98 POETICAL LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS. 
never betrayed, for around it was written the sen¬ 
tence-- 
“ HE WHO DOTH SECRETS REVEAL 
BENEATH MY ROOF SHALL NEVER LIVE.” 
What faith and what confidence must there have been 
between man and man in the olden time, when only 
the presence of a flower was needed to prevent the 
maligning whisper—to freeze up slander’s hateful 
slime—and destroy that venom which, when once cir¬ 
culated, proves so fatal to human happiness ! Beyond 
the circle to which the expressive text was assigned, 
that wound about the Rose, not a whisper wandered ; 
the pleasure only was remembered, the painful word 
forgotten ere it had gathered utterance—or if remem¬ 
bered at all, it was only as having existed for a moment 
“ under the Rose.” Truest test of friendship ! inviola¬ 
ble bond of brotherhood! Sacred altar, on which 
heart was sworn to heart, thou didst need no golden 
chains to bind thee to thy trust,—no solemn vow, 
sworn but to be broken,—nothing but a simple White 
Rose to bind these men of true hearts and strong 
faith together. 
The Heath was well chosen as the emblem of Soli¬ 
tude. It could scarcely be otherwise, adorning, as it 
