rosy lips the vital breath,
And parries with his hand the shafts of death; 260
While BEAUTY broods with angel wings unfurl'd
O'er nascent life, and saves the sinking world.

[Footnote: _While Beauty broods_, l. 261.

Alma Venus! per te quoniam genus omne animantum
Concipitur, visitque exortum lumina coeli.
LUCRET.]

"HENCE on green leaves the sexual Pleasures dwell,
And Loves and Beauties crowd the blossom's bell;
The wakeful Anther in his silken bed
O'er the pleased Stigma bows his waxen head;
With meeting lips and mingling smiles they sup
Ambrosial dewdrops from the nectar'd cup;
Or buoy'd in air the plumy Lover springs,
And seeks his panting bride on Hymen-wings. 270

[Footnote: _From the nectar'd cup_, l. 268. The anthers and
stigmas of flowers are probably nourished by the honey, which
is secreted by the honey-gland called by Linneus the nectary;
and possess greater sensibility or animation than other parts
of the plant. The corol of the flower appears to be a
respiratory organ belonging to these anthers and stigmas for
the purpose of further oxygenating the vegetable blood for
the production of the anther dust and of this honey, which is
also exposed to the air in its receptacle or honey-cup;
which, I suppose, to be necessary for its further
oxygenation, as in many flowers so complicate an apparatus is
formed for its protection from insects, as in aconitum,
delphinium, larkspur, lonicera, woodbine; and because the
corol and nectary fall along with the anthers and stigmas,
when the pericarp is impregnated.

Dr. B. S. Barton in the American Transactions has lately
shown, that the honey collected from some plants is
intoxicating and poisonous to men, as from rhododendron,
azalea, and datura; and from some other plants that it is
hurtful to the bees which collect it; and that from some
flowers it is so injurious or disagreeable, that they do not
collect it, as from the fritillaria or crown imperial of this
country.]

"The Stamen males, with appetencies just,
Produce a formative prolific dust;
With apt propensities, the Styles recluse
Secrete a formative prolific