Chap. 23.] THE AMABANTH. 327 



a variety of shades, such, for instance, as the tints of the helio- 

 tropium, and others of a deeper colour, the hues of the mallow, 

 inclining to a full purple, and the colours of the late 73 violet ; 

 this last being the most vivid, in fact, of all the conchyliated 

 tints. The rival colours being now set side by side, Nature 

 and luxury may enter the lists, to vie for the mastery. 



I find it stated that, in the most ancient times, yellow was 

 held in the highest esteem, but was reserved exclusively for 

 the nuptial veils 74 of females ; for which reason it is perhaps 

 that we do not find it included among the principal colours, 

 those being used in common by males and females : indeed, it 

 is the circumstance of their being used by both sexes in com- 

 mon that gives them their rank as principal colours. 



CHAP. 23. THE AMARANTH. 



There is no doubt that all the efforts of art ars surpassed 

 by the amaranth, 75 which is, to speak correctly, rather a purple 

 ear 76 than a flower, and, at the same time, quite inodorous. It is 

 a marvellous feature in this plant, that it takes a delight in being 

 gathered ; indeed, the more it is plucked, the better it grows. 

 It comes into flower in the month of August, and lasts through- 

 out the autumn. The finest of all is the amaranth of Alex- 

 andria, which is generally gathered for keeping ; for it is a 

 really marvellous 77 fact, that when all the other flowers have 

 gone out, the amaranth, upon being dipped in water, comes to 

 life again : it is used also for making winter chaplets. The 

 peculiar quality of the amaranth is sufficiently indicated by 

 its name, it having been so called from the circumstance that 

 it never fades. 78 



73 Belonging, probably, Fee thinks, to the Cruciferae of the genera 

 Hesperis and Cheiranthus. 



< 4 " Flammeis " The " flammeum," or flame-coloured veil of the bride, 

 was of a bright yellow, or rather orange-colour, perhaps. 



75 The Celosia cristata of Linnaeus. 



76 " Spica." The moderns have been enabled to equal the velvety ap- 

 pearance of the amaranth in the tints imparted by them to their velvets. 

 The Italians call it the " velvet-flower." 



<~ 7 The real fact is, that the amaranth, being naturally a dry flower, and 

 having little humidity to lose, keeps better than most others. 

 78 From the Greek , "not," and/4apaii>ca0ai, " to fade." 



