XX. A STORY OF FOUR DIALS . . . 426

List of Illustrations
Sun-dials and Roses Frontispiece
PAGE
S nn-dial at Glamis Castle, Scotland. Seat of the Earl of
Strathmore .... . facing 2
Sun-dial at Balcarres Castle, Fifeshire, Scotland. Seat of the
Earl of Crawford ... 4
Sun-dial at Kelburne House, Ayrshire, Scotland. Seat of the
Earl of Glasgow . 1707 . 6
Sun-dial in Walled Garden, Wratisbury, England . facing 8
Moot Hall with Sun-dial, Aldeburgh, England 10
Sun-dial at Hillside, Menand's, near Albany, New York.
Reproduction of Sir Walter Scott V Dial at Abbot sf or d . \ 3
Angel with Sun-dial on Cathedral, Genoa, Italy . . facing 14
Dante's Amor. From drawing by Dante Gabriel Rossetti . 16
Byzantine Carving of Angel with Sun-dial. Cathedral,
Chart res, France. 1582 ... 18
George F. Watts, R.A., seated in his Garden by his Sun-dial,
Limnerslease, Compton, Guildford, England . . facing 20
Fugio Note with Sun-dial Design. First Currency of the
United States. 1776 ... .22
Six Cent Note of City of New York. With Sun-dial Design.
1814 . . -23
Pewter Sun-dial cast in Mould of George Ellicott, Dial-maker. 1779. /;/ United States National Museum, Washing- ton, D.C. .24
Sun-dial of Harriet Martineau, The Knoll, Ambleside, Eng- land. 1846 .... • facing 26
Sun-dial of Sir William Humphrey, Bart., Great Brington,
Northants, England ... . .29
The Oldest English Sun-dial, at Bewcaslle, England . facing 32
Natural Sun-dial, Castleberg, Settle, Yorkshire, England.
From a print in " Old Yorkshire ' . -38
vii
viii List of Illustrations
PAGE
Drawing of the Meridian Stone of the United States of Amer- ica. Erected at Washington, D.C. 1804 ... 42 Lens-dial at Elm Hirst, Wilmslow, Cheshire, England . . 45 Window-dial from Ley batme^s " Dialling." 1700 . facing 46 Cannon-dial of Sultan of Morocco. Made by F. Barker 6°
Son, London . ...... 49
Cannon-dial at Arsenal, Frankford, near Philadelphia, Pa.
1874. With lens contrivance for making accurate time . 50 Window-dial at Kersal Cell, Broughton, near Manchester,
England. Home of John Byrom. Circa 1700 . . 53 Tower of the Winds, Athens, Greece .... facing 58
Vertical Dial on Grace Church, Merchantsville, New Jersey . 63 Sun-dial on Church at Eyam, Derbyshire, England . facing 64 Sun-dial on Chimney, The Colliers, Petersjield, England . 66 Sun-dial and Cresset. Stone, Lewannick Church, near Lances- ton, England facing 66
Vertical Dial at Oak Woods, Peace Dale, Rhode Island. Seat
of Rowland G. Hazard, Esq. ...... 67
Sun-dial on Old Wall of Santa Barbara Mission, California.
Made, inscribed, and set by Rowland Hazard* Esq. . 68
Corner-dials on John Knox's House, Edinburgh, Scotland . 70 Corner-dials at Lower Harleston, Northants, England. Resi- dence of Mr. Thursby. Circa 1800 . . . facing 72 Ancient Cross with Dials. Churchyard at Elmley Castle,
England facing 74
Lectern-headed Dial. Gray House, near Dundee, Scotland . 77
Holbeiti's Ambassadors facing 78
Queen Mary^s Dial, Holyrood Castle, Scotland ... 79 Sun-dial at Mount Melville, near St. Andrews, Scotland.
1778 facing 80
Saxon Dial on Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Northampton . 82 Proclining-dial at Jeypore. Model in Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington. Photographed by William A. Mansell &•» Co., London ...... 83
Quiver-dial of Phaidros, from Athens. In British Museum.
