71 
THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS. 
still more exquisitely expresses his knowledge of its sym¬ 
bolic character: 
“The pale primroses, 
That die unmarried ere they can behold 
Bright Phoebus in his strength.” 
Milton also styles this vernal bloom “ the pale prim¬ 
rose.” It was described by Carew as “ the firstling of 
spring;” thus Burns also terms it in The Posie,” and 
Linnaeus appropriately named it in his botanical system; 
whilst in his native Swedish it is known as Maj-nycklar, 
or the “ key of May.” Its English appellation is derived 
from primus —“ the first”—and happily expresses one of 
its charms, and shows why it is such a meet emblem of 
youth. 
This fragile flower is known classically as Paralisos , 
and was thus styled in commemoration of a youth so 
named, who pined away with grief for the loss of his 
betrothed, Melicerta, and was metamorphosed into 
“The rathe primrose that, forsaken, dies.” 
It has been observed of poor Clare that his poems 
are as thickly strewn with primroses as the woodlands 
themselves. In his “ Village Minstrel” he sings : 
“Oh, who can speak his joys when Spring’s young mom 
From wood and pasture opened on his view, 
When tender green buds blush upon the thorn, 
And the first primrose dips his leaves in dew? 
“ And while he plucked the primrose in its pride, 
He pondered o’er its bloom ’tween joy and pride 
And a rude sonnet in its praise he tried, 
Where nature’s simple way the aid of art supplied.” 
In another place he tells how, as a child, he rambled 
o’er the fields for flowers, and 
