Introduction. 
7 
glected. An adept in the grammar of this language gives these 
directions to his pupils : “ When a flower is presented in its 
natural position, the sentiment is to be understood affirma¬ 
tively ; when reversed, negatively. For instance, a rose-bud, 
with its leaves and thorns, indicate fear with hope; but if re¬ 
versed, it must be construed as saying, “you may neither fear 
nor hope Again, divest the same rose-bud of its thorns, and 
it permits the most sanguine hope ; deprive it of its petals and 
retain the thorns, and the worst fears may be entertained. The 
expression of every flower may be thus varied by varying its 
state or position. The Mangold is emblematic of pain: place 
it on the head, and it signifies trouble of mind ; on the heart, 
the pangs of love; on the bosom, the disgusts of ennui. The 
pronoun I is expressed by inclining the symbol to the right, 
and the pronoun thou by inclining it to the left. 
Such are the principal elements of the language of flowers, 
as used in England, France, Germany, and the United States’ 
and simple as they are, they are frequently altered, and, indeed, 
disregarded entirely by many versed in its fanciful lore. The 
B lumen- Sprache, or Language of Flowers of the Germans, 
differs in many minor points from that of its sister nations, but 
the spirit is the same. 
With many Oriental races, this lovely realization of “visible 
speech ” is practised to an extent little dreamt of in these 
colder climes ; and, it is said, you will scarcely find a native of 
the Levant who has not the whole system by heart. From 
the days of Lady Montague downwards, few of our travellers in 
“the land where the cypress and myrtle are emblems of deeds 
that are done in that clime,” but have favoured the readers of 
their adventures with some incidents illustrating the habitual 
usage of this floral telegraphy among all classes of the people 
whom they are visiting. 
In the United States, the language of flowers is said to have 
more votaries than in any other part of the world ; and said 
with justice, if we may judge by the number and splendour of 
the works on the subject which have appeared there during the 
last few years, and the intimate acquaintance which American 
writers display with floral symbols. 
A beautiful poetess, the sweetness of whose fancies are only 
equalled by their sadness, has, in many deathless rhymes, pre- 
