IV. THE FLOWER. 65 



there and created by the fact of this purity and function 

 is the flower. 



2. But created, observe, by the purity and order, more 

 than by the function. The flower exists for its own sake, 

 not for the fruit's sake. The production of the fruit is 

 an added honour to it is a granted consolation to us for 

 its death. But the flower is the end of the seed, not 

 the seed of the flower. You are fond of cherries, per- 

 haps ; and think that the use of cherry blossom is to pro- 

 duce cherries. Not at all. The use of cherries is to pro- 

 duce Cherry blossoms; just as the use of bulbs is to pro- 

 duce hyacinths, not of hyacinths to produce bulbs. 

 Nay, that the flower can multiply by bulb, or root, or slip, 

 as well as by seed, may show you at once how immaterial 

 the seed-forming function is to the flower's existence. A 

 flower is to the vegetable substance what a crystal is to 

 the mineral. "Dust of sapphire," writes my friend Dr. 

 John Brown to me, of the wood hyacinths of Scotland in 

 the spring. Yes, that is so, each bud more beautiful, 

 itself, than perfectest jewel this, indeed, jewel " of purest 

 ray serene ; " but, observe you, the glory is in the purity, 



' the serenity, the radiance, not in the mere continuance 

 of the creature. 



3. It is because of its beauty that its continuance is 

 worth Heaven's while. The glory of it is in being, not 

 in begetting ; and in the spirit and subsiance, not the 

 change. For the earth also has its flesh and spirit. 

 Every day of spring is the earth's Whit Sunday Fire 