Photographed by William A. Mansell & Co., London . 85 Reclining-dial at Jeypore, from model. Photographed by
William A. Mansell & Co., London .... 86
Sun-dial at Jeypore, India. Frotn model in Victoria and
List of Illustrations ix
PAGE
Albert Museum. Photographed by William A. Mansett
&> Co., London facing 86
Nocturnal Dial, from Leybourne's "Dialling." . . facing 88 Head of Sun-dial made for Centennial Exposition, Philadelphia. 1 876. Now at Residence of Mrs. Joseph Philip Mickley, near Allentown, Pa. ....... 90
Centennial Sun-dial. 1876 92
Nicholas Kratzer, deviser of horologies for King Henry VIII.
By Holbein facing 104
Side View of Brass Portable Dial, once owned by Cardinal Wolsey. Made by Nicholas Kratzer. Now owned by Lewis Evans, Esq., Russell Farm, Watford, England . 105 Full View of Cardinal Wolsey 'j Dial . . . . .106
Drawing of Dial made by Nicholas Kratzer for Corpus Christi
College, Oxford. From Mss. of Robert Hegge . .107 Pillar-dial in Quadrangle of Corpus Christi College, Oxford,
England . . . . . . . . . .110
Triangular Lodge, with Dials, Rushton, Northants, Eng- land facing 112
Elevation of Sun-dial of King Charles II in Garden at White- hall, London facing 116
Hexagonal Dials on King's Dial, with Portraits of Charles II
and his Queen . . . . . . . .118
Drawing in Fourteenth Century Mss. of Chilindre . .122 Two Boxwood and One Ivory Shepherd' ^s Dials. Owned by
Lewis Evans, Esq 123
Two Boxwood Pillar-dials. Owned by Lewis Evans, Esq. . 125 Plate for Cylinder-dial. From Ferguson 's " Mechanical Lec- tures on Dialling'1'' . . . . . . . .126
Diagram of Construction of Cylinder-dial. From Fergusons
" Mechanical Lectures on Dialling'1'' . . . .127
Standard of Dials, with Compass. Invented by James Fer- guson facing 128
Brass Octahedral Block of Dials. Owned by Lewis Evans, Esq . 1 29 Wooden Block Dial with Paper Figures. 1 780. Owned by
Lewis Evans, Esq. . . . . . . . .130
Brass Equinoctial Dial. In United States National Museum 131 Armillary Sphere-dial in Garden at Brockenhurst, New
Forest, England facing 132
x List of Illustrations
PAGE
Brass Block Dial. Made in Styria, Austria. Owned by
Lewis Evans, Esq. . . . . . . . 133
Thevenot Sun-dial 135
Brass Universal Ring-dial, set for use. Owned by author . 1 36 Brass Universal Ring-dial, flat for carrying. Owned by
author . ... 137
Universal Ring-dial with Disc Axis. Owned by Lewis
Evans, Esq. ... . ... 138
Three Ring-dials ; full size of originals. Owned by Lewis
Evans, Esq. ... 139
Brass Ring-dial and Silver Dial-ring. Owned by Lewis
Evans, Esq. . . . . . . . . .140
Universal Ring-dial with Base and Feet with Screws. Owned
by Lewis Evans, Esq. ....... 141
Globe Window-dial. Made by F Barker &° Son, London,
England .......... 142
French Pocket-dial, with Compass. Le Maire, maker . .143 Silver Portable Dial* French. In United States National
Museum, Washington, D.C. . . . . . -144
Brass Portable Dial, German. In United States National
Museum, Washington, D.C. . . . . . .144
Brass Portable Dial, German. V.S. 1572. Owned by Lewis
Evans, Esq 145
Two Gill-brass Portable Dials, German. 1578, 1553. Owned
by Lewis Evans, Esq. . . . . . . .146
Ivory Portable Dial, German. In United States National
Museum, Washington, D.C. . . . . . .147
Ivory Book-dial and Octagonal Dial. 1 630. Owned by Lewis
Evans, Esq 148
Ivory Pocket -dials, German. Owned by Lewis Evans, Esq. . 149 Ivory Book-dials. Owned by Lewis Evans, Esq. . . .150 Lyre-shaped Horizontal and Analemmatic Dial. \ 763 . Owned
by Lewis Evans, Esq 151
Brass Universal Equinoctial Dial. Made by Thomas Wright.
