HYACINTH. 



Virgil, in speaking of the Hyacinth, uses an epithet 

 peculiarly applicable to the Martagon Lily : 



" et ferrugineos Hyacinthos." 



GEORGIC. 4. 



And any one who is acquainted with the Martagon Lily 

 will immediately recognise the kind of iron-red here de- 

 scribed ; although the flower is often of a bright crimson, 

 and the spots nearly black. 



The very different manner in which our English poets 

 describe the colour of the Hyacinth, proves it to be a dif- 

 ferent flower : who can confound a Roman purple with 

 sapphire ? 



" Shaded Hyacinth, alway 



Sapphire queen of the mid- May." 



KEATS. 



" Hyacinth, with sapphire bell 

 Curling backward." 



HUNT'S MASK. 



" Some deep empurpled as the Hyacinth, 

 Some as the Rubin laughing sweetly red, 

 Some like fair Emeraudes, not yet well ripened." 



Here Spenser, speaking of the various colours of the 

 grapes according to their ripeness, expressly distinguishes 

 the purple of the Hyacinth from the red, which was very 

 similar to the Roman purple. 



It has been common to compare the Hyacinth to curls ; 

 and the curling of its petals is common to both flowers ; 

 though perhaps the modern hyacinth, in its form, bears 

 more resemblance to a cluster of hair-curls : 



" and hyacinthine locks 



Round from his parted forelock manly hung 

 Clustering.'' 



Dallaway, speaking of the women of the island of Chios, 

 says, " the ringlets which are so elegantly disposed round 



