NARCISSUS. 269 



" Some within the house lay tears of dafFodils, and tough glue from 

 the barks of trees, for the foundations of the combs, and then suspend 

 the tenacious wax." — Martyn's Translation-. 



Thomson celebrates the sweetness of the Jonquil, or 

 Sweet Narcissus : 



" No gradual bloom is wanting ; from the bud. 

 First-born of Spring, to Summer's musky tribes ; 

 Nor hyacinths, of purest virgin white. 

 Low bent, and blushing inward ; nor jonquils. 

 Of potent fragrance ; nor Narcissus fair. 

 As o'er the fabled fountain hanging still." 



Thomson's Spring. 



Virgil, in one passage in the fifth pastoral, speaks of 



the Narcissus as purple ; and Mr. Davidson, in a note on 



that passage, observes that Dioscorides also speaks of a 



species of Narcissus which is purple. Several of them 



have a ring of purple : 



" Pro molli vioiri, pro purpureo narcisso." 



" In lieu of the soft violet, in lieu of the empurpled narcissus." — 

 Davidson's Translation. 



NASTURTIUM. 



TROP/EOLUM. 



TROP^OLEiE. OCTANDRIA MONOGVNIA. 



Called also Indian-cress. — French, la capucine. — Italian, fior cap- 

 pucino; caprivola. The botanical name of this plant is the diminutive 

 of troptEuw, a trophy. 



The Nasturtium is a Peruvian plant; yet, in warm 

 sheltered situations, will grow and flower in the open air, 

 which is extraordinary in a native of so warm a country. 

 They will, however, flower earlier and better when raised 

 in a hot-bed. Where this aid cannot be allowed them, 

 the seed may be sown in autumn, one in a pot; and 

 should be kept in the house till spring. Early in spring 



