He noticed several graves which had been decorated in the same
manner. As the flowers had been merely stuck in the ground, and
not planted, they had soon withered, and might be seen in various
states of decay; some drooping, others quite perished. They were
afterwards to be supplanted by holly, rosemary, and other
evergreens, which on some graves had grown to great luxuriance,
and overshadowed the tombstones.
There was formerly a melancholy fancifulness in the arrangement
of these rustic offerings, that had something in it truly
poetical. The rose was sometimes blended with the lily, to form a
general emblem of frail mortality. "This sweet flower," said
Evelyn, "borne on a branch set with thorns and accompanied with
the lily, are natural hieroglyphics of our fugitive, umbratile,
anxious, and transitory life, which, making so fair a show for a
time, is not yet without its thorns and crosses." The nature and
color of the flowers, and of the ribbons with which they were
tied, had often a particular reference to the qualities or story
of the deceased, or were expressive of the feelings of the
mourner. In an old poem, entitled "Corydon's Doleful Knell," a
lover specifies the decorations he intends to use:
A garland shall be framed
By art and nature's skill,
Of sundry-colored flowers,
In token of good-will.
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