56 
PLANT-LORE OF SHAKESPEARE 
Columbine, 
(1) Armado. I am that flower— 
Dumain. That Mint. 
Longaville. That Columbine. 
Love s Labour s Lost, v. 2, 661. 
(2) There’s Fennel for you and Columbines. 
LLamlet , iv. 5 j 189- 
This brings us to one of the most favourite of our old- 
fashioned English flowers. It 
is very doubtful whether it is a 
true native, but from early times 
it has been “ carefully nursed 
up in our gardens for the de¬ 
light both of its forme and 
colours ” (Parkinson); yet it 
had a bad character, as we see 
from two passages quoted by 
Steevens—• 
“ What’s that—a Columbine? 
No! that thankless flower grows not 
in my garden.” 
All Fools , by Chapman, 1605. 
And again in the 15th Song of 
“The Columbine amongst they sparingly do set.” 
Spenser gave it a better character. Among his “gardyn of 
sweet floures, that dainty odours from them threw around,” 
he places— 
“Her neck lyke to a bounch of Cullambynes.” 
And, still earlier, Skelton. (1463—1529) spoke of it with high 
praise—• 
“ She is the Vyolet, 
The Daysy delectable, 
The Columbine commendable, 
The Ielofer amyable. ”— Phyllip Sparrow. 
