The Language of flowers : an alphabet of floral emblems

1857·3.7 MB·English

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FLOWERS.
Flowersarethebrightremembrancersofyouth
Theywaftusback,withtheirblandodorousbreath,
Thejoyoushoursthatonlyyounglifeknows,
Erewehaveleanittliatthisfairearthhidesgraves.
THE
LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS
AXALPHABETOP
FLORAL E3IBLEMS,
Ineasternlandstheytalkinflowers,
Andtheytellinaiiarlandtheirlovesandcares;
Eachblossumthatbloomsintheirgardenbowers
Onitsleavesamysticlanguagebears.
Thengatherawreathfromthegardenbowers.
Andtellthewishofthyheartinflowers.
PEBCIVAL.
LONDON:
|1 NELSON AND SONS. PATERNOSTER ROW;
|i T.
'; EDINBURGH: A.VD XEW YORK.

INTRODUCTION'.
Thf Language of Flora has been traced by its students to widelydifferent
sources, each presenting sometrueclaimtothetitle, yet nonesoentirely sub-
verting thoseof others, astostandforth alcfheasitsoriginator; fortrulythe
origin of thisvoiceof theflowers is coevalwith their creation, and isstill a
tongae sufficientlysimpleandattractive to havea charmfor everystudentof
nature, and tosuggestappropriateemblems evgnto the illiterate rustic, who
plucks theway-side daisy, ortheblueforget-me-not, to be presentedto some
village maidenasthereadiestexpressionof his love.
Itis,intnith,nocreatureofmodemart,butthefree-bomchildofunsophisti-
'1 catednature. "Lovelyas the rose," "Fair asthe lily,"or "Modest as the i
J violet,"arephrasesthatseemtocomenaturallyintouse,withoutthoughtthat
l! inthisemblematicemploymentliesthegermoftruepoetryandthesymboliclan-
j- guageofFlora; andthoughtothesewillbefoundadded,inthepresent volume,
manywhereintheobjectseemslesssuggestiveofthesense, andwheretheidea :
I! soughttobeconveyedismorecomplexand difficult intelligentlyto symbolize, i
|i yet inthisisonlypresented the floral tongue passing through the same pro- i
gressive stages that have characterized the annals of everyspoken language.
I; Inarudeandprimitivestate,thewordsarefewandsimplethatsuflicetoclothe
in language the thoughts and desiresof an untutoredraceofmen; but with
everyincreasingwant,andeverynewdesire, namesandformsofthoughtmust ,i
becreated, until thebrief vocabularyof the savagetribeswellsintothecom- \\
plexdictionaryofanintelligentandcivilizedpeople. Andsohasitbeenwith
this universal language. "He comethforth asaflower andiscutdown," is jIjj
theexpressiveanduniversallyintelligible languageofScripture. Andnoless |!
doefe it earlyprefigurehopethan frailty, "S\'e strewthem over the shroudof |i
departed love, and plant them to bloom brightlyabove the grave, that they |;
may speak in spring of a brighter season of hope, and in summer of that
heavenlyclimethatknowsonlyof aneternalgjmmerandacloudlesssky, and j|;'
inaUseasons, oflove, andpurity, andpeace. Tothese, thesimpleexpressions |;
ofnaturalfteling, havebeenaddedfi-omtimetotime, fromthepagesofclassic ,j
poetry andthemorecomplexfanciesoflaterwriters, aseriesofideasattached
toeveryflower, bymeans of which the nosegaymaybemadetotaketheplace jj
ofmoreformalepistles. j
IV IXTRODUCTIOX.
Forthemore complicated usesofthis beautiful language, afewhints may
!;
|i be necessaryto showhowextensiveis the raageofthought its alphabet may
coiuiiiunicate. Forexample,ifaflowerbegivenreversed,itimpliestheopposite
jj
;! of that thought or sentiment which it is ordinarily understood to express:
again, a rosebud fromwhich the thorns have been removed, but which has
J! stillitsleaves,convejsthesentiment, "Ifear,butIhope,"—thethornsiniply-
|jjili ituhgatfe"arT,haesrethemaleyavbeesnheoiptehe;rrheompoevenotrhefelaera;v"eswhainlde,thaogranisn,,aandsintghleenfiltowsiegrnimfaieys
' bemade emblematical of avarietyof ideas; a rosebud that hasbeenalready
usedanddeprivedofitsthorns, says, "There is muchtohope," but striptof
|1i1 itsleavesalso, ittells, "Thereiseverythingtofear." TheexpressionaJsoof
^i almostanyflowermaybevariedbychangingitsposition. Place themarigold
|!f| u"ploinstltehsesnheesas.d,"foArnidnstiatncmea,yanbdeiatdsdiegdni,fiweshe"ndaisftrleoswserofismgiinvedn",—tohnetphreobnoosuonm,/
isunderstoodbychangingittotheright, thou byincliningittotheleft.
Totheintelligentreader, these suggestions may suffice, andwe shall there-
I fore conclude ourintroductionwith the hopethat, undertheguidanceofthis
I littlevolume,manyabrightnosegaymayexchange hands,andtell, inits fitting
j andintelligiblelanguage, "awelcomemessagetofairlady'sear."
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