bt, its origin in Gay's riddle:

'What flower is that which royal honour craves,
Adjoins the Virgin, and 'tis strewn on graves?'

The answer is 'Rosemary,' which, although sometimes understood to mean
the Rose of the Virgin Mary, is neither a rose, nor is it in any special
way associated with the Virgin.

On the other hand, the rose is associated by most Catholics with the
Mother of the Saviour, and in Italy especially, during the celebrations
of May, the rose is abundantly used. By some it has been thought that
the early association of the rose with death led to the expression
'under the rose,' applied to anything to be done in secret or silence.
Others, again, have ascribed the origin of that expression to the
perfect beauty of the flower, which, as language is unable to portray
it, may be a symbol of silence. Sir Thomas Browne, however, says the
origin was either in the old custom of wearing chaplets of roses during
the 'Symposiack meetings,' or else because the rose was the flower of
Venus, 'which Cupid consecrated unto Harpocrates, the god of silence.'
There is a basis of probability in both theories, and all know that the
rose was peculiarly the property of the Goddess of Love. Indeed,
according to the old fable, the flower was originally white until dyed
by the blood which flowed from the foot of Venus, pierced by a thorn as
she ran to the aid of her loved Adonis. Hence Spenser says:

'White as the native rose, before the change
Which Venus's blood did in her leaves impress.'

According to others, however, it was the blood of Adonis which dyed the
flower. Thus Bion, in his Lament: 'A tear the Paphian sheds for each
blood-drop of Adonis, and tears and blood on the earth are turned to
flowers. The blood brings forth the rose, and the tears the wind-flower.
Woe, woe, for Adonis! he hath perished, the lovely Adonis!' This
tradition is preserved in the German name, _Adonis-blume_, which,
however, is usually applied to the anemone.

The rose being the emblem of love, and love having a natural abhorrence
of publicity, it is not difficult to conceive the connection with
silence. It is said that the Romans used to place a decoration of roses
in the centre of their dining-rooms, as a hint to the guests that all
that was said at the banqueting-table was in the nature of 'privileged
communications,' and in old Germany a similar custom long prevailed. In
the sixteenth century a rose was placed over confessiona