Narcissus

Narcissus

Narcissus (Narcis´sus), son of Cephisus and the Naiad Liriope, was a beautiful youth, who was so pleased with the reflection of himself which he saw in the placid water of a fountain that he could not help loving it, imagining that it must be some beautiful nymph. His fruitless endeavors to possess himself of the supposed nymph drove him to despair, and he killed himself. There sprang from his blood a flower, which was named after him, Narcissus.

“Narcissus so himself forsook,
And died to kiss his shadow in the brook.”

“Hadst thou Narcissus in thy face, to me
Thou wouldst appear most ugly.”

Shakespeare

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