400 FLORA DOMESTICA. 



it is increased by cuttings made in any of the summer 

 months. These plants prefer the shade, and must be kept 

 moist. 



The flowers are flesh-coloured, blue, or white. The 

 Blue Rock Speedwell is a beautiful little plant, and is a 

 native of Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Norway, and 

 Scotland. It is by some familiarly called Forget-me-not ; 

 a name given also to the ground pine, a species of ger- 

 mander: but the true Forget-me-not is the water mouse- 

 ear, the Myosotis palustris of the botanists. 



It is a lovely little flower, varying in size according to 

 soil and situation ; sometimes its diameter is about the third 

 of an inch, and in some places the flowers are so small, that 

 it is not easy to find them. Gerarde describes it as a species 

 of the Euphrasia or Eyebright. The flower described by 

 Spenser in the following lines, to which he gives the name 

 of Astrophel, in compliment to Sir Philip Sidney, whose 

 death he laments, exactly answers to this beautiful little 

 wild-flower. 



" The gods, which all things see, this same beheld, 

 And pitying this pair of lovers true, 

 Transformed them there lying on the field, 

 Into one flower that is both red and blue : 

 It first grows red, and then to blue doth fade, 

 Like astrophel which thereinto was made. 



And in the midst thereof a star appears, 



As fairly formed as any star in skies ; 



Resembling Stella in her freshest years, 



Forth darting beams of beauty from her eyes ; 

 And all the day it standeth full of dew, 

 Which is the tears that from her eyes did flow. 



That herb of some starlight is called by name, 



Of others penthia, though not so well ; 



But thou, wherever thou dost find the same, 



From this day forth do call it astrophel : 

 And whensoever thou it up doest take, 

 Do pluck it softly, for that shepherd's sake." 



