70 FLORA HTSTORICA. 



PEONY. Pceonia. 



Natural Order Multisiliquce. RanunculacecE, Jnss., 

 (but now removed to the family Hdlehorus by the 

 French Botanists.) A Genus of the Polyandria Di- 

 gynia Class. 



Tliere might ye see tlie Piony spread wide. 



COWPER. 



The glowing grandeur of this flower, which is so 

 attractive in our rustic gardens, seems to make it 

 reign empress over the floral tribe of humble par- 

 terres, and to possess a kind of dignity which almost 

 forbids the youthful hand to pluck it ; yet how few 

 of the young admirers of nature's gayest works have 

 not desired to possess a full-blown Peony to em- 

 bellish their juvenile garden. 



Scenes of my youth ! ye stand array'd 

 In thought before my longing eye- 

 In all the change of sun and shade 

 I see the visional landscape lie ; 



The verdure of the ancient grove — 



The quiet old paternal hall — 

 The hoary oak? that stood above 



The dim secluded waterfall. 



The Re Ir aspect. 



In the emblematical language of flowers, the 



