178 
LANGUAGE AND 
seed of the choicest varieties, and to his pleasur¬ 
able astonishment, on germinating, the seedlings 
displayed the most marvellous diversity of beauty 
and style. Milton’s “pansy freaked with jet,” 
and even Shakspeare’s purple “love in idle¬ 
ness,” were far outshone by these pampered 
children of Nature. Their breeder proudly dis¬ 
played his triumphs to fellow-florists, and in 
a little Avhile the heart’s ease ranked among the 
flowers of fashion. \ 
Heart’s-ease is not so modern an appellation 
for this flower as is generally supposed. 13un- 
yan, in his “Pilgrim’s Progress,” represents 
the guide as saying to Christiana and her child¬ 
ren, of a boy who was singing beside his sheep, 
“Do you hear him? I will dare to say this 
boy leads a merrier life, and wears more of that 
herb called heart’s-ease in his bosom, than he 
that is clothed in silk or purple.” 
Leigh Hunt—one of its most intense admir- 
ers _(jj )s erves, “The Persians themselves have 
not a greater number of fond appellations for the 
rose, than the people of Europe for the heart s- 
ease. . . . The modern Latin name lor it is 
Fios Jovis, or Jove’s flower—a cognomen rather 
too worshipful for its little sparkling delicacy, 
and more suitable to the greatness of an 
hydrangea, or to the diadems ol a rhododendron. 
‘ Jove’s own flower, that shares the violet s pride, 
Its want of scent with triple charms supplied.’ ” 
