petals of these flagrant flowers, or sprinkled with its odorous oils. At a feast which Cleopatra gave to Antony, the royal apartments were covered with rose leaves to a considerable depth.

"The triumvir, when dying, begged of the captivating queen that she would scatter perfumes on his tomb, and cover it with roses.

"In Turkey, a rose is sculptured on the monument of all ladies that die unmarried; and in Poland they cover the coffins of children with roses, and when the funeral passes the streets, a number of these roses are thrown from the windows. Camden tells us, 'There

is a classical custom observed, time out of mind, at Oakley, in Surrey, of planting a rose tree on the graves, especially of the young men and maidens who have lost their lovers; so that the churchyard is full of them.' It is the more remarkable, since it was used anciently both amongst the Greeks and Romans, who were so very religious in it, that we find it often annexed as a codicil to their wills (as appears by an old inscription at Ravenna, and another at Milan), by which they ordered roses to be strewed and planted over their graves.

"This ancient custom of decorating graves with flowers, the symbols of fleeting mortality, has almost passed from recollection in this country, and is rapidly disappearing in most parts of Wales; but we read in the Beauties of England,' that Thomas Stevens, a poor and aged man, who lies buried in the churchyard of the village of Stokenchurch, in Oxfordshire, left a request that his oldest son would annually dress his grave with flowers on the recurrence of the wake of St. Peter's.

"The Mexicans, says the Abbé Clavigero, have from time immemorial studied the cultivation of flowers and odorous plants, which they employ in the worship of their gods; and in the temple of the true God the high priest was formerly crowned with [roses. The Catholic church has still preserved the use of these flowers in its most sacred ceremonies, as it is always the rose that they strew before the holy sacrament in solemn processions.

"There is now to be seen at Rome, in the church of St. Susan, an old Mosaic, which represents Charlemagne kneeling, receiving of St. Peter a standard covered with roses. The custom of blessing the rose is still preserved at Rome, and the day is called Dominica in rosa. They make in that city artificial rose trees of pure gold,

which are blessed by the Pope on the first Sunday in Lent, while they sing Lætera Jerusalema, and which after mass he carries in procession, and then sends it to sovereigns, or presents it to princes who visit his capital; and it was the custom until about these last forty years, for the prince who received this rose tree, to give a sum equal to five hundred pounds to the person who brought him this present from the pope; but the rose tree itself was worth twice that

sum.

"Pope Julius the Second sent a consecrated rose of gold, dipped in chrism, and perfumed with musk, to Archbishop Warham, to be presented to Henry the Eighth, at high mass, with the apostolical benediction. The king received the precious rose, and more precious benediction, with profound reverence and excessive joy. But every body knows how soon the remembrance of this rose faded with this capricious monarch.

"Mary Stuart, queen of Scots, sent a magnificent rose tree to Rosnard, the French poet of the sixteenth century, which was valued at two thousand crowns, with this inscription: Rosnard, l'Apollon de la Source des Muses.

66 Bayle relates an accident which happened at the baptism of Rosnard. In those days it was customary to bring large vases full of rose water and baskets of flowers to christenings; and as the nurse was going to church with the infant bard, she let her flowers fall, and in turning to recover them, she touched the attendant who carried the vase of rose-water, and spilt it on the child; and this, says Bayle, was since regarded as a happy presage of the good odour that would some day scatter his poetry.

"Painters represent St. Dorothy holding a nosegay of roses, because it is told in her life that an angel gave her a bunch of roses; and a prodigy is related of St. Louis the Ninth of France. It is pretended that a rose was seen to come out of his mouth after his death.

In the abbey of St. Croix, at Poictiers, they show a pillar that was raised to commemorate a pretended miracle, and where they tell you a rose tree in full blossom sprung out of the grave of a young man after the day of his interment. It is truly shocking that the teachers of Christianity should countenance such absurd superstitions. We could enumerate many others coupled with the rose;

but we are more anxious to give space for an account of the agreeable use to which this flower was put by St. Medard, who about the year 530, instituted the most affecting prize piety has ever offered to virtue. It was a crown of roses for that villager's daughter who was the most modest, most obedient to her parents, and the most discreet. The first rose tree was his own sister, whom he crowned in the church of Salency.

"We cannot pass over unnoticed the well-known story of the rose leaf, which shows how fond the Eastern nations were of conveying their thoughts by hieroglyphics.

"At Amadan there was a famous academy, the rules of which were, that the members of it should think much, write little, and speak as seldom as possible. Zeba, a learned doctor, celebrated all over the east for his great knowledge, hearing of a vacancy in this institution, hastened to the city in order to be elected. Unfortunately he arrived too late, for the place had already been filled by a candidate, who, like many in those times, owed his success more to his power than to his deserts. The president of the academy filled a vase so full of water that an additional drop would make it run over, by which the doctor was to understand that their society was too full to admit of another member.

"The learned Zeba was retiring sorrowfully, when by chance he perceived a petal of a rose at his feet, which he seized with promptness, and placed so delicately on the top of the water, that it did not disturb it in the least. This ingenious allusion was received by the assembly with the greatest approbation, and the academicians testified by their unanimous applause, their consent to the reception of the illustrious Zeba as a member of their mute society."

ARTICLE V.

THE METROPOLITAN FLORAL EXHIBITIONS.

ROYAL SOUTH LONDON SOCIETY, May 21.

THIS was the second meeting of this society for the present season, and was held in the Surrey Zoological Gardens.

A number of very well grown specimens of stove and greenhouse plants were produced in the various collections; but as we have

already particularized similar specimens at previous exhibitions, our remarks on this occasion will be directed to the florists' flowers, of which a considerable number are generally brought to these shows.

