It is worth noting the admiration with which the English
authors speak of the daisy, especially Chaucer from whom these beautiful
verses are taken:
``The daisie, or els the eye of the daie,
The emprise, and the floure of flouris alle.''
and later:
``To seen this floure agenst the sunne sprede
Whan it riseth early by the morrow
That blissful sight softeneth all my sorrow.''
The following words of Trench are so admirable that we could not resist
the temptation of copying them in their original language:
``... but take `daisy'; surely this charming little English flower
which has stirred the peculiar affection of English poets from Chaucer
to Wordsworth, and received the tribute of their song, becomes more
charming yet, when we know, as Chaucer long ago has told us, that
`daisy' is day's eye, or in its early spelling `daieseighe' the eye of
the day; these are his words:
That well by reson men hit calle mey
The ``dayesye'' or elles the ``ye of day''.
Chaucer, Legend of Good Women, Prol. 184.