There have been great discussions as to what flower was the original “Gillyflower” spoken of by early writers. Folkard says it was “apparently a kind of pet-name to all manner of plants.” Parkinson seems to have called Carnations, Clove-Gillyflowers, and Stocks, the Stock-Gillyflowers, and Wall-flowers, Wall-Gillyflowers. It is generally thought that the earlier writers called the Dianthus by this name, and later ones, the Cheiranthus cheiri, or Matthiola. Some of the names for them show how sadly imagination has waned since the seventeenth century. Think of a new flower being called “Ruffling Robin” or “The lustie Gallant,” or “Master Tuggie’s Princess,” or “Mister Bradshaw, his dainty Lady.” Even “the Sad Pageant” has romance about it, but we can match that by a name for Hesperides which, I believe, still survives, “The Melancholy Gentleman.” Culpepper calls Gillyflowers, “gallant, fine and temperate,” but says, “It is vain to describe a herb so well known.” So there we will leave them.
Lavender (Lavandula vera).
Here’s flowers for you,
Hot lavender, mints, savory, marjoram,
The marigold that goes to bed wi’ the sun,
And with him rises weeping.
Winter’s Tale, iv. 3.
The wholesome saulge and lavender still gray,
Ranke smelling Rue, and cummin good for eyes.
Muiopotmos.
Opening upon level plots
Of crowned lilies standing near
Purple spiked lavender.
Ode to Memory.—Tennyson.
Lavender is for lovers true,
Which evermore be faine,
Desiring always for to have
Some pleasure for their paine.
C. Robinson.