LETTER XXVI. 



And filled with immortality. Receive 

 Thanks, blessings, love, for these, thy lavish boons, 

 And, most of all, their heavenward influences, 

 O 'Ihou that gav'st us flowers ! 



" La vue d'une fleur," says Madame Roland, " ca- 

 resse mon imagination et flatte mes sens a un point 

 inexprimable — elle reveille avec volupte le sentiment 

 de mon existence — sous le tranquille abri du toit 

 paternel, j'etais heureuse des I'enfance avec des 

 fleurs et des livres — dans I'etroite enceinte d'une 

 prison, au milieu des fers imposes par la t}Tannie la 

 plus revoltante, j'oublie I'injustice des hommes, leurs 

 sottises et mes maux, avec des livres et des fleurs." 



How much stronger and more permanent an influ- 

 ence must those feelings exercise upon our nature 

 when the lovelv objects that give rise to them are 

 kno^^^l bv something beyond a name, or a favourite 

 colour, or a delightful fi*agrance ; when we are ac- 

 quainted with their structure, and so familiar with 

 their habits as to understand how it is they grow and 

 live and multiply, and to what uses they may be 

 applied, and by what contrivances, equally simple, 

 invariable, and surprising, a small number of elements 

 constitutes all those different organs, whose singular 

 forms and brilliant colours so continually excite our 

 admiration. 



The power and wisdom of the Deity are proclaimed 

 bv no part of the Creation in more impressive lan- 

 guage than by the humblest weed that we tread 

 beneath our feet ; but we must learn to understand 

 the mysterious language in which we are addressed ; 



