RUPTURE OF A CONTRACT, Broken Straw.

Page 177.

SADNESS, Dead Leaves. Page 226.

SECRECY, Maiden Hair.

SELF-LOVE, Narcissus.

Page 197.

Page 55.

SEPARATION, Carolina Jasmine. Page 155. SICKNESS, Field Anemone. In some countries people imagine that the flowers of the Field Anemone are so pernicious as to taint the air, and that those who breathe its emanations are liable to severe illness. SILENCE, White Rose. The god of silence was represented under the form of a young man, half-naked, with the fore-finger of one hand on his lips, and holding a White Rose in the other. Love was said to have given him this Rose, in order to propitiate his favour. The ancients placed a carved Rose over the doors of their banqueting rooms, to caution their guests not to repeat any thing that might be said there.

SIMPLICITY, Single Rose. Simplicity embellishes beauty itself, and throws a veil over deformity. Clemence Isaure, who instituted

the Floral Games, allotted a Single Rose as the prize of eloquence.

SKILL, Spider Ophrys. Arachne was a very clever embroideress, who ventured to challenge Minerva to a trial of skill in the practice of the art. The offended goddess changed her imprudent rival into a spider. The Spider Ophrys resembles the insect, which, under its repulsive form, has lost none of the skill of its predecessor.

SLEEP, Poppy. From the Poppy is obtained laudanum, which soothes the senses and induces sleep. Page 161.

SNARE, Catchfly. The Catchfly is an appropriate emblem of the gross snares spread for imprudent youth. Flies, attracted by its smell, are caught by the viscous matter which covers its flower-stalks, and holds them so fast that they cannot escape.

SOLITUDE, Heath. Page 83.

SORROW, Yew-tree. Page 246.

SOURNESS OF TEMPER, Barberry. The fruit of the Barberry is extremely sour: the shrub that bears it is armed with thorns, and the flowers possess such irritability, that, at the slightest

touch, all the stamina fold round the pistil. Thus this tree exhibits all the different characters of ill-tempered persons.

SPELL, Circæa, or Enchanters' Nightshade. This plant, as its name intimates, is famous in magical incantations. Its flower is rosecoloured, streaked with purple. It is found in damp, shady situations: and is fond of growing upon the ruins of buildings and tombs.

STOICISM, Box-tree. The Box is fond of the

shade; it is an evergreen, enduring cold and heat, requiring little care, and flourishing for many years. STRATAGEM, Walnut. The city of Amiens was taken by the Spaniards, in 1599, by a singular stratagem. Some soldiers, disguised as countrymen, came up to the gate with a cart-load of Walnuts. Here they untied one of the sacks containing the nuts; the latter fell out, as soon as the gate was opened and the cart began to move, and, while the guards were busy picking them up, a body of Spaniards, who were in ambush, fell upon them, and made themselves masters of the city.

STRENGTH, Fennel. The gladiators mixed this plant with their food, to increase their strength: and, after the games in the arena, the victor was crowned with Fennel.. STUPIDITY, Scarlet Geranium. Page 204. SURLINESS, Thistle. The decoration of the Scotch order of the Thistle is a gold chain, entwined with flowers of the Thistle, and bearing this motto-Nemo me impune lacessit -"Nobody annoys me with impunity." SURPRISE, Truffle. This curious vegetable has ever been a subject of surprise to the observer. It has neither root, stalk, nor leaves. The Truffle grows under the ground, and never appears above the surface. SUSPICION, Champignon. There are several species of Champignons, which are known to be deadly poisons. The Ostiaks, a Siberian tribe, make with three heads of the Agaricus muscarius a preparation which will kill the strongest man in twelve hours. Several of the Champignons of this country also are very dangerous; some of them contain so acrid a liquid, that a single drop will blister the tongue: yet the Russians, during their long

Lent, subsist almost entirely on Champignons; and by the French they are esteemed a great delicacy. People ought, however, to be very suspicious of them, and to steep before they eat them in boiling water. This process deprives them at once of their smell and dangerous properties, if they are not of a wholesome sort.

SYMPATHY, Thrift. This plant is mentioned by Pliny under the name of Statice, derived from a Greek word, which signifies making to stop, as this plant, by growing in sandy situations, is found to retain and stop the movement of the sands and to bind them together by its roots. Thrift is chiefly employed in gardens, for borders. It is found on every part of our coasts, where its favourite soil seems to be a marine mud or ooze, mixed with the shingles of the sea-beach, and on this account, as well as from its grassy leaves, it is generally called the Sea Pink. Phillips says, that he has seen it so abundant on a little common between Lancing and Worthing, in Sussex, as to form a complete green turf in winter, enamelling the ground from