Il Giglio Di Firenze, Or The Story Of Virgil And The Lilies

“The lily is the symbol of beauty and love. By the Greeks it was
called Χαρμα Αφροδιτης, the joy of Venus, and according to Alciatus,
Venus Urania was represented with a lily in her hand.”—J. B.
FRIEDRICH: _Die Symbolik der Natur_.

This story is of the lily, or the _stemma_, or crest of Florence. One day Virgilio went forth to walk when he met with a Florentine, who saluted him, saying:

“Thou truly shouldst be a Florentine, since thou art by name a _vero giglio_”—a true lily (_Ver_’-_giglio_).

Then the poet replied:

“Truly I am entitled to the name, since our first ancestors were as the lilies of the field, who toiled not, neither did they spin, hence it came that they left me nothing.”

“But thou wilt leave a lordly heritage,” replied the nobleman, smiling; “the glory of a great name which shall honour all thy fellow-citizens, and which will ever remain in the shield as the flower of Florence.”