26 
INTRODUCTION. 
is possible to quarrel, reproach, or send let¬ 
ters of passion, friendship, or civility, or even 
of news, without ever inking the fingers. 
Happy the young and light-hearted maiden 
who, ignorant of the silly pleasures of the 
world, feels no occupation to be more agree¬ 
able than the study of plants. She seeks in 
the field her most touching ornaments ; each 
spring brings to her new joys: and every 
morning a fresh harvest of flowers repays her 
diligent cultivation; a garden is to her an 
inexhaustible source of delight and instruc¬ 
tion. By a charming art these beautiful 
productions of nature are converted into li¬ 
quid perfumes, precious essences, or valuable 
conserves. One of the most delightful ac¬ 
complishments that can be chosen for the 
fair sex is that of catching the transient 
shades of beauty which are found upon flow¬ 
ers, and fixing them on paper. The able 
pencil shows to us the queen of spring with 
her spherical form, her delicate colours, the 
beautiful green of her foliage, the thorns 
which protect her, the dew-drops which bathe 
her, and the butterfly which skims lightly 
