•^ The ^Afternoon of the Tear f% 



(M. grandtflora). I can remember gazing in silent 

 fascination at the beauty of the milk-white flowers which 

 grew low enough to come within my range of vision. 

 Then (as now) I felt I was looking at flowers which 

 did not seem to belong to this world, but to some big, 

 splendid planet such as Saturn. A few days ago I was 

 looking at a Magnolia Watsonii in flower, and the effect 

 on my mnid was just the same, only intensified a thousand- 

 fold. The primeval splendour of those great blooms, 

 shining amid the dark foliage, held me spellbound. And 

 the scent of magnolias literally goes to my head. The 

 effect is such that for a moment I do not see the flower, 

 but instead a fairyland of incredible splendour — cloud- 

 capped towers and palaces of overwhelming magnificence 

 — far remote from our own little friendly fairies. 



How different is the homely sweet scent of honeysuckle. 

 1 Oh how swete and pleasaunte is Woodbinde, in Woodes 

 or Arbours, after a tender soft rain : and how friendly 

 doe this herbe if I maie so name it, imbrace the bodies, 

 armes and branches of trees, with his long windyng 

 stalkes, and tender leaves, openyng or spreding forthe his 

 swete Lilies, like ladies fingers, among the thornes or 

 bushes. Is this Woodbinde so profitable as pleasaunt I 

 praie you tell me ? ' ' Honeysuckle ' is one of our very 

 oldest English flower names, going back to at least the 

 early years of the eighth century, for the name occurs in 

 the Epinal Glossary. As sweet as any garden honey- 

 suckle is the honeysuckle of our hedgerows. ' The 

 Honeysuckle that groweth wild in every hedge, although 

 it be very sweete, yet doe I not bring it into my garden, 

 but let it rest in his owne place, to serve their senses that 

 travell by it, or have no garden.' 



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