Consider the lilies, and the rose

"The wonder of the world, the beauty and the power, the shapes of things, their colours, lights and shades; these I saw. Look ye also while life lasts."

     These words, together with an engraving of a cowslip, form the frontispiece to Brendon Chase, and I'm quoting them today because of remarks made in a few of the comments on yesterday's post.

People mentioned how they'd got here in the first place but were also kind enough to say that they visit this site because it raises the spirits, provides inspiration, and is a source of positive energy in a world where there is much negativity.

     I am delighted that that is how readers feel because that's the real aim behind all the bits and pieces which go to make up Cornflower. Apart from the pleasure of putting it all together, I get to be in touch with lovely people from all over the world, many of whom amaze and inspire me with their own websites, and/or have become friends through our off-weblog email chats.

     I do still, I hope, retain a sense of wonder, and I never tire of looking at shapes and colours, lights and shades, and those are the things I try to put across on these pages.

     Here's a challenge to the Cornflower readership in general and to an especially well-read friend in particular: what is the source of the quotation  - "The wonder of the world......" - at the beginning of this post? I've tried to find it, so far without success, but I know many of you know far more than I do so I wait to be enlightened!

(By the way, we didn't grow the lilies, but the rose is in the garden and it's the Gallica, Tuscany Superb.)

Comments

[Ros]

Well, I don't know, but it sounds a bit like Dante?

[Helen]

'Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin.' Matthew 6:28

It's also the title of a very good novel by Iain Crichton Smith.

[Peter the Flautist]

Well there is a bit in Milton Sonnet XX which has a line starting "The Lily and the rose ..."

Is literate cat close at all?

[Donna]

The wonder of the world, the beauty and the power, the shapes of things, their colours, lights and shades; these I saw. Look ye also while life lasts.
Old tombstone encryption, Cumberland, England. This is what google turned up when I typed in your quote. If this is indeed the origin, then I should like to imagine that the person that rests beneath was perhaps a gardener, or a nature lover, or a painter of nature, or perhaps a painter of words. Excellent photos, and as usual, excellent post. Thanks Karen

[Peter the Flautist]

OK, so literate cat can't read the instructions and goes straight to the bottom of the class! (He also found a line in Tennyson's Maud "Lilies and roses were all awake).

However is the proper quotation connected with "BB" (Denys Watkins-Pitchford)? I think it might be, but I haven't yet got an actual book title - "Letters from the Round House" perhaps.

DP

[Peg]

Sorry, I can't help! You see, this is what makes your blog so wonderful - an interactive blog!

[Peter the Flautist]

This quotation was used in the funeral service of the late lamented "Syd" Barrett (the Crazy Diamond of Pink Floyd)

The quotation itself (or at least a substantive part) is used in Brownings poem FRA LIPPO LIPPI

"However, you're my man, you've seen the world
--The beauty and the wonder and the power,
The shapes of things, their colours, lights and shades,
Changes, surprises,--and God made it all!"

Interesting - no? Moderately literate cat.

[lindsay]

Words from a north country churchyard quoted by Denys Watkins-Pitchford (1905-1990) of Northamptonshire, universally known as BB for some elusive reason.

I will post a poem soon on booksdofurnisharoom which this inspires!

[karen]

bb like bb gun... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denys_Watkins-Pitchford also info about the quote if it is to be believed!

[Teresa]

I didn't know this quote but how true it is that we need to remind ourselves to stop and appreciate what is in front of our eyes. I certainly did that today looking at your beautiful photos. The roses are especially superb this year.

[Jill]

Like everyone else, I found it as an epitaph on a tombstone. Surely we can't all be wrong? Although I will say that it also appeared as the epigram on some Middle Eastern title (in English).