280 FLORA DOMESTICA. 



your whole family be there," says he, " and let them bear 

 away a portion of the fragrant spoils." 



The Orange is supposed to be the golden apple pre- 

 sented to Jupiter by Juno on the day of their nuptials. 

 These apples could be preserved nowhere but in the gar- 

 dens of the Hesperides, where they were protected by 

 three nymphs bearing that name, the daughters of Hes- 

 perus; and by a more effectual and appalling guard, a 

 never- sleeping dragon. It was one of the labours of Her- 

 cules to obtain some of these golden apples : he succeeded, 

 but, as they could not be preserved elsewhere, it is said 

 they were carried back again by Minerva. 



These, too, were the golden apples by means of which 

 Hippomenes won the Arcadian Atalanta ; who halted in 

 the race to pick them up, when he artfully dropped them 

 at three several times, in the hope of her so doing : he 

 having received them for that purpose from the goddess 

 Venus. 



And probably this may be the golden apple, the bestowal 

 of which first gave origin to the Grecian war. 



The Orange-tree is mentioned both by Cowley and 

 Rapin ; but the poems being originally written in Latin, 

 and the translations very poor, they will not admit of 

 quotation. It has been celebrated by poets ancient and 

 modern ; and well has it deserved its fame, not only for its 

 fine fruit, but also for its handsome leaves, exquisite blos- 

 soms, and delicious perfume. 



Mr. Moore gives a pleasant picture of the Orange-tree, 

 in his Paradise and the Peri. 



" Just then beneath some orange-trees, 

 Whose fruit and blossoms in the breeze 

 Were wantoning together, free, 

 Like age at play with infancy ." 



The Orange-tree is one of the very few which at once 

 delight us with the promise of spring, and the ripe luxu- 



