198 THE POETRY OF FLOWERS 
REWARD OF VIRTUE. 
A GARLAND OF ROSES. 
Let us crown ourselves with roses ere they be withered. 
Solomon’s Song. 
At Salency, in France, there is a festival of roses, instituted 
by St. Medard, bishop of Noyon. There is an annual assem¬ 
blage of young persons of both sexes, who elect for their queen 
of the day that maiden who is most worthy (and her worth 
must consist in the practice of social and domestic virtues); 
then they crown her amid loud rejoicings, and with solemn cer¬ 
emony. The simple splendour of those flowers, which are the 
crown of innocence, is at once its reward, encouragement, and 
emblem. It is a gentle ambition, whose utmost aim is a gar¬ 
land of roses. 
Roses seem to have been used in garlands among the ancient 
Egyptians; for we read that when Ptolemy and Cleopatra en¬ 
tertained Cesar, and the noble Romans who attended him did 
With wreaths of nard the guests their temples bind, 
And blooming roses of immortal kind. 
Rowe’s Lucan. 
Yes! thou shalt wear 
The wreath we are merrily braiding, 
Of buds and blooms — 
The beautiful roses of spring. 
Amid the hair, 
Thy forehead of snow o’ershadowing, 
’Twill mock the blush, 
That steals to thy cheek as we sing! 
