POETRY OF FLOWERS. 
139 
LEMON BLOSSOM. 
Citrus, limon . Class 13 ; Order 1, 
DISCRETION.—ZEST. 
’Tis better, far, than beauty, or the grace 
That captivates the eye, that sober charm 
Of thine, which o’er thy words and deeds 
Keeps constant vigilance. A steward, thou, 
Faithful to the best riches of thy soul ; 
And he who puts his trust in one like thee, 
’Mid all his cares will find unbroken rest. 
The Lemon , in every respect so appropriate 
an emblem of zest, is a variety of the citron, 
and is consequently a blood relation of the 
more admired orange. It was first known to 
Europeans as the Median Apple, having been 
brought originally from Media. Virgil terms it 
“the happy apple,” on account of its virtues; 
and in his second “Georgic” thus sings its 
praises: 
“Nor be the citron, Media’s boast, unsung, 
Though harsh the juice and lingering on the tongue; 
When the drugged bowl, ’mid witching curses 
brewed, 
Wastes the pale youth by step-dame Ilate pursued, 
Its powerful aid unbinds the muttered spell, 
And frees the victim from the .draught of hell.” 
The blossoms of the lemon are deemed typi¬ 
cal of love's jiddiltj . 
