Page:The Romance of Nature; or, The Flower-Seasons Illustrated.djvu/365

231 in truth, for fragrance and beauty, too, the Carnation is the first for fame among our Autumn flowers, and well merits the proud name bestowed on it by Linnæus, of Dianthus, or flower of Jove. All the varieties of the richly-perfumed Clove Carnation, are derived from our native Clove Pink (Dianthus caryophillus), so often found growing luxuriantly on ruins, and adding its spicy breath to the luscious sweetness of the Wall-flower. Two of these wild Pinks are introduced on the right of the large Carnation in the illustrative group. The smaller ones on the left are the Chinese Pinks (Dianthus Chinensis).

Spenser and Ben Jonson generally mention the Carnations by the fanciful name, popular in their day, of "Sops in wine," it being customary to put the flowers into wine by way of improving its flavour by their spicy properties. In Colin's song, in Spenser's "Shepheard's Calendar," they are thus grouped among a variety of other flowers—

Herrick addresses "to Carnations" a pretty little song, which is as full of tune, as if every word were a note of music; it is an air of itself.