Stray Leaves from a Border Garden 
sweet conceit said, “ Robin in a cage sets all heaven in a 
rage ” ; and Thomson, our own Border poet, describes him 
so delightfully coming to be fed. in winter. I wish there 
was the same feeling in France, alas S for the strings of 
rouge-gorges 1 have seen hanging at the poulterers. 
Our wood is beginning to look pretty, with its bursting 
beech-leaves and chestnuts, and the sweetbriars already 
scenting the lane. 1 like Shakespeare’s name for it, 
Eglantine, from the French aiglentier, I suppose. In 
some of the old Border ballads it is called Eglenterre. 
John Brainard, an American, sings sweetly of the “humble 
sweetbriar, the little four-leaved Rose that grows along the 
poor girl’s pathway by the poor man’s door.” Old writers say 
it promotes cheerfulness, so I have planted it by the house. 
It is said to make a fine wall climber. I have a small bush 
in the Rose-garden, and after rain it smells quite strong. 
There is a legend the thorns point downward, because 
the devil cursed them. When Lucifer was cast out of 
heaven, it was said he tried to return by making a ladder 
of sweetbriar. But he failed, as it was only allowed to grow 
into a bush, and no higher. The woodruff is showing, and 
the barren strawberry (St. Hilary’s berry), and many 
coloured primroses were with us before Primrose Day. 
Prime is an old Scotch word for the Spring, and I like 
Prior’s explanation of the word “ primrose,” that formerly 
it was called Primerole, from the French primer ole, 
from the Italian primeverola , the tender diminutive of 
primavera , from Flor di primavera , first Spring flower, the 
first ambassador of Spring. We have the most delightful 
variety of coloured Primroses here, all wild ; all shades from 
purple, lilac, buff, salmon, crimson, pale pink, and, of course, 
the ordinary yellow, which I almost think the prettiest. 
In the grounds of an old house (Wedderburn Castle) near 
here they were planted in a diamond-shaped pattern 
OOOOOO 
on either side of the avenue of beech-trees, and did look 
so pretty in the border, like enamelled bars on the dark 
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