I LOVK YOU. INFATUATION. 147 
turned gently towards the sun, which they ap¬ 
peared to regard with reverential love. Struck 
with this peculiar disposition, he gave the 
plant the name of heliotrope, which is derived 
from two Greeks words, signifying “sun,” and 
“I turn.” The learned botanist, delighted 
with this charming acquisition, collected a 
quantity of the seeds, and sent them to the 
Jardin du Roi, at Paris, where it was first cul¬ 
tivated in Europe. !The ladies collected it with 
enthusiasm, —placed it in their richest vases, 
— called it the flower of love, — and received 
with indifference every bouquet in which their 
favourite flower was not to be found. 
An anonymous writer has made it emble¬ 
matical of flattery, as it is said that when a 
cloud obscures the sky, it droops its head. 
We would rather suppose that, like the 
lover, whose heart is sad when absent from 
his mistress, so the heliotrope droops be¬ 
cause it is deprived of the cheering rays of 
the sun that it seems to adore. 
There is a flower whose modest eye 
Is turned with looks of light and love, 
Who breathes her softest, sweetest sigh, 
Whene’er the sun is bright above. 
Let clouds obscure, or darkness veil, 
Her fond idolatry is fled; 
Her sighs no more their sweets exhale, 
The loving eye is cold and dead. 
