They pull the little blossom threads
From out the knotweed's button heads,
And put the husk, with many a smile,
In their white bosom for a while;

Then, if they guess aright the swain
Their love's sweet fancies try to gain,
'Tis said that ere it lies an hour,
'Twill blossom with a second flower,
And from the bosom's handkerchief
Bloom as it ne'er had lost a leaf."

Then there are the downy thistle-heads, which the rustic maiden names
after her lovers, in connection with which there are many old rhymes.
Beans have not lost their popularity; and the leaves of the laurel still
reveal the hidden fortune, having been also burnt in olden times by
girls to win back their errant lovers.

The garden scene in "Faust" is a well-known illustration of the
employment of the centaury or bluebottle for testing the faith of
lovers, for Margaret selects it as the floral indication whence she may
learn the truth respecting Faust:

"And that scarlet poppies around like a bower,
The maiden found her mystic flower.
'Now, gentle flower, I pray thee tell
If my love loves, and loves me well;
So may the fall of the morning dew
Keep the sun from fading thy tender blue;
Now I remember the leaves for my lot--