Along with these, about the dank borders of streams or fountains, grew the favourite flower of the Athenian people, purple, double, white, and gold,[[1292]]
“The violet dim,
But sweeter than the lids of Juno’s eyes,
Or Cytherea’s breath;”[[1293]]
the pansy,[[1294]] “freaked with jet;” the purple cyperus, the iris, the water-mint,[[1295]] and hyacinth,[[1296]] and the narcissus,[[1297]] and the willow-herb, and the blue speedwell, and the marsh-marigold, or, brave bassinet, and the jacinth, and early daffodil,
“That come before the swallow dares, and take
The winds of March with beauty.”
A netting of wild thyme[[1298]] tufted with sweet mint, and marjoram,[[1299]] which, when crushed by the foot, yielded the most delicious fragrance, embraced the sunny hillocks, while here and there singly, or in beds, grew a profusion of other herbs and flowers, some prized for their medicinal virtues, others for their beauty, others for their delicate odour, as the geranium, the spike-lavender, the rosemary,[[1300]] with its purple and white flowers, the basil,[[1301]] the flower-gentle, the hyssop, the white privet, the cytisus, the sweet marjoram, the rose-campion, or columbine,[[1302]] the yellow amaryllis, and the celandine. Here, too,
“Their gem-like eyes
The Phrygian melilots disclose,”[[1303]]