JASMINE. 135 
My mild and winsome Jasmine-tree, 
That climbest up the dark gray wall, 
Thy tiny flowerets seem in glee 
Like silver spray-drops down to fall. 
Lokd Morpeth. 
A variety of the Jasmine, with large double 
flowers and exquisite scent, was first procured 
in 1699 from Goa, by the grand-duke of Tuscany, 
and, so jealous was he of being the sole possessor 
of this species, that he strictly forbade his gardener 
to give a cutting of it to any person whatever. The 
gardener would probably have obeyed this injunc- 
tion had he not been in love ; but, on the birthday 
of his mistress, he presented her with a nosegay, in 
which he had placed a sprig of this rare species of 
Jasmine. Delighted with the fragrance of its flow- 
ers, the girl planted the sprig in fresh mould ; it 
continued green all the year, and next summer 
shot forth anew and blossomed. Instructed by 
her lover, she soon began to raise cuttings from 
this plant and to sell them at a high price ; by this 
means she amassed a little fund, which enabled 
her to marry the gardener, who was as poor as 
she was herself before this lucky accident. It is 
said that, in memory of this event, the damsels 
