POETRY OF FLOWERS. 
137 
spirits. It is supposed that from these prac¬ 
tices arose the fashion of crowning young doc¬ 
tors of physic with laurel-berries (bacca lauri), 
whence are derived the terms of “ bachelor” and 
“laureate.” “Students,” says Mr. Phillips, in 
his “ Sylva Florifera,” “ who have taken their de¬ 
grees at the universities, are called bachelors, 
from the French baclielier , which is derived 
from the Latin baccalaureus, a laurel-berry. 
These students were not allowed to marry, lest 
their duties of husband and father should take 
them from their literary pursuits ; and in time 
all single men were called bachelors.” 
Hardy and flourishing as the bay-tree appears, 
when it withers it withers very rapidly ; and 
this circumstance renders it likely that the fol¬ 
lowing allusion in the Thirty-seventh Psalm 
applies to this tree: “I have seen the wicked 
in great power, and spreading himself like a 
green bay-tree. Yet he passed away, and lo, 
he was not; yea, 1 sought him, but he could not 
be found.” 
The laurel bears the classic appellation of 
Daphne, because ot the ancient legend connect¬ 
ing it with the nymph of that name, who, ac- 
carding to Ovid, was daughter of the river-< r od 
Peneus. Apollo beheld her, and at once became 
enamor )d of her beauty : but the fair Daphne 
tied from his importunities, and, fearful of beino- 
vaught, called to the gods for assistance: they 
