DICTIONARY. 
265 
no doubt originated in this circumstance, that, 
while the alburnum of the Ebony-tree is white, 
its foliage soft and silvery, and its flowers bril¬ 
liant and beautiful, the heart alone is really 
black. 
Bluntness, Borage. The leaves of Borage are 
prickly, hairy, and wrinkled; but the whole 
of the plant is wholesome. Its good qualities 
make us endure and even forget its rough ap¬ 
pearance, which reminds us that bluntness is 
frequently accompanied by a good heart. 
Boldness, Larch. This tree grows upon the 
loftiest mountains, where it attains a pro¬ 
digious height. In the North, it is often 
covered with a species of lichen, which en¬ 
velopes it as with a thick fur. The rustics 
amuse themselves with setting fire to this 
singular clothing : it catches freely, and a 
light flame suddenly shoots up to the sky, 
sparkling and going out in a moment. You 
would imagine that these beautiful trees had 
been placed in those situations for the express 
purpose of exhibiting to the desert the asto¬ 
nishing spectacle of the most magnificent fire¬ 
works. 
12 
