DICTIONARY. 
259 
no doubt originated in this circumstance, 
that, while the alburnum of the Ebony-tree is 
white, its foliage soft and silvery, and its 
flowers brilliant 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 
fireworks. 
