THYME. 
99 
THYME. 
ACTIVITY. 
Flies of all shapes, beetles of all hues, light 
butterflies, and vigilant bees, for ever surround 
the flowery tufts of Thyme. It may be that to 
these cheerful inhabitants of the air, whose life 
is a long spring, these little tufts appear like an 
immense tree, old as the earth, and covered 
with eternal verdure, begemmed with myriads 
of flowery vases, filled with honey for their ex¬ 
press enjoyment. 
Among the Greeks, Thyme denoted the grace¬ 
ful elegance of the Attic style ; because it covered 
Mount Hymettus and gave the aromatic flavour, 
of which the ancients were so fond, to the honey 
made there. “ To smell of Thyme” was, there¬ 
fore, a commendation bestowed on those writers, 
who had made themselves masters of the Attic 
style. 
Activity is a warlike virtue, always associated 
with true courage. It was on this account that 
