ASPECTS OF DEATH. 133 



seldom cure a corn on your toe, and never a cold in the 

 head. 



But it appeai-s here as if some gnome were launching arrows 

 which spring from the earth, but are held by their feathered 

 extremity. It is the Sagittarius, so common on the banks of 

 tranquil waters; the leaves are formed exactly like the iron 

 head of a lance, and are supported by a long, straight, and 

 stiff foot-stalk, which represents the shaft of the an-ow. 

 From the bosom of its leaves springs a stalk which bears a 

 spike of white flowers, composed of three rounded petals, the 

 base of which is of reddish-violet colour. The top of the 

 flower is occupied by male blossoms, loaded with yellow 

 stamens, which, with the white and violet of the flower, form 

 a delightful harmony of colours. Underneath are the female 

 blossoms, which have no stamens. The stalks of this plant 

 contain a species of pith of a very agreeable flavour. 



A kind of cress with little round shining leaves, grows 

 along the edge of the water, and even into the water; it is 

 ornamented with little flowers of a beautiful dark blue. 



But here is the queen of the meadows. She does not 

 creep ; not she ! Amidst the other plants, she proudly raises 

 her head from a rich and tufted foliage, of deep green above, 

 and inclined to white beneath. This stalk bears triumphantly 

 a beautiful thyrsus of charming little white flowers; bloom- 

 ing at the bottom of the thjrrsus, they present at the top 

 buds, whose form reminds us of the bud of the orange blossom ; 

 its flowers, whose odour is sweet and delicate, mixed with 

 wine, give it the aroma of Malmsey wine, which renders one 

 doubtfiil as to the following fact : — 



It is known that a duke of Clarence, brother of a king of 

 England, when condemned to death, as an only favour, re- 

 quested to be drowned in a butt of Malmsey wioe. There 

 are moments in a man's life in which he desires death. It is 

 the dying only that is disagreeable; the aspect of death, 

 therefore, changes much, according to circumstances. 



Death is not that great invariable skeleton which is gene- 

 rally presented to us; it has all sorts of forms and figures, 

 and in the number there are many that seem much less 

 disagreeable than others. 



Contemplate it in war. It is accompanied by the noise of 



