' 
4 PREFACE. 
The fancy which has associated Love and Po¬ 
etry with flowers, comes nearer to spiritualized 
truth, than all the reasonings of science. Flow¬ 
ers are the poetry of creation ; and if we regard 
earth as a scroll written over by the finger of 
God, we may look upon the flowers as the rich 
emblazonment of its mystic truths. 
The little volume now offered to those who 
have not forgotten the stirrings of youth Within 
their hearts, differs fiom other works of floral 
sentiment, inasmuch as it is not a compilation, 
but a collection of original poems. Some of the 
pieces have appeared before, in various periodi¬ 
cals, and under various signatures. They are 
now for the first time claimed ; and, though per¬ 
haps but little worthy of appropriation," yet have 
that value which the simple philosophy of 
Touchstone recognises: “ A poor tiling, sir, but 
mine own.” 
It only remains to add, that a copious Floral 
Dictionary, compiled from various sources, has 
been appended, for the benefit of those who love 
to find “tokens in flowers, symbols in every 
leaf.” 
E. C. E. 
