INTRODUCTION. 11 
sent, or Spring. The plains of Agra are his favourite resort. 
His bow is of sugar-cane, twined with flowers; his string is 
of bees; his five arrows are each pointed with an Indian flower. 
The Hindoo nymphs chant the following hymn to the Indian 
cupid:— 
God of the flowery shafts and flowery bow, 
Delight of all above and all below! 
Thy loved companion, constant from his birth, 
Is ycleped Bessent, gay spring on earth, 
Weaves thy green robes and flaunting bowers, 
And from thy cloud draws balmy showers, 
He with fresh arrows fills thy quiver, 
(Sweet the gift, and sweet the giver,) 
And bids the many-plumed warbling throng 
Burst the fresh blossoms with their song: 
“ He bends the luscious cane, and twists the string 
With bees—how sweet, but ah! how keen their sting, 
He with five flowerets tips thy ruthless darts, 
Which through five senses pierce enraptured hearts. ,, 
Translation by Sir William Jones. 
But we will leave this dangerous land, and wander through 
the ever-blooming vales of Japan. Let us deck ourselves with 
her gorgeous lilies — her Japonicas — her flowers so beautiful 
that even the females are named from them. Wherever we 
roam, we shall find that nature strews the earth with flowers. 
We proceed to take a brief survey of the habits of flowers. 
Many varieties open their flowers in the morning, and close 
them in the evening; yet all do not open or close at the same 
hour. Plants of the same species are pretty regular to an hour in 
equal temperatures: hence the daily opening and shutting 
of the flowers has been called Horologium Florae. 
It has been very truly observed that flowers were the first 
playthings of Linnaeus : whose motto was, 
Tantus amor florum. 
v. 
