376 WILD FLOWERS. 



GENTIAN, FEL-WORT. 



Gentiana. 



French, Gentiane. German, Enzian. Italian, Genziana. 

 Spanish, Genciana. Iltyric, Vladislavka, Trava. 



NATURAL. 



Pentandria. Oentianece. 



Digynia. Gentian. 



COLERIDGE has used, with happy "observation, the 

 effect produced by the heaven-like blue of the little 

 gentian amidst the grander components of such 

 Alpine scenery as he describes : 



" Ye ice falls ! ye that from the mountain's brow 

 Adown enormous ravines slope amain - 

 Torrents, methinks, that heard a mighty voice, 

 And stopped at once amid their maddest plunge ! 

 Motionless torrents ! silent cataracts ! 

 Who made you glorious as the gates of Heaven 

 Beneath the keen full moon 1 who bade the sun 

 Clothe you with rainbows? who with living flowers, 

 Of loveliest blue, spread garlands at your feet? 

 God ! let the torrent, like a shout of nations, 

 Answer ! and let the ice-falls echo, d ! 

 God ! sing ye meadow streams with gladsome voice ! 

 Ye pine-groves with your soft and soul-like sounds ! 

 And they too, have a voice, yon piles of snow, 

 And in their perilous fall shall thunder God ! " 



and elsewhere ] 



