Turning the Book Wheel

From Flora and Thalia; or, Gems of flowers and poetry: being an alphabetical arrangement of flowers, with appropriate poetical illustrations, embellished with coloured plates (1836) title scanned by our friends at the New York Botanical Garden for inclusion in the Biodiversity Heritage Library.

The Close of Spring

The garlands fade that Spring so lately wove,
Each simple flower which she has nursed in dew,—
Anemones, that spangled every grove ;
The Primrose wan, and Harebell mildly blue :
No more shall Violets linger in the dell,
Or purple Orchis variegate the plain :
Till Spring again shall call forth every -bell,
And dress with humid hands her wreaths again.
Oh poor humanity ! so frail, so fair,
Are the fond visions of thy early day ;
Till tyrant passion, and corrosive care,
Bid all thy fairy colours fade away ;
Another May new buds and flowers shall bring :
Ah ! why has happiness no second Spring ?

—Charles Smith