
4 INTRODUCTION. 
and for a brief space let us wander in an earthly 
Eden. We will rove, hand in hand, with the 
ever-youthful goddess of flowers ; and Zephyrus, 
her beloved, shall waft tributary honours from 
every clime. We will twine fair garlands for 
many a youthful brow; ‘“ we will not let a 
flower of the spring escape us ;’’ but “ crown 
ourselves with roses ere they be withered.” 
We may roam with Tasso through Syrian 
lands, “ where soft perfumes diffuse from every 
flower ;” or the deserts of Arabia, where 
The acacia waves her yellow hair ; 
or shall we choose the Grecian Isles, and join 
there a bridal train, “ where the young maidens 
are crowned with fairest flowers? And there 
on every side are seen a succession of nar- 
cissuses, hyacinths, anemones, iris all hues, 
violets of all sorts, roses of every kind, and 
every odoriferous plant.” These the ancient 
Greeks scattered in the porticoes of their tem- 
ples; with them they adorned their altars, and 
decorated the statues of their gods; they strewed 
them in the victor’s path; and wore wreaths of 
flowers in their holy ceremonies. 





















