| OCR Text |
Show SPEAKING "UNDER THE ROSE." Varying Versions of Origin of Famous Phrase. Tho phrase "under the rose" had Its origin In tho wars between tho En-Klsvh En-Klsvh houses of Lancaster and York. The parties respectively sworo by tho red or tho white rose, and theso opposite op-posite emblems were displayed nS slpns of two taverns, ono of which was by tho sldo of anil tho other op-pns't- to'tho Parliament House, In old I'a'oro Yard, Westminster. Here tho retailers nnd servants of the noblemen noble-men attached to tho Dulto of York nnd Henry VI used to- meet. Hero also, as disturbances wero frequent, measures, either of defense or annoyance, annoy-ance, wero taken, and every transaction trans-action was said to he done "undo, tho-roHe;" tho-roHe;" by which expression tho most profound secrecy whs Implied. According Ac-cording to others, tho term originated in the fahlo of Cupid giving the rose to .Iarpocrates, the god of silence as a l.riho to prevent him betraying tho amours of Venus, and was henco adopted as tho emblem of silence. Tho ros" was for this reason frequently sculp' urcd on the ceilings of drinking nnd leastlng rooms, as a warning to the guests that what was said in momenta mo-menta of conviviality should not bo repeated; from which, what was Intended In-tended to bo kept secret was said to me "under tho rose." ltosos were consecrated as presents from tho Pope. In 1520 they were placed over confessionals as tho symbols of silence. si-lence. Hence, according to some, tho orlsln of tho phrase. |
