THE JESSAMINE. 67 



cess is as old as the use of perfumes,, and explains the 

 frequent employment of ointments by the ancients; for 

 many of the odorous essences they coveted were obtainable 

 only by the aid of greasy substances, which served as 

 vehicles for separating- and preserving them. 



The most important species of Jasminum in respect of 

 the production of commercial perfumes are /. officinale, 

 which is here figured ; /. sambac, a native of the East Indies, 

 producing white flowers, which are followed by black berries. 

 the perfume known as oil of jasmine is obtained from this 

 species ; and /. grandiflorum, also a native of the East 

 Indies, and closely resembling /. officmale, but the flowers 

 are larger, and reddish "underneath ; from this is obtained a 

 very considerable proportion of the essential oil of jasmine 

 of the shops. A favourite garden jasmine in the East is 

 J. angiistifolium, a bright twining plant, with star-shaped 

 flowers tinged with red, and very agreeably fragrant. It 

 is somewhat singular that when these plants are grown in 

 our conservatories they do not appear to attract many 

 insects, nor does the fragrant jessamine of the garden often 

 enjoy the honour of a visit from a busy bee or an idle 

 butterfly ; but Moore, with his exquisite taste in matters 

 of detail, makes the jasmine of Asia Minor the resort of 

 many gay insects, attracted by the rare fragrance of its 

 flowers. In his delightful story of " Paradise and the 

 Peri/' he makes the " child of air/' when searching for 

 " the gift that is most dear to heaven/' betake her amongst 

 the bovvers of the "chambers of the sun" 



" When, o'er the Vale of Balbec winging 



Slowly, she sees a child at play, 

 Among the rosy wild flow'rs singing, 

 As rosy and as wild as they ; 



