
AMARANTH. 
Sad Amaranthus, in whose purple gore 
Meseems I see Amintas’ wretched fate, 
To whom sweet poets’ verse hath given endless date. 
SPENSER. 
Milton, too, in his Lycidas, classes it among 
the flowers “ that sad embroidery wear :’— 
Bid Amaranthus all his beauty shed, 
And daffodillies fill their cups with tears, 
To strew the laureate hearse where Lycid lies. 
In modern times, the Amaranth has given its 
name to an order instituted by Queen Christina 
of Sweden, in the year 1633, at an entertain- 
ment given in honour of Don Antonio Pimen- 
tel, the Spanish ambassador. On this occasion 
she appeared in a dress covered with diamonds, 
attended by a suite of sixteen nobles of her 
court and the same number of ladies. At the 
conclusion of the ball, she. stripped herself 
of the diamonds, and distributed them among 
the company, at the same time presenting the 
new order of knighthood, consisting of a rib- 
bon and medal, with an Amaranth in enamel, 
encircled with the motto: “ Dolce nella me- 
moria,” 
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