FLORAL EMBLEMS. 175 



The Indians have a proverb, which says, 

 the dart of contempt will even pierce through 

 the shell of a tortoise. 



This plant is dedicated to St. Faine. 



IDLENESS. 



MESEMBRYANTHEMUM, OR FIG-MARIGOLD. 

 Mesembryanthemum . 



" Sluggish idleness, the nurse of sin, 

 Upon a slothful ass he chose to ride." 



Fairy Queen. 



This numerous genus of succulent plants, 

 were formerly named mesembrianthemum, 

 and noon-flower, because most of the species 

 do not expand their gay petals before mid- 

 day, and seldom even at that late hour, un- 

 less the sun awakes them by his powerful 

 rays : yet it is amongst the earliest flowers 

 that take repose, as the petals are generally 

 closed before the god of day has left the hori- 

 zon ; and we therefore bestow it on the slug- 

 gard, for his armorial bearings. 



