MINT. 28? 



beauty of this appearance, and, being to make some pil- 

 lars at Corinth, imitated the form of this basket, sur- 

 rounded with acanthus, in the capitals. It is certain there 

 cannot be a more lively image of the capital of a Co- 

 rinthian pillar than a basket covered with a tile, and sur- 

 rounded by leaves of brank-ursine, bending outward at 

 the top." Others say that the acanthus of the architects 

 is a different species, though of the same genus with the 

 brank-ursine. 



Virgil again mentions an Acanthus as forming the pat- 

 tern upon a mantle which had belonged to Helen ; and 

 Theocritus, as a relievo upon a pastoral prize-cup : 



" And all about the cup a crust was raised 

 Of soft acanthus." 



But these Acanthuses either will not bear our climate, or 

 they strike their roots too deep for potting ; so that, how- 

 ever interesting they are rendered by classical association, 

 it is in books we must enjoy them, if we would enjoy them 

 at home. 



MINT. 



MENTHA. 



LABIATJE. DIDYNAMIA GYMN08PERMIA. 



Supposed to be named from Mentha, a daughter of Cocytus, who 

 was changed into this herb by Proserpina in a fit of jealousy. (See 

 Anemone.) 



MINT may seem to belong rather to a kitchen or a 

 physic, than to a flower garden ; but besides its medicinal 

 and culinary uses, Spear-mint is esteemed by many per- 

 sons for the scent ; and for this scent, and the quickness of 

 its growth, it is often grown in pots, although as a flower it 

 is of no value. This mint is called in French, menthe verte 

 [green mint] ; menthe d'Angleterre [English mint] ; menthe 



