AMARANTH. 22J 



AMARANTH. Amaranthus, 



Natural Order Misctllance, Lin. Ainaranthi, Juss, A 

 Genus of the Mojwecia Pentandria Class. 



Sad Amaranthus, in whose purple gore 

 Meseems I see Amintas' Avretched fate, 

 To whom sweet poets' verse hath given endlesse date. 



Spexser. 



The Amaranth flower is made the emblem of im- 

 mortality ; and the bards have placed it in the list 

 of funereal flowers, because the father of poetry has 

 described the Thessalians as wearing crowns of 

 Amaranths at the funeral of Achilles. 



Milton mentions this flower as forming the diadem 

 of angels, and the plant itself seems immortalized 

 by the power of his majestic pen ; 



With solemn adoration down they cast 



Their crowns inwove with Amaranth and gold ; 



Immortal Amaranth, a flower which once 



In Paradise, fast by the tree of life. 



Began to bloom, but soon for man's offence 



To heaven removed, where first it grew, there grows 



And flowers aloft, shading the font of life, 



And Avhere the river of bliss through midst of heaven 



Rolls o'er Elysian flowers her amber stream, 



With these that never fade. 



