Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-03
going on in her kingdom. so the flowers deposed
her md crowned bn roso

going on in her kingdom. 80 the flowers deposed
her and crowned the rose.
There is ample evidence that the rose is very
old. 1t is mentioned in ancient Coptic manus-
| script, and was in the celebrated hanging gar
dens of Semiramis in Babylon, 1900 years be-
fore the Christian era. The rose was a favor
lite synonym for all that pure and desirable
| In life among Old Testament writer's, and Pal
estine was once garden OF roses. But with
the changing centuries since Solomon sang and
wise men we're exalted the rose has forsaken
| its haunts by blue Galilee and the placid Jor-
dan. The cedars were on Lebanon. and the
sacred palms stand isolated and lone. but the
| soft Syrian air Is no longer freighted with tho
breath of the rose
The Greeks adored the rose and Theophrastus
wrote much aboutit Even so eminent histo-
| rian as Piny devoted whole chapter to descrip-
ton Of the roses which the Romans used in their
rites and revels with Il layisbness and profusion
| never paraiieied in the worlds history Homer
in the Illisd and Odyssey borrowed the brilliant
colors OF the rose to paint the rising sun. He
gave to Aurora fingers Of roses with which she
made the air sweet. Herodotus tells Of the
Macedonian gardens and the magnificent rose
trees of Midas.
The Moors who conquered Spain attached the
highest value to the rose and cultivated it into
| a luxuriance never attained since. The Arabs
loved the rose and Abu-el-Jair left u passage
concerning them which is translated as follows:
| There are roses OF many colors-carnation,
white, fallow or yellow. Iapislazuli or sky blue.
Some are of this last color on the outside and
blue within. In the east they are acquainted
with roses which arc variegated with yellow and
sky blue, the inside of the carolla being of tho
| one color and the outside Of the other.
| The yellow heart is very common in Tripoli
and Syria and the blue heart is found on the
| coast OF Alexandria" And another Arabian
| author with an alphabetical name chronicles a
brilliant purple rose. All of which shows that
history and legends get tangled up at times and
TIM. there are instances where one is justified in
doubling BOTH
THE OLDEST ROSE TREE.
The oldest rose tree in the world is in Hilders-
| helm, Hanover 1t was planted in the year
| SlS. This rose tree came from Arabia, from
the famous gardens of Caliph Haroun-Alras-
child. 1t was brought to Charlerlagne by an
ambassador from the caliph, who carried as his
symbol of authority the purple banner of the
caliph, on which the arms of his sovereign.
/ q rose on feid of gold. This rosc bush Charlie
InaSno had set out near his palace. 1t is related
that ono day Louis the Pious knelt under this
| rose bush to pray. On retiring he missed his
| holy image and wentto the rose bush 70 seek it.
| He found It hanging on a branch, but when he
would have grasped II the branch flew up out
| OF his reach Each time it Guided him. and,
! being deeply superstiGous. be attached surer-
| natural powers to the rose bush and had mag
Hlucellt catncurai Dulit over 1t. From century
| to century the rose bush has grown and flour
| ishod, though the cathedral built around il
| burned in 1913, and the that replaced it
| in 1l46 suffered the same fate. The rose bush
| mracuously, MS some believe. escaped harm,
! and today, when thousand years old,
| l. blossonIuG freely when in the Arabian
| gardens os the caliph.
The western world capped agEast when amuti-
| millionaire spent $4,000 on wedding howers.
The ancients would have laughed such pottv
expenditure to scorn. The Romans covered
their tables with roses wreathen their reclining
couches with them and slept upon beds OF roses.
Nero, who saw the tragedy of burning Rome,
while his ears were charmed by his own td
ding. was a rose Sovrglaud. and at ono fete
which lie gave the flowers alone cost 500. 900.
A favo:ite surprise for his guests was to bury
them under showers OF roses, which rained
through apertures in the ceiling. llelIogaba Is
was also a rose lover. and SO lavish was he with
his roses thas history says some OF his guests
wore smothered IL them, being unable TO
trlcate them selves from the weight OF an uneX-
pccted shower. History Bays. too. that this
sweet sInothering did not always occur quite by
accident. Those Roman emperors baJhed i'll
rose water and slept upon beds made OF
leaves and trod upon carpets of rose leaves.
Smyndi"ide, ono Of the volup;aaries OF that
day, could not sleep comfortably ii in his bed
of fresh rose leaves he found one rurlpled or
curcd.
When Cleopatra welcomed Mark Anthony in
Cilicia the floor of the banluc; ball was covered
eighteen inches deep with roses. and over thom
a fine not was drawn to hold Thorn i'll place for
the thirtr-slN guests to walk upon. This bit of
perfuincd freazy cost 5000.
ComuS, the gol OF fea5:igg. is always given a
rose crown. Once n. one Of the feas:s Of the
gods AID soddesses. when Hipocrates. the tact
turn. presided. CUPID laid upon his lips a rose
and dedica cd it to him ! an emblem o; silcnce.
This was to seal MI lips against the amours of
Venus and other goddcsses there present. FOR
wine was in and wisdom out Ever after that
rose was suspended above banquet boards and
the guests Were reminded that nj said and
done was under the rose''-sub rosa
centuries the ceilings of banqueting
rooms had center of painted roses. In
this century plaster rose was substituted.
The rose is still with u.s. but the seal OF silence
has been lost. The roses over the confessionals
in the Holman Catholic Church have the old
significance, The Jacobins adopted tho white
rose political symbol of tho "prctcndcr,'
since his aiherents were compelled to help him
"under the rose.
An EMBtEM OF DEVOTION.
In the days Of iousts and tournaments roses
were worn by the chevaliers as emblems of their
devotion to love AMI beauty, and were en-
broderad by fair hands upon tho sleeves worn
BY the knights emblem that gcatlene5s
showed accompanying courage and that beauty
was Tue reward Oh NA!Qr. Inc ollClcQtS put
their priceless old wines in crystal decanters.
which they corkei with roses. and rare old
Falerni1n was served with rose leaves swim
ming on its sparkling surface.
oh royal rose! the Rom an dressed
Hi fast with the; thy reta, pressed
AuENstan brow+, thine odor hre
Mixed witu The thrre-tlInes mingled wine
Lent TIE long fhracc IN drought its zest."
When the Clympian games were in
progress roses rioted over everything
! Triumphal arches made of them and the
chariots in the races were half covered with
| them. At the public games attended by the
Roman senator's Il chaplet OF roses consid-
cred noble present for them. Ancient writ
| ings are full of illusions to the rose. 1t was
used in all the sacred ceremonies and in public
| and private fetes. Tho Greeks. and Romans
| surrounded the statues of Venus. of Hebe and
| of Flora with garlands of roses. They were
lavish of these flowers at the festivals Of Flora.
| and when those of juno we're celebrated
at Argos the Olymhian queen crowned
with lilies and roses. In tho festivals
of Hymen at Athens tho young of both sexes,
crowned with roses and adorned with flowers,
mingled in dances which were in
tended to represent the innocence of
primeval times. Lucretius gives
graphic description of these public reioicinys
in Rome, whore the streets were strewn with
| roses. And Martial informs us that the most
favorable time for soliciting favors of Roman
maguate was when the luxury Of revol
was at its height and the voluntary