THE DAFFODIL. 87 



To man yt goth in fray et fyth [that goeth in fray and fight] 

 Zif it be stampid et leyd to wonde 

 Ye powdyr on ded flesche [proud flesh] who so leye 

 Anon it sleth [slayeth] it as men seye."* 



The root of the daffodil, and, perhaps, also to 

 some extent, the whole plant, is poisonous, yet a 

 useful spirit is distilled from ifc ; and so lately as 

 in the year 1855, a decree was published in the 

 Moniteur, whereby alcohols distilled in Algeria 

 from the daffodil are ordered to be admitted duty 

 free into France. A distillation of the daffodil 

 has also been beneficially used as an embrocation 

 in dropsy and palsy. 



The daffodil (N. pseudo-narcissus), is rare in 

 Scotland and also in Ireland, but in parts of this 

 island, more especially in the south-west, it covers 

 acres of land ; and in some districts its bright yel- 

 low flowers assume a delicate lemon, or cream-like, 

 hue, which is very elegant. The remaining nar- 

 cissus of Britain are the N. poeticus, which, doubt- 

 less, is the true scented narcissus of the Greeks ; 

 and the pale, or biflorus narcissus, which occurs 

 in several of our southern counties, but it seems 

 very doubtful whether these last two are not always 

 outcasts from gardens or orchards, though they pro- 

 bably took root at some remote period. 



* " Stockholm MS." See page 88. 