Owned by Lewis Evans, Esq. . . . . . .152
French Sun-dial . . . . . . . . .153
Brass Equinoctial Dial. Made by Augustin. Owned by Lewis
Evans, Esq 153
Casket Dial, Italian. Owned by Lewis Evans, Esq. . .154
List of Illustrations xi
PAGE
Brass Portable Dial. Maker G. F. Brander. In United
States National Museum, Washington, D.C. . . .156 Two Chinese Pocket-dials. Owned by Lewis Evans, Esq. . 157 Silver Pocket-dial, Japanese . . . . .158
Flechefs Universal Sun-dial . . . . • • .159
Bailey's Card-dial 161
John S. Bailey, Dial-maker. In his Workshop . facing 162
Page from Emblems of Geoffrey Whitney. 1586 . facing 164
Sun-dial at Prestbury, England . .167
Sun-dial at Adlington Hall, Cheshire, England . . .169 Sun-dial in Inner Temple Garden, London . . . 1 7 1
Obelisk-shaped Dial in Garden at Linbnrn House, Midlothian,
Scotland. 1892. Residence of Mrs. Scott . facing 172
Sun-dial in Churchyard, Rostherne, Cheshire, England . . 173 Emblem of Louise de Valdemont, Queen of Henry III of
France . . . . . . . • • • J75
Washington Sun-dial, in Washington House, Little Brington,
Nor t nants, England . 177
Ancient Cross at Great Brington, Northants, England . .178 Sun-dial in Rectory Garden, Great Brington, Northants, Eng- land. Home of A. L. Y. Morley, Esq 181
Sun-dial at Ophir Farm, Purchase, near White Plains, New York. Seat of Hon. Whit claw Reid. Photographed by Curtis Bell, Esq., New York .... facing 186
Brass Dial-face, engraved with Lines of the Zodiac. Owned
by author. 1812 187
Seasons'1 Dial. Made by John S. Bailey . . . .188
Aztec Calendar of a Cycle 191
Aztec Calendar-stone. In Museum of City of Mexico . .193 Seven Ages of Man. From Block Print in British Museum.
Fourteenth Century facing 194
Dial-face of Four Seasons. Made by F. Barker & Son, Lon- don, England • J97
Sun-dial, Time and Cupid. In Garden of Belton House,
Lincolnshire. Seat of Earl Brownlow . . . .198
Dial-face with Floral Design. Made by F. Barker Or3 Son,
London, England ........ 200
Sun-dial at Friends'1 Meeting-house, Germantown, Pennsyl- vania ........ facing 202
xii List of Illustrations
PAGE
Honestone Dial-face from Saxony, with Coats of Arms. Date
1760. Owned by author 204
Simple Dial in a Worcester Garden ..... 207
Terra-cotta Pillar 208
Sun-dial at Berwyn, Pennsylvania. Seat of Henry T. Coates,
Esq. 210
Sun-dial in Haddonfield, New Jersey. In Garden of H. R.
Mitchell, Esq 211
Sun-dial made from Old Tomb. Huntercombe Manor, Maiden- head, England. Residence of Hon. Mrs. E. V. Boyle . 213
The Moor. Enfield Old Park, Middlesex, England . .215
Sun-dial at Hampton Court . . . . . . .216
Sun-dial at Whatton House, near Loughborough, England . 217
Sun-dial at Harlestone House, Northants. Residence of the
Duchess of ' Graf ton facing 218
Sun-dial at Althorp House, Northants, England. Seat of
Earl Spencer . . . . . . . . .219
Sim-dial removed from Admiralty Garden, Whitehall, Lon- don. Now on Grounds of Althorp House, Northants. Seat of Earl Spencer 220
Sun-dial in Rose Garden at Yaddo, Saratoga, New York.
