Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-09-04
"UNDER THE RosE"-wHAT IT MEANS

This proverbial expression, like most others
that have been long since used, cannot be traced
with absolute certainty to its origin, but can only
be made the subject Of conjectures more or less
probable Some Of these conjecturcs arc as f)l.
low:
L. 1t was once customary for the Popes 10 con.
secrate roses, and use them as presents, unexpen.
sive to the giver, but of great price in the eyes Of
the credulous receiver. From this originated the
practice of placing roses over the door of confess
SIGNALS, and as the most profound secrecy was
there observed, the rose soon became an emblem
of secrecy.
Q. The expression took its origin from the
adoption of red and white roses as the respective
emblems of the houses Of York and Lancaster.
during the bloody wars with which they d,solated
England. These opposite emblems were the signs
OF the taverns near the Parliament House, invest
minister, where were the head quarters of the
two rival factions; and as measures of annoyance
or of defence were adopted in secret conclave at
one or the other Of these taverns, everything SC.
cret was said to be done "under the rose"
8 1t is certain, however, that the rose was the
emblem of secrecy long before confessionals were
established, or Workers or Lancasterians plotted
against each other. Uarpocrates, the Roman God
of Silence. was represented as young man,
with one finger placed on his lips and a rose in the
other hand. 1t was said that Cupid gave him the
rose to bride him from betraying the amours of
Venus. The ancients therefore sculptured q rose
over the doors or on the ceilings of their festival
halls, as a hint to her guests that nothing which
was said in moments of conviviality was to be re,
peated elsewhere. Some instances OF the same
practices are to be found in modern buildings.
1t was in the pavilion of an Amsterdam burgo-
masters country scat, and beneath a stucco rose
which rnamente the ceiling, that William I'LL.
communicated to his host and other burgomastcr
his intended invasion of England. In the dining
room of the Bear club" in Birmingham,s Eng.
land, there was once a carved rose in the center OF
the ceiling, under which it is said that the Jaco.
bite members of the Club, in its early days, used
80 drink as their first toast, "The health of the
King, under the rose" meaning the Pretender.
In the hall of Lullington Castle. in Kent, was to
be seen, a few years ago, and perhaps still is,
a carving of a rose surrounded by an inscription
as follows
"Kentish true blue,
Take this as a token,
That what is said here
Under the rose is spoken"
In the absence of satisfactory evidences Of any
other origin, it may be regarded rs tolerably GER
tain that the phra.e had the Hydrologic II last orig.
in mentioned. 1t is the white rose 10 which allusiOn
is made. The rose which Harpocrates held in his
hand was white, and it is the white rose that
Byron. in THE Bride Of Abydos." rendered
sacred to the silence of the tomb.-IIe says that
over the tomb of Zuleika
"a single rose is shedding
Its lovely lustre meek and palel
It's looks as planted by despair
So white, so faint the slightes. gallo
Might whirl the leaves on high.
New York OJSe1 rcr.