Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 January 1886 — The Lily. [ARTICLE]

The Lily.

The Lily, or fleur-de-lis, has Jong been regarded as the flower emblematic of France. From the of the Merovingian dynasty it has been employed. among signs of royalty. The great seals of Frederic Barbarossa, of Edward the Confessor, and other monarchs, show the fleur-de-lis either on the point of the scepter or on the crown; many noble families of France, Germany, and Italy bear it on their signet. Louis VIL, le Jeune. appears to have been the first King of France who placed it in his arms, and irom that time it became the hereditary armorial bearing of the Capets. Innumerable fleur-de-lis covered the royal vestments and the orillamme or banner. Philippe 111. reduced the number to three, to suit the triangular shape of the shield. ” Guillim’s Display of Heraldry, folio edition, date 1724, is a quaint old book, reprinted and revised from former editions. He has something to remark on every flower used in heraldry, but not always anything that is interesting save to students of that particular science. Of the Lily he has somewhat to say; the Rose and the Lily are the flowers most often borne in coats of arms. Guillim savs:

“Of all other the fleur-de-lis is of most esteem, having been from the first bearing the charge of a regal Escutcheon, originally borne by the Kings of France; through Tract of Time hath made the bearing of them more vulgar; even as purple was in ancient Times a Wearing only for Princes, which now hath lost that Prerogative through Custom.” At the time of the first Restoration, that of Louis XVIII., in 1814, certain citizens of Paris were called the Chev-liers-de-Lis, and carried a small silver lily on a white button, hanging from the buttonhole. This was not an Order of knighthood, but a mark of fervent royalists. Every one holding any office under the restored monarchy was at first compelled to wear the lily, but when the early excitement wore off the sign of it disappeared, after an existence of only two years. The flame Susan or Shushan, signifies in Hebrew-, Lily. In Longfellow’s little poem called Flower-de-Luch, he addresses the “beautiful lily.” the “Iris, fair among the fairest,” as “dwelling by still rivers,” as “borne to the purple,” and as “winged with the celestial azure.” It is also called asphodel; in his LotusEaster, Tennyson says that the happy dead In Elysian valleys dwell. Resting weary limbs at lest on beds of asphodel.”