“The ambitious inhabitants of the land watered by the Nile have sent thee, O C?sar, the roses of winter, as a present valuable for its novelty. But the boatman of Memphis will laugh at the gardens of Pharaoh as soon as he has taken one step in thy capital city—for the spring, in its charms, and the flowers in their fragrance9 and beauty, equal the glory of the fields of P?stum. Wherever he wanders or casts his eyes, every street is brilliant with garlands of roses. And thou, O Nile, must now yield to the fogs of Rome. Send us thy harvests, and we will send thee roses.”
By this passage it is evident that the cultivation10 of Roses among the ancients was much farther advanced than is generally supposed. In another epigram Martial speaks again of roses, which were formerly11 seen only in the spring, but which, in his time, had become common during the winter. We are, also, but copyists of the Romans in the cultivation of flowers in windows; for vases of every style of beauty, and filled with roses, were a frequent ornament12 of their windows. Martial says that a miserly patron had made him a present of a very small estate, and adds that he has a much better country place in his window. Much that illustrates13 the use which the ancients made of roses in their ceremonies, in their festivals, and in their domestic life, may be found in various authors, evincing still more how very common the use of them had become. Florus relates that Antiochus, king of Syria, being encamped in the island of Eub?a, under woven tents of silk and gold, was not only accompanied by a band of musicians, but that he might yet more enhance his pleasures, he wished to procure14 roses; and[Pg 163] although it was in the midst of winter, he caused them to be collected from every quarter.
The gallants of Rome were in the habit of presenting their favorite damsels with the first roses that appeared in spring; and “Mea rosa” was an affectionate expression they often used to their betrothed15.
We frequently find in old Latin authors an entire abandonment to pleasure and excessive luxury, signified by such expressions as “living in the midst of roses,” “sleeping on roses,” etc. (“Vivere in rosa,” “dormire in rosa.”)
Seneca speaks of Smyndiride, the most wealthy and voluptuous16 of the Sybarites, who could not sleep if a single one of the rose-petals with which his bed was spread, happened to be curled.
Cicero, in his “De finibus,” alludes17 to the custom which prevailed at Rome at that time, of reclining at the table on couches covered with roses; and comparing the happiness which virtue18 gives to the pleasures of luxury says, that “Regulus, in his chains, was more happy than Thorius drinking on a couch of roses, and living in such a manner that one could scarcely imagine any rare and exquisite19 pleasure of which he did not partake.”
The same author, in his celebrated speech against Verres, the greatest extortioner whose name is recorded in history, reproached him not only with the outrageous20 robberies and cruelties which he committed during the three years that he was governor of Sicily, but yet more with his effeminacy and licentiousness22. “When spring commenced,” said the Roman orator23, “that season was not announced to him by the return of Zephyr24, nor by the appearance of any heavenly sign; it was not until he had seen the roses bloom that spring was visible to his voluptuous eye. In the voyages which he made across the province, he was accustomed, after the example of the kings of Bithynia, to be carried in a litter borne by eight men, in which he reposed25, softly extended upon cushions[Pg 164] made of transparent26 material, and filled with roses of Malta, having in his hand a net of the finest linen27, and equally full of these flowers, whose fragrance incessantly28 gratified his eager nostrils29.”
Latinus Pacatus, in his eulogium on the Emperor Theodosius, inveighs30 against the luxury of the Romans, whose sensual desires, he says, were not satisfied until they had reversed the order of the seasons, and produced roses in the winter season to crown their cup of wine, and until their Falernian, during the summer, was cooled in large vessels31 filled with ice. The forcing of roses in winter is no longer extensively practiced in Rome; but during the summer they are abundant, and we recollect32 being much struck with admiration33 of some beautiful hedges of the Daily rose in the villas34 near Rome.
