MOTHERWORT. 257 



neral ; and the houses of respectable people have always 

 pots of flowers in the windows. They have a great esteem 

 for plum and cherry trees, and for the beauty of their 

 blossoms. Some dwarf trees of these kinds are cultivated 

 in boxes behind the houses almost invariably ; and persons 

 in easy circumstances have in their apartments one or 

 more branches, when in flower, in a porcelain vase *. 



MYRTLE. 



MYRTUS. 



MYRTE.E. ICOSANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 



So named from Myrsine, an Athenian damsel, and favourite of Mi- 

 nerva, who was metamorphosed into this shrub, which is consecrated 

 to Venus. The connexion between Minerva's favourite and Venus is 

 not clear ; but nothing can be fitter for rendering sacred to Venus than 

 the myrtle. It is the perfection of neatness and elegance, and leaf and 

 flower are alike worthy of each other. French, le myrthe ; myrte. 

 Italian, mirto. 



THE Myrtle is a native of Asia, Africa, and the South 

 of Europe; and though not very tender, is not quite 

 hardy enough to bear our winters without some pro- 

 tection, except in the most southern and western parts of 

 the island. 



The beauty and fragrance of the flower are exquisite : 

 it blossoms in July and August, but does not bear fruit in 

 England. 



The Common Broad-leaved or Roman Myrtle does not 

 grow higher in England than eight or ten feet; but in 

 Italy it grows much higher, and is the principal under- 



* See Titsingh's Illustrations of Japan, translated from the French 

 by F. Shoberl. 



