ABSTRACT
Echo fades away from unrequited love until she is just a voice without a body – another transformation. Narcissus continues to reject the love of other nymphs and boys, until retribution arrives in the form of unrequited love – for himself. He sees his own reflection in a pool and falls in love:
The boy lay down, attracted by the quiet pool, and, while he slaked his thirst, another thirst sprang up. As he drank he saw before his eyes a form, a face, and fell in love with an unsubstantial hope and thought the shape had substance. Spellbound, he saw himself, and motionless lay like a marble statue staring down. He gazes at his eyes, twin constellations, his hair worthy of Bacchus or Apollo, his face so fine, his ivory neck, the glory of his face, the snowy pallor and the blush. All he admires that all admire in him, himself he longs for, longs unwittingly, praising is praised, desiring is desired, and love he kindles while with love he burns.
