VI 
PREFACE. 
Amongst the numerous species of plants 
which Europe has received from China, Ame¬ 
rica, and New Holland, but few have hitherto 
found their way into the language of flowers, 
and some of these he has ventured to present, 
as emblematical of such characters or passions, 
as appeared most appropriate. 
The numerical emblems, as well as those 
for the days of the week, and the months of 
the year, were devised by him in order to 
render the work more complete, so as to 
enable the emblematists to record dates by 
floral symbols. 
As the invention of symbolical language 
appears to have originated in eastern nations, 
the author’s endeavours have been to collect 
the emblems of those countries, through the 
aid of their poets, and the assistance of various 
travellers. 
The most ancient works on heraldry have 
