This great Swedish botanist invented a Floral horologe, "whose
wheels were the sun and earth and whose index-figures were flowers."
Perhaps his invention, however, was not wholly original. Andrew Marvell
in his "_Thoughts in a Garden_" mentions a sort of floral dial:--
How well the skilful gardener drew
Of flowers and herbs this dial new!
Where, from above, the milder sun
Does through a fragrant zodiac run:
And, as it works, th'industrious bee
Computes its time as well as we:
How could such sweet and wholesome hours
Be reckoned, but with herbs and flowers?
_Marvell_[106]
Milton's notation of time--"_at shut of evening flowers_," has a
beautiful simplicity, and though Shakespeare does not seem to have
marked his time on a floral clock, yet, like all true poets, he has made
very free use of other appearances of nature to indicate the
commencement and the close of day.
The sun no sooner shall the mountains touch--
Than we will ship him hence.
_Hamlet_.
Fare thee well at once!
The glow-worm shows the matin to be near
And gins to pale his uneffectual fire.
_Hamlet_.
But look! The morn, in russet mantle clad,
Walks o'er the dew of yon high eastern hill:--
Break we our watch up.
_Hamlet_.
_Light thickens_, and the crow
Makes wing to the rooky wood.
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