Upon your sword
Sit Laurel victory.

_Antony and Cleopatra_, act i, sc. 3 (99).

(4) _Ulysses._

Prerogative of age, crowns, sceptres, Laurels.

_Troilus and Cressida_, act i, sc. 3 (107).

This is one of the plants which Shakespeare borrowed from the classical
writers; it is not the Laurel of our day, which was not introduced till
after his death,[136:1] but the Laurea Apollinis, the Laurea Delphica--

"The Laurel meed of mightie conquerors
And poet's sage,"--SPENSER;

that is, the Bay. This is the tree mentioned by Gower--

"This Daphne into a Lorer tre
Was turned, whiche is ever grene,
In token, as yet it may be sene,
That she shalle dwelle a maiden stille."

_Conf. Aman._ lib. terc.

There can be little doubt that the Laurel of Chaucer also was the Bay,
the--

"Fresh grene Laurer tree
That gave so passing a delicious smelle
According to the Eglantere ful welle."

He also spoke of it as the emblem of enduring freshness--

"Myn herte and al my lymes be as grene
As Laurer, through the yeer is for to seene."

_The Marchaundes Tale._

The Laurel in Lyte's "Herbal" (the Lauriel or Lourye) seems to be the
Daphne Laureola. But unconsciously Chaucer and Shakespeare spoke with
more botanical accuracy than we do, the Bay being a true Laurel, while
the Laurel is a Cherry (_see_ BAY).

FOOTNOTES:

[136:1] The first Laurel grown in Europe was grown by Clusius in 1576.

LAVENDER.

_Perdita._

Here's flowers for you;
Hot Lavender, Mints, Savory, Marjoram.

_Winter's Tale_, act iv, sc. 4 (103).

The mention of Lavender always recalls Walton's pleasant picture of "an
honest ale-house, where we shall find a cleanly room, Lavender in the
windows, and twenty ballads stuck against the wall, and my hostess, I
may tell you, is both cleanly and handsome and civil." Whether it is
from this familiar, old-fashioned picture, or from some inherent charm
in the plant, it is hard to say, but it is certain that the smell of
Lavender is always associated with cleanliness and freshness.[137:1]

It is not a British plant, but is a native of the South of Europe in dry
and barren places, and it was introduced into England in the si