THE FLORAL TELEGRAPH. 11 
party; but a flourish with my cane 
as I sprang upon my legs proved 
that the serpent deservedly possesses 
the character of wisdom. I will not 
say that he sounded a retreat, for he 
retreated without making any sound 
whatever. 
Fair daughters of Eve, at once so 
glorious in your perfections, and so 
graceful in the use you make of them, 
would that I could give you an ade¬ 
quate idea of the beauty of the scene 
that was thus suddenly disclosed to 
me ! Were it in my power, you would 
gain an adequate idea of that Paradise 
that man lost for your first mother, 
and which, in so many thousand ways, 
