APRIL. 105 



fresh moisture of the dewy night restored the herbage 

 which the cattle had cropped in the day. The blos- 

 soms in the blowing garden trusted their heads to 

 the protection of the young sun. Rank ivy leaves 

 overspread the walls of the rampart. The blooming 

 hawthorn clothed all the thorns in flowers. The 

 budding clusters of the tender grapes hung end-long 

 by their tendrils from the trellises. The germs of 

 the trees unlocking, expanded themselves into the 

 foliage of Nature's tapestry. There was a soft 

 verdure after balmy showers. The flowers smiled 

 in various colours on the bending stalks ; some red, 

 others watchet, like the blue and wavy sea, speckled 

 with red and white, or bright as gold. The daisy 

 embraided her little coronet. The grass stood em- 

 battled with banewort ; the seeded down flew from 

 the dandelion. Young weeds appeared among the 

 leaves of the strawberries and gay gilliflowers. The 

 rose-buds, putting forth, offered their red vernal lips 

 to be kissed, and diffused fragrance from the crisp 

 scarlet that surrounded their golden seeds. Lilies, 

 with white curling tops, showed their crests open. 

 The odorous vapour moistened the silver webs that 

 hung from the leaves. The plain was powdered 

 with round dewy pearls. From every bud, scion, 

 herb, and flower bathed in liquid fragrance, the bee 

 sucked sweet honey. The swans clamoured amid 

 the rustling reeds, and searched all the lakes and 

 gray rivers where to build their nests. The red bird 

 of the sun lifted his coral crest, crowing clear among 

 the plants and bushes, picking his food from every 



