
uncertain state. Anon he speculates on the glance of kindness he thought she gave him as she passed, for 
as Byron says, 
“ Glances beget sighs, 
Sighs wishes, wishes words, and words a letter, 
Which fly on wings of light-heeled Mercuries, 
Who do such things because they know no better.” 
It has been observed that these flowers were formerly called Golds, a name by which Chaucer repeat- 
edly mentions them: we are told, in the glossary, that Gold means a Sun-flower, but it has been remarked 
that this title also was formerly bestowed upon the Marygold: and the following passage is an additional 
argument for supposing Chaucer to have intended this flower rather than the enormous Sun-flower now so 
called: 
“Eke eche at other threwe the flouris bright, 
The prymerose, the violete, and the gold.” — Court of Love. 
He also bestows a garland of them upon Jealousy, yellow being the colour emblematical of that passion: 
“ and Jalousie, 
That wered of yelwe goldes a gerlond, 
And had a cuckowe sitting in her hand ” — The Knight's Tale. 
It is rather an awkward circumstance, that the same flower should be emblematical both of jealousy 
and marriage. We learn from an old ballad, that 
“ Marygold is for marriage, 
That would our minds suffice, 
Lest that suspicion of us twain, 
By any means should rise.” 
This flower should surely have been dedicated to Juno, the goddess of marriage, and certainly the 
most jealous of all beings, mortal or immortal. 
The mournful signification of the marygold can be modified in various ways. United with roses it is 
the emblem of the sweeter pains of love; alone it expresses inquietude or ennui. Woven with other 
flowers it represents the inconstant chain of life, ever good and evil interwoven. In the East a bouquet of 
marygolds and poppies expresses this thought, “I will allay your pains.” It is especially by these modifi- 
cations that the sentiment of flowers renders the interpretation of our thoughts understood. 
Margaret of Orleans, maternal ancestor of Henry IV., had for her device a marygold turning towards 
the sun, with these words, “Je ne veux suivre que lui seul.” That virtuous princess wished to express by 
this device that all her thoughts and all her affections turned towards heaven, as the mangold does to the sun. 
During the months of July and August, the marygold emits small luminous sparks during the night. 
This quality it possesses in common with the nasturtium and many other flowers of the same colour. 
The Marygold was at one time much employed as a carminative. Its use has, however, now become 
almost obsolete ; and its chief consumption is to adulterate saffron, and by dairy-maids to give a rich color 
to their cheese and butter. 
