The Rose. 
36 
This custom reminds one of the habits of a certain Thracian 
tribe, of whom Herodotus relates that they mourned at the 
child's birth into the misery of this world, and held jubilee at 
the interment of their relatives, because of their deliverance 
from an infinity of ills. 
The French carry out to excess, not only the custom of 
decorating graves with flowers, but also the penalties ordained 
for those who injure the funeral blossoms. ‘ Le Moniteur 
relates that a woman named Bade, who was employed at a 
handsome stipend to attend to the flowers planted upon a 
tomb in the Cimetiere du Sud, finding that two magnificent 
rose-trees, which overshaded the grave, were withered, instead 
of purchasing others to supply their place, abstracted two ot 
a similar species from a neighbouring tomb, and exchanged 
them for those that had died under her care, or rather neglect. 
The superintendent of the cemetery discovered the theft, and 
knowing that it was not her first offence, made a complaint 
against the woman, and the consequence was that she received 
a twelvemonth’s imprisonment! 
These same French have a very pretty custom connected 
with the rose, which in some respects resembles the old English 
one of selecting a May Queen. The inhabitants of a village 
select the girl they deem best deserving the prize of virtue, 
and, carrying her in triumph to a neighbouring church, there 
crown her, with a wreath of roses, queen of their village for 
the ensuing year. Tradition asserts that this innocent festival 
was first instituted in the sixth century, at Salency, his birth¬ 
place, by St. Medard (the French St. Swithin), Bishop of Noyon; 
and, adds the story, the good prelate had the pleasure of clown¬ 
ing his own sister as first Rose-Queen of Salency. 
Another foreign festival appertaining to this emblem of joy, 
was that held in the middle ages at the Italian city of Treviso, 
where the inhabitants periodically erected a fortress of carpets, 
silk hangings, and similar materials. The city maidens took 
possession, after having seen that their stronghold was well 
supplied with spices, flowers—especially roses—and other war¬ 
like missiles. When all was prepared, the foitalice was vigor 
ously attacked by a party of the opposite sex, who were met 
by showers of rose-water and volleys of sweet things, until, as 
in duty bound, they surrendered at discretion. Amongst the 