Seat of Spencer Trask, Esq . . . . . . .221
Bronze Dial- face. Made by F. Barker Sr3 Son, London. In Rose Garden at Yaddo, Saratoga, New York. Seat of Spencer Trask, Esq. . . . . . . .222
Pillar-dial at Old Place, Lindfield, Sussex, England. Seat of
Charles E. Kemp, Esq. ..... facing 222
Sun-dial of Gilbert White, Selborne, England . . . 224
Sun-dial at Cranford, Germantown, Pennsylvania. Seat of
Charles F. Jenkins, Esq. .... facing 226
Gnomon of Dial, in Shape of Skeleton. Lelant Church, Corn- wall, England 227
Dial-face. Death's Head. Sheepstor Church, Dartmoor,
England 228
Sun-dial. Death's Head. In Wall of Black Friars'1 Burial- ground, Perth, Scotland 230
Pedestals of Dials at Enfield Old House and Chiswick . .231
Sun-dial with Crimson Rambler Rose. In Garden of Mrs. Mabel Osgood Wright, Waldstein, Fairfield, Connecticut. Photographed by Mrs. Wright 236
List of Illustrations xiii
PAGE
Sun-dial at Avonwood Court, Haverford, Pennsylvania.
Country Seat of Charles E. Mather, Esq. . facing 238
Sun-dial in Garden of Henry Souther, Esq., Hartford, Con- necticut .......... 239
Sim-dial with Poppies in Garden of Horace Harvard Fur ness, Esq., Wallingford, Pennsylvania. Photographed by Henry Troth ..... .... 242
Sun-dial in Garden at Drumthwacket, Princeton, New Jersey.
Seat of M. Taylor Pyne, Esq. ...... 245
Sun-dial in Garden of the Late Hon. William H. Seward,
Auburn, New York 247
Sun-dial with Iris and Ferns at Huntercombe Manor, Maiden- head, England. Residence of Hon. Mrs. E. V. Boyle
facing 248
Sun-dial with Peonies at Kenmore, Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Home of Betty Washington Lewis 249
Sun-dial in Garden of Stenton, the Logan Mansion, German- town, Pennsylvania. The Gift of Horace Jay Smith of Germantown, Pennsylvania, to the . Society of Colonial Dames .......... 250
Sun-dial on Bridge, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania . . . 253
Cross at Northampton, England. Erected by King Edward I of England in Memory of his Wife, Queen Eleanor of Castile 255
Pillar-dial in Graveyard at Dean Row, Cheshire, England . 256
Sun-dial at Barncluith, Cadzow Forest, Scotland. From
drawing by Mr. T. S. Robertson of Dundee, Scotland . 258
Vertical Dial at Sandringham, England. Residence of King Edward VII of England. Dial made by F. Barker Or3 Son, London ......... 259
Sim-dial at Convent of Mount Saint Vincent. Formerly the
Edwin Forrest Home . . . . . . .261
The Lodge with Sun-dial at Charlecote House, Stratford-on-
Avon, England 262
Sun-dial and Garden-house at Brockenhurst Park, Hamp- shire, England . . . . . . . .264
Sun-dial at Moccas Court, Herefordshire. Seat of Rev. Sir
George Cornewall, Bart. .... facing 264
Vertical Sun-dial at Germantown, Pennsylvania . . . 267
xiv List of Illustrations
PAGE
Sun-dial at Canon's Ashby, Northamptonshire. Seat of Sir
Henry Dryden, Bart 268
Sun-dial at Ivy Lodge. Residence of Horace Jay Smith, Esq.,
Germantown, Pennsylvania .... facing 270
Sun-dial in Cheshire, England, in Garden of Mrs. Bell . . 272
Facet-headed Dial at Linburn House, Midlothian, Scotland.
