PANSY. 73 



on it. That of Pansy is a corruption of the French 

 name penaJe, thought. In Shakspeare's Tragedy 

 of Hamlet, Ophelia says — 



and there are Pannes, that's for thoughts. 



In the floral language, as adopted by the French, 

 this favourite flower means, " think of me," pensez 

 a moi. 



The hieroglyphics of the ancient Egyptians 

 abound in floral symbols, and from hence we may 

 surmise that the Greeks became accustomed to this 

 figurative language. Their poetical fables are full 

 of the metamorphoses of their deities into plants ; 

 indeed there was no flower to which their imagina- 

 tions had not affixed some meaning : even to this 

 day a young Arcadian is seldom seen without his 

 turban full of flowers, presented to him by the 

 beauty he admires, by the silent language of which 

 his hopes are kept alive ; and it forms one of the 

 great amusements of the Greek girls to drop 

 these symbols of their esteem, or scorn, upon 

 the various passengers who pass their latticed 

 windows. 



Shakspcare notices the Heart' s-ease by the name 

 of Love in Idleness, in his celebrated compliment 

 to Queen Elizabeth, which he makes Oberon de- 

 liver in the Midsummer Night's Dream : — 



That very time I saw _ 



Flying betwixt the cold earth and the moon, 

 VOL. I, E 



