BELL-FLOWER. i«3 



tory of these flowers. Milton slightly touches on 

 the Bell- Flower in his poem *' On the Death of 

 Damon ;" and as every touch of our sublime poet 

 sounds harmoniously to the ear, we shall give 

 the lines which he puts into the mouth of Thyrsis: 



** How often have I said, (but thou had'st found 

 Ere then thy dark cold lodgment under ground,) 



There thou shall cull me Simples, and shall teach 

 Thy friend the name, and healing- pow'rs of each. 

 From the tall Blue-Bell to the dwarfish weed. 

 What the dry land, and what the marshes breed ; 

 For all their kinds alike to thee are known. 

 And the whole art of Galen is thy own. 

 Ah, perish Galen's art, and wither'd be 

 The useless herbs that g-ave not health to thee !" 



To resume our history, according to the rules 

 of ringing, we must commence with the minor 

 Campanula ; an elegant little plant, which sus- 

 pends its graceful Bells on such slender sup- 

 ports that they bend with the slightest touch of a 

 fly, and shake with the zephyr's gentlest breath. 



