378 FLORA DOMESTICA. 



From beds of hyacinths, or from jasmine flowers, 

 Or when the blue-eyed violet weeps upon 

 Some sloping bank remote, while the young sun 

 (Creeping within her sheltering bower of leaves) 

 Dries up her tears." 



BARRY CORNWALL. 



The Violet seems a favourite with this author : he in- 

 troduces it continually. In his last poem, the Flood of 

 Thessaly, he mentions it several times : 



" And violets, whose looks are like the skies." 



" Jasmine and musk, daisies and hyacinth, 

 And violets, a blue profusion, sprang 

 Haunting the air." 



The Violet is continually applauded for its modesty and 

 timidity : 



" steals timidly away, 



Shrinking as violets do in summer's ray." 



LALLA ROOKH. 



Mr. Keats delights in describing a little woodland nook, 

 and Violets constantly breathe their sweet perfume in it. 

 (See HAWTHORN.) 



where to pry aloof, 



Atween the pillars of the sylvan roof, 



Would be to find where violet beds were nestling, 



And where the bee with cowslip-bells was wrestling." 



Gay villagers, upon a morn of May, 

 When they have tired their gentle limbs with play, 

 And formed a snowy circle on the grass, 

 And placed in midst of all that lovely lass 

 Who chosen is their queen ; with her fine head 

 Crowned with flowers, purple, white, and red ; 

 For there the lily and the musk-rose sighing, 

 Are emblems true of hapless lovers dying : 

 Between her breasts, that never yet felt trouble, 

 A bunch of violets, full-blown, and double, 

 Serenely sleep." 



