261 
SORROWFUL REMEMBRANCES. 
pheasant’s eye ; OR FLOS adonis. 
Look, in the garden blooms the flos adonis, 
And memory keeps of him who rashly died, 
Thereafter changed by Venus, weeping, to this 
flower. anon. 
Adonis was killed by a boar when hunt¬ 
ing. Venus, who had quitted the pleasures 
of Cythereus for his sake, shed many tears 
at his melancholy fate. The fable tells us 
that these were not lost, but mingling with 
the blood of Adonis, the earth received them, 
and forthwith sprang up a light plant covered 
with purple flowers. Brilliant and transient 
flowers; alas! too faithful emblems of the 
pleasures of life! you were consecrated by 
the same beauty as the symbol of sorrowful 
remembrances. 
By this the boy, that by her side lay killed,1 
Was melted like a vapour from her sight; 
And in his blood, that on the ground lay spilled, 
A purple flower sprang up, chequered with white. 
SHAKSPERE. 
This plant is very common in our corn 
fields, more particularly in the west of En¬ 
gland. 
