There's rosemary--that's for remembrance:
Pray you, love, remember.
_Hamlet_
There's rosemarie; the Arabians Justifie
(Physitions of exceeding perfect skill)
It comforteth the brain and memory.
_Chester_.
Bacon speaks of heaths of ROSEMARY (_Rosmarinus_[095]) that "will smell
a great way in the sea; perhaps twenty miles." This reminds us of
Milton's Paradise.
So lovely seemed
That landscape, and of pure, now purer air,
Meets his approach, and to the heart inspires
Vernal delight and joy, able to drive
All sadness but despair. Now gentle gales
Fanning their odoriferous wings, dispense
Native perfumes, and whisper whence they stole
Those balmy spoils. As when to them who sail
Beyond the Cape of Hope, and now are past
Mozambic, off at sea north east winds blow
Sabean odours from the spicy shore
Of Araby the blest, with such delay
Well pleased they slack their course, and many a league
Cheered with the grateful smell, old Ocean smiles.
Rosemary used to be carried at funerals, and worn as wedding favors.
_Lewis_ Pray take a piece of Rosemary
_Miramont_ I'll wear it,
But for the lady's sake, and none of your's!
_Beaumont and Fletcher's "Elder Brother."_
Rosemary, says Malone, being supposed to strengthen the memory, was the
emblem of fidelity in lovers. So in _A Handfull of Pleasant Delites,
containing Sundrie New Sonets, 16mo_. 1854:
Rosemary is for remembrance
Between us daie and night,
Wishing that I might alwaies have
You present in my sight.
The poem in which these lines are found, is entitled, '_A Nosegay
alwaies sweet for Lovers to send for Tokens of Love_.'
Roger Hochet in his sermon entitled _A Marriage Present_ (1607) thus
speaks of the Rosemary;--"It overtoppeth all the flowers in the garden,
boasting man's rule. It helpeth the brain, strengtheneth the memorie,
and is very medicinable for the head. Another propertie of the rosemary
is, it affects the heart. Let this rosemarinus, this flower of men,
ensigne of your wisdom, love, and loyaltie, be carried not only in your
hands, but in your hearts and heads."
"Hungary water" is made up chiefly from the oil distilled from this
shrub.
* * * * *
I should talk on a little longer about other shrubs, herbs, and flowers,
(particularly of flowers) such as the "pink-eyed Pimpernel" (the poor
man's weather glass) and the fragrant Violet, ('the modest grace of the
vernal year,') the scarlet crested Geranium with its crimpled leaves,
and the yellow and purple Amaranth, powdered with gold,
A flower which once
In Paradise, fast by the tree of life
Began to bloom,
and the crisp and well-varnished Holly with "its rutilant berries," and
the white Lily, (the vestal Lady of the Vale,--"the flower of virgin
light") and the luscious Honeysuckle, and the chaste Snowdrop,
Venturous harbinger of spring
And pensive monitor of fleeting years,
and the sweet Heliotrope and the gay and elegant Nasturtium, and a great
many other "bonnie gems" upon the breast of our dear mother earth,--but
this gossipping book has already extended to so unconscionable a size
that I must quicken my progress towards a conclusion[096].
I am indebted to the kindness of Babu Kasiprasad Ghosh, the first Hindu
gentlemen who ever published a volume of poems in the English
language[097] for the following interesting list of Indian flowers used
in Hindu ceremonies. Many copies of the poems of Kasiprasad Ghosh, were
sent to the English public critics, several of whom spoke of the
author's talents with commendation. The late Miss Emma Roberts wrote a
brief biography of him for one of the London annuals, so that there must
be many of my readers at home who will not on this occasion hear of his
name for the first time.
A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF INDIAN FLOWERS, COMMONLY USED IN HINDU
CEREMONIES.[098]
A'KUNDA (_Calotropis Gigantea_).--A pretty purple coloured, and slightly
scented flower, having a sweet and agreeable smell. It is called _Arca_
in Sanscrit, and has two varieties, both of which are held to be sacred
to Shiva. It forms one of the five darts with which the Indian God of
Love is supposed to pierce the hearts of young mortals.[099] Sir William
Jones refers to it in his Hymn to Kama Deva. It possesses medicinal
properties.[100]
A'PARA'JITA (_Clitoria ternatea_).--A conically shaped flower, the upper
part of which is tinged with blue and the lower part is white. Some are
wholly white. It is held to be sacred to Durga.
ASOCA. (_Jonesia Asoca_).--A small yellow flower, which blooms in large
clusters in the month of April and gives a most beautiful appearance to
the tree. It is eaten by young females as a medicine. It smells like the
Saffron.
