SWEET-SMELLING PLANTS 



8r 



Many of tliem also are extremely sweet, having a perfume com- 

 pounded apparently of the sweetness of the Lily and the odour 

 of Violets. This favourite flower has been made the emblem of 

 self-love, from 0^i.d's beautiful and well-known story of the chaste 

 boy Narcissus, who was changed into this plant. Narcissus was 

 a beautiful youth. Teresias, the soothsayer, foretold that he 

 should enjoy felicity until he beheld his own face : but that the 

 first sight of that would be fatal to him. Every kind of mirror 

 was kept carefully out of his way. Echo was enamoured of 

 him, but he slighted her love, and she pined and withered away 

 until she had nothing left her but her voice, and even that could 

 only repeat the last syllables of other people's sentences. He at 

 last saw his o^\ti image reflected in a fountain, and taking it for 

 that of another, he fell passionately in love with it. He attempted 

 to embrace it. On seeing the fruitlessness of all his efforts, he 

 killed himself in despair. When the nymphs raised a funeral pile 

 to burn his body, they found nothing but a flower. That flower, 

 into which he had been changed, still bears his name. 



' "Ah, youth ! beloved in vain," Xarcissiis cries — 



Ah, youth ! beloved in vain," the nymphs reply — 

 When looking for his corpse they only found, 

 A rising stalk with yellow blossoms croAraed. ' — Ovid. 



Here is a little passage about the fable, from the Tii'o Noble Kinsmen 

 of Beaumont and Fletcher : — 



' Emilia. This garden hath a world of pleasure in it. 



What flower is this ? 

 Servant. 'Tis called Xarcissus, Madam. 

 Em. That was a fair boy certain, but a fool 



To love himself ; were there not maids, 



Or were they all hard-hearted ? 

 Serv. That could not be to one so fair.' 



We have now many different species of this flower cultivated in 

 .our gardens, some of which have remained with us since their 

 introduction by the Romans, and we will endeaA'our to give them 

 due attention according to the various groups : — 



The Common Yelloiv Daffodil of our fields and woods (N. pseudo- 

 narcissus) is now available in many dainty forms, both single and 

 double, all of which are extremely hardy and robust ; succeed well 

 in any good garden soil, and once planted no further care is 

 required. Magnificent subjects for the hardy border lines or 

 groups, also for lawns, woodlands, shrubberies, or naturalisation 

 everywhere. Yield an endless amount of cut flowers, delicately 

 scented, and at a season when hardly any other bloom can be got. 

 Under pot culture nothing can be finer for the conservatory or 



