ROSE. 1 65 



sister, whom he crowned in the church of 

 Salency. 



We cannot pass over unnoticed the well- 

 known story of the rose-leaf, which shows 

 how fond the eastern nations were of con- 

 veying their thoughts by hieroglyphics. 



At Amadan there was a famous academy, 

 the rules of which were, that the members of 

 it should think much, write little, and speak 

 as seldom as possible. Zeb, a learned doctor, 

 celebrated all over the East for his great 

 knowledge, hearing of a vacancy in this insti- 

 tution, hastened to the city in order to be 

 elected. Unfortunately he arrived too late, 

 for the place had already been filled by a 

 candidate, who, like many in these times, 

 owed his success to his power more than to 

 his deserts. The president of the academy 

 filled a vase so full of water that an additional 

 drop would make it run over, by which the 

 doctor was to understand that their society 

 was too full to admit of another member. 



The learned Zeb was retiring sorrowfully, 

 when by chance he perceived a petal of a 

 rose at his feet, which he seized with prompt- 

 ness, and placed it so delicately on the top 

 of the water, that it did not disturb the liquid 

 in the least. This ingenious allusion was 

 received by the assembly with the greatest 



m 3 



