30 
SHAKESPEARE’S GARDEN 
In that saddest of gardens, Gethsemane, the crown 
imperial grew and lifted its snow-white flowers with 
lofty pride among its compeers; and as our Blessed 
Lord passed by in that dark night of sorrow, all other 
flowers bent low before Him, and worshipped in 
sorrowing reverence, but this proud lily held its head 
erect, until at length the sense of shame smote into 
its life, and a deep horror bade it crimson itself with 
blushes. While bending low its erst-proud head, it 
ever weeps deep tears of sorrow for its sin. These 
tears old Gerard describes thus: 
“ In the bottome of each of the bells there is 
placed six drops of most cleere shining water, in 
taste like sugar, resembling in shew faire orient 
pearles, the whiche drops, if you take away, there do 
immediately appeare the like; notwithstanding if they 
be suffered to stand still in the floure according to 
his owne nature, they wil never fall away.” 
It is only once referred to in the plays, viz., 
Winter s Tale , IV. iv. 125 : 
Bold oxlips and 
The crown imperial. 
Since we have mentioned oxlips, we may consider 
them next in order. This plant, allied so closely 
with both primrose and cowslip, is the Primula elatior 
of Jacquin. In England it is only found wild in 
Suffolk, Cambridge, and Essex, and on the Continent 
south of Gothland, excluding Greece and Turkey, 
and of course Siberia. It bears large primrose-like 
flowers on a central flower-stalk. Beside the passage 
already quoted, it is mentioned with thyme and 
violet on the “ wild thyme ” bank of Midsummer- 
Night's Dream , II. i. 249, and in Two Noble Kins¬ 
men , “ oxlips in their cradles growing.” Compared 
to either the primrose or cowslip, it is a “ bold ” 
