INTRODUCTION. 
19 
and actively preparing for its next nocturnal 
festival. If this tree is cut down close to the 
roots, a new plant shoots up, and attains maturity 
in an almost incredibly short space of time: 
like the truly great man, who, though he may 
he for a while bowed down by the storms of 
fate, will soon recover and flourish in his wonted 
glory. In the vicinity of this singular tree, there 
usually grows another, which is probably a de¬ 
generate scion of the same species. In appear¬ 
ance it exactly resembles the Sorrowful Tree, 
though it is less beautiful. It blooms only in 
the day time; thus presenting an emblem of 
those persons who seem created only to enjoy 
the garish light of day, and who suffer the lumi¬ 
naries of night to diffuse their serener radiance 
unheeded and unseen. 
Though we dwell not on the luxuriant banks 
of the Tigris, where, in the spring, the whole 
country exhibits the appearance of a richly 
varigated and perfumed flower-bed; yet even 
in the less fertile regions of the North the gifts 
of Flora are sufficiently abundant and diversified 
to enable us to create from them a language for 
the expression of those sentiments to which the 