Residence of Mrs. Scott facing 274
Sun-dial at Bramhall, Cheshire, England .... 275
Sun-dial in Rose Garden at Broughton Castle, near Banbury-
mylanth. Seat of Lord Algernon Gordon-Lennox . . 276
Cross-dial, West Laurel Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 280
Cross-dial at Scotscraig, Scotland . . . . . .281
West Side of Scotscraig Cross-dial, and Suggested Pedestal for Scotscraig Cross-dial. From drawings by Mr. T. S. Rob- ertson, Dundee, Scotland ....... 282
West, South, and East Faces of Scotscraig Cross-dial. From
drawings by Mr. T. S. Robertson, Dundee, Scotland . 283
Brass Universal Portable Cross-dial. Made by F. Barker &*
Son, London, England ....... 284
Pillar-dial, Appleby, England. Erected by Anne Clifford,
Countess of Pembroke, Dorset, and Montgomery . . 286
The Countesses Pillar. On Wayside between Brougham and Appleby. Erected by Anne Clifford, Countess of Pem- broke, Dorset, and Montgomery. 1656 . . . . 287
Dial-block of the Countess's Pillar 289
Sun-dial on Library Tower, Princeton University, Princeton,
New Jersey ...... facing 290
Dial with Dipleidoscope, Neaum Crag, Ambleside, Westmore- land, England. Erected by Albert Fleming, Esq., in Memory of his Mother . . . . . . .291
Sun-dial at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut . . 292
Sun-dial in Grounds of Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn,
New York 293
Sun-dial in Grove Street Bury ing-ground, New Haven,
Connecticut ......... 294
Roses at Mount Vernon-on-the-Potomac. The Home of George
Washington 297
Arch with the Memorial Rose, Twin Oaks, near Washington,
District of Columbia 299
List of Illustrations xv
PAGE
The Rose Walk, Van Cortlandt Manor, Croton-on-Hudson,
New York ....... facing 302
Hybrid Sweet Brier Rose ..... facing 306
Roses in California ........ 309
Rose Arches, Twin Oaks, near Washington, District of
Columbia . . . . . , . . .314
Gold of Ophir Roses 319
Roses at Gravetye Manor, East Grinstead, Sussex, England.
Home of William Robinson, author of the " English
Flower Garden*"1 . . . . . . . .321
Rose en Soleil. Emblem of Edward IV of England . . 323 Sun-dial formerly at The Mount, Astoria. Now at Bolt on
Priory, PeUiam Manor, New York . . . facing 324
Emblem of Richard If I of England 326
Emblem of Henry VII of England . ..... 327
Emblem of Katherine of Aragon, first Queen of Henry VIII
of England 328
Emblem of Anne Boleyn, second Queen of Henry VIII of
England .......... 328
Emblem of Jane Seymour, third Queen of Henry VIII of
England . . . . . . . . . .329
Emblem of Katherine Parr, sixth Queen of Henry VIII of
England .......... 330
Emblem of Queen Mary of England . . . . -331
Emblem of James I of England ...... 332
June Rose .......... 335
Scotch Roses 337
Harrison Yellow Rose, in Garden of Mrs. Mabel Osgood
Wright. Photographed by Mrs. II 'rig/it . . . 339
Yellow Wreath Rose 340
Baltimore Belle ......... 343
Anne de Diesbach Rose 345
The White Rose facing 346
Patience, the Damask Rose ....... 349
Bourbon Rose. From Redoute* s " Les Roses." 1824 . . 353 Little Burgundy Rose. From RedoutPs" Les Roses. "" 1824. 354 Fairy Rose ... ...... 355
Seven Sisters Rose. Photographed by Mary M. F. Paschall . 357 Hundred Leaved Rose. In Garden of Van Cortlandt Manor,
Croton-on-Hudson, New York 360
xvi List of Illustrations
PAGE
Rose Garden at Mount Vernon-on-the-Potomac. The Home
of George Washington ..... facing 362
Dial-pillar at Wimborne Minster, Dorsetshire, England.
Formerly on Gable of J^ransept. Date 1732 . . . 369 South Dial of Pillar at Wimborne Minster, Dorsetshire . .370 Sun-dial at Talbot, near Bournemouth, England . . . 373 Market Cross with Dials, Woodstock, England. Frotn an old
print -374
Queen Eleanors Cross, Northants. From an old print.
1760 . . 377
Pillar-dial at Mar took, Somersetshire, England . . .381 Sun-dial at Branksea Castle, Poole Harbour, England . . 383
Lynn Market Cross, Cheshire, England 386
Market Cross at Carlisle. England. 1682 . . facing 388
Sun-dial on Eastern Gable of Slierborne Abbey . . . 388 Horologium Achaz. 1578. Photographed by Mary M. F.
