CHAPTER VII. LOVE'S LABOUR 'S LOST. HE plants named in this play are Daisy Cuckoo buds (Ranunculus Ficaria). Act v. Scene 2. Song. Ist Verse. Spring:- When daisies pied, and violets blue, And lady smocks all silver-white, And cuckoo buds of yellow bue Do paint the meadows with delight. Daisy (Bellis perennis). The only British species, blossoms all the year, is one of the earliest flowers of Spring, and a general favourite. It formed part of Ophelia's garland. (See Hamlet.) Cowley calls this flower the first-born of the teeming Spring.' * First printed in 1598. 4to. ས་ Violets. The blue violets commonly growing wild are Viola odorata (sweet violet) and Viola canina (dog violet), the former, well known for its fragrance, is often of a deep blue colour, and appears early in Spring. The latter is of a lighter hue; more abundant, but scentless, and flowers mostly in April. Shakspere alluded to one or both of these. The latter is the one called blue-veined violet in Venus and Adonis. (See 'violet' in Midsummer Night's Dream.) Lady smocks, originally called our Lady smocks (Cardamine pratensis). A common meadow plant, with blushing white flowers, appearing early in Spring. Sir J. E. Smith says they cover the meadows as with linen bleaching, whence the name of lady smocks is supposed to come. They are associated with pleasant ideas of Spring, and join with the harebell and other flowers to compose the rustic nosegay. Some authors say it first flowers about Lady-tide, or the Paschal of the Annunciation, hence its name.' Cuckoo buds. Although Mr. Miller, in his 'Gardener's Dictionary,' says that the flower here alluded to is the Ranunculus bulbosus, I think Shakspere particularly referred to the Ranunculus Ficaria (lesser celandine), or pilewort, as this flower appears earlier in Spring, and is in bloom at the 1g la ts > er rs h n t, n e e e n e it same time as the other flowers named in the song. These yellow buds, appearing at the same time Other writers of the sixteenth century speak of The beauteous children of the spring, And Spring is also described as the time that the ! T CHAPTER VIII. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM.* THE plants named in this play are Cowslip (Primula veris), Dog rose (Rosa canina), Wild thyme (Thymus Serpyllum), Oxlip (Primula elatior), Violet (Viola odorata), Woodbine (Lonicera periclyminum), Musk rose (Rosa moschata), Eglantine (Rosa rubiginosa), Apricot (Prunus armeria), Dewberries (Rubus caesius), Knot grass (Polyganum aviculare), Garlick (Allium sativum). Act ii. Scene 1. Enter Fairy and Puck. Puck. How now, spirit! whither wander you? * First printed in 1600. 4to. Those be rubies, fairy favours, I must go seek some dew-drops here And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear. Puck. The king doth keep his revels here to-night. But she, perforce, withholds the loved boy, Crowns him with flowers, and makes him all her joy : By fountain clear, or spangled star-light sheen, The acorn is well known to be the fruit of the oak, and the cup which holds it is of a beautiful shape. The poet could not have chosen a more suitable object for fairy elves to hide in. In As you like it, Act iii. Scene 2, Celia speaking to Rosalind of Orlando, says : It is as easy to count atomies, as to resolve the propositions of a lover: but take a taste of my finding him, and relish it with good observance. I found him under a tree, like a dropp'd acorn. Rosalind. It may fruit. well be called Jove's tree, when it drops such In Act ii. Scene 2 : Oberon. Hast thou the flower there? Welcome, wanderer. |