18 
THE DAFFODIL. 
NARCISSUS PSEUDO-NARCISSUS. 
“ Daffodils 
That come before the swallow dares, and take 
The winds of March with beauty. ” 
Intimately as Shakspeare was acquainted with the 
human heart, it was not the only book he studied; 
for whenever he borrows an illustration or metaphor 
from nature, it is generally with the accuracy of an 
attentive observer, in proof of which the motto just 
cited is an example. 
The daffodil, which we hail among our earliest 
flowers, is a native of almost every country of Europe. 
With us, though more uncommon than the daisy, prim¬ 
rose, and other spring favourites, it grows very freely 
in many places, choosing for its habitat rather moist 
woods and thickets — 
“ And daffodils in brooks delight. 
