LEGENDS OF MYTHOLOGICAL FAME 173 



" Wherefore hast thou sent to me 

 Sweet basil and mignonette, 

 Embleming love and health, which never yet 

 In the same wreath were set." 



Not only does the mignonette rejoice at the sight 

 of the sun, but " follows with loving fidelity the 

 attraction of his rays, from his rising to his setting," 

 and it is a noticeable fact that at sunrise and sunset, 

 its perfume is subtler and sweeter than during the 

 daytime. 



An ancient legend makes the bees responsible for 

 the faint gold markings to be seen on each migno- 

 nette flower, giving us the story thus: 



In very early days, the Reseda was an insignificant 

 little plant, bearing only very small, plain, green 

 flowers, which were scarcely distinguishable from 

 leaves. Therefore she was always passed over by 

 the bees, and felt their neglect very keenly, till 

 one fine day a bee chanced to brush accidentally 

 against a clump of mignonette, and was much 

 astonished at the delicious perfume. 



In hot haste he went to fetch his comrades to 

 sample this wonderful new flower, but when they 

 came and saw the plain green unpretentiousness 

 of the mignonette, they were inclined to jeer, and 

 to think their comrade had made fun of them. How- 

 ever, when they had tasted of the delicious nectar, 

 they could only feel grief at their previous neglect 

 of such delectable store, and as proof of their 

 reparation they agreed to leave one drop each of 

 the honey collected during the day, on each single 

 flower of the Reseda. And so, from that day for- 

 ward, the Reseda has jewelled the heart of her 

 green flowers with those pale golden marks which 