A'TASHI.--A small yellowish or brown coloured flower without any smell.
It is supposed to be sacred to Shiva, and is very often alluded to by
the Indian poets. It resembles the flower of the flax or Linum
usitatissimum.[101]
BAKA.--A kidney shaped flower, having several varieties, all of which
are held to be sacred to Vishnu, and are in consequence used in his
worship. It is supposed to possess medicinal virtues and is used by the
native doctors.
BAKU'LA (_Mimusops Etengi_).--A very small, yellowish, and fragrant
flower. It is used in making garlands and other female ornaments.
Krishna is said to have fascinated the milkmaids of Brindabun by playing
on his celebrated flute under a _Baku'la_ tree on the banks of the
Jumna, which is, therefore, invariably alluded to in all the Sanscrit
and vernacular poems relating to his amours with those young women.
BA'KASHA (_Justicia Adhatoda_).--A white flower, having a slight smell.
It is used in certain native medicines.
BELA (_Jasminum Zambac_).--A fragrant small white flower, in common use
among native females, who make garlands of it to wear in their braids of
hair. A kind of _uttar_ is extracted from this flower, which is much
esteemed by natives. It is supposed to form one of the darts of Kama
Deva or the God of Love. European Botanists seem to have confounded this
flower with the Monika, which they also call the Jasminum Zambac.
BHU'MI CHAMPAKA.--An oblong variegated flower, which shoots out from the
ground at the approach of spring. It has a slight smell, and is
considered to possess medicinal properties. The great peculiarity of
this flower is that it blooms when there is not apparently the slightest
trace of the existence of the shrub above ground. When the flower dies
away, the leaves make their appearance.
CHAMPA' (_Michelia Champaka_).--A tulip shaped yellow flower possessing
a very strong smell.[102] It forms one of the darts of Kama Deva, the
Indian Cupid. It is particularly sacred to Krishna.
CHUNDRA MALLIKA' (_Chrysanthemum Indiana_).--A pretty round yellow
flower which blooms in winter. The plant is used in making hedges in
gardens and presents a beautiful appearance in the cold weather when the
blossoms appear.
DHASTU'RA (_Datura Fastuosa_).--A large tulip shaped white flower,
sacred to Mahadeva, the third Godhead of the Hindu Trinity. The seeds of
this flower have narcotic properties.[103]
DRONA.--A white flower with a very slight smell.
DOPATI (_Impatiens Balsamina_).--A small flower having a slight smell.
There are several varieties of this flower. Some are red and some white,
while others are both white and red.
GA'NDA' (_Tagetes erecta_).--A handsome yellow flower, which sometimes
grows very large. It is commonly used in making garlands, with which the
natives decorate their idols, and the Europeans in India their churches
and gates on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
GANDHA RA'J (_Gardenia Florida_).--A strongly scented white flower,
which blooms at night.
GOLANCHA (_Menispermum Glabrum_).--A white flower. The plant is already
well known to Europeans as a febrifuge.
JAVA' (_Hibiscus Rosa Sinensis_).--A large blood coloured flower held to
be especially sacred to Kali. There are two species of it, viz. the
ordinary Java commonly seen in our gardens and parterres, and the
_Pancha Mukhi_, which, as its name imports, has five compartments and is
the largest of the two.[104]
JAYANTI (_Aeschynomene Sesban_).--A small yellowish flower, held to be
sacred to Shiva.
JHA'NTI.--A small white flower possessing medicinal properties. The
leaves of the plants are used in curing certain ulcers.
JA'NTI (_Jasminum Grandiflorum_).--Also a small white flower having a
sweet smell. The _uttar_ called _Chumeli_ is extracted from it.
JUYIN (_Jasminum Auriculatum_).--The Indian Jasmine. It is a very small
white flower remarkable for its sweetness. It is also used in making a
species of _uttar_ which is highly prized by the natives, as also in
forming a great variety of imitation female ornaments.
KADAMBA (_Nauclea Cadamba_).--A ball shaped yellow flower held to be
particularly sacred to Krishna, many of whose gambols with the milkmaids
of Brindabun are said to have been performed under the Kadamba tree,
which is in consequence very frequently alluded to in the vernacular
poems relating to his loves with those celebrated beauties.
KINSUKA (_Butea Frondosa_).--A handsome but scentless white flower.
KANAKA CHAMPA (_Pterospermum Acerifolium_).--A yellowish flower which
hangs down in form of a tassel. It has a strong smell, which is
perceived at a great distance when it is on the tree, but the moment it
is plucked off, it begins to lose its fragrance.
KANCHANA (_Bauhinia Variegata_).--There are several varieties of this
flower. Some are white, some are purple, while others are red. It gives
a handsome appearance to the tree when the latter is in full blossom.
