MYRTLE. g£ 



Fable informs us, that the Greeks named 

 this tree Mvprog, from Myrsine, an Athenian 

 damsel, who, being overcome in wrestling and 

 the race by Pallas, died of envy ; but being a 

 favourite of Minerva, she was metamorphosed 

 into a myrtle-tree, which the goddess held 

 next in esteem to her sacred olive : but Paena 

 says, it was so named from the fragrance of 

 the berries and plant, nearly resembling the 

 celebrated odour of Myrrha, myrrh. This 

 beautiful evergreen has been made sacred to 

 Veritas, as well as to Venus and Minerva. 



" Unfading branch of verdant hue, 

 In modest sweetness drest, 

 Shake off thy pearly tears of dew, 

 And decorate my breast. 



" Dear emblem of the feeling mind, 

 Truth's consecrated tree ! 

 Still shall thy trembling blossoms find 

 A faithful friend in me." 



Mrs. Mary Robinson. 



Cato wrote on three kinds of myrtle only, 

 but Pliny mentions eleven varieties that were 

 known in his time, and says that the most 

 odoriferous myrtles grew in Egypt. It has 

 been observed that this tree grows naturally 

 only in hot sandy situations, from which it 

 seems to remove all other plants, as if it would 

 reign alone in the ground it occupied, thus 

 imitating the goddess of which it is symboli- 

 cal, who, when once she has taken possession 



