Lily of France
Preserved but no longer current.
The device of Clovis was three black toads (see CRAPAUD); but thef story goes that an aged hermit of Joye-eo-yalte saw a miraculous light stream one night into his cell, and an angel appeared to him holding an azure shield of wonderful beauty, em- blazoned with three gold lilies that shone like stars, which the hermit was commanded to give to Queen Clotilde; she gave it to her royal husband, whose arms were everywhere victorious, and the device
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Lily of France” mean?
The device of Clovis was three black toads (see CRAPAUD); but thef story goes that an aged hermit of Joye-eo-yalte saw a miraculous light stream one night into his cell, and an angel appeared to him holding an azure shield of wonderful beauty, em- blazoned with three gold lilies that shone like stars, which the hermit was commanded to give to Queen Clotilde; she gave it to her royal husband, whose arms were everywhere victorious, and the device
Is “Lily of France” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.