This was repeated till I went about pecking in full fecurity, and expected to regain my original form, when I obferved two of my most liberal benefactors filently advancing with a net behind me. I flew off, and fluttering beside them, pricked the leg of each, and left them halting and groaning with the cramp.

I then went to another house, where for two fprings and fummers I entertained a fplendid family with fuch melody as they had never heard in the woods before. The winter that followed the fecond fummer was remarkably cold, and many little birds perished in the field. I laid myself in the way of one of the ladies as benumbed with cold and faint with hunger; fhe picked me up with great joy, telling her companions that she had found the goldfinch that fung fo finely all fummer in the myrtle hedge, that she would lay him where he fhould die, for she could not bear to kill him, and would then pick his fine feathers very carefully, and stick them in her muff.

Finding that her fondness and her gratitude could give way to fo flight an intereft, I chilled her fingers that she could not hold me, then flew at her face, and with my beak gave her nofe four pecks that left four black spots indelible behind them, and broke a match by which she would have obtained the finest equipage in the county.

At length the Queen repented of her fentence, and being unable to revoke it, affifted me to try experiments upon man, to excite his tenderness, and attract his regard,

We

22

We made many attempts, in which we were always disappointed. At laft fhe placed me At last she placed me in your way, held by a lime-twig, and herself in the fhape of a hawk made the shew of devouring me. You, my dear, have rescued me from the feeming danger, without defiring to detain me in captivity, or feeking any other recompence than the pleasure of benefiting a feeling creature.

The Queen is fo much pleased with your kindness, that I am come, by her permiffion, to reward you with a greater favour than ever Fairy bestowed before.

The former gifts of Fairies, though bounties in defign, We have proved commonly mischiefs in the event. have granted mortals to wifh according to their own difcretion; and their difcretion being small, and their wishes irreversible, they have rafhly petitioned for their own deftruction. But you, my dearest Floretta, fhall have, what none have ever before obtained from us, the power of indulging your wish, and the liberty of retracting it. Be bