144 FUNERAL FLOWERS. 



And the pine boughs o'ershadow thee with gloom 

 Which of the grove seems breathing not the tomb. 



HEMANS. 



Let us now turn to the Romans, who imitated, 

 and even went beyond the people last alluded 

 to, in most of their luxuries and refinements ; 

 we have already had occasion to show how 

 lavish these were of flowers in their festivals 

 and religious rites ; we will now speak of those 

 which relate to the memory and sepulture of 

 the dead. OWEN has thus translated an apos- 

 trophe from the Latin : 



"May gentlest earth our fathers* shades enclose, 

 Light be their turf, and peaceful their repose ; 

 Forth, from their urns, the breathing crocus fling, 

 The balmy sweets of an eternal spring ! 

 Wno willed that to the tutor should be showed 

 The filial reverence to a parent owed/' 



And DRYDEN has given us, in the following 

 words, a noble version of that portion of An- 

 chises' speech to his son, in which he alludes 

 to bestrewing the funeral pile of Marcellus 

 with flowers : 



" Full canisters of fragrant lilies bring, 

 Mixed with the purple roses of the spring; 



