pfant ls)orc, Tsege?^/, ari3. '\s>^ncf, 213 



for the best lyric composition. In modern times, the Amaranth 



has given its name to an order instituted by Queen Christiana of 

 Sweden, in the year 1633, at an entertainment given in honour of 

 Don Antonio Pimentel, the Spanish Ambassador. On this occasion 

 she appeared in a dress covered witli diamonds, attended by a suite 

 nobles and ladies. At the conclusion of the ball she stripped her 

 attire of the diamonds, and distributed them among the company, 

 at the same time presenting the new order of knighthood, con- 

 sisting of a ribbon and medal, with an Amaranth in enamel, 



encircled with the motto Dolce nella mcmoria. In Roman Catholic 



countries, more especially in Portugal, the species of the flower 

 known as the Globe Amaranth, Prince's P'eathers, and Cock's 

 Comb, are much cultivated for church decoration at Christmas time 

 and during the Winter. The Amaranth is also seledled as one of the 



flowers peculiarly appropriate to Ascension Day. The species 



of Amaranth which we know as Love-lies-bleeding, has, in France, 



the singular name of Discipline des religieuses, the Nun's Scourge. 



The Amaranth was formerly known as Flower Gentle, Flower 

 Velure, Floramor, and Velvet Flower. It is said to be under Saturn, 

 and to be an excellent qualifier of the unruly actions of Venus. 



AMBROSIA. — The Ambrosia-tree, or tree bearing immortal 

 food, is one of the most popular guises of the Hindu world-trees.^ 

 The Paradise of Indra had five trees, under the refreshing shade 

 of which the gods reclined and enjoyed life-inspiring draughts of 

 Ambrosia or Amxita. The chief of these trees was the Pdrijdta 

 (usually identified with the Erythrina Indica), and this was deemed 



the Ambrosia-tree. The Greeks knew a herb which they named 



Ambyosia, the food of immortals, and it was so called by the 

 ancients because they believed that a continued use of it rendered 

 men long-lived, just as the ambrosia of the gods preserved their 

 immortality. The Moors to this day entertain a belief in the 

 existence of such a plant. The old English name given to this 

 herb was Ambrose, which was applied to the Chenopodium Botrys; 

 but the ancients seem to have applied the name of Ambrosia to the 

 the Field Parsley, the Wild Sage, and the Chenopodium ambrosioides.. 

 The plant known as Ambrosia at the present day belongs to the 

 Wormwood family. 



AMELLUS. — This plant is believed to be a species of Star- 

 wort. Virgil, in the Fourth Book of his Georgics, states that at 

 Rome it was employed to decorate the altars of the gods. Gerarde 

 says that the Starwort having a blue or purple flower is that 

 referred to by Virgil as the Amellus in the following lines : — 



" In meads there is a flower Amello named, 

 By him that seek? it easy to be found. 

 For that it seems by many branches framed 

 Into a little wood : like gold the j^round 

 Thereof appears ; but leaves that it beset. 

 Shine in the colour of the Violet." 



