THE LADIES’ FLORAL CABINET. 
185 
In a Japanese book called the “ History of Nin-taku 
ten-wan,” the following passage occurs : 
“ In the year 386, in the seventy-third year of his reign, 
seeds of the chrysanthemum were first introduced into 
Japan from a foreign country, both blue, yellow, red, 
white and violet.” 
The Japanese commentator remarks: “By a foreign 
country is meant the kingdom of Paiktre, one of the States 
of Corea.” 
A variety of the chrysanthemum exists in Japan with 
blue flowers. It is represented very frequently on Japan¬ 
ese porcelain, both ancient and modern, especially that 
of Satsuma and Kioto ; it appears on cloisonne enamel 
and embroidery. In a book called “ Keramic Art in 
Japan,” it is represented on platters, jugs and vases, in 
blue, red, yellow, and shades of orange. 
The Japanese possess countless varieties of this favorite 
flower. The size and splendor of its star-like flowers are 
often incredible. The delicate tints of rose and pink, like 
the tints of a sea-shell, spotless white, glowing crimson 
and golden yeliow are all so beautiful that it is no wonder 
the Japanese hold a yearly festival in honor of the chrys¬ 
anthemum or kikro. 
In China a liquor is distilled from the flowers of the 
chrysanthemum, which is regarded as an elixir—vital, 
and a powder is made of the dried flowers which is pre¬ 
scribed as a cure for drunkenness. 
The Assyrians have for ages proudly worn the water- 
lily. This magnificent flower, floating in the river with 
its seed-heads and great round leaves, gives us a per¬ 
fect idea of this plant, sacred to the ancient Egyptians, 
and which has, apart from its use by that people in their 
religious mysteries, formed the model of some of their 
best architectural designs. 
Egyptians delight most of all in the heliotrope ; though 
the papyrus leaf, used by the ancient Egyptians in place 
of paper, may also be regarded in a high sense as the 
symbolic plant of the land of the Nile. 
The Greeks and Romans were in the habit of distribut¬ 
ing the flowers in their luxurious gardens among their 
gods and demi-gods; just as in yet remoter times the 
sweet basil and the moon-flower were sacred to Asiatic 
deities. 
In the Roman custom, to Juno was devoted the lily; 
to Venus, the myrtle and the rose ; to Minerva, the olive 
and the violet; Diana had the dittany; Ceres, the poppy ; 
Mars, the ash; Bacchus, the grape leaf; Hercules, the 
poplar, and Jupiter, naturally, the monarch of trees, the 
oak. The olive-branch has been consecrated to peace; 
palm branches to victory; the laurel to conquest and 
poetry; the myrtle to love and pleasure; the cypress to 
mourning, and the willow to despondency. 
The crowns of victors in athletic exercises were fre¬ 
quently composed of oak-leaves. The oak itself was, 
with the mistletoe, regarded as sacred to the ancient 
Britons. The most honorable reward of the Roman 
patriot was the civic crown, composed of unwreathed 
oak-leaves. 
The ivy and the vine were associated with festive mirth. 
So, we may infer that among the Romans the lily and the 
oak were the emblems of power; the myrtle and the rose, 
of love ; the olive and the violet, of learning ; the ash, of 
war, and the grape-leaf, of festivity. 
Even the days of the week are named from deities, 
who had each his special flower : “ Sunday, from the sun, 
to which belonged the sunflower; Monday, the moon, 
the daisy ; Tuesday, the god Tui’s day, the violet; Wed¬ 
nesday, the god Woden’s day, the blue monkshood ; 
Thursday, the god Thor’s day, the burdock; Friday, the 
goddess Frea’s day, the orchis ; and Saturday, Saturn’s 
day, the horse-tail.” 
We find also that in our own time the sacred days in 
the calendar of the English Church have all their flower 
or plant emblems ; the principal of which are the holly 
for Christmas, the palm for Palm Sunday and the ama¬ 
ranth for All Saints Day. 
Many nations have adopted flowers as symbols and 
heraldic badges. The palm typified Judea. The lotus 
Upper and the papyrus Lower Egypt. 
The oak has been considered one of England's most 
appropriate symbols, and the leaf of the strawberry is 
used in the circles of gold worn by certain of the English 
nobility. 
The shamrock, or trefoil, is the symbol of Ireland. 
“ When St. Patrick preached the gospel to the heathen 
Irish, the doctrine of the trinity was the stumbling-block 
in the way; but picking up a trefoil, or shamrock leaf, 
which grew at his feet, he by its means explained so 
satisfactorily to them the possibility of ‘ trinity in unity,’ 
that on that point there was no further difficulty. Thus 
did the trefoil’s holy charm aid the saint. The order of 
St. Patrick was instituted by George III. in 1783. On 
the jewel of the order is a wreath of shamrocks, with the 
motto Qnis separabit. The trefoil is also the emblem of 
hope, who is pictured as a beautiful child holding in its 
hand a three-colored grass. That no serpent can touch 
the trefoil was a belief extending back to remote anti¬ 
quity. No true Irishman will dispense with a bunch of 
shamrock on St. Patrick’s Day.” 
The leek is the symbol of Wales and is worn by the 
Welsh on St. David’s Day (first of March). It is “ an 
ancient tradition begun upon an honorable respect, and 
worn as a memorable trophy of predeceased valor.” 
The fleur-de-lis is the badge of the royal house of 
France, and the amaranth of that of Sweden. The rose 
blooms for ever on the royal coat-of-arms of England. 
The thistle is the symbol of Scotland ; it was adopted 
with its motto, “ Wha daur meddle wi’ me? ” says tra¬ 
dition, from the following circumstances : 
During an invasion, and when the destinies of Scotland 
hung suspended upon the result of a battle soon to come, 
the invaders were upon the soil of “dear auld Scotia,” 
and if they gained the victory in the first encounter they 
might not afterward be overcome. They knew that the 
Scots were desperate, and if they would surely conquer 
them they must fall upon them suddenly and unawares. 
To this end they availed themselves of a dark, stormy 
night, and planned to attack the Scottish army on every 
side at the same moment. Had they been suffered to 
execute their plan undetected they would certainly have 
succeeded in entirely destroying the Scots, but a simple 
accident betrayed them. 
