70 THE ASSOCIATIONS OF FLOWERS 
Like its companion the primrose, the violet is a native 
of both hemispheres, and hardily dehes the blasts of the 
Alpine mountain, often growing at a height far above 
the level of the sea ; while in our owm woods and meadows, 
it braves the east winds of the early spring. Its blossom 
cheers the bleak Norway and the snowy Magellan. It 
blooms in winter beneath the tall palm of Africa; fur- 
nishes the poet of Arabia with a subject of song, or a 
choice simile, and bids the native of Syria or China turn 
from his rich roses and gorgeous crysanthemums, to mark 
its humbler beauty. It is abundant in the isles of the 
Mediterranean, and was constantly seen in the Athenian 
market, among the flowers wLich were there exposed to 
sale. Even when ine snow covered the ground, the 
Athenians succeeded in rearing it in their gardens, and 
it was to be found in Athens in almost every season. 
The far-famed rose of the ancient Psestum, which 
bloomed twhce in the year, and which “ now a Virgil, 
now an Ovid sang,” w^ere said to arrest the voyager on 
his course by their delicious odours: but Psestum equally 
boasted of its violets, “which,” says Mr. Rogers, in a 
note on a passage in his ^Pleasures of Memory,’ “were 
as proverbial as the roses, and mentioned by Martial.” 
That ancient city is changed now, in all but its flowers, 
yet — 
“ The air is sweet with violets running wild, 
’Mid broken sculptures, and fallen capitals.” 
The author of ‘The Backwoods of Canada,’ speaking 
of this flower says, “ of violets we have here every shade 
of colour, size, and shape, looking only like the delightful 
viola odorata (swee-t Violet) of our home woodlands ; yet 
I know not why we should quarrel with these meek 
daughters of the spring, because they want the fragrance 
of their more favoured sisters. Many of your wood 
violets, though very beautiful, are also devoid of scent; 
here variety of colour ought to make some amends for 
want of perfume. We have violets of every shade, of 
blue, some veined with purple, others shaded with a 
darker hue. We have the delicate white, pencilled with 
purple; the bright brimstone, coloured with black vein- 
