BROOM. 
1.09 
BROOM. 
HT7MIXITT. 
In the year 1234, St. Louis of France, after the 
coronation of his queen, chose the flower of this 
plant as the insignia of a new order of knighthood. 
The members of this order wore a chain composed 
of flowers of the Broom entwined with white 
enamelled lilies, from which was suspended a gold 
cross with the inscription: Exaltat humiles 
‘‘He exalteth the humble.” With this order he 
associated a body-guard consisting of one hundred 
nobles, on the back and front of whose coat was 
likewise embroidered a Broom flower, over which a 
hand issuing from the clouds held a crown, with 
the inscription : Beus exaltat humiles—'<■ God ex¬ 
alteth the humble.” 
This plant, called in Latin Genista, and in 
French Genet, gave the name of Plantagenet to 
the sovereigns of England for several centuries. 
Lemon, in his “English Etymology,” says : “Four- 
