THE WHITE POPPY. 
177 
of this goddess, yet in being, are all crowned with ears 
of corn intermingled with poppies, the heads of which 
are round capsules like the seed-vessels of the latter, 
and not oblong like those of P. Iihoeas. 
A fragment of a very fine colossal statue of Ceres, 
thus decoiated, was discovered by Or. Clarke near the 
city of Eleusis, which, only after strong solicitation, he 
was permitted to remove, as the superstitious inhabitants 
“ attributed to its presence the fertility of their land.” 
This noble monument of ancient skill now graces the 
university of which this interesting traveller was a 
member. 
The poppy appears to have been one of those plants 
gifted by the credulous with magical virtues; in refer¬ 
ence to which Dryden says,— 
“ Seeking my success in love to know, 
I tread the infallible, prophetic way 
A poppy-leaf upon my hand to lay.” 
But from these imaginary virtues, let us turn to such 
as are of real and universally acknowledged utility. 
Opium, which mitigates pain and procures sleep — nay, 
which is a “sweet oblivious antidote” against grief, that 
sorer malady « which weighs upon the heart,” is the 
product of the white poppy, hence called somniferum: — 
N 
