194 
FLORAL POESY. 
tury of the Christian era. The patron saint is reported 
to have explained to his disciples the mysteries of the 
Trinity by means of a clover-leaf, or trefoil. 
“ Brave sons of Hibernia, your shamrocks display, 
Forever made sacred on St. Patrick’s day ; 
’Tis a type of religion, the badge of our saint, 
And a plant of that soil which no venom can taint. 
“ Both Venus and Mars to that land lay a claim, 
Their title is owned and recorded by fame ; 
But St. Patrick to friendship has hallowed the ground, 
And made hospitality ever abound. 
• 
“ Then with shamrocks and myi’tle let’s garnish the bowl, 
In converse convivial and sweet flow of soul ; 
To our saint make oblations of generous wine— 
What saint could have more ?—sure, ’tis worship divine ! 
“ Tho’ jovial and festive in seeming excess. 
We’ve hearts sympathetic of others’ distress; 
May our shamrocks continue to flourish, and prove 
An emblem of charity, friendship, and love. 
“ May the blights of disunion no longer remain, 
Our shamrock to wither, its glories to stain ; 
May it flourish forever, we Heaven invoke, 
Kindly sheltered and fenced by the brave Irish oak ! ” 
Bees delight in the sweet-scented blossoms of what 
Tennyson aptly calls the 
“ Rare ’broidery of the purple clover.” 
Walter Thornbury has given us the following pretty 
lyric, “ In Clover 
“ There is clover, honey-sweet, 
Thick and tangled at our feet ; 
Crimson-spotted lies the field, 
As in fight the warrior’s shield : 
