WATER-LILIES 99 
lily? No human Blanche or Lilian was ever 
so fair as that. 
The water-lily comes of an ancient and sacred 
family of white-robed priests. They assisted 
at the most momentous religious ceremonies, 
from the beginning of recorded time. The 
Egyptian Lotus was a sacred plant; it was 
dedicated to Harpocrates and to the God Nofr 
Atmoo, — Nofr meaning good, whence the 
name of our yellow lily, Nuphar. But the true 
Egyptian flower was Nymphaea Lotus, though 
Nymphea cerulea, Moore’s “ blue water-lilies,” 
can be traced on the sculptures also. It was 
cultivated in tanks in the gardens; it was the 
chief material for festal wreaths; a single bud 
hung over the forehead of many a queenly 
dame; and the sculptures represent the weary 
flowers as dropping from the heated hands of 
belles, in the later hours of the feast. Rock 
softly on the waters, fair lilies! your Eastern 
kindred have rocked on the stormier bosom of 
Cleopatra. The Egyptian Lotus was, more- 
over, the emblem of the sacred Nile, —as the 
Hindoo species of the sacred Ganges; and 
each was held the symbol of the creation of the 
world from the waters. The sacred bull Apis 
was wreathed with its garlands; there were 
niches for water, to place it among tombs; it 
was carved in the capitals of columns; it was 
