THE CISTUS 
251 
CHAPTER XXIX. 
Cistus — Ephemeral Flowers — Gum Cistus — Ladanum — 
Ancient Mode of collecting Ladanum — Furple Cistus — 
Wild Rock-rose. 
Flower, thou seem’st not born to die, 
With thy radiant purity. 
But to melt in air away. 
Mingling with the soft spring day. 
When the crystal heavens are still, 
And faint azure veils each hill, 
And the lime tree doth not move, 
Save to songs that stir the grove, 
And earth all glorified is seen. 
As imaged in some lake serene. 
— Mrs. Hemans. 
Thfre is scarcely a flowering shrub which during its 
season of bloom makes a greater show upon the garden- 
beds than the gum cistus (Cistus ladaniferus). Covered 
with a profusion of blossoms in form something like that 
of the wild rose, this plant makes a handsome appear- 
ance when seen from a distance. Upon a nearer survey, 
its blossoms are discovered to have at their centre a rich 
purple or puce-coloured eye, which, by varying the white 
hue of the petals, adds much to therr beauty. 
Who has not remarked the frailty of flowers? Even so 
long ago as when the inspired writers wandered among 
the scenes of nature, collecting from her stores figures 
wherewith to impress and affect the human mind during 
all time — even then “the flower that fadeth,” the flower 
of the field,” was an emblem of all that was fleeting. 
Evanescent, however, as is the beauty of all flowers, there 
