AMARANTH. 85t 



Malhcrbe, a French poet of the sixteenth cen- 

 tury, in an ode to Henry the Fourth, says — 



** Ta loiiangc, dans lucs vers, 

 D'amaranthe couronnee, 

 N'aura sa fin terminee 

 Qu'en cellc de I'univers." 



In Sweden they have Knights of the Amaranth. 

 This order was first instituted in the year 1653, 

 by Christiana, Queen of Sweden, who, upon this 

 occasion, appeared at a fete in a dress completely 

 covered with diamonds, and attended by a suite 

 of sixteen nobles of her court, accompanied by 

 the same number of ladies. At the conclusion of 

 the ball, the Queen stripped herself of the di- 

 amonds and distributed them to the company, at 

 the same time presenting the new order of knight- 

 hood, consisting of a ribbon and a medal, with 

 an Amaranth in enamel, surrounded with this 

 motto ; 



** Dolce nella memoria,'' 



Love and friendship are also adorned with 

 Amaranth. In the garland of Julie are these 

 four lines; 



*« Je suis la flcur d" amour qu'amarante on appelle, 

 Et qui vient de Julie adorer les beaux veux. 

 Roses, retirez-vous, jai le nom d'iinmortelle, 

 II n'appartient qu'a raoi de couronner Jes dieux.*' 



