THE SPEEDWELL. 295 



branc,e; thus making it a forget-me-not with an East- 

 ern title ; an hypothesis, in some degree, supported 

 by the frequency with which we hear the plant con- 

 founded with the true forget-me-not,* yet I cannot 

 feel satisfied as to the correctness of his derivations. 

 If the flower be regarded as the emblem of truth 

 and the concurrent testimony of different lan- 

 guages proves that it is then the derivation from 

 Berenice would give a signification of singular ap- 

 positeness and force ; while if, as some suppose, it 

 be derived from lepa, sacred, and CIKWV, picture or 

 image, it might, perhaps, signify the image, or sym- 

 bolical representation of that which is sacred, or 

 true ; since nothing can be more correct, in poetic 

 imagery, than the substitution of the subjective for 

 the objective. The same idea occurs in the names 

 the plant bears throughout Southern Europe, as well 

 as in the Slavonic dialects. But these appear to be 

 forced resemblances ; the half Latin and half Greek 

 name of St. Veronica, vera ei/ccoy, probably originated 

 in the seventh century, when the use of the lamb, 

 and of other common emblems and emblematic 

 figures of Christ, was forbidden, and the human re- 

 presentation of Him " was directed to be lifted up 

 before all eyes." Hence, in San Giovanni Laterano, 

 under a picture by Giotto of Pope Boniface III., we 

 find this inscription : " IMAGO-ICONICA-BONIFACI-III. 

 PONT. MAX;" and at the church of S. Domenico in 

 Bologna, under an old picture of the Virgin, is " R. v. 

 MARLE AD RHENVM ICONEM ANTIQUISSIMAM." And 

 the saint was derived from this compound name. 

 * Also " Notes and Queries." 



