
Vili PREFACE. 
“The cypress that daily shades the grave, 
Is sorrow that mourns her bitter lot; 
And faith, that a thousand ills can brave, 
Speaks in thy blue leaves—forget-me-not.”’ 
But the same flower is made to convey several senti- 
ments—according to the manner in which it is present- 
ed, and thestate it is in when given, For example :— 
if a rose bud, or other flower with prickly or thorny 
stalks be presented with the thorns and leaves on, it 
expresses the sentiment of “I fear but I hope. for 
the thorns imply fear, and the leaves, hope: but divest 
the sprig of the thorns and leaves, and then it becomes 
a warning ‘neither to fear nor hope ;”—if the thorns 
only are cut off, you imply that ‘* fear is to be banish- 
ed ;”? but if you leave the thorns, and take away the 
leaves, you warn the receiver that there is every 
thing to fear.”? 
For the purpose of making the Language of Flowers 
fully understood, it is necessary to lay down certain 
rules for the guidance of the learner 3 and by attention 
to the following instructions, it will soon become a 
delightful occupation, and a perfect knowledge of the 
art will in a short time be gained. 
