8 
INTRODUCTION. 
battlements of Heaven, and gave up all their glory for 
the heart of woman, — the buds and blossoms held 
sweet converse together, and that many a time when 
the nightingale ushered in the twilight with her song, 
voices from the flowers had made low response, amongst 
the glades and rose-girded pastures in the Garden of 
Paradise. Even on Olympus, Love had heard that an 
immortal language never could die ; that, although silent, 
it still slept somewhere among the flowers ; and many a 
time, whilst resting on some fragrant bed, he had been 
awakened by low whisperings, and disturbed by the 
heavy beating of his heart, which ever seemed urging 
him onward to commence his holy mission, and discover 
that language, which had been lost ever since the day 
when Eve went weeping from the angel-guarded gates 
of Eden. 
Love arose and shook the rounded dew in loosened 
pearls from the feathery silver of his wings, and soared 
far away over many a hill and valley, alighting when 
weary, and kneeling lowly, with attentive ear and bowed 
head, beside the blossoms ; but as yet he had only 
learned what the bees said when they hung murmuring 
over the honeyed bells, and what words the butterflies 
whispered as they alighted upon the flowers with subsid¬ 
ing wings. Onward wandered Love for many a day; 
although he caught the faint breathing of the blossoms, 
