158 
FLORAL POESY. 
MARIGOLD. 
(Grief.) 
“She droops and mourns, 
Bedewed as ’twere with tears.” 
George Withers. 
Y old English poets these plants are called “ golds 
D the name of the Virgin Mary was a very frequent 
addition in the Middle Ages to anything useful or 
beautiful, and so in course of time this flower became 
known as the Marigold. In Provence they call it 
gauche fer (left-handed iron), probably from its round, 
brilliant disk, suggestive of a shield, which is worn on 
the left arm. 
Although by itself, however, the Marigold expresses 
grief, by a judicious mixture with other flowers its mean¬ 
ing may be greatly varied. For instance, combined 
with roses it is symbolic of “the bitter sweets and 
pleasant pains of love; ” whilst amongst Eastern na¬ 
tions a bouquet of marigolds and poppies signifies “I 
will allay your pain.” Associated with cypress, the 
emblem of death, marigolds betoken despair. 
The marigold is usually open from nine in the morn¬ 
ing till three in the afternoon ; this foreshows a con¬ 
tinuance of dry weather : should the blossom remain 
closed, rain may be expected. It shuts at sunset : 
“ The Marybudde, that shutteth with the light.” 
Browne, in his “ Britannia's Pastorals,” says •- 
“ But, maiden, see the day is waxen olde, 
And ’gins to snut in with the marygolde.” 
