128 
LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS. 
My mild and winsome Jasmine-tree, 
That climbest up the dark grey wall, 
Thy tiny flowrets seem in glee 
Like silver spray-drops down to fall. 
Lord Morpeth. 
A variety of the Jasmine, with large double 
flowers and exquisite scent, was first procured 
in 1699 from Goa, by the grand-duke of Tus¬ 
cany, and so jealous was he of being the sole 
possessor of this species that he strictly for¬ 
bade his gardener to give a cutting of it to 
any person whatever. The gardener would pro¬ 
bably have obeyed this injunction had he not 
been in love ; but, on the birthday of his mis¬ 
tress, he presented her w r ith a nosegay, in which 
he had placed a sprig of this rare species of 
Jasmine. Delighted with the fragrance of its 
flowers, the girl planted the sprig in fresh 
mould; it continued green all the year, and 
next summer shot forth anew and blossomed. 
Instructed by her lover, she soon began to raise 
cuttings from this plant and to sell them at a 
high price; by this means she amassed a little 
fund, which enabled her to marry the gar¬ 
dener, who was as poor as herself before this 
