The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-07-09
THE ROSE AT HOME,
AnecdOte and Fable from the
Classical History Of the Queen
of Flowers.

The YOsee are IN bloom. 20 every
,ide they fiji the air with beauty ano
irsgrauce, whether pruned into up
riKht nttle trees, Sin The gardens OF
the rlcn, and looking uncomfortable
10 their forced precision. or spreading
IN neglected luxuriaboe arOuuo
aum bier dwellings, The suburbs OF
the city sre esy with them. A walk
through West Pnlisdelphia is like y
strol through the gardens of CAsh-
mere. Happy June to be the mother
OF such chlldreIl No wonder the
Romans considered her 8 favored
month, and be lleved that she brought
especisl luck TO the newly married,
rnr they. of all people, loved and
cherished the rose.
We sre informed, thJugn j. is
difficult to credit the fact, that Nero
.Dent 100000 of sesterces. or
about 800, 600, Tor the roses used in
the decoration OF single feAst. given
by this luxurious iyrant on the shores
OF the Gulf OF Baiac. IL this be 90, il
is now too late TO enquire-6rst,
where did he ever get 90 many and
secondly where did he put themf
Nero's passion for roses was shared.
however, BY several other emperors
and by many patricians, who ex
rended vast sums upon their favorite
flower. Varus exercised his ingenuity
Oy inveDIiDg q novel couch. covered
with raised cushions, which were
filled with rose leaves and iDclosed
by very thin net. Carrius ordered
roses to be scattered over bis palace
doors and HeliogabRus, OF evil tame.
going q step further, had couohes,
halls, even bis porticos strewn
lavisnly with the beautiful blossoms
In the same spirit OF wantoD
profuseness Cleopatra, wishing to add
to th IL enm ptuousness of festival had
the floor OF her banquetiEg hall
covered with roses to the depth OF
eighties inches. The flowers were
kept in place by fine net, 80 that
her guests were enabled to walk over
them without special trouble, though
wherein laytbe pleasure of doing 60 it
would be difficult to say. The cost OF
this fragrant Competing was talent,
or $500, and q more degenerate
fashion of utilizing flowers can hardly
be imagined. We, indeed, who have
different ideas On the subject OF
luxury, fail 10 appreciate the psrsic-
uIsr delights of reposipg upon heaps
of rOses, or, worse still, crushing their
loneliness under foot; but not go the
sncients, who apparently devoted the
best OF their powers to the invention
of some new and costly pleasure. 800
In vain orators like Cicero and
Latinus Pscatus inveighed against
the demorAlizing righteousness OF the
Roman people. who, not content with
having flowers in summer, must needs
strew their couches land Grown their
wine cups With roses during the long
winter months. The huge green
houses OF the city, supplied the
countless blossoms which adorned the
houses of the rioh, and when the
Egyptians sent roses 10 Domitian on
his birthday. thinking that in winter
they would be rarity, the gift was
received with universal ridicule
"And thou, D Nilel" says Martial in
one of bis epigrsms "must now yield
to the frogs of Rome. Send us thy
harvests and wewill send thee roses.
The rose was an especial iavorite
with the classical poets, who one and
sll unite 10 sing its praises. Horace
loved to crown his head with these
fragrant flowers, and similar wreaths
We're worn by all pRtrioisns while
feasting in their own homes or when
taking part in public rejoicings. 1t
was believed, indeed, that such
gsrlands dissipeted the fumes of the
wine and allevisted or charmed
away the headaches incidental to
prolonged festivities. Unlucky was
the man, however, who ventured to
wear these decorations in public
when any grave calamity threatened
the state. Pliny tells US that banker
named Lucius Fulvius, who appeared
on his gallery with bis head crowned
with roses during the time of the
second Punic war, was by the order
OF the senate, sent to prison until
peace was proclaimed; and ss the
war lasted for sixteen yeare he had
doubtless ample opportunities for
regTetting his iDdiscrstion. -Phila.
dsLphia Times.