THE SPEEDWELL 301 



were, indeed, of a different cast from those we re- 

 ceived from our mother's lips when she counselled, 

 that on one day only in all the week, we should not 



return 



" Flower laden " 



from our rambles ; that on Saturday every wild 

 flower should be left in the hedgerows to cheer, on 

 the following day, the sight of the closely pent-up 

 town-workmen, with their wives and children, and 

 whose only opportunity of seeing them was on that 

 one weekly " day of rest/' 



Dr. G. Johnston, in his " Botany of the Eastern 

 Borders/' has repeated, and satisfactorily answered, 

 the often-raised question as to what plant is indi- 

 cated by the blewart of Hogg's beautiful "Spring 

 Pastoral." The poet wrote : 



" When the blewart bears a pearl, 

 And the daisy turns a pea, 

 When the bonnie lucken-gowan 

 Has fauldit up her e'e," &c. ; 



plants, as well as animals, have souls ; but in a Christian 

 country in the nineteenth century, the whole thing wears a 

 different aspect. Though, indeed the beauty of such lines as 

 the following might almost tempt us to forget the fallacy of 

 their reasoning. 



" It is, and ever was, my wish and way 

 To let all flowers live freely and all die 

 Whene'er their genius bids their souls depart, 

 Among their kindred in their native place. 

 I never pluck the rose ; the violet's head 

 Hath shaken with my breath upon its bank 

 And not reproached me ; the ever-sacred cup 

 Of the pure lily hath, between my hands, 

 Felt safe, unsoiled, nor lost one grain of gold." 



WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR. 



