LECTURE ON THE DAFFODIL. 



7 



particular about the flowers that figure in ancient fable3, or we 

 shall be soon lost in a maze of speculations. The best summary 

 of the story I have met with is • in the delightful " Historie of 

 Plantes" by Bembertus Dodonaeus, who, at page 211 of Lyte's 

 translation, thus delivers himself: — "These flowers tooke their 

 name of the noble youth Narcissus, who, being much desyred of 

 many brave ladies, bycause of his passing beautie, he regarded 

 them not ; wherefore being desyrous to be deliuered fro their im- 

 portunate sutes and requests, he went a hunting, and being 

 thirstie came to a fountain, in which, when he would have dronken 

 sawe his own fauour and passing beautie, the whiche before that 

 time he had neuer seene, and thinking it had bene one of the 

 amorus Ladyes that loued him, he was so rapt with the loue of 

 himself, that he desyred to kisse and embrace himself, and when 

 he cold not take hold of his owne shadow or figure, he dyed at 

 last by extreme force of loue. In whose honour and perpetuall 

 remembrance, the earth (as the Poetes fayne) brought forth this 

 delectable and sweete smelling flower.' 1 



This brings us to the books, and there is no flower more famous 

 in the books than the Daffodil. Dodoens describes four, and 

 intimates his knowledge of other kinds, certain of which, he says, 

 " whose garland or circle in the middle of the flowers is white, be 

 very rare and daintie." In the great work of Gerarde, published 

 1597, there are fifteen true Daffodils described, and at page 136 he 

 adds a few Pancratiums as Daffodils, which after all is not a great 

 violation of propriety. In Johnson's edition of Gerarde, published 

 1633, there are thirty-one Daffodils described. In Parkinson's 

 " Paradisus " the number mounts up to ninety-four, but a certain 

 few of these— say half a dozen — are not Daffodils. So important 

 to the collector of these flowers is this delightful old book that he 

 considers the first requisite to perfect enjoyment ^of his pets is to 

 commit to memory the forty- four folio pages devoted to them, and 

 his next step towards happiness is to make the words fit to any 

 tune that may be forced upon his hearing in a world where Daffo- 

 dils are understanded only by a most select company of incurable 

 madmen. I invite your attention and hope to win your admira- 

 tion for a copy of John Parkinson, which I believe to be the most 



