pPant "bore, Tsegel^^/, dn^ Hijric/", 267 



blance of the flower's round-shaped bloom to the form of the mirror 

 of the ancients, which was always circular; and the plant being 

 graceful and extremely pretty, it was appropriated to the Goddess 

 of Beauty. The classics, however, ignore all these derivations, 

 and give us the following account of the origin of the 



" Floral hough that swingeth 

 And tolls its perfume on the passing air." 



In one of her rambles on earth, Venus accidentally dropped a 

 certain mirror which she was carrying, and which possessed the 

 quality of beautifying whatever it refleded. A shepherd picked it 

 up ; but no sooner hacl he gazed upon its wondrous reflecfting surface, 

 than he forgot forthwith his favourite nymph, and it is to be pre- 

 sumed himself as well; for, like another Narcissus, he became 

 enamoured of his own visage, and could do nothing but admire his 

 own charms. Cupid, who had discovered his mother's loss, and 

 found out how matters stood with the foolish shepherd, became 

 fearful of the consequences of such a silly error; he, therefore, 

 broke the magic mirror, and transformed the glittering fragments 

 into those bright little flowers, which have ever since been called 



Venus's Looking-glass. Miller mentions seventy-eight kinds of 



Campanula, the best known of which are the Canterbury-bells, 

 Coventry-bells, the Heath-bell, and the Giant Throat-wort, a flower 

 mentioned by Sir Walter Scott in his poem of ' Rokeby ': — 



" He laid him down. 

 Where purple Heath profusely strown. 

 And Throat-wort, with its azure bell, 

 And Moss, and Thyme, his cushion swell." 



(See also Canterbury Bells). 



CAMPHOR. — The Camphire or Camphor-tree [Lauvus Cam- 

 phora) is principally found in China and Japan. Camphor is 

 obtained by boiling the wood of this tree, in which the gum 

 exists, ready formed. The Arabians at a very early period were 

 acquainted with the virtues of the Camphor-trees of Sumatra and 

 Borneo, the produce of which is known as Native Camphor. 



Campion.- — See Lychnis, and Ragged Robin. 



CANDY-TUFT.— The Iberis, or, as we call it in English, 

 Candy-tuft (from Candia, whence we first received the plant), is 

 singularly devoid of any poetical or traditional lore. Old Gerarde 

 tells us that Lord Edward Zouche sent him some seeds which he 

 sowed in his garden, and reared in due course. He calls it Candie 

 Mustard, Tklaspi Cnndia, the latter being one of the names by which 

 the plant was known in France. In that coimtry, more importance 

 seems to have been attached to the flower, or, at any rate, more 

 notice was taken of it b}' poets and literati, for we find that one of 

 the species was distinguished as being the emblem of architecture, 

 from the fact that its flowers are disposed in stories from the base 

 to the summit of the stalk, resembling in some little degree the 



