THE 

 POET'S DAFFODIL 



jyareis.'>/{^ poet icas. 



Readers of old books may lie 

 sometimes perplexed by refer- 

 ences to daffodils and bastard 

 daffodils, and may even ask 

 why the English narcissus of 

 the meadows is called a pseudo- 

 narcissus. There are two ex- 

 planations at hand. According 

 to the legeEti the flower sprang 

 from the dead form of the 

 beautiful boy, who, turning 

 from the favouring smiles of 

 Echo, by whom he was l)eloved, 

 to admire his own image in the 

 water, fell in and was drowned, 

 the victim of self-love. As 

 the flower was named " Nar- 

 cissus^' to keep him in re- 

 membrance, the question will 

 arise, which amongst many kinds is the fabled narcissus? 

 The flower now figured was and is the veritable remem- 

 brancer ; it is the true narcissus of the poets, and of its 

 mythical origin let those doubt who dare. It follows 

 that other narcissi are pseudo-narcissi, and as such wo 