KUNDA (_Jasminum pulescens_).--A very pretty white flower. Indian poets
frequently compare a set of handsome teeth, to this flower. It is held
to be especially sacred to Vishnu.
KARABIRA (_Nerium Odosum_).--There are two species of this flower, viz.
the white and red, both of which are sacred to Shiva.
KAMINI (_Murraya Exotica_).--A pretty small white flower having a strong
smell. It blooms at night and is very delicate to the touch. The
_kamini_ tree is frequently used as a garden hedge.
KRISHNA CHURA (_Poinciana Pulcherrima_).--A pretty small flower, which,
as its name imports resembles the head ornament of Krishna. When the
Krishna Chura tree is in full blossom, it has a very handsome
appearance.
KRISHNA KELI (_Mirabilis Jalapa_.)[105]--A small tulip shaped yellow
flower. The bulb of the plant has medicinal properties and is used by
the natives as a poultice.
KUMADA (_Nymphaea Esculenta_)--A white flower, resembling the lotus, but
blooming at night, whence the Indian poets suppose that it is in love
with Chandra or the Moon, as the lotus is imagined by them to be in love
with the Sun.
LAVANGA LATA' (_Limonia Scandens_.)--A very small red flower growing
upon a creeper, which has been celebrated by Jaya Deva in his famous
work called the _Gita Govinda_. This creeper is used in native gardens
for bowers.
MALLIKA' (_Jasminum Zambac_.)--A white flower resembling the _Bela_. It
has a very sweet smell and is used by native females to make ornaments.
It is frequently alluded to by Indian poets.
MUCHAKUNDA (_Pterospermum Suberifolia_).--A strongly scented flower,
which grows in clusters and is of a brown colour.
MA'LATI (_Echites Caryophyllata_.)--The flower of a creeper which is
commonly used in native gardens. It has a slight smell and is of a white
colour.
MA'DHAVI (_Gaertnera Racemosa_.)--The flower of another creeper which is
also to be seen in native gardens. It is likewise of a white colour.
NA'GESWARA (_Mesua Ferrua_.)--A white flower with yellow filaments,
which are said to possess medicinal properties and are used by the
native physicians. It has a very sweet smell and is supposed by Indian
poets to form one of the darts of Kama Deva. See Sir William Jones's
Hymn to that deity.
PADMA (_Nelumbium Speciosum_.)--The Indian lotus, which is held to be
sacred to Vishnu, Brama, Mahadava, Durga, Lakshami and Saraswati as well
as all the higher orders of Indian deities. It is a very elegant flower
and is highly esteemed by the natives, in consequence of which the
Indian poets frequently allude to it in their writings.
PA'RIJATA (_Buchanania Latifolia_.)--A handsome white flower, with a
slight smell. In native poetry, it furnishes a simile for pretty eyes,
and is held to be sacred to Vishnu.
PAREGATA (_Erythrina Fulgens_.)--A flower which is supposed to bloom in
the garden of Indra in heaven, and forms the subject of an interesting
episode in the _Puranas_, in which the two wives of Krisna, (Rukmini and
Satyabhama) are said to have quarrelled for the exclusive possession of
this flower, which their husband had stolen from the celestial garden
referred to. It is supposed to be identical with the flower of the
_Palta madar_.
RAJANI GANDHA (_Polianthus Tuberosa_.)--A white tulip-shaped flower
which blooms at night, from which circumstance it is called "the Rajani
Gandha, (or night-fragrance giver)." It is the Indian tuberose.
RANGANA.--A small and very pretty red flower which is used by native
females in ornamenting their betels.
SEONTI. _Rosa Glandulefera_. A white flower resembling the rose in size
and appearance. It has a sweet smell.
SEPHA'LIKA (_Nyctanthes Arbor-tristis_.)--A very pretty and delicate
flower which blooms at night, and drops down shortly after. It has a
sweet smell and is held to be sacred to Shiva. The juice of the leaves
of the Sephalika tree are used in curing both remittant and intermittent
fevers.
SURYJA MUKHI (_Helianthus Annuus_).--A large and very handsome yellow
flower, which is said to turn itself to the Sun, as he goes from East to
West, whence it has derived its name.
SURYJA MANI (_Hibiscus Phoeniceus_).--A small red flower.
GOLAKA CHAMPA.--A large beautiful white tulip-shaped flower having a
sweet smell. It is externally white but internally orange-colored.
TAGUR (_Tabernoemontana Coronaria_).--A white flower having a slight
smell.
TARU LATA.--A beautiful creeper with small red flowers. It is used in
native gardens for making hedges.