The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-04-24
by DOROTHY HARMON DAWSON.

names Of which many perfumes are
called,-the rose, the myrtle. the syringa,
the daphne, the crocus, the iris. the viO-
let,-are all OF them in one way or other
the subjects Of romatic old myths: the
iris recalling the pretty, quasi-scientifc
fancy that where the rainbow's arch
seems 10 spring. a distinctive fragrance
may be noticed
But there is plenty Of romance Of per-
fume with wholly human and personal
interest The important role it plays and
has always played in Southern and East
ern countries is matter Of common
knowledge. Powerful and enhancing
scent is the dominant note IN female fas-
cinatiOn in those far-of climes In the
Shah Nameh Of Firdusi we read now
Nahid gained the love Of Darab by
herb Of peculiar efficacy and fragrance
which made her breath like balmy
zephyrs. II is by his loves ''musky
tresses' that the hero Zal. Romeo ike,
climbs 10 the chamber window Of his
bride-to-be. Rudabeh. who. we are told.
was all fragrance And throughout
this and the countless epIcs OF which Il
IS a type, as well as the more SPECIFICALLY
Anacreontic poems, there is constant ref
erence. almost. 10 Western ears, weari-
some in its iteration. to the idols musky
hair"
Product of "Crocus."
It seems strange 20 US to-day 70 read
Of saffron,-the product Of "Crocus." the
beautiful youth who was netamorphosed
into the Iower-as perfume. But such
IL undoubtedly was, almost universally.
and the element Of romance" about IL,
so far as we are concerned, lies in the
story told by Hakluyt OF a pilgrim
smuggling at the risk Of his life from the
Levant a head Of saffron in a hollow
made in his staff. from which grew the
plantation which gave its name 70 san
ron Walden.
Altar OF roses owes its discovery 70
Noorjeehan, Light OF the World" wife
OF the mighty Jehangir. Walking one
day in her garden. through which flowed
streams Of rosewater, she noticed an
oily film floating here and there on the
surface. The oily film was collected, and
was the first altar Of rose. Il viii be re-
membered as strictly belonging 20 the
romance Of perfume that one Of the
anecdotes Of the veracious Captain Kear-
ney was that he once captured a pirate
with a puncheon Of altar OF rose. BY some
mishap IL broke, and though the ship
was smoked and sunk for three weeks
the scent was never eradicated, and she
was finally broken up and sold 10 people
at Brighton and Tunbridge Wells for
turning fancy articles"
The late Or. Andrew Wynter, IN a
charming article on perfumes, suggested
the desirab.lity OF every lady having her
own spec'al-and self-prepared. perfume.
The custom. however. would have its dis
advantages. More than one sensational
story might be mentioned wherein the
heroine or william was saved or unmasked
as the case might he by the recognition
OF a distinctive scent
Discovered by Perfume.
In diplomacy" the denouemeut IS
effected by the tellJale perfume Of the
adventures being detected in the dis
patch box she had r.fed. As a matter OF
history, the assassirs Of the Oriental
sovereign Yezdijird were discovered by. one
Of them smelling Of the perfume with
which the robes Of the murdered king
had been redolent-
Perhaps the part Of the romance of
perfume which has most interest deals
with those incidents-in fact or Action
that make Pope's hackneyed line. Die
of a rose in aromatic pain" descriptive
OF grim realities. OF course. we are told
that most Of them are exaggerated or
absolutely impossible, but that in no way
detracts from the romance There was
that scented" apple intended for the
Prince de Condo which wrought such
hideous evil 10 the physician who ex-
amined It first.
There was that fatally perfumed lip
salve that Catharine de Medici. the Queen
Mother, sent to Nine de Sauvc. the
beautiful and loving mistress Of Henry
Of Navarro. There was the rose, with
added deathly fragrance. with which
Diana de Nerid0r revenEed on the Duke
'Anjou the treacherous murder Of her
lover, the brave Busy" And in cases
Of female jealousy INSCRIPTIONS beauties
innumerable have adopted toward their
rival the method advocated by willy
Vivian when Merlin was telling Of the ir-
resistable charms Of the wondrous East
ern queen and made her 'paler by
poisoned rose
One George Hamilton frustrated an at
tempt Of this sort on that frau and fair
complexioned beauty La Marquise de
Farabere. The marquise had sneered at
Nine de Montmorale who was a
brUnette-aS a "mUlatJo." and the latter
Knowing the favorite's love for step
hanotis. had provided herself with
bouquet. so indicated as that one in
halation of its perfume would have for
ever destroyed that ivory skin with which
the debonair was so infatuated And
just as the bouquet was about 10 be
presented Captain George became sud
denly the victim Of most unwonted awk-
wardness. and with a flourish Of his
plumed hat dashed the death sweet flow
ers 10 the ground.
Introduced Into England
OF the introduction Of perfumery into
England during the Elizabethan age John
Stowe said the heroic achievements Of
the Right Honorable Edward de We're.
Earl Of oxford. who first brought from
Italy the whole mystery and craft of
perfumery, and costly washes: and
among other pleasant things besides. q,
perfumed jerNin, q pair Of perfumed
gloves trimmed with roses in which the
queen took such delight. that she was
actually pictured with those gloves on
her royal hands, and for many years
after the scent was called the Earl OF
OXfords Perfume"