CHAPTER VII 



SECRET OF THE CHARM OF FLOWERS 



WHEN my mind was occupied with the subject 

 of the last chapter the human quality in some 

 sweet bird voices it struck me forcibly that all 

 resemblances to man in the animal and vegetable 

 worlds and in inanimate nature, enter largely into 

 and strongly colour our aesthetic feelings. We 

 have but to listen to the human tones in wind and 

 water, and in animal voices ; and to recognise 

 the human shape in plant, and rock, and cloud, 

 and in the round heads of certain mammals, like 

 the seal ; and the human expression in the eyes, 

 and faces generally, of many mammals, birds and 

 reptiles, to know that these casual resemblances 

 are a great deal to us. They constitute the ex- 

 pression of numberless natural sights and sounds 

 with which we are familiar, although in a majority 

 of cases the resemblance being but slight, and to 

 some one quality only, we are not conscious of the 

 cause of the expression. 



It was principally with flowers, which excite 



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