DAISY. 143 



He tells us that the Queen Alceste was changed into 

 this flower : that she had as many virtues as there are 

 florets in it. 



" Cybilla made the daisie, and the flour 

 Icrownid all with white, as man may se, 

 And Mars yave her a corown red, parde, 

 In stede of rubies set among the white." 



" The daisy scattered on each meade and downe, 

 A golden tufte within a silver croune. 

 Fayre fall that dainty flowre ! and may there be 

 No shepherd graced that doth not honor thee !" 



W. BROWNE. 



But the Field Daisy is not an inhabitant of the flower- 

 garden : it were vain to cultivate it there. We have but 

 to walk into the fields, and there is a profusion for us. It 

 is the favourite of the great garden of Nature : 



" Meadows trim with daisies pied." 



Dray ton, enumerating a variety of flowers which are 

 woven into garlands by the nymphs to adorn the river Tame, 

 on his bridal-day, tells us that they place 



" The daisy over all these sundry sweets so thick 

 As Nature doth herself, to imitate her right ; 

 Who seems in that, her pearl, so greatly to delight, 

 That every plain therewith she powdereth." 



The reader will doubtless remember Burns's Address 

 to a Mountain Daisy, beginning 



" Wee, modest, crimson-tipped flower." 



The Scotch commonly call it by the name of Gowan ; a 

 name which they likewise apply to the dandelion, hawk- 

 weed, &c. : 



" The opening go wan, wet with dew." 



Wordsworth, with a true poet's delight in the simplest 

 beauties of nature, has addressed several little poems to 

 the Daisy : 



