LILY OF THE VALLEY. 153 



LILY OF THE VALLEY. Convallaria 

 Mdjalis, 



Natural Order Sarmcntaeea. Asparagi, Juss. A 

 Genus of the Hexandria Monogynia Class. 



Sweet flower o' the valley, wi' blossoms of snow, 



And green leaves that turn the cauld blast frae their stems ; 



Bright emblem o' innocence, thy beauties I lo'e, 

 Aboon the king's coronet circled wi' gems ! 



There's nae tinsel ahint thee, to make thee mair bright, 



Sweet Lily ! thy loveliness a' is thine ain, 

 And thy bonny bells, danglin' sae pure and sae light, 



Proclaim thee the fairest o' Flora's bright train. 



J. Lb S. 



The flowery month of May produces no plant of 

 more exquisite fragrance, or more delicate form,, 

 than the Lily of the Valley. 



In floral language is is made to represent a 

 Return of Happiness, because it announces by its 

 elegance and its odour the happy season of the year. 



The graceful manner in which these perfumed 

 bells are suspended on the stem, and the agreeable 

 contrast which their broad leaves of bright green 

 afford to the snowy corollas, could not escape the 

 notice of our poets. Bernard Barton thus speaks 

 of this flower : — 



H 5 



