IIeart'S-ease. 
i 66 
theme for their next exercise the viola tricolor , 01 hea.it s-ease, 
and supplied them with the following passage out of Rapin's 
Latin poem, “ The Gardens, as a motto : 
“ Flosq ue Jovis varins, folii tricolor is, et ip si 
Par viola:. ” 
This circumstance coming to the ears of the mayor, he, with 
the usual sagacity of such officials, “ smelt a rat, and, to make 
all sure, had the innocent cure apprehended and brought be¬ 
fore his worship for examination. Imagine the poor teachers 
astonishment when he found what a ludicrous translation of 
the inoffensive quotation awaited him. The mayor had thus 
ingeniously construed the words: Flos Jovis (Joves flower) 
was evidently intended for the flower of the exiled Napoleon; 
folii tricoloris denoted the national three-coloured cockade; 
whilst et ipsi par violce most decidedly alluded to le pere de la 
violette , as the ex-emperor was affectionately styled by his 
partisans, who generally wore those blossoms in their button¬ 
holes ! 
This floral pet, having received much attention from the 
feminine world, has been very appropriately designated the 
ladies’ flower,” a name which is not the most fanciful that it 
has acquired, for, to quote once more our great dramatist, 
maidens call it “love in idleness.” 
“ Three-pretty-faces-under-one-hood ” is another of its pretty 
t^ljT’few vears since the heart’s-ease was a humble little flower 
quite unknown to floral fame : in the year 1812, however, Lady 
Mary Bennett, then residing at Walton-on-Thames, entei tained 
a penchant for the flower, and had a small garden planted 
entirely with it. Desirous of pleasing her, the gardener se¬ 
lected the seed of the choicest varieties, and to his pleasur¬ 
able astonishment, on germinating, the seedlings displayed the 
most marvellous diversity of beauty and style. Milton s “pansy 
freaked with jet,” and even Shakspeare’s purple “lovem idle¬ 
ness,” were far outshone by these pampered children of Nature. 
Their breeder proudly displayed his triumphs to fellow-florists, 
and in a little while the heart’s-ease ranked amongst the 
flowers of fashion. Such are the effects of education ! 
That quaint old impostor, Culpepper, says, “ This is that 
