134 FLORA'S INTERPRETER. 



NETTLE. Class 2l. Order 4. An extensive gens 



Urtica containing near 80 species. Indigenous 



to the tropical parts or America, India, 

 and tin; islands in the Pacific. One spe- 

 cies in Europe. Flowers have no corolla. 



SLANDER. 



O'er the throng Urtica flings 

 Her barbed shafts, and darts her poisoned stings. 



Darwin. 



SENTIMENT. 



O thou, from whose rank breath nor sex can save, 

 Nor sacred virtue, nor the powerless grave, 

 Felon unwhipped! than whom in yonder cells 

 Full many a groaning wretch less guilty dwells, 

 Blush, if of honest blood a drop remains, 

 To steal its lonely way along thy veins; 

 Blush if the bronze long hardened on thy cheek 

 Has left one spot where that poor drop can speak; 

 Blush to be branded with the Slanderer's name, 

 And tho' thou dread'st not sin, at least dread shame 

 We hear, indeed, but shuifdcr while we hear, 

 The insidious falsehood, and the heartless jeer: 

 For each dark libel that thou lik'st to shape, 

 Thou mayst from law, but not from scorn escape ; 

 The pointed finger, cold averted eye, 

 Insulted virtue's hiss thou canst not fly. 



Sjragve. 