The principal feature in this meeting was the TULIPS, which, bearing the very unfavourable season in mind, we did not anticipate the gratification their inspection gave us. The collection to which the first prize was awarded came from Mr. Hunt, of Wycombe, and surpassed any that we have seen for some time. It was composed of Bijou des Amateurs, byb.; Holmes's King, byb.; Catalani, ro.; Ulysses, byb.; Aglaia, ro.; Asteria, biz.; Violet Blondeau, byb.; Polyphemus, biz.; Princess Charlotte, byb.; Vestris, ro.; Triomphe Royale, ro.; and Fabius, biz.: the two latter grand blooms. The Hon. and Rev. R. Wilson, of Ashwelthorpe, near Norwich, obtained the second prize, for the stand which the day before received the first prize at the Royal Botanic Society's show, and of which we gave the names in our last. The third prize was given to Mr. Reeves, for Surpass Polyphemus, biz. ; Invincible (Franklin's), byb.; Triomphe Royale, ro.; Optimus, biz.; Rubens, byb.; Claudiana, ro; Polyphemus, biz.; Albion, biz.; Lord Byron (Franklin's), biz.; and three others which we did not recognise, and the names were so badly written, we could not make them out. A fourth prize was awarded to Mr. Edwards, of Holloway, whose collection comprised Roi de Siam, byb.; Triomphe Royale, ro.; Selim, biz.; Platoff, biz.; Roscius, byb.; Athalia, ro.; Alcon, byh.; Cato, biz.; Washington, byb.; Polyphemus, biz.; Rose Brillante, ro.; and Ponceau très Blanc, ro. Besides these, three other collections were shown, to which no awards were made. In the nurserymen's class the first prize was given to Mr. Bushel, of Kennington, for Aglaia, ro.; Reine de Sheba, byb.; Polyphemus, biz.; Claudiana, ro.; Lord Hawke, byb.; Platoff, biz.; Triomphe Royale, ro.; Triomphe de Lisle, byb.; Optimus, biz.; Van Dajkin, ro.; Rubens, byb.; and Junius Brutus, biz.

To Messrs. Norman, of Woolwich, was voted the second prize, for Royal Albert (Norman's), byb.; Matilda (Mason's), ro.; Lord Bloomfield (Ellis's), biz.; Maria (Goldham's), ro.; Rubens, byb.'; Charbonier Noir, biz.; Prince of Wales (Norman's), byb.; Optimus (Hutton's), biz.; Claudiana, ro; Polyphemus, biz.; Triomphe Royale, ro.; and Roi de Siam, byb. The third prize was given to

Mr. Batten; but we saw nothing novel amongst his flowers; the best was a splendid Triomphe Royale. There were also many other stands shown, not for competition, which we omit.

The collections of HEARTSEASE were numerous. Mr. Turner, of Chalvey, received the first prize in the nurserymen's class, for King's Seedling, Dido, Optimus, Prior, Juno, Euterpe, Novelty, Star, Duke of Wellington, Advancer, Regulator, Isabella, Duke of Beaufort, Subelegans, Azurea, Duke of York, Ne Plus Ultra, Seedling Exquisite, Hero of Bucks, Mary Jane, Perseus, Eliza, Hunt's Wellington, Diamond, Daughter of St. Mark, Delight, President, Eclipse, Jehu, Arethusa, Hannibal, Yellow Defiance, Pitho, Tom Pinch, Imogine, Companion, Victory, Hamlet, Negro, Mary Anne, Seedling, Prince Royal, Caractacus, Pizarro, Titus, Curion, and Pelops. The second prize was obtained by Mr. Thomson, of Iver, with Malibran, Sol, Crimson perfection, Duchess of Rutland (Thomson's), five, Pizarro, Regulator Superb, Queen of the Whites, Sun-set, Alba Perfecta, Juno, Medora, Snowdrop, Cassandra, Isabella, Regulator, Augusta, Constellation, Mulberry Superb, Curion, Sulphurea elegans. Patriarch, Euclid, Jehu, Conquering Hero, Prince Albert, Warwick, Adorner, Caractacus, Pompey, Acme, Conservative, Fair Maid, Goliah, Mary Ann, Sappho, Desdemona, Montem, Dido, Queen Dowager, Queen of Iver, and some seedlings. Stands were also produced by Mr. Cutter, of Slough; Mr. Henbrey, of Croydon; and Mr. Agate.

In the amateurs' division Mr. Hunt, of Wycombe, was first, with Regulator, Victory, Curion, Grotius, Eclipse, Exquisite, Tom Pinch, Hunt's Wellington, Buxton's Ne Plus Ultra, Hamlet, Hooper's Wellington, Purity, Pizarro, Mary Jane, Duke of York, Hero of Bucks, Hannibal, Montem, Mulberry Superb, Isabella, Dido, Ploughboy, Goliah, and Baroness Wenman. Mr. Hall, of Enfield, was second, with Hall's Emperor, Rainbow, Red Rover, Enfield Hero, and Black Drop; Attwell's Princess Royal; Brown's Curion and Arethusa; Collison's Vulcan; King's Exquisite and Mary Ann; Turner's Optimus; Miller's Defiance; Thompson's Montem, Dido, Eclipse, Regulator, and Pizarro; Hooper's Mary Jane; Mountjoy's Victory; Cook's Black Bess, Cloth of Gold, Isabella, and Beauty of Ailesbury. Third and fourth prizes were awarded respectively to Mr. Edwards, of Holloway, and Mr. Hale, of Hillingdon, besides whom there were five or six other competitors.