THE ROMANCE OF THE VIOLET 



THE modest violet is everywhere, but how many admirers 

 of this universal favorite are familiar with the story of 

 her wanderings and fidelity and of her gradual change from 

 white to blue? Viola's history is inextricably bound up with 

 that of the beautiful lo, daughter of the King of Argos, priest- 

 ess of Juno, and beloved of Jupiter who, on account of the 

 jealousy of Juno, changed lo into a milk-white heifer. But 

 this stratagem could not escape detection by Jupiter's queen, 

 and through her blandishments she obtained from him the gift 

 of the heifer, which she placed in her grove at Mycenae, under 

 the charge of watchful Argus with the hundred eyes, of which 

 only two ever slept at one time. 



Now to the rescue comes Mercury, mo^t wily, most versa- 

 tile of all the gods. Mercury, was a young man in a broad- 

 brimmed hat adorned with wings bearing a staff in his right 

 hand and winged sandals on his feet. He was herald general 

 to the gods, interpreter of dreams, god of eloquence and pre- 

 siding deity of thieves ; he prophesied with loaded dice, bound 

 Ixion to the wheel, chained Prometheus to the rock, and at 

 length borrowed the pipe of Pan with which he lulled hundred 

 eyed Argus to sleep, cut off his head and delivered lo, for 

 which exploit we are duly grateful, because without the wan- 

 derings of lo in the form of a white cow tormented by a gad- 

 fly, which pursued her in a state of frenzy over the whole 

 earth, perhaps we should not have the gentle violet to brighten 

 our spring rambles and make glad our hearts. Thus we are 

 told that the dainty violet was created by Jupiter and dedicated 

 to lo to be her companion during her wanderings up and down 

 the earth. Wherever she went to escape the persecutions of 

 Juno in the form of a gad-fly violets sprang up to keep her in 

 good cheer and remind her of Jupiter's constancy. Especially 

 in pastures green and along the borders of shady streams are 



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