_Flora and Thalia; or Gems of Flowers and Poetry: being an
Alphabetical Arrangement of Flowers, with appropriate Poetical
Illustrations, embellished with Colored Plates. By a Lady. To which is
added a Botanical Description of the various parts of a Flower, and
the Dial of Flowers. Philadelphia: Carey, Lea, and Blanchard._
This is a very pretty and very convenient volume, on a subject which,
since the world began, has never failed to excite curiosity and
sympathy in all who have a proper sense of the beautiful. It contains
240 pages, and 24 finely colored engravings, which give a vivid idea
of the original plants. These engravings are the _Meadow Anemone_—the
_Harebell_—the _Christmas Rose_—the _Dahlia_—the _Evening
Primrose_—the _Fox-Glove_—the _Heliotrope_—the _Purple Iris_—the
_Jasmine_—the _King-Cup_—the _Lavender_—the _Mezereon_—the
_Narcissus_—the _Orchis_—the _Clove Pink_—the _Quince_—the _Provence
Rose_—the _Solomon's Seal_—the _Tobacco_—the _Bear Berry_—the _Violet
Pansy_—the _Wall-Flower_—the _Yellow Water-Flag_, and the _Zedoary_.
The bulk of the volume is occupied with poetical illustrations
exceedingly well selected. We do not believe there is a single poem in
the book which may not be considered above mediocrity—many are
exquisite. The _Botanical description of the various parts of a
Flower_, is well conceived—brief, properly arranged, and sufficiently
comprehensive. The _Dial of Flowers_, will be especially admired by
all our fair readers. The following extract from page 227, will give
an idea of the nature of this _Dial_—the manner of composing which, is
embraced entire, in the form of a Table, on page 229.
These properties of flowers, and the opening and shutting of many at
particular times of the day, led to the idea of planting them in such
a manner as to indicate the succession of the hours, and to make them
supply the place of a watch or clock. Those who are disposed to try
the experiment, may easily compose such a dial by consulting the
following Table, comprehending the hours between three in the morning
and eight in the evening. It is, of course, impossible to insure the
accurate going of such a dial, because the temperature, the dryness,
and the dampness of the air have a considerable influence on the
opening and shutting of flowers.
We copy from the _Flora and Thalia_ the following anonymous lines.
Alas! on thy forsaken stem
My heart shall long recline,
And mourn the transitory gem,
And make the story mine!
So on my joyless winter hour
Has oped some fair and fragrant flower,
With smile as soft as thine.
Like thee the vision came and went,
Like thee it bloomed and fell;
In momentary pity sent,
Of fairy climes to tell:
So frail its form, so short its stay,
That nought the lingering heart could say,
But hail, and fare thee well!
* * * * *
We are sorry to perceive that our friends of the “_Southern Literary
Journal_” are disposed to unite with the “_Knickerbocker_” and “_New
York Mirror_” in covert, and therefore unmanly, thrusts at the
“_Messenger_.” It is natural that these two Journals (who refused to
exchange with us from the first) should feel themselves aggrieved at
our success, and we own that, bearing them no very good will, we care
little what injury they do themselves in the public estimation by
suffering their mortification to become apparent. But we are embarked
in the cause of _Southern_ Literature, and (with perfect amity to all
sections) wish to claim especially as a friend and co-operator, every
_Southern_ Journal. We repeat, therefore, that we are grieved to see a
disposition of hostility, entirely unprovoked, manifested on the part
of Mr. Whittaker. He should reflect, that while we ourselves cannot
for a moment believe him otherwise than perfectly upright and sincere
in his animadversions upon our Magazine, still there is hardly one
individual in ninety-nine who will not attribute every ill word he
says of us to the instigations of jealousy.