47 



collected in thousands on the hill-sides of sunny England, 

 rendering sometimes the whole prospect yellow and gay. How 

 pleasant in taste too are thy sweet corolla tubes even capable 

 of making a fragrant and delicate wine. How often have we 

 been a rival of the bee, and sucked them for their honey. Not 

 like thy fair sister, the Primrose, peering forth in early spring, 

 but content to wait for the more genial months of May and 

 June, and then hundreds of children gather and delight in thy 

 charms. The poets too have not forgotten to sing thy praises 

 and describe thy beauties. One says : 



" Now in my walk with sweet surprise 

 I see the first Spring Cowslip rise, 



The plant whose pensile flowers 

 Bend to the earth their beauteous eyes 



In sunshine as in showers." Montgomery. 



Milton makes you the emblem of pensiveness ; and talks of 



" Cowslips wan that hang the pensive head." 

 Blair, on the contrary, tells us to " smile like a knot of 

 Cowslips on the cliff ;" (though they do not often grow on cliffs.) 

 Clare, that true and simple poet of nature, has not forgotten 

 you. He addresses you as 



" Bowing adorers of the gale, 

 Ye Cowslips delicately pale, 

 Upraise your loaded stems, 

 Unfold your cups in splendour, speak 

 Who decked you with that ruddy streak 

 And gilt your golden gems ?" 



O.S. The Oxlip, which is between the Primrose and Cowslip. Mealy 

 Primrose and Scottish Primrose, both with red flowers, and confined to 

 the mountains of England and Scotland. 



NIGHTSHADE. SOLANUM. 

 WOODY NIGHTSHADE, OR BITTERSWEET. S. dulcamara. 



Plate 3, fig'. 3. 



Leaves cordate or hastate, entire. Flowers purple. Berries red. 

 This plant, full of danger, dark of hue, and dull of aspect, 

 is rather rare in Scotland, and I believe in Ireland ; yet how 

 often in England is it seen climbing among the bushes of our 

 hedge -rows, and bearing in the summer its drooping bunches 

 of purple flowers, and in the autumn its oval scarlet berries ; 

 beautiful to the eye, but very poisonous. The taste of the stem 

 and root is at first bitter and afterwards sweet, whence its name 

 of Bittersweet, 



