IV A NEW INTRODUCTION. 



"We have, moreover, endeavored to unite real knowledge with 

 this fanciful language ; the arrangement of each flower with iU 

 botanic as well as common name, and also its class and order, will 

 be found of much utility by familiarizing or fixing these terms in 

 the mind of the reader. The locality of the plant, too, will ena-. 

 ble those who desire the information to judge where any particu- 

 lar flower may best be cultivated whether in the garden or 

 greenhouse. 



But the most important aim of the work was to select and in- 

 corporate with our love of nature and flowers the choicest and 

 the best specimens of American poetry. In this we think we 

 have succeeded, and that the beauty, variety, and excellence of 

 these gems of thought, fancy, feeling, and passion, can never be 

 equalled in any work of this kind because we had the first 

 choice of the field ; unless, indeed, our imitators take our selec- 

 tions bodily from FLORA'S INTERPRETER, as some of them have 

 already done to an extent which is very obvious.* But we trust 

 that in the part now added FORTUNA FLORA no one will thus 

 interfere, for some years at least, to take from us the profits of 

 projecting and preparing a work that has cost us much time and 

 research. 



The choice extracts from the British Poets are, of course, open 

 to every writer, and are often used ; but we have endeavored to 

 place these truly classical specimens of the Old World literature 

 in a new light, by linking them, as it were, with the hopes and 

 loves of our " own green forest land." 



We feel quite at liberty to select whatever is best and brightest 

 from the productions of British genius for this work, because 

 FLORA'S INTERPRETER has been republished in London, and, un- 

 der the title of" The Book of Flowers," sold largely without any 

 remuneration to the author. It is quite probable this new and 

 enlarged work may have the same honor. 



To the youth of America we dedicate anew this book we have 

 prepared for them. May it inspire our young women to cultivate 

 those virtues which can only be represented by the fairest flowers ; 

 and may our young men strive to be worthy of the love that these 

 fairest flowers can so eloquently reveal. 



BOSTON, August I, 1848. 



* It may be best to state that all the poetic selections hero designated 

 " anonymous," were written by Mrs. Hale, eipreusly for Flora'g Inter- 

 oreter. Those who use these will know from whom they borrow 