After reading the preceding statements of the abundance of roses among the ancient Romans, it is with some surprise that we recollect the great scarcity35 of that flower during the gayest and most animated36 festival of the modern Romans—the Carnival37. As we slowly walked along the Corso, submitting with as quiet a grace as possible to the various fantastic tricks of the masked figures around us, and occasionally pelted38 with handfuls of sugar-plums from the windows, or passing carriages, we looked in vain for roses or camellias in the numerous bouquets39 that were cleaving40 the air around us. Little bouquets of violets were numerous, and the air was thick with them, as our eyes, nose, and mouth, could bear striking witness; and we recollect, too, the contemptuous curl of the lip, and rush of the aristocratic blood into the face of a fair English girl in one of the carriages whose blue eyes had been nearly closed by an awkward cast of one of these little bouquets from the hand of a plebian performer. But we only recollect catching41 a glimpse now and then of a single rose or camellia, skillfully passed by a cavalier below into the hands of some dark-eyed beauty in the balconies[Pg 165] above, the bright sparkle of whose eye convinced us that the single flower was of value, and a mark of especial regard. The Rose appeared to be valued as some rare exotic, and not to be idly bestowed42 where there was small probability of its due appreciation43; it was, indeed, a “rara flora44 in urbe,” and quite superseded45 by the very pretty and abundant violets.
The modern Romans have not only lost many of the good qualities of their early ancestors, but they have also escaped much of the effeminate softness which characterized the Romans under some of the later emperors; and, as belonging to this state of luxury, the cultivation of the Rose has, in modern times, been much neglected. The homage46 of the Romans is now reserved for art, and the beautiful products of nature are, in their opinion, worthy47 only of secondary consideration. The Rose is now mostly confined in that city to the residences of the wealthier classes, and can scarcely be said to have resumed its old place in Roman esteem48 until it is again a favorite with the mass of the people.
When Cleopatra went into Cilicia to meet Mark Antony, she gave him, for several successive days, festivals in which she displayed a truly royal magnificence. She caused to be placed in the banqueting hall twelve couches, each of which would hold three guests. The walls were covered with purple tapestry49, interwoven with gold; all the vases were of gold, admirably executed, and enriched with precious stones.
On the fourth day, the queen carried her sumptuousness50 so far as to pay a talent (about six hundred dollars) for a quantity of roses, with which she caused the floor of the hall to be covered to the depth of eighteen inches. These flowers were retained by a very fine net, in order that the guests might walk over them.
After the loss of the battle of Actium, Antony, not wishing to survive his defeat, from fear of falling into[Pg 166] the hands of Augustus, thrust himself through with his sword, and requested Cleopatra to scatter perfumes over his tomb, and to cover it with roses.
The greatest profusion51 of roses mentioned in ancient history, and which is scarcely credible52, is that which Suetonius attributes to Nero. This author says, that at a fête which the emperor gave in the Gulf53 of Bai?, when inns were established on the banks, and ladies of distinction played the part of hostesses, the expense incurred54 for roses alone was more than four millions of sesterces—about $100,000. Since Nero, many of his successors have nearly equaled him in prodigal55 enjoyment56 of the luxury of roses. Lucius Aurelius Verus, whose licentiousness and destitution57 of every manly58 quality equaled that of the worst emperors, but whom no one reproaches with any act of cruelty, was the inventor of a new species of luxury. He had a couch made on which were four raised cushions, closed on all sides by a very thin net, and filled with leaves of roses. Heliogabalus, celebrated for luxury and vice59 of every kind, caused roses to be crushed with the kernels60 of the pine (Pinus maritima), in order to increase the perfume. The same emperor caused roses to be scattered61 over the couches, the halls, and even the porticoes62 of the palace, and he renewed this profusion with flowers of every kind—lilies, violets, hyacinths, narcissus, etc. Gallien, another equally cruel and luxurious63 prince, lay, according to some authors, under arbors of roses; and, according to others, on beds covered with these flowers. And finally, Carrius, another licentious21 and prodigal emperor, who reigned64 only a few months caused roses to be scattered over the chambers65 of his palace, and on the couches of his guests.
