128 
Hyacinth. 
received a countless number of poetical tributes ; but its right 
to retain them is strongly disputed now-a-days, several writers 
maintaining that they were intended for another flower alto¬ 
gether, the red Martagon lily being now supposed rightfully 
entitled to the homage paid by ancient authors to the bloom 
that sprang from the blood of Hyacinthus, from the fact that 
its petals bear the distinguishing mark of ai, ai, and that it is 
of a deep blood-coloured hue. 
The authoress of “ Flora Domestica ” enters warmly into 
the contest, and certainly makes out a very good case on be¬ 
half of her selected flower. After citing a large number of 
poetical witnesses, she winds up her debate by saying, “ There 
have been great disputes and differences about the hyacinth: 
all were agreed that our modern hyacinth was not the hyacinth 
of the ancients ; but the difficulty was to determine what was." 
And our authority then concludes by deciding that “ the best 
arguments have been urged in support of the Martagon lily, 
which is now pretty generally acknowledged to be the true 
heir to this ancient and illustrious race.” 
The following tragic, if true, story was related some time 
since of the effect said to be produced by the powerful per¬ 
fume of the hyacinth : 
M. Sam relates that he was standing at a ball given at the 
Tuileries, talking to the great chemist, Dr. Lisfranc, when he 
perceived him become pale and move from his position. M. 
Sam, fancying that his friend had been taken ill, followed him 
out to the salle des marechaux. There having recovered his 
equanimity, he said, ‘ I have just seen a beautiful young bride 
waltzing with her second husband. Now, I am perfectly con¬ 
vinced she murdered her first husband. It had been a love 
match; but the young man discovered that he had made a fatal 
mistake, and his health visibly declined. One morning he was 
found dead in his bed-room, which his wife had filled with hya¬ 
cinths : their poisonous emanations had evidently killed him. 
On being summoned to examine into the cause of his death, 
I perfectly remembered having related in his wife’s hearing a 
case of poisoning produced by those very flowers, and on 
learning that a scandalous intrigue on her part had been the 
cause of his misery, I have not the slightest doubt that the 
wretched woman adopted this mode of regaining her liberty.’ ” 
