Chapter Florinda to Foedera of F by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Flower of Yarrow (The), Mary Scott, daughter of sir William Scott of Harden.

Flowers (Lovers’) are stated by Spenser, in his Shephearde’s Calendar, to be “the purple columbine, gilliflowers, carnations, and sops in wine” (“April”).

In the “language of flowers,” columbine signifies “folly,” gilliflowers “bonds of love,” carnations “pure love,” and sops of wine (one of the carnation family) “woman’s love.”

Bring hither the pinke, and purple collumbinc,
With gilliflowers;
Bring coronations, and sops in wine,
Worne of paramours.
   —Spenser: The Shephearde’s Calendar (“April,” 1579).

Flower Sermon, a sermon preached every Whit Monday in St. Catherine Cree. On this occasion each of the congregation carries a bunch of flowers, and a bunch of flowers is also laid on the pulpit cushion. The Flower Sermon is not now limited to St. Catherine Cree, other churches have adopted the custom.

Flowerdale (Sir John), father of Clarissa, and the neighbour of colonel Oldboy.—Bickerstaff: Lionel and Clarissa.

Flowered Robes. In ancient Greece to say “a woman wore flowered robes” was the same as to say she was a fille publique. Solon made t a law that virtuous women should appear in simple and modest apparel, but that harlots should always dress in gay and flowered robes.

As fugitive slaves are known by their stigmata, so flowered garments indicate one of the demi-monde motcalida.—Clemens of Alexandria.

Flowery Kingdom (The), China. The Chinese call their kingdom Hwa Kwoh, which means “The Flowery Kingdom,” i.e. the flower of kingdoms.

Fluellen. a Welsh captain and great pedant, who, amongst other learned quiddities, drew this parallel between Henry V. and Alexander the Great: “One was born in Monmouth and the other in Macedon, both which places begin with M, and in both a river flowed.”—Shakespeare: Henry V. act iv. sc. 7 (1599).

Flur, the bride of Cassivelaun, “for whose love the Roman Cæsar first invaded Britain.”—Tennyson: Idylls of the King (“Enid”).

Flute, the bellows-mender, who in the travestie of Piramus and Thisby had to take the part of Thisbe.

Flute: What is Thisbe? a wandering knight? Quince: It is the lady Pyramus must love. Flute: Nay, faith, let not me play a woman: I have a beard coming.—Shakespeare: Midsummer Night’s Dream, act i. sc. 1 (1592).

Flute (The Magic), a flute which has the power of inspiring love. When given by the powers of darkness, the love it inspires is sensual love; but when bestowed by the powers of light, it becomes subservient to the very holiest ends. In the opera called Die Zauberflöte, Tamino and Pamina are guided by it through all worldly dangers to the knowledge of divine truth (or the mysteries of Isis).—Mozart: Die Zauberflöte (1791).

Flutter, a gossip, fond of telling a good story, but, unhappily, unable to do so without a blunder. “A good- natured, insignificant creature, admitted everywhere, but cared for nowhere” (act i. sc. 3).—Mrs. Cowley: The Belle’s Stratagem (1780).

Flutter (Sir Fopling), the hero in Etheridge’s comedy of The Man of Mode (1676).

Fly Painted (A). The quondam shepherd lad Giotto had not been long under his master Cimabue, when he painted a fly on the nose of a head so true to nature that Cimabue tried to brush it off. (See Bee Painted. See also Zeuxis and Parrhasios.)