Regency Culture and Society: Botanical Emblems

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Monkshood

Monk's Hood emblem of Stupidity plant which bears a flower of a dark purple irradiated with yellow in the forn of the cowl worn over the head of a friar came originally from the East Indies It is symbolical of stupidity because the Capuchins are the poorest and least informed of all the orders of friars When the French wish to express the ex treme stupidity of a prayer or sermon they say it is a Capucinade or a bundle of monk's hood This flower is heavy in its appearance and gives no odour to render it agreeable to the sense of smelling The Thistle emblem of Ignorance The flowers of this plant are red and white Its stalk is very strong and woody it grows to the height of several feet its leaves are green and thick and are armed with prickles as sharp as thorns The thistle is the favourite food of the reckoned though perhaps falsely most ignorant of all animals It was customary when any one wished to reproach another with his ignorance to send him a thistle The order of the Thistle or of St An drew has however another meaning in Scotland the collar of the order consists in the flowers of the thistle beautifully entwined with rue with the following device None shall touch me with impu nity Cabbage emblem of Profit This is a kitchen garden plant the stalk of which increases in thickness by age it is sur mounted by several round leaves which are very large of a yellowish green and form a kind of globe which should be almost white and hard in the middle forming what our housewives call the heart which when the cabbage is in per fection is large and the outside green leaves but few The house of Raconis in Savoy bear three cabbages for their coat of arms which they name cabus their motto composing the following quibble tout n est qu abus Job's Tears emblem of Resignation This plant has several stalks its leaves re sembling reeds its flowers when in bud ears of corn a
In this plant is inclosed a seed resemThis bling a tear which gave to it the name of Job's tears and it calls to our mind that unfortunate man wlio saw himself deCapuchin prived in one day of all his wealth his children and cattle and himself afflicted with an horrible pestilence from the crown of his lead to the soles of his feet No one enduring such heavy calamities ever evinced such wonderful resignation Mint emblem of Jealousy The stalks of this plant are square and of a reddish cast its leaves are oblong pointed and of a dark green a little jagged at the edges The yellow blossoms of this herb die very fast like a person that soon fades from ex cess of jealousy However as mint exhales a sweet and mild perfume the symbol of mind in flowers so it is not the emblem of that jealousy that repines at superior merit but that of unhappy and disapass pointed love and such as mythology rethe presents Proserpine was so enraged at surprising Pluto with a young maiden named Mintba that she metamorphosed her into the plant which took the name of mintha but was afterwards corrupted into mint

This article on botanical emblems appeared in the June 1819 issue of La Belle Assemblée.

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4 Responses to Regency Culture and Society: Botanical Emblems

  1. Michelle H says:
    May 30, 2022 at 6:29 pm

    That was interesting, the rather sometimes humorous language aside. Monkshood may have had the stupidity symbol of those times but it should have the skull and crossbones these days, being all parts poison.

    Here’s my ignorance speaking again. I didn’t know that La Belle Assemblée had articles besides fashion and feminine arts. I’ve never seen an actual issue in its entirety.

    • Anne says:
      May 31, 2022 at 5:42 am

      La Belle Assemblée has a variety of content, some of which we have shared over the years, including fashion and feminine arts. The adverts we share are typically from there, as well as reviews or schedule of activities for that month in London. If you click on any of the snippets or images, it will take you to the Google Book e version of the edition, if you are ever interested in reading more of that issue. You can also use the keyword search La Belle Assemblée on our search bar to see all the articles that have derived from those hallowed pages.