its praises. Virgil, to describe the 

 desolation of Nature when mourning 

 the death of Daphnis, says that all 

 the violets have perished, and in their 

 place has sprung the sour, thorny 

 thistle. 



Mohammed had time to give to the 

 cultivation and study of flowers, and 

 the violet was one of his favourites. 

 "Flower of humility" he called it, and 

 among his followers in the East it is 

 still regarded as possessing on this 

 account a peculiar sanctity. " As my 

 religion," quoth the Prophet, " is above 

 all others, so is the excellence of the 

 odour of violets above all other odours. 

 It is as warmth in winter and coolness 

 in summer." 



A thousand lovers have compared 

 their lady-loves to this flower, which 

 combines all the graces for which a 

 flower should be extolled, — beauty, 

 sweetness, modesty. Even the Span- 

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