The southern literary messenger, Vol. II., No. 7, June, 1836

FLORA AND THALIA.

_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!

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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.