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that she revenged herself on the audacious Psyche, who had dared to compare her transitory charms to immortal beauty.

At Rome, the Myrtle-garland of the Loves was sometimes mingled, in honour of Mars and Venus, with the laurel on the triumphant conqueror's brow. And now that triumphs have ceased at the Capitol, the Roman ladies have retained a strong predilection for this plant. They prefer its odour to that of the most fragrant essences, and they impregnate their baths with a water distilled from its leaves, persuaded that the plant of Venus must be favourable to beauty. If the ancients were possessed by a similar persuasion, if they truly deemed it the symbol of love, it was because they had observed that the Myrtle, wherever it grows, excludes all other plants. Just so love, wherever it has established its sway, excludes from the heart all other feelings.

K

LUCERN.

LIFE.

LUCERN will occupy the same spot for a long time; but, when once it leaves it, it is for ever. This is, no doubt, the reason why it has been adopted as the emblem of life.

Nothing is more beautiful than a field of Lucern in flower, spreading itself out to the eye, like an immense green carpet tipped with violet. When cultivated, this plant yields abundant crops, without requiring any care. Cut it down and it springs up again. The cow rejoices at the sight of it; it is a favourite food of the sheep, the horse, and the goat. A native of our climate, this valuable gift comes to us direct from heaven. Its possession costs us no trouble; we enjoy it without thought, and without gratitude. Very often we prefer to it a flower, whose only merit is its transient beauty. In like manner we too often relinquish a certain benefit, to run after vain pleasures, which fly away and escape us.

HONEYSUCKLE.

GENEROUS AND DEVOTED AFFECTION.

WEAKNESS is fond of strength, and often delights in lending to the latter its own graces. Thus have I seen a young Honeysuckle lovingly entwine the gnarled trunk of an aged oak with its supple and delicate arms. It would seem as if this slender shrub, whilst climbing upward, was striving to surpass in height the monarch of the forest: soon, however, as though finding its efforts useless, it droops gracefully down, and encircles the brow of its friend with elegant festoons of fragrant flowers. Thus Love sometimes unites the timid maiden to the ruthless soldier. Unhappy Desdemona! it was the admiration awakened by courage and valour, but it was also the feeling of thine own weakness, that attached thy heart to the terrible Othello :. but jealousy caused thy destruction by the very hand that should have protected thee!

This elegant climbing shrub, which we also call the woodbine, trained against our English

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