SEPTEMBEE. 411 



used as a fit emblem to adorn the graves of departed 

 friends, as a simple but intelligible " in memoriam." 

 This custom of planting the graves with flowers is an 

 interesting and affecting custom, still kept up in the 

 principality, but perhaps it is not generally known 

 that plants of pungent scent are chiefly chosen for 

 this purpose. Thus Rosemary, Old Man (Artemisia 

 Abrotanuni) , Balm, and Tansy, are of most frequent 

 occurrence, the latter of which, and some others, are 

 thus alluded to by MASON, in his fine elegy commemo- 

 rative of the practice : 



" Full many a flower, 



Tansy and Pink, with languid beauty smile; 

 The Primrose opening with the twilight hour, 

 And velvet tufts of fragrant Chamomile. 



For more intent the smell than sight to please, 

 Surviving love selects its scented race ; 

 Plants that with early perfume feed the breeze, 

 May best each dank and noxious vapour chase." 



The idea seems to have been to render the last sad 

 home of the departed in the cold ground as pleasing 

 as possible, by throwing around it a grateful perfume ; 

 and perhaps this may have originally arisen from sani- 

 tary motives, the putrid effluvia from the mortal 

 remains being thus neutralized by the agency of the 

 flowers, no danger need be feared from a silent com- 

 munion with the loved object now for ever at rest. A 

 similar idea seems to have been entertained by SHAK- 

 SPEAKE, where it is said in reference to the death 



Of FlDELE 



" With fairest flowers, while summer lasts, 

 I'll sweeten thy sad grave." 



When the Pink is extensively planted upon graves, as 



