88 THE FOXGLOVE. 



with it ? This evanescent charm perhaps consists 

 in the obscurity, in the sobriety of light it occa- 

 sioned, in hiding the bare reality, and giving to 

 fancy and imagination room to expand, a plaything 

 to amuse them. 



We still retain the name of this plant as given 

 by Pliny, though we know no reason why it was 

 so called ; but the word " helix," winding about, 

 or twisting, is sufficiently apposite. 



The foxglove (digitalis purpurea) is found with 

 us in one or two places only, rather existing than 

 flourishing, manifesting, like many other plants, a 

 marked partiality to particular soils. It produces 

 an abundance of seed, yet seems to wander little 

 from the station its progenitors had fixed on, as if 

 that alone was congenial to its habits ; but with us 

 the soil varies greatly. In the West of England, 

 it thrives and increases with particular luxuriance ; 

 but many counties may be searched in vain for a 

 single specimen. It seems to prefer a sandy, gra- 

 velly, or loose drained soil ; not I think vegetating 

 in strong retentive earths. We have few indige- 

 nous plants, not one, perhaps, which we have so 

 often summoned to aid us Jn our distresses as 

 the foxglove: no plant, not even the colchicum, 

 has been more the object of our fears, our hopes, 

 our trust, and disappointment, than this : we 

 have been grateful for the relief it has afforded, 

 and we have mourned the insufficiency of its 

 powers :- 