Paschall facing 393
Base of Horologium Achaz. Photographed by Mary M. F.
Paschall 395
Basin of Horologium Achaz. Photographed by Mary M. F.
Paschall 396
Quadrant of Christopher Schisslcr. 1578. In Bodleian Li- brary. Photographed by William A. Mansell &° Co.,
London 399
Engraved Band on Quadrant of Christopher Schissler . . 40 1 Inscription on Quadrant of Christopher Schissler . . . 403 Perlachthurm, Augsburg. Dial of Christopher Schissler . 405 Sun-dial Church of Our Lady, Munich ..... 408
Sun-dial at Wroxton Abbey, Oxfordshire, England. With
Four Seasons . . . . . . . . .414
Dragon Gnomon . . . . . . . . .416
Hedge of Empress of China Rose .... facing 416
Chinese Pedestal for Dial . , . . . . .418
Sun-dial at Saffron Walden, Essex 420
Sun-dial at Princeton, New Jersey . . . . . . 42 1
My Four Dials 427
Shield-shaped Vertical Dial. Made by John S. Bailey . . 428 Sun-dial on Ely Cathedral : The Lantern .... 430 Ancient Sun-diaL Owned by author 433
List of Illustrations xvii
PAGE
Sun-dial at Didsbnry, England 436
Sun-dial, showing Mean Time. Made by John S. Bailey . 437 Sun-dial in Garden of William Robinson, autkor of the "English Flower Garden" Gravetye Manor, Sussex,
England .......... 440
Sun-dial and Porch of Church, Grateley, Hampshire, England 443
Sun-dial at Chastleton Manor, Oxfordshire, England , . 445
Foreword
After the publication in igoi of my book entitled Old Time Gardens, which contained a chapter upon Sun-dials, / received frequent letters (many of than from strangers}, asking about sun-dials, their history, construction, manufacture, and cost; about sun-dials in the past, about sun-dials as existing at present, and above, all expressing a hope both for sun-dials and a sun-dial book in the future. I found that many of my friends were placing sun-dials upon pedestals in their gardens, or upon the walls of their houses, or wished to erect them as memorials, and were eager to learn of all dials. A general interest in them seemed to have risen in America, as it has ever existed in Scotland and England. As I had for many years collected sun-dials in a desultory manner and informa- tion and material in a most assiduous manner, I decided to write this book. Among the sun-dial material were books on dialling, old and new ; drawings and photographs of dials ; and, not less important, a large correspondence with dial owners, those who possessed single sun-dials and those who owned collec- tions of dials. The union of the subject of Roses with that of sun-dials has not been through any relation of one to the other, but simply a placing together of two "garden delights" - to use Bacon's term, — and with somewhat of the thought that as a dial standing alone in a garden was a bit bare without flowers,
so it was likewise in a book. That both are things of senti-
xix
xx Foreword
ment and charm, with something of that magic which in human beings we term fascination, has helped to make their association and companionship in this book a fitting and happy one, I have been aided in the illustration of this book by the thoughtful-ness of friends and the generosity of strangers, who have gathered promptly and faithfully photographs of the substantial and per- manent beauty of sun-dials as they have the more transient charm of the Rose. To Lewis Evans, Esq., of Russell Farm, Watford, England, I am indebted for lavish illustration and exact information to make my chapter on Portable Dials a most important record. A. L. Y. Morley, Esq., of Great Brington, England, has brought the historical and beautiful sun-dials of Northamptonshire to me in great variety and number. To Messrs. F. Barker 6° Son, London, makers of mathematical instruments, and Messrs. William A. Mansell 6° Co., Lon- don, photographers, I am indebted for prompt, intelligent, and faithful assistance, which no business arrangements are ample to reward. To Horace J. Smith, Esq., and Thomson Willing, Esq., both of Germantown, Pennsylvania, I owe the full list of illustrations of sun-dials from Philadelphia and Germantown and vicinity. H. R. Mitchell, Esq., of Haddonfield, New Jer- sey, and T. S. Robertson, Esq., of Dundee, Scotland, kindly furnished to me many of the drawings and diagrams in these pages. Many have given me single photographs of their sun- dials, or glimpses of their Rose gardens, too many even to name, though I am deeply grateful to each and all. For the chapters upon both the Sun-dial and the Rose as an Emblem, for those upon the Rosicrucians and the Sun-dial of Ahaz, / read and studied books, pamphlets, and manuscripts by scores ; and, as ever, the treasures of the American Antiquarian Society were of greatest value. In the year 1492 — date' memorable to
Foreword xxi
Americans — there was printed at the monastery at Zzenna a noble volume, The New Psalter of the Virgin Mary. The border of the first page of the second part of this Psalter is a wood engraving of a splendid scrollwork of Rose branches, buds, and blossoms, of bold and almost architectural device. It was cut on oblong blocks, so it could be used in various shaped places. This fine Rose scroll has been adapted, with but slight alteration, as a border for the title-page and dedication-page of this book. The design suggests to our thought the wonderful Rose border of the Kelmscott Chaucer ; but the Rose sculpture, as it was termed, of the old monkish wood-cutter has more free- dom, and in some indefinable way more character than the much bedoubled Roses of William Morris's design. All the fine decorative capital initials which begin the chapters of this book of Sun-dials and Roses have been taken from ancient volumes, many of them being appropriately old herbals and books on husbandry. In the early printed books the capitals were designed by artists, but unfortunately their names were seldom preserved. Their work was often grotesque, and even prepos- terous, but nevertheless (or perhaps therefore) interesting, and above all the initials ivere always decorative. The works of Erasmus appeared in special luxury of typography, for Eras- mus was an intimate friend of Frobenius, the celebrated Basle printer. In a splendid book published in Florence in recogni- tion of Erasmus (dated 1527} is the superb series of initial letters commonly known as The Playing Boys. The A of the series is shown on page 426, and is said to be the work of Albert Diirer. A fine example of an heraldic capital is the old black- letter H shown on page 233, from a book printed in Paris in 1514, at the printing-office of one Ascensius. Letters in white upon a darker dotted ground, were much used in France, and
xxii Foreword
/ think the gracefully drawn initial Q in this style of decora- tion shown on page 8j has a distinctly Gallic touch. For a time the pigment-box of the monk or other limner, painter, stainer, or trickster, often added color or gold to the outlines of the wood-cutter, with glowing results. Toward the close of the seventeenth century the fashion of ornamented capital initials abated. In the following century another taste in capi- talization came in ; one is shown in the letter on page 318. The chapter on the Rosicrucians has an initial bearing the mystic symbol of the society. I have taken from these antique books this lovely Rose border and fine capitals to deck this book of Sun-dials and Roses, but I cannot see my pages rejoice in the beautiful line edgings, the powderings of gold, the margin-minia- tures with which Persian poets adorned their books of Roses, nor can I have the silken paper of flower and fruit tints that they use — pale lemon-yellow, light orange, fine nut-brown, clear iris-blue, and violet, orchid, heliotrope, and lilac, and every tint of Rose, since the glare of white paper offends their eye; nor can I send out my volumes scented with Attar of Roses and Sandal-wood, as were many Persian poems. The copies of the poems of Jami in the Oxford Library, even after four centuries, are fragrant with the original Rose perfumes. Both Sandal- wood and Attar of Roses are far too costly to be used by modern publishers. Once Sandal-wood was free in some amount in Persia to all save beggars ; even an historical author could have Sandal-wood gates to his waiting-room. But he found that the perfume so filled his brain that it diverted him from serious thoughts and composition, and made him liable to " drop into poetry" ; and he sternly had the fragrant portals removed to his harem, where bemused brains did not matter. In our own day we find a case grotesquely analogous. Walter Savage Lan-
Foreword xxiii
dor, when seated at his desk, fully prepared and eager to write, would be so diverted front his intent by the scent of the wood of his freshly cut lead-pencil that he would sit for hours, motionless, sniffing the Piny odor, writing nothing. But Pine or Sandal-wood, or any other fragrance, is little heeded or valued to-day ; and Attar of Roses is so blended and degraded that we scarcely know the pure Rose perfume.
ALICE MORSE EARLE.
October, 1902, Brooklyn, New York.
Sun-dials and Roses of Yesterday