HYACINTH. 191 



cinths, was accustomed to throw the double flowers out of 

 his collection; till once that he had been prevented by 

 illness from visiting his flowers till just as they were going 

 off, there happened to be one double flower remaining. 

 It fixed his attention ; not for any superior excellence, for 

 it was small, and not particularly handsome ; but, perhaps, 

 because it was alone. He cultivated it, and increased it 

 by offsets ; florists saw, admired, and offered him a good 

 price for it. He then became as zealous in cultivating his 

 double flowers, as he had hitherto been in casting them 

 away. The first double flower he raised was named 

 Mary ; this variety, and the next two that were produced, 

 have been lost. The King of Great Britain is now con- 

 sidered as the oldest double Hyacinth. When it first 

 appeared, it was preferred above all the other varieties 

 then known ; and the price of it was considerably above 

 one thousand guilders. From that time great attention 

 has been paid to the culture of this beautiful flower : and 

 such has been the rage for it, that from one to two thou- 

 sand guilders have been given for a single root. That is, 

 from one to two hundred pounds sterling. 



" The Haarlem gardeners have nearly two thousand 

 varieties of the Hyacinth," says Mr. Martyn, " of which 

 they generally publish a catalogue every year. New ones 

 are annually produced, and in the circuit of that town 

 alone, whole acres together are covered with these 

 flowers. 1 ' 



The common Hyacinth, in French, Jacinthe des bols 

 [Wood Hyacinth], is a native of Persia, and of many parts 

 of Europe. In the spring it is very common in our woods, 

 hedges, &c. and on this account, our old botanists have 

 given it the name of the English Hyacinth. It is fa- 

 miliarly called the Harebell : 



