54 
THE POETRY OF FLOWERS 
Tulips have had their worshippers in other parts of the 
world beside Turkey. It was from 1644 to 1647 that the 
tulipomania exercised its influence in Holland. In those years 
tulips fetched enormous prices and enriched many speculators. 
The most precious kind was that called semper augustus ; this 
they valued at two thousand florins. They pretended that it 
was so rare, that there existed only two flowers of that species, 
one at Haerlem and the other at Amsterdam. A connoisseur, 
to procure one root, offered four thousand six hundred florins, 
with a beautiful carriage, horses, and equipments. Another 
gave twelve acres of land for a tulip-root. We are also told 
of a person who had a very fine tulip ; but finding that there 
was a second root of the same nature at Haerlem, he repaired 
thither, and having purchased it at a most extravagant cost, 
pounded it to pieces with his foot, exclaiming, with exultation, 
“ Now my tulip is unique!” 
Yes! by those eyes of azure glory, 
Shedding their star-like smiles on me; 
Yes! by that cheek, changing and glowing, 
Warm as the plumage of yon bright lory, 
By those ringlets so richly flowing, 
Dearest, I love but thee! 
Yes! by that foot of fairy fleetness, 
Springing ever so light and free, 
By that figure’s gazelle-like grace, love, 
^By thy spirit’s pure truth and sweetness, 
By all thy magic of mind and face, love, 
Ever I love but thee! 
f. s. o. 
