"And I thy mother nimphe, as may bee seene
By coulours that I weare, blew, white, and greene;
For nimphes ar of the sea, and sea is right
Of coulour truly greene and blew and white.
Would you knowe how, I pray? Billowes are blew,
Water is greene, and foome is white of hue."
Cephisus is content to carry the emblems of his origin, which he emphasizes at the same time by representative action:
"Thy father I, Cephisus, that brave river
Who is all water, doe like water shiver.
As any man of iudgment may descrye
By face, hands washt, and bowle, thy father I."
In the same way Narcissus, rising up after his supposed death, bears a daffodil as a sign of his metamorphosis, addressing the audience after a manner more brusque than polite:
"If you take mee for Narcissus y'are very sillye,
I desire you to take mee for a daffa downe dillye;
For so I rose, and so I am in trothe,
As may appeare by the flower in my mouthe."
Echo gives her reasons somewhat confidentially:
"But ho, the hobby horse, youle think't absurde
That I should of my selfe once speake a woord.
'Tis true; but lett your wisdomes tell me than,
How'de you know Eccho from another man?"
And at the conclusion of the play she kindly directs the imagination of the spectators into the right channel:
"Now auditors of intelligence quicke,
I pray you suppose that Eccho is sicke"——
and craves their applause by a skilful ruse.