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1 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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2 scatter | |
vt.撒,驱散,散开;散布/播;vi.分散,消散 | |
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3 attainable | |
a.可达到的,可获得的 | |
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4 ridicule | |
v.讥讽,挖苦;n.嘲弄 | |
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5 reign | |
n.统治时期,统治,支配,盛行;v.占优势 | |
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6 disdain | |
n.鄙视,轻视;v.轻视,鄙视,不屑 | |
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7 celebrated | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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8 martial | |
adj.战争的,军事的,尚武的,威武的 | |
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9 fragrance | |
n.芬芳,香味,香气 | |
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10 cultivation | |
n.耕作,培养,栽培(法),养成 | |
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11 formerly | |
adv.从前,以前 | |
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12 ornament | |
v.装饰,美化;n.装饰,装饰物 | |
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13 illustrates | |
给…加插图( illustrate的第三人称单数 ); 说明; 表明; (用示例、图画等)说明 | |
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14 procure | |
vt.获得,取得,促成;vi.拉皮条 | |
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15 betrothed | |
n. 已订婚者 动词betroth的过去式和过去分词 | |
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16 voluptuous | |
adj.肉欲的,骄奢淫逸的 | |
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17 alludes | |
提及,暗指( allude的第三人称单数 ) | |
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18 virtue | |
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 | |
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19 exquisite | |
adj.精美的;敏锐的;剧烈的,感觉强烈的 | |
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20 outrageous | |
adj.无理的,令人不能容忍的 | |
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21 licentious | |
adj.放纵的,淫乱的 | |
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22 licentiousness | |
n.放肆,无法无天 | |
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23 orator | |
n.演说者,演讲者,雄辩家 | |
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24 zephyr | |
n.和风,微风 | |
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25 reposed | |
v.将(手臂等)靠在某人(某物)上( repose的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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26 transparent | |
adj.明显的,无疑的;透明的 | |
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27 linen | |
n.亚麻布,亚麻线,亚麻制品;adj.亚麻布制的,亚麻的 | |
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28 incessantly | |
ad.不停地 | |
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29 nostrils | |
鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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30 inveighs | |
v.猛烈抨击,痛骂,谩骂( inveigh的第三人称单数 ) | |
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31 vessels | |
n.血管( vessel的名词复数 );船;容器;(具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的)人 | |
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32 recollect | |
v.回忆,想起,记起,忆起,记得 | |
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33 admiration | |
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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34 villas | |
别墅,公馆( villa的名词复数 ); (城郊)住宅 | |
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35 scarcity | |
n.缺乏,不足,萧条 | |
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36 animated | |
adj.生气勃勃的,活跃的,愉快的 | |
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37 carnival | |
n.嘉年华会,狂欢,狂欢节,巡回表演 | |
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38 pelted | |
(连续地)投掷( pelt的过去式和过去分词 ); 连续抨击; 攻击; 剥去…的皮 | |
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39 bouquets | |
n.花束( bouquet的名词复数 );(酒的)芳香 | |
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40 cleaving | |
v.劈开,剁开,割开( cleave的现在分词 ) | |
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41 catching | |
adj.易传染的,有魅力的,迷人的,接住 | |
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42 bestowed | |
赠给,授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43 appreciation | |
n.评价;欣赏;感谢;领会,理解;价格上涨 | |
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44 flora | |
n.(某一地区的)植物群 | |
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45 superseded | |
[医]被代替的,废弃的 | |
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46 homage | |
n.尊敬,敬意,崇敬 | |
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47 worthy | |
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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48 esteem | |
n.尊敬,尊重;vt.尊重,敬重;把…看作 | |
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49 tapestry | |
n.挂毯,丰富多采的画面 | |
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50 sumptuousness | |
奢侈,豪华 | |
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51 profusion | |
n.挥霍;丰富 | |
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52 credible | |
adj.可信任的,可靠的 | |
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53 gulf | |
n.海湾;深渊,鸿沟;分歧,隔阂 | |
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54 incurred | |
[医]招致的,遭受的; incur的过去式 | |
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55 prodigal | |
adj.浪费的,挥霍的,放荡的 | |
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56 enjoyment | |
n.乐趣;享有;享用 | |
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57 destitution | |
n.穷困,缺乏,贫穷 | |
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58 manly | |
adj.有男子气概的;adv.男子般地,果断地 | |
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59 vice | |
n.坏事;恶习;[pl.]台钳,老虎钳;adj.副的 | |
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60 kernels | |
谷粒( kernel的名词复数 ); 仁; 核; 要点 | |
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61 scattered | |
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的 | |
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62 porticoes | |
n.柱廊,(有圆柱的)门廊( portico的名词复数 ) | |
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63 luxurious | |
adj.精美而昂贵的;豪华的 | |
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64 reigned | |
vi.当政,统治(reign的过去式形式) | |
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65 chambers | |
n.房间( chamber的名词复数 );(议会的)议院;卧室;会议厅 | |
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