d, it is surprising that the Daisy
is almost passed over entirely by him. Here are the passages in which he
names the flowers. First, in the poem of the "Rape of Lucrece," he has a
very pretty picture of Lucrece as she lay asleep--

"Without the bed her other faire hand was
On the green coverlet, whose perfect white
Showed like an April Daisy on the Grass."

In "Love's Labour's Lost" is the song of Spring, beginning--

"When Daisies pied, and Violets blue;
And Lady-smocks all silver-white,
And Cuckoo-buds of yellow hue
Do paint the meadows with delight."

In "Hamlet" Daisies are twice mentioned in connection with Ophelia in
her madness. "There's a Daisy!" she said, as she distributed her
flowers; but she made no comment on the Daisy as she did on her other
flowers. And, in the description of her death, the Queen tells us that--

"There with fantastick garlands did she come
Of Crow-flowers, Nettles, Daisies, and Long Purples."

And in "Cymbeline" the General Lucius gives directions for the burial of
Cloten--

"Let us
Find out the prettiest Daisied plot we can,
And make him with our pikes and partisans
A grave."

And in the introductory song to the "Two Noble Kinsmen," which is
claimed by some as Shakespeare's, we find among the other flowers of
spring--

"Daisies smel-lesse, yet most quaint."

These are the only places in which the Daisy is mentioned in
Shakespeare's plays, and it is a little startling to find that of these
six one is in a song for clowns, and two others are connected with the
poor mad princess. I hope that you will not use Shakespeare's authority
against me, that to talk of Daisies is only fit for clowns and madmen.

Contemporary with Shakespeare was Cutwode, who in the "Caltha Poetarum,"
published in 1599, thus describes the Daisy--

"On her attends the Daisie dearly dight
that pretty Primula of Lady Ver
As handmaid to her Mistresse day and night
so doth she watch, so waiteth she on her,
With double diligence, and dares not stir,
A fairer flower perfumes not forth in May
Then is this Daisie or this Primula.

About her neck she wears a rich wrought ruffe,
with double sets most brave and broad bespread,
Resembling lovely Lawn or Cambrick stuffe
pind up and prickt upon her yealow head,
Wearing her ha