116 
THE POETRY OF FLOWERS 
princess, at the age of thirteen, had become attached to a young 
man to whom she was subsequently affianced. This young man 
died in the castle where they were making preparations for the 
marriage. Eleanora, in despair, wished to take a long last look 
at the object of her love; and, if alive, to bid a last adieu. 
She was conducted into the chamber where he had just ex¬ 
pired. The body was already placed on a bier, and covered 
with rosemary. The spectacle made such a deep impression 
upon the affianced maiden, that, though she afterward exhibited 
courage equal to her misfortunes, she never could breathe the 
perfume of rosemary without falling into the most frightful 
convulsions. 
The celebrated Jussieu, while botanizing in the Cordilleras, 
suddenly inhaled the most exquisite perfumes. He expected to 
find some brilliantly-coloured flowers, but only perceived some 
pretty clumps of an agreeable green, bearing flowers of a pale 
blue colour. On approaching nearer, he observed that the 
flowers turned gently toward the sun, which they appeared to 
regard with reverential love. Struck with this peculiar dispo¬ 
sition, he gave the plant the name of heliotrope, which is de¬ 
rived from two Greek words, signifying “sun,” and “ I turn.” 
The learned botanist, delighted with this charming acquisition, 
collected a quantity of the seeds, and sent them to the Jardin 
du Roi, at Paris, where it was first cultivated in Europe. The 
ladies collected it with enthusiasm — placed it in their richest 
vases—called it the flower of love — and received with indif¬ 
ference every bouquet in which their favourite flower was not 
to be found. 
An anonymous writer has made it emblematical of flattery, 
as it is said that when a cloud obscures the sky, it droops its 
head. We would rather suppose that, like the lover, whose 
heart is sad when absent from his mistress, so the heliotrope 
droops because it is deprived of the cheering rays of the sun 
that it seems to adore. 
There is a flower whose modest eye 
Is turned with looks of light and love 
