the early history of the rose, and fables respecting its origin.

very little is known of the early history of the rose, or who were its first cultivators; and on this point all is conjecture. mention of it is made in the ancient coptic manuscripts, while nothing concerning it can be distinguished, with any degree of certainty, on the egyptian monuments which are left us. bocastre, the french traveler, observes that he carefully searched all the monuments in egypt, and could find neither sculpture nor painting, figure nor hieroglyphic, that would lead us to suppose that the rose was cultivated by the ancient egyptians. we are, however, induced to believe that this beautiful flower was known to them, from the fact that several varieties are now found in egypt. dr. delile, director of the botanic garden at montpelier, and with whom we enjoyed some pleasant intercourse during a visit to that place, was with napoleon in his expedition to egypt. in his[pg 154] valuable published account of that expedition, he mentions that he found there two roses—rosa alba, and rosa centifolia; and there is also reason to believe, that under domitian the egyptians cultivated another—rosa bifera. it is quite probable that the rose was planted in the celebrated gardens of babylon, the formation of which is attributed to semiramis, about 1200 years before the christian era; and it also appears probable, from the testimony of modern travelers, that several kinds of roses crossed over into persia.

it is very certain that the rose was cultivated by the jews during the reign of solomon, about two centuries after semiramis; for mention of this flower is made in the scripture books attributed to that king. in the song of solomon, he says: “i am the rose of sharon, and the lily of the valleys;” and in the apocryphal wisdom of solomon—“let us crown ourselves with rose-buds before they be withered.”

it also appears, by several passages of the book of ecclesiasticus, the author of which lived about 700 years after solomon, that the jews possessed beautiful gardens of roses, particularly at jericho. “i was exalted like a palm-tree in engaddi, and as a rose-plant in jericho:” xxiv. 14. “hearken unto me, ye holy children, and bud forth as a rose growing by the brook of the field:” xxxix. 13. “and as the flower of roses in the spring of the year:” l. 8. these passages prove that this most fertile and beautiful portion of palestine abounded in roses, palms, and cedars. they no longer however, abound; for while “the cedars wave on lebanon,” and the solitary palm stands in its isolated beauty, the rose has entirely disappeared; and that now called the rose of jericho is but a little plant of the family of crucifer?. the greeks cultivated the rose at an early period, during the time of homer, who lived about 200 years after the wise hebrew monarch. in the iliad and odyssey he borrows the[pg 155] brilliant colors of the rose to paint the rising of the sun. aurora, according to this poet, has fingers of roses, and perfumes the air with roses. few poets are more celebrated than homer for beauty of conception, and for his frequent similes borrowed from natural objects. his selection, in this instance, evinces that the rose was neither an unknown nor an unadmired flower. herodotus, who lived about 400 years before the christian era, mentions that in macedonia, in the gardens which were supposed to have belonged to midas, there were roses of sixty petals, which grew spontaneously without culture, and emitted a most delightful perfume.

ancient writings are full of allusions to the rose, and fabulous accounts of its origin. from its brilliant colors, melting into each other as the shades of night melt into the glowing richness of the rising sun, it was frequently consecrated to aurora. it was also consecrated to harpocrates, the patron of silence, of which it was considered the symbol. thus the expression, “sub rosa” (under the rose), signified that all that was said should remain secret; and there is scarcely used a more expressive device for a seal than the simple figure of a rose. it was the custom, in some of the northern countries, to suspend a rose over the table in the dining-room, reminding the guests that silence should be observed respecting all that might be said during the meal.

anacreon, bion, theocritus, apollodorus, and others, relate various fables respecting its origin, and its obtaining the bright color for which it is distinguished.

one fable relates that flora, having found the dead body of one of her favorite nymphs, whose beauty could only be equaled by her virtue, implored the assistance of all the olympian deities to aid her in changing it into a flower, which all others should acknowledge to be their queen. apollo lent the vivifying power of his beams, bacchus bathed it in nectar, vertumnus gave its perfume,[pg 156] pomona its fruit, and flora herself gave its diadem of flowers. a beetle is often represented on antique gems as expiring, surrounded by roses; and this is supposed to be an emblem of luxurious enervation; the beetle being said to have such an antipathy to roses, that the smell of them will cause its death.

from the earliest period the greeks gave to the rose the preference over all other plants, and distinguished it as the “queen of flowers.” in the fragments which still exist of sappho, who lived about 600 years before the christian era, there are lines in which the rose is placed in the highest rank.

since sappho, many poets, both ancient and modern, have celebrated in their songs the charming qualities of the rose. they have chosen it for an emblem of the most beautiful things—for the most pleasing and delightful comparisons; and they have united in making it the symbol of innocence, of modesty, of grace, and of beauty. quite a volume might be collected of all the verses and pleasant sentences that have been inspired by the elegant form of the rose, its charming color, and delightful fragrance. some of these we have inserted in another part of the work. nothing proves better the preference which has always existed for this beautiful flower than the thoughts expressed by sappho. anacreon and the other poets of antiquity have since imitated her in almost every language, and the lines of these have sacrificed nothing of her elegance and freshness.

