THE BELL-FLOWER. 115 



lines which, in their exquisite simplicity, make 

 dull and heavy Merritt's more earthly 



" Azure hare-bell that doth ceaseless ring 

 Her wildering chimes to vagrant butterflies." 



This is the blue-bell of Scotland, the hare-bell, 

 or heath-bell (Campanula rotundifolia) : 



" The hare-bell that for her stainless azure blue, 

 Claims to be worn of none but those are true:"* 



and not, of course, the English blue-bell, or wild 

 hyacinth (ScillaJ). It is the hare-bell which "raised 

 its head, elastic/' from the " airy tread " of Ellen 

 Douglas ; and which, turned into silver by " fairy 

 glamour/' rung out the wishes of the little maiden, 

 in the well-known tale, when she held it up in 

 the pale moonlight. It is the same which the little 

 boy, in olden days, heard ringing, when, as he sat 

 in a fairy circle on the hill-side, he chanced to 

 touch the flower with his foot, and to the sweet- 

 ness of whose chimes all the sheep on the hill 

 gathered round to listen. Nor did they forget its 

 charm when evening came : for vainly did he try 

 to take the sheep away; and none would go home 

 with him till he gathered the blue-bell, and carried 

 it before the flock, which followed him for days, 

 until the blossom withered. It is the plant that 

 loves the wild, free air of the heath and the hill- 

 side, the moorland and mountain, and pines and 



"it is indicative of an extremely barren soil;" but I have re- 

 spect for the privileges of the poets. 

 * Browne's " Pastorals." 



