THISTLE. — ASPEN TREE. 171 



the broom, 



Yellow and bright as bullion unalloy'd, 

 Her blossoms. 



THE COMMON THISTLE. 



This plant, that furnishes its seeds with wings by which 

 it flies from hill to dale, too frequently intrudes itself into 

 our fields, to the injury of the farmer's best hopes. It is 

 therefore made the emblem of Importunity. 



Now where the thistle blo.ws his feather'd seed, 

 Which frolic zephyrs buffet in the air. 



FALCONER. 



Wide o'er the thistly lawn as swells the breeze, 

 A whitening shower of vegetable down 

 Amusive floats. 



THOMSON. 



Tough thistles chok'd the fields, and kill'd the corn. 

 And an unthrifty crop of weeds was born. 



DRYDEN. 



THE ASPEN TREE. 



Bigoted ignorance states that the cross was made from 

 this tree, since which time the leaves have never known 

 rest, and from hence the emblem seems to have originated* 



