262 
FLORAL EMBLEMS. 
RELIGIOUS SUPERSTITION. 
Passion Flower. — Passijiora. 
“ At rosy morn, or evening’s silent hour, 
Some fair enthusiast views the sainted flower. 
When lo ! to wrapt imagination’s eye. 
Springs the sad scene of darken’d Calvary! 
The thorny crown the heavenly brows around. 
The scourging thorns, the galling cords that bound. 
And nails that pierced with agonizing wound ; 
Sudden she lifts to heaven her ardent eye 
In silent gaze and solemn ecstacy : 
Then, fill’d with timid hope and holy fear. 
Drops on the flower a consecrated tear.” 
Shaw. 
The Murucuia of the western world was 
no sooner seen in Italy, than superstition or 
craft, found a mysterious representation of 
the passion of Christ in this flower, and it 
received the sanctimonious titles of Flos Pas- 
sionis and Christi Passionis Imago , from which 
our name of passion flower is derived, and 
the emblem formed. 
