64 
THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS. 
The sunflower, too, is a native of Peru, where it 
was formerly honored as the image of the star of 
day. The Virgins of the Sun, in their religious fes¬ 
tivals, wore a golden crown, representing this immense 
flower, which also glittered on their breasts and in 
their hands. Poets have wrongly imagined this plant 
to turn towards the sun, and sometimes confounded 
it with the heliotrope, though so unlike it. 
Lord Thurlow crowns Jealousy with the sunflower, 
— yellow being her appropriate color. 
It is said that Pythius, a rich Lydian, possessing 
several gold mines, neglected the culture of his estates, 
and only employed his numerous slaves in the mines. 
His wise wife one day ordered a supper to be served up 
to him, at which all the dishes were filled with gold. 
“ I give you,” said she, “ the only thing we have in 
abundance ; you can reap only what you sow; see your¬ 
self whether gold is so great a good ! ” This lesson 
made the desired impression, and he acknowledged that 
Providence had not abandoned true riches to man’s 
avarice. 
WALL-FLOWER (Clieiranthus cheiri). Fidelity in misfortune. 
“ The yellow wall-flower stained with iron brown.” 
Thomson. 
“ With cloudy fire the wall-flowers burned.” 
“Wall-flowers in fragrance burn themselves away 
With the sweet season on her precious pyre.” 
Massey. 
