35 
SPRING MEMORIES AND MUSINGS. 
I HAVE presented my gi'aphic portraits of Spring’s fair 
children to my readers, with little illustration save my own 
fanciful, and, it may he, feebly descriptive poems; but as 
several of the selected Flowers, and others (which, though not 
represented in the illustrative groups, are famed gems), have 
poetic fables connected with them, I shall now give a few 
brief memoirs of familiar favourites, illustrating and enlivening 
my dull prose with extracts from our great old Poets. 
In suffering my own productions to take precedence of 
these jewels, drawn from the mines of jroetic wealth be¬ 
queathed to us by our ancient Bards, I am not actuated by 
vanity, but by a very different feeling—that of policy; 
believing that my humble lays would be far more graciously 
received by my readers, before the memory of favourite pas¬ 
sages on like subjects had been refreshed by my extract- 
gleanings ; well knowing, how 
As in a theatre, the eyes of men, 
After a well-graced actor leaves the stage. 
Are idly bent on him that enters next, 
Tliinking his jirattle to be tedious. 
E 2 
