FLORAL EMBLEMS. 179 



IMPORTUNITY OR INTRUSION. 



COMMON THISTLE. Carducis. 



(< Now where the thistle blows his feather'd seed, 

 Which frolick zephyrs buffet in the air." 



Falconer. 



" Wide o'er the thistly lawn as swells the breeze, 

 A whitening shower of vegetable down 

 Amusive floats." 



Thompson. 



This plant, that furnishes its seeds with 

 wings by which it flies from hill to dale, too 

 frequently intrudes itself into our fields, to the 

 injury of the farmer's best hopes. 



" Tough thistles choak'd the fields, and kill'd the corn, 

 And an unthrifty crop of weeds was born." 



Dry den. 



The thistle is symbolical of Scotland, it being 

 the emblematical flower of the unfortunate 

 Stuarts, who so frequently wore the Cluas-an- 



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