160 PROSERPINA. 



ago ; admirable in its light outline of the foamy 

 globe of flowers, supported and balanced in the 

 meadow breezes on that elastic rod of slenderest life. 



What shall we call it ? We had better rest 

 from our study of terms a little, and do a piece 

 of needful classifying, before we try to name it. 



21. My younger readers will find it easy to learn, 

 and convenient to remember, for a beginning of 

 their science, the names of twelve great families 

 of cinquefoiled flowers,* of which the first group 

 of three, is for the most part golden, the second, 

 blue, the third, purple, and the fourth, red. 



And their names, by simple lips, can be plea- 

 santly said, or sung, in this order, the two first only 

 being a little difficult to get over. 



Which even in their Latin magniloquence will not 

 be too terrible, namely, — 



* The florets gathered in the daisy are cinquefoils, examined 

 closely. No system founded on colour can be very general or un- 

 exceptionable : but the splendid purples of the pansy, and thistle, which 

 will be made one of the lower composite groups under Margarita, may 

 justify the general assertion of this order's being purple. 



