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Laurel. Bay. 
(GLORY.) (FAME.) 
“We crown with the laurel wreath 
The hero-god, the soldier chief.” 
Eliza Cook. 
“Sweet bay-tree, symbol of the song that dreaming poet sings.” 
Ibid. 
“The victor’s garland, and the poet’s crown.” 
W. Browne. 
H OWEVER easy a task it may be for the botanist, to the 
florigraphist it is a work of almost insurmountable 
difficulty to distinguish the Laurel from the Bay, so inextri¬ 
cably are they combined. There appears to be little doubt 
that the tree really selected to typify glory is the Sweet Bay, 
or Daphne; whilst the laurel, commonly so called, belongs to 
another genus, and is scientifically known as Prunus, a word 
presumedly of Asiatic origin. 
The sweet bay was deemed by both Greeks and Romans 
emblematic of victory and clemency. The glories of all grand 
deeds were signalized by means of laurel crowns ; its leaves 
\vere deemed very efficacious in the prevention of illness, and 
its shelter was believed to ward off lightning. 
The emblem of fame well deserves its cognomen of “ sweet,” 
the exquisite fragrance exhaled by its leaves, especially when 
crushed, is well known. This odoriferous plant was worn by 
the Delphic priestesses when engaged in their sacrificial rites, 
during which time they were accustomed to chew some of the 
leaves and strew them on the sacred fire. The brows of war¬ 
riors and poets, orators and philosophers, sovereigns and priests, 
were all adorned with wreaths of these leaves. At the Pythian 
games—held in commemoration of Apollo’s victory over the 
Python—a crown of laurel was the prize. The statue of zEscu- 
