i'OETRY OF FLOWERS. 39 
Those peevish tones disturb the ear 
Accustomed thy soft notes to hear. 
Havel offended? Gently chide, 
And I thine anger will abide; 
Will kneel repentant at thy feet, 
Until my pardon is complete. 
Say, dost thou not this mood regret? 
Thou dost! Forgive, then, and forget. 
BASIL-OCYMUI BASILICUM. 
HATRED. 
This plant derives its name from a Greek 
word signifying royal. It is generally called 
“ sweet basil and why so odoriferous an herb 
should have become the symbol of hatred it is 
difficult to imagine. Some say because, at times, 
the ancients represented Poverty by the figure 
of a female covered with rags, and seated by a 
plant of basil. 
These sweet-scented herbs are chiefly natives 
of the East Indies, where their seeds are deemed 
efficacious against the poison of serpents. In 
Persia, where it is called rayhan , 
"The basil tuft that waves 
Its fragrant blossom over graves,” 
is generally found in churchyards. 
