IX. OUTSIDE AND IN. 163 



open and flattened out. And yon see that as a grass blade 

 necessarily flaps down, the flenr-de-lys leaf as necessarily 

 curves up, owing to that inevitable bend in its back. And 

 von see, with its keen edge, and long curve, and sharp 

 point, how like a sword it is. The botanists would for 

 once have given a really good and right name to the 

 plants which have this kind of leaf, c Ensate,' from the 

 Latin ' en sis,' a sword ; if only sata had been properly 

 formed from sis. We can't let the rude Latin stand, but 

 you may remember that the fleur-de-lys, which is the 

 flower of chivalry, has a sword for its leaf, and a lily for 

 its heart. 



12. In case vou cannot gather a fleur-de-lvs leaf, I have 



V O / 



drawn for yon, in Plate VI., a cluster of such leaves, 

 which are as pretty as any, and so small that, missing the 

 points of a few, I can draw them of their actual size. 

 You see the pretty alternate interlacing at the bottom, and 

 if yor i'an draw at all, and will try to outline their curves, 

 you will find what subtle lines they are. I did not know 

 this name for the strong-edged grass leaves when 1 wrote 

 the pieces about shield and sword leaves ir 'Modern 

 Painters ' ; I wish I had chanced in those passages on 

 some other similitude, but I can't alter them now, and my 

 trustful pupils may avoid all confusion of thought by put- 

 ting gladius for ensis, and translating it by the word 

 1 scymitar,' which is also more accurate in expressing the 

 curvature blade. So we will call the ensatse, instead, 

 4 gladiolse,' translating, c scymitar-grasses.' And having 



