GUELDER-ROSE. 161 



in transplanting his flowers into his poems, describes the 

 Guelder-rose as 



" tall. 



And throwing up into the darkest gloom 

 Of neighbouring cypress, or more sable yew. 

 Her silver globes, light as the foamy surf 

 That the wind severs from the broken wave." 



HAWTHOEN. 



CRATAEGUS OXYACANTHA. 



ROSACEiE. ICOSANDRIA DIGYNIA. 



French, I'aubepine ; I'epine-blanche ; la noble epine ; le senellier. — 

 Italian, bianco-spino ; amperlo; bagaia. — English, Hawthorn, from 

 the Anglo-Saxon, hjegthorn ; Whitethorn ; Quick ; May-bush. 



Few trees exceed the Common Hawthorn in beauty, 

 during the season of its bloom. Its blossoms have been 

 justly compared to those of the myrtle : they are ad- 

 mirable also for their abundance, and for their exquisite 

 fragrance. This shrub usually flowers in May ; and being 

 the handsomest then, or perhaps at any time, wild in our 

 fields, has obtained the name of May, or May-bush. The 

 country-people deck their houses and churches with the 

 blossoms on May-day, as they do with holly at Christmas. 



" Youth's folk now flocken everywhere. 

 To gather May-buskets and smelling breere; 

 And home they hasten the posts to dight. 

 And all the kirk-pillars ere day-light. 

 With hawthorne buds, and sweet eglantine. 

 And girlonds of roses, and sops-in-wine." 



Spekser's Shepherd's Calendar. 



There are many species of Hawthorn. India has its 

 Hawthorn : America, China, Siberia, have each their 

 Hawthorn: several are Europeans: but our own British 



M 



