The plant-lore & garden-craft of Shakespeare Part 88

_Ibid._ (574).

(55)

Who, when he lived, his breath and beauty set Gloss on the Rose, smell to the Violet.

_Ibid._ (935).

(56)

Their silent war of Lilies and of Roses.

_Lucrece_ (71).

(57)

O how her fear did make her colour rise, First red as Roses that on lawn we lay, Then white as lawn, the Roses took away.

_Ibid._ (257).

(58)

That even for anger makes the Lily pale, And the red Rose blush at her own disgrace.

_Ibid._ (477).

(59)

I know what Thorns the growing Rose defends.

_Ibid._ (492).

(60)

Rose-cheeked Adonis hied him to the chase.

_Venus and Adonis._ (3).

(61)

A sudden pale, Like lawn being spread upon the blushing Rose, Usurps her cheek.

_Ibid._ (589).

(62)

That beauty's Rose might never die.

_Sonnet_ i.

(63)

Nothing this wide universe I call Save thou, my Rose; in it thou art my all.

_Ibid._ cix.

(64)

Rosy lips and cheeks Within time's bending sickle's compa.s.s come.

_Ibid._ cxvi.

(65)

Sweet Rose, fair flower, untimely pluck'd, soon vaded, Pluck'd in the bud, and vaded in the spring!

_The Pa.s.sionate Pilgrim_ (131).

In addition to these many pa.s.sages, there are perhaps thirty more in which the Rose is mentioned with reference to the Red and White Roses of the houses of York and Lancaster. To quote these it would be necessary to extract an entire act, which is very graphic, but too long. I must, therefore, content myself with the beginning and the end of the chief scene, and refer the reader who desires to see it _in extenso_ to "1st Henry VI.," act ii, sc. 4. The scene is in the Temple Gardens, and Plantagenet and Somerset thus begin the fatal quarrel--

_Plantagenet._

Let him that is a true-born gentleman And stands upon the honour of his birth, If he suppose that I have pleaded truth, From off this Brier pluck a White Rose with me.

_Somerset._

Let him that is no coward nor no flatterer, But dare maintain the party of the truth, Pluck a Red Rose from off this Thorn with me.

And Warwick's wise conclusion on the whole matter is--

This brawl to-day, Grown to this faction in the Temple Garden, Shall send, between the Red Rose and the White, A thousand souls to death and deadly night.

There are further allusions to the same Red and White Roses in "3rd Henry VI.," act i, sc. 1 and 2, act ii, sc. 5, and act v, sc. 1; "1st Henry VI.," act iv, sc. 1; and "Richard III.," act v, sc. 4.

There is no flower so often mentioned by Shakespeare as the Rose, and he would probably consider it the queen of flowers, for it was so deemed in his time. "The Rose doth deserve the cheefest and most princ.i.p.all place among all flowers whatsoever, being not onely esteemed for his beautie, vertues, and his fragrant and odoriferous smell, but also because it is the honore and ornament of our English Scepter."--GERARD. Yet the kingdom of the Rose even then was not undisputed; the Lily was always its rival (_see_ LILY), for thus sang Walter de Biblesworth in the thirteenth century--

"En co verger troveroums les flurs Des queus issunt les doux odours (swote smel) Les herbes ausi pur medicine La flur de Rose, la flur de Liz (lilie) Liz vaut per royne, Rose pur piz."