pPant Tsore, hec^er^bf, cmGl biji-icy, 383 



therefore, carefully cut off directly it begins to shoot up. In 



Italy, on Midsummer Eve, rustic maidens employ Houscleek for 

 tlivining purposes. They gather buds to represent their various 

 lo\ ers, and on the following morning the bud which has flowered 

 the most freely indicates the future husband. In Tuscany, they 

 pound the Houseleek the first Friday after the birth of an infant, 

 and administer to it the expressed juice, which is tliought to 

 preserve the babe from convulsions, and to ensure it a long life. 

 According to astrologers, Houseleek is a herb of Jupiter. 



Hurt-Sickle. — See Centaury. 



HYACINTH. — From the time of Homer to the present day 

 the Hyacinth has been celebrated in the lays of the poets. Mytho- 

 logy tells us that the flower sprang from the blood of Hyacinthus, 

 a comely Laconian youth, nmch beloved both by Apollo and 

 Zephyr : preferring, however, the sun to the wind, he kindled in 

 the breast of the latter god a feeling of jealousy and desire for 

 revenge. The opportunity soon came. Unsuspecfling Hyacinthus 

 playing a game of quoits with Apollo, Zephyr, unperceived, seized 

 the opportunity basely to cause his rival to become the innocent 

 means of their common favourite's death : for whilst a quoit thrown 

 by the sun-god whirled through the air, Zephyr treacherously blew 

 it from its course till it struck the head of the ill-fated Hyacinthus, 

 and killed him, to the great sorrow of his innocent slayer. Unable 

 to restore his favourite companion to life, Apollo, as a memorial of 

 him, caused the flower which has since borne his name to spring 

 from his blood. Rapin refers to the story as follows : — 



" If spring proves mild 'tis Hyacinthus' time, 

 A flower which also rose from Phrebus' crime ; 

 Til' unhappy quoit which rash Apollo threw, 

 Obliquely ilying, smote his tender brow, 

 And pale alike he fell, and Phix-bus stood. 

 One pale with guilt, and one with loss of blood ; 

 Whence a new flower with sudden birth appears, 

 And still the mark of Phoebus' sorrow wears ; 

 Spring it adorns, and vSummer's scenes supplies 

 With blooms of various forms and various dyes." 



Ovid gives a slightly different version of the tragedy, which he 

 narrates in the following lines : — 



" The mid-day sun now shone with equal light 

 Between the past and the succeeding night ; 

 They strip, then, smoothed with suppling oil, essay 

 To pitch the rounded quoit, their wonted play : 

 A well-pois'd disk first hasty Phoebus threw ; 

 It cleft the air, and whistled as it flew ; 

 It reach'd the mark, a most surprising length, 

 Which spoke an equal share of art and strength. 

 Scarce was it fall'n, when with too eager hand 

 Young Hyacinth ran to snatch it from the sand ; 

 Put the curst orb, which met a stony soil, 

 Flew in his face with violent recoil. 



