JUNE. 



175 



senting a natural handscreen of unrivalled 

 elegance of shape. It is now too that many of 

 the forest trees put forth their blossoms. The 

 chestnut, in the earliest period of the month, 

 is a glorious object, laden with ten thousand 

 waxen pyramidal flowers. Then come the 

 less conspicuous, but yet beautiful develope- 

 ments of other giants of the wood. The syca- 

 more, the maple, and the hornbeam, are afflu- 

 ent with their pale, yellow florets, quickly 

 followed by winged seeds ; the ash shows its 

 bunches of green keys ; and, lastly, the lime 

 bursts into one proud glow of beauty, filling 

 the warm air with honied sweetness, and the 

 ear with the hum of a thousand bees, 



Pilgrims of summer, who do bow the knee 

 Zealously at every shrine. 



The general character of June, in the hap- 

 piest seasons, is fine, clear, and glowing, with- 

 out reaching the intense heats of July. Its 

 commencement is the only period of the year 

 in which we could possibly forget that we are 

 in a world of perpetual change and decay. 

 The earth is covered with flowers, and the 

 air is saturated with their odours. It is true 



