Anemone. 323 



That veteran troop who will not for a blast 

 Of nipping air, like cowards quit the field. 



Mason. 



And coy Anemone that ne'er uncloses 



Her lips until they're blown on by the wind. 



Horace Smith. 



The ancients, remarks Phillips, made this flower the emblem 

 of sickness. Pliny tell us that the magicians and wise men 

 in old times, attributed wonderful powers to this plant, and 

 ordered that every person should gather the first Anemone he 

 saw in the year, repeating at the same time : — I gather thee 

 for a remedy against disease. It was then devoutly placed in 

 scarlet cloth and kept undisturbed, unless the gatherer became 

 indisposed, when it was tied cither around the neck or arm of 

 the patient. Some suppose it was made the emblem of sick- 

 ness, in allusion to the fate of Adonis, the favorite of Venus, 

 who changed his body into the flower after he had been killed 

 by a boar, which he had wounded in the chase. It is related 

 by other mycologists, that Adonis was restored to life again 

 by Proserpine, on condition that he should spend one-half the 

 year with her, and one-half with Venus ; which fable is thought 

 to imply the alternate return of summer and winter. 



It was held in great estimation by the Romans who formed 

 it into wreaths for the head ; and there is scarcely any flower 

 better calculated to be artificially imitated for the purpose of 

 ornamenting the temple of Venus ; for as its flowers are of 

 such various colors, the Venuses of every tint from the black- 

 est child of Africa to the fairest daughter of Caucasus, may 

 suit their complexions by wreaths of Anemonies. 



Very early in flower in the shade of the forest may be seen 

 the early native species of this genus ; and we possess quite 

 a number, and as they flourish under trees, and in situations 

 where the greater variety of plants would not live; they arr 

 certainly worthy of more care than is generally bestowed upon 

 thorn. The roots of all of them may be procured in the 

 woods, and taken up at the season the leaves decay to trans- 

 plant in the shrubbery, or to ornament the walks of the wilder- 

 ness plantations, which but few flowers do more effectually in 

 the spring. 



