Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1844-04-11
MISCELLANEOUS.
From the Lady's Wreath.
Language of Flowers.
BY l.. E. L.
INTRODUCTION.

in Eastern lands they talk in Aowers,
And ,hey tell in garland their loves and cares
Each blossom that blooms in garden bowers
On its leaves mystic language bears
The language Of Flora is by no means
Of modern invention. The hiero9llph-
les Of the ancient Egyptians abound in
floral symbols. and The poetlcal fables OF
of the Greeks are full Of the metamor-
phoses of their deities into plants
Theie was no flower to which their INA
eination had not affixed some meaning.
and even to this day young Aroadian
is seldom seen without his urban 'ull OF
flowers presented to him by the beauty
he admires, by the silent language OF
which his hopes are kept alive and 1t
forms one of the chief amusements OF
the Grecian girls to drop these symbols
of their esteem or scorn, upon the yarl.
Gus passengers that pass their iatticed
windows.
Lady Montague was one among the
first to introduce floral language INTO
England. She states that in the East
there is no flower without verse belong
ing TO land d. l~et SUI d. : 10 GUAR
friend ship or civility, or even news,
without ever putting pen to paper. H..
Happy the Young and light hearted
maiden. who, ignorant of the silly plea.
sures of tie world, feels no occupation
to be more agreeable than the study OF
plants. She seeks in the field her most
touching ornaments; each spring brings
her new joys; and every morning fresh
harvest Of flowers repays her diil9ent
cultivation, garden is to her an mex
haustble source Of delight and instruc-
ton. The greatest accomplishment that
can be chosen for the fair sex is catch
inc the transient shades CT beauty which
are found upon flowers, and fixing them
on paper. The able pencil shows TO US
the queen of spring with her spherical
form, her delicate colors, the beautiful
green of her foliage, the thorns Hhich
protect her. the dew-drops which battle
her. and the butterfly which SKINS light
" over her beautiful form. The beauty
and grace that may be displayed In grou-
ming flowers, united with the gaiety OF
their colors. and the harmony OF their
tints, are objects well worthy the atten-
tia1 of thase who were born to render
life delightful. Nothing is forgotten in
depicting them; and when we look upon
the faithful representative, even IN the
depths Of winter, we may fancy that we
in!sale the perfumes of spring. This stu
DIV, in imparting taste for all that is
beautiful in nature, fills the soul with ra-
Wishing emotions. Flowers SAYS PHI
ny, sare the JOY Of the shrubs which bear
them This eminent observer Of nature
might also have added, 'and Of those
who love them and cultivate them
The Interpreters of our sweetest sen
timents, flowers lend their charms even
TO love--to that pure and chaste affec-
tion, which, as Pluto observes, is an in
spiration from The gods. The express
sion of this divine passion ought to be
divine also. and it was to illustrate this
that flowers were ingenious!y made EN-
hlematicai of our most delicate senti.
ments; they do in fact utter in silent
eloouence' a language better than wri-'
ting: they are the delicate symbols Of the
illusions of a tender heart and OF lively
and brilliant Imagination. In the daps
II chivalry, the respectful lover oft made
use Of the sweet language of flowers
Coibic books are full of embems COM
nosed of flowers--and we find in the no
nance of Perceforet, that garland of ro-
COS is the lovers treasure. The Chi
Nose have an alphabet composed entirely
nf nIants and roots; and we may yet read
,,non the rocks Of Egypt, The ancient con-
ouests over that people, recorded by for
zion plants. This language is as old as
sbe world, but IFS characters are renewed
ID each succeeding spring.