INTRODUCTION. XV 



the less noble and majestic, but more beauti- 

 ful and attractive inhabitants of the Flower 

 Garden- enter but which, the restless and 

 turbulent passions which disturb and agitate 

 the breasts of men, amidst the busy and active 

 pursuits of life, subside into a calm, and give 

 place to the milder and softer emotions of the 

 soul : everything here is calculated to inspire 

 serenity and delight ; Nature here offers an 

 inexhaustible fund of amusement, not con- 

 fining it to one single day, or week, or month, 

 but to almost every day, week, and month in 

 the year, still increasing, varying, and mul- 

 tiplying her productions beyond all power of 

 thought. 



But here Art, the handmaid of Nature, 

 must be called in to her assistance ; and care, 

 and skill, and study are required to preserve, 

 cultivate, and display those gifts to advantage, 

 without which they are liable to perish, and 



