JUNE. 173 



gant plants. Running up in the space of a month, 

 over a great extent of hedge or thicket, and cover- 

 ing it with its long twining stems, spiral tendrils, 

 green vine-like leaves, and graceful flowers, in a 

 beautiful style of luxuriance, it is deserving more 

 notice than it has yet received, and seems well-cal- 

 culated for clothing bowers and trellis-work. Many 

 of our wild flowers derive much interest from the 

 simple and poetical names given them by our rural 

 ancestors : as the wind-flower ; the snap-dragon ; 

 the shepherd's-purse ; the bird's-eye ; the fox-glove ; 

 the blue-bell ; cuckoo-flower ; adder' s-tongue, and 

 hart's-tongue ; goldy-locks ; honesty ; heart's-ease ; 

 true-love ; way-bread, and wayfaring tree, etc. 

 Many also bear the traces of their religious feelings ; 

 and still more remind us of the religious orders by 

 whom they were made articles of their materia 

 medico, or materia sancta, each flower being dedi- 

 cated to that saint near whose day it happened to 

 blow. 



HOLY FLOWERS. 



Woe's me how knowledge makes forlorn ; 

 The forest and the field are shorn 

 Of their old growth, the holy flowers ; 

 Or if they spring, they are not ours. 

 In ancient days the peasant saw 

 Them growing in the woodland shaw, 

 And, bending to his daily toil, 

 Beheld them deck the leafy soil ; 

 They sprang around his cottage door ; 

 He saw them on the heathy moor ; 

 15* 