the poets and writers of the east have abundantly celebrated in their works the beauties of the rose. according to the boun-dehesch, of zoroaster, the stem of that flower was free from thorns until the entrance of ahrimanus (the evil one) into the world; the universal spirit of evil, according to their doctrine, affecting not only man, but also the inferior animals, and even the very trees and plants. the same work states that every flower[pg 157] is appropriated to a particular angel, and that the hundred-leaved rose (rosa centifolia) is consecrated to an archangel of the highest order. basil, one of the early fathers, had undoubtedly seen these passages in oriental works, when he related that at the creation of the world the rose had no thorns, and that it was gradually furnished with them as mankind became more corrupt.

the oriental writers also represent the nightingale as sighing for the love of the rose; and many beautiful stanzas have arisen from this fable. according to the language of flowers; “in a curious fragment by the celebrated persian poet, attar, entitled bulbul nameh, the book of the nightingale, all the birds appear before solomon, and charge the nightingale with disturbing their rest by the broken and plaintive strains which he warbles forth all the night in a sort of frenzy and intoxication. the nightingale is summoned, questioned, and acquitted by the wise king; because the bird assures him that his vehement love for the rose drives him to distraction, and causes him to break forth into those passionate and touching complaints which are laid to his charge.” the same work also mentions that the persians assert that “the nightingale, in spring, flutters around the rose-bushes, uttering incessant complaints, till, overpowered by the strong scent, he drops stupefied on the ground.” the invention of these fables, extravagant as they are, evince the persian fondness for this beautiful flower. the ghebers, or persian fire-worshipers, believe that abraham was thrown into the fire by nimrod, when the flame turned into a bed of roses. according to the hindoo mythology, pagoda siri, one of the wives of vishnu, was found in a rose.

among the many stories of roses in the east, is that of the philosopher zeb, related by madame de latour. “there was at amadan, in persia, an academy with the following rules: its members must think much, write a[pg 158] little, and be as silent as possible. the learned zeb, celebrated through all the east, learning that there was a vacancy in the academy, endeavored to obtain it, but arrived, unfortunately, too late. the academy was annoyed because it had given to power what belonged to merit; and the president, not knowing how to express a refusal without mortifying the assembly, caused a cup to be brought, which he filled so full of water, that a single drop more would have made it run over. the wise philosopher understood by that emblem that no place remained for him, and was retiring sadly, when he perceived a rose petal at his feet. at that sight he took courage, seized the petal, and placed it so delicately on the water, that not a single drop escaped. at this ingenious allusion to the rules of the academy, the whole assembly clapped their hands, and the philosopher was admitted as a member.” madame de genlis relates very nearly the same anecdote, but attributes it to abdul-kadri, a person celebrated among the turks, who was desirous of residing at babylon, where they were unwilling to receive him.

the turks themselves, matter-of-fact as they are, have also seen something marvelous in the beautiful and vivid tints which the hand of nature has painted on the corolla of the rose; but their imagination, less glowing than that of the greeks, furnished them an idea more singular than pleasing. they suppose that the rose owed its origin to the perspiration which fell from mahomet; for which reason they never tread upon a rose-leaf, or suffer one to lie on the ground.

meshilu, the turkish poet, speaks of “a pavilion of roses as the seat of pleasure raised in the garden;” of “roses like the bright cheeks of beautiful maidens;” of the time when “the plants were sick, and the rose-bud hung its thoughtful head on its bosom;” and of the “dew, as it falls, being changed into rose-water.” they also[pg 159] sculpture a rose on the tombstone of a female who dies unmarried.

the early roman catholics have made the rose the subject of various miraculous events, one of which is attributed to the canonized elizabeth, queen of hungary. as the french author, montalembert, relates it in his history of that queen, elizabeth loved to carry to the poor herself, by stealth, not only money, but even food, and other things which she had provided for them. she went thus loaded, and on foot, by the steep and hidden paths which led from the chateau to the town, and to the cottages in the neighboring valleys. one day, when, accompanied by her favorite maid, she was descending by a rough and scarcely visible path, carrying under her cloak some bread, meat, eggs, and other food, for distribution among the poor, she was suddenly met by her husband, who was returning from the chase. astonished to see her thus bending under the weight of her burden, he said to her, “let me see what you are carrying.” at the same time he threw open the cloak, which she held, with terror, to her breast, but found, as the legend says, nothing there but some white and red roses, the most beautiful he had ever seen.

d’orbessan, in his work on the rose, states, that in the church of sainte-luzanne, at rome, is a mosaic of the time of charlemagne, in which that prince is represented in a square mantle, and on his knees, while st. peter is placing in his hands a standard covered with roses.

michaud, in his biographie universelle, speaks of clemence isaure, a french lady, who lived in the latter part of the fifteenth century. she bequeathed to the academy of toulouse a large income, exclusively for the celebration of floral games, and for the distribution of five prizes for as many pieces of poetry. the prizes consisted of an amaranth and rose of gold, and of a violet, marigold, and lily, of silver. the will also required that[pg 160] every three years, on the day of the commencement of the floral games, among other ceremonies to be observed, the members of the academy should visit and spread flowers upon her tomb. ronsard, the french poet, having gained the first prize in the floral games, received, in place of the accustomed rose, a silver image of minerva. mary, queen of scots, was so much delighted with ronsard’s beautiful poetry on the rose, that she sent him a magnificent rose of silver, valued at ￡500, with this inscription:—“a. ronsard. l’apollon de la source des muses.”