The Lily. 
273 
milk that would ensure its immortality. The little Hercules, 
in his over-eagerness, drew the milk too quickly, and some 
drops falling to the earth, the white lily, emblematical of purity , 
immediately sprang up. 
Throughout Spain and Italy the white lily is emblematic of 
the Virgin’s purity, and is frequently used to decorate her 
shrine : in nearly every Catholic country it is especially dedi¬ 
cated to her. 
It is stated that the ladies upon the continent have held in 
high favour, for many years, a certain cosmetic prepared from 
the blossoms of this lily, and amongst Orientals it is cherished, 
not only on account of its variety and beauty of colour, but 
also for the sake of the exquisite perfume yielded by many 
members of its species. 
Moore, in “ Lalla Rookh,” finds occasion to deduce many 
sweet similes from the lily tribe, and, amongst others, from the 
glorious Persian Lily, celebrated for its gorgeous golden hue, 
and from the Indian lotus, famous for its bright roseate tint. 
The Victoria Regina, so named by Dr. Lindley in honour 
of the Queen, may be considered as the most magnificent of 
all lilies, if not, indeed, of all flowers. Its gorgeous, snowy, 
blush-tinted blossoms attain four feet, and its enormous leaves 
eighteen feet of circumference ! No typical meaning has as 
yet been assigned to this suberb flower, doubtless from the 
fact of its great size precluding all idea of its being used for 
any human decorative purpose. 
That the lily anciently grew in Egypt is testified by {he 
hieroglyphics, among which it appears. It was doubtless full 
of meaning to those wise Egyptians, as it was to the ancients 
generally. The fact of its hieroglyphical representation is 
sufficient to prove this ; for these picture words are all 
fraught with deep significance, although many of them are 
hard to comprehend, the most learned differing as to their 
real import. 
An heraldic work, published in France, gives the following 
singular and interesting account of the lily as an emblem : It 
is the symbol of divinity, of purity, of abundance, and of love ; 
most complete in perfection, charity, and benediction ; as that 
mirror of chastity, Susanna, is defined Susa, which signifies the 
“lily-flower,” the chief city of the Persians bearing that name 
18 
