56 
THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS. 
GARDEN MARIGOLD (Calendula officinalis'). Grief. Chagrin. 
“ No marygolds yet closed are, 
No shadows yet appear.” 
Herrick. 
“ But, maiden, see, the day is waxen olde, 
And ’gins to shut in with the marygold.” 
Browne. 
The celebrated Mme. Lebrun painted a pretty little 
picture, representing Grief under the form of a young 
man, pale and languishing, whose head seemed bent 
under the weight of a wreath of marigolds. It blooms 
nearly all the year round; therefore the Romans called 
it the Flower of the Calends. It is open only from 
nine A. M. till about three P. M., but turns towards 
the sun, and follows his course from east to west. In 
July and August it emits luminous sparks by night, like 
the nasturtium and a few other plants of the same 
color. Margaret of Orleans, the maternal grandmother 
of Henry IV., took for her device a marigold turning 
to the sun, with the motto, “Je ne veux suivre que 
lui seul.” 
The older poets called it simply gold. Chaucer de¬ 
votes the marigold to jealousy. 
“ and jalousie, 
That weved of yelwe goldes a girlonde.” 
Spenser associates it both with bridals and funerals. 
Chatterton mentions 
« The mary-budde, that shutteth with the light.” 
