I NTR ODUC TION. 
16 
Magazine ” very justly observes) “ in the idleness of the harem, 
from the desire of amusement and variety which the ladies shut 
up there, without employment and without culture, must feel. 
It answers the purpose of enigmas, the solution of which amuses 
the vacant hours of the Turkish ladies, and is founded on a 
sort of crambo or bout runb .” 
“The Turkish dialect being rich in rhymes,” observes another 
florigraphical authority, “ presents a multitude of words corre¬ 
sponding in sound with the names of the flowers ; but these 
rhymes are not all admitted into the language of flowers, and 
the knowledge of this language consists in being acquainted 
with the proper rhyme. A flower or fruit expresses an idea 
suggested by the word with which its name happens to rhyme. 
Thus, for instance, the word annonde (pear) rhymes among 
other words with ormonde (hope), and this rhyme is filled up 
as follows: ‘ Annonde: Wer bana bir ormonde: Pear, let me 
not despair.’ ” 
Herr von Hammer, the well-known Oriental traveller, col¬ 
lected from the Greek and Armenian women, who are allowed 
to traffic with the inmates of the harems, about a hundred 
phrases of this peculiar vocabulary, some of which were after¬ 
wards published in a German miscellany entitled “ Mines of 
the East.” 
An able writer, comparing these wretched remnants of ancient 
floral customs with their pristine glories, speaks thus forcibly : 
“ The rich imagery and startling truth of the Eastern metaphors 
and symbols have crumbled into ruins, like the temples dedi¬ 
cated to their gods. Sickly and weak as is the modern language 
of flowers, it is yet as prevalent in its use as ever. Undoubtedly, 
the pure system of floral caligraphy came to Europe from Egypt, 
in which country the love of flowers was carried to such an ex¬ 
tent that Amasis, it is recorded, from a private soldier became 
general of the armies of King Partanis, for having presented 
him with a crown of flowers. This fortunate donor afterwards 
became the monarch of Egypt himself, and, it is to be presumed, 
did not neglect those favourites of Flora by whose means he 
gained his crown. 
European florigraphy rose and fell in Greece. There it 
attained the summit of its glory, and there sank into an 
ignominious neglect, from which it has never been entirely 
