©3804 THE FLORIST. 
(GHARBER(TNo¢ ni 43 "9 ae : oy 
The President's Lecture— Rosa Bonheur. me 
yay 
My dear Brother Spades,—Like a herring- boat astern ,of the Great 
Eastern, I follow in the wake of grand examples, and commence my essay, 
_as the first essayists of our “‘ Times” are wont to do, with a topic very 
“remotely connected with the chief theme of my history. For I have nothin 
‘to say concerning that wonderful French girl, who has. painted, to our 
. great sur prise and delight ‘the Horse Fair,” and ‘“ the Denizens of th the 
Highlands,” and have only borrowed her sweet name to serve. as my 
text and motto—Rosa Bonheur, Rose est Bonheur; the Rose is RE | 
“ness, Felicité Perpetuelle, a thing of beauty and a joy for ever. 
_ I go back in happy retrospect” to the sunny,days of childhood. - 
. wander once more in bowery lanes, what time there were hedges 1 in ‘th 
‘land, and ere the face of nature was so closely shaved by. the Mechian ° 
razor of improvement.” It is the time of Roses ; ‘wild Roses, blooming 
fresh and fair, from cold°soil and: thorny ‘stem, like wisdom and hope, 
from sorrow; wild Rosés}‘lighting up the land with their pure starlike 
eglory, and beautifying the gloom ofa’ fallen’ world ; »wild » Roses, on 
“which: Adam.-looks,. as he wile with: the. sweat ionyhis Ln oksatial “yearns 
jat ‘heart for, Eden..,,It is. the.time of Roses ; we. pluck them.as!we)pass, 
sand make: a coronal, nurse-and:d,,for my-sweet) sister's, goldens hair. 
yl. see her now, enthroned upon: some southward bank; where the Oxlip 
vand-the Violet haye watched. in-their. season: the! slambers.of thefairy 
-queen, smiling through her tears, herself a) dewy rosebud.; for the;briar 
has pierced her small tender.hand, and -her, spirit has been startled; and 
has quailed awhile, at-the presence and-at the prescience of,pain. Only 
-armonient,.for,the breeze which gently. stirs.those: golden| tendrils}\and 
hears away a crown jewel in-that, petal which, flutters,to; the: ground, 
is fraught with sweet -scents)and sounds}.,.with, frankincenee | risit 
cheavenwards,,and.psalms from a thankful. quire ; and all ‘things:young 
andannocent, must,needs rejoice. +, Dear, days of sacred:.gladness; fair 
shours,of guileless love!., IL; never. see the wild, Rose (now, butE hear 
sweet, whispers of their ‘“¢tender -grace,”? and, I/am wandering, once, more 
cforaven the bowery lanes,-with my. little sister’s-hand: in mines) ig 
»And next L,remember..those Roses..of the .garden,! which;. few. arid 
‘precious, were the. delight,.of; my early set thes glorious ‘¢,Pro- 
vence,” (that elegant mdividual; who-first,,called, this, blushing, beauty 
Old, Cabbage,” ought to) have.been|:imprisoned for ‘treason;jagainst 
the. Queen of Flowers, and his diet ‘restricted, scrupulously to: the hunable 
esculent in, question), ;, the grand, Provence, which; came, to .us,.as cour 
) Roses now,-trom the sunnier’ clime of France, ithe herald ofa great and 
splendid army, the evening: star, which glitters: for awhile alone: ere,all 
othe firmament is thick set with gems. |/Ah,,.my, brothers; what.a sub- 
jlime,astonishment,.and.,ecstasy, must, this.Rose -have- caused, whensit 
first-arrived in,our land }.,,.No’ ambassador,, however; copper-coloured, 
mo, hippopotamus, however, far,adyanced inagestationyicould. educe sach 
_a_sensation. now. How the French florists must. have _shouted_in 
cexultation;s:s‘ magnifique.” wand" “ftres* superbe; ° vodthey whoidove:truth 
and Bones rejoicing in the justice of their: Paar andthey who! love 
Vid OU ..WIX JOY. 
