8 
INTRODUCTION. 
the images altogether, and to have kept only 
the contracted marks which serve for words; 
yet we are told that they retain an alphabet 
composed entirely of plants and roots. 
The gods of the early heathen nations ori¬ 
ginated from emblematical representations of 
illustrious personages who had benefited 
mankind either by their abilities in the 
arts, by defending their country, obtain¬ 
ing conquests, or establishing equitable laws. 
Thus Mars is represented by his armour, Her¬ 
cules by his club and the lion’s skin, Neptune 
by his trident, Ceres by a handful of corn, 
Bacchus by clusters of grapes, Pomona by 
apples. Flora by flowers, &c. Even the bar¬ 
barous Scandinavians adorned their goddess 
Frea, with emblems of fertility and abundance 
as the deity of marriage. 
The language of flowers is said to be as old 
as the world, and the antiquity of floral em¬ 
blems as great as that of love itself, and by 
