+. 
me 
INTRODUCTION. 
—_—_Q -—— 



g HE Language of Flora has been traced by its 
SNA students to widely different sources, each 
te presenting some true claim to the title, yet 
none so entirely subverting those of others as to 
stand forth alone as its originator; for truly the ori- 
gin of this voice of the flowers is coeval with their 
creation, and is still a tongue sufficiently simple and 
attractive to have a charm for every student of Na- 
ture. 
It is, in truth, no creature of modern art, but the. 
free-born child of unsophisticated nature. ‘¢ Lovely 
as the rose,” ‘* Fair as the lily,” “ Modest as the vio- 
let,” are phrases that seem to come naturally into 
use, without thought that in this emblematic em- 
ployment lies the germ of true poetry and the sym- 
bolic language of Flora; and though to these will 
be found added, in the present volume, many where-- 
in the object seems less suggestive of the sense, and 
where the idea sought to be conveyed is more com- 
plex and difficult intelligently te symbolize, yet in 
this is only presented the floyal. tongue passing 
through the same progressive stages that have char- 
acterized the annals of every spoken language. In 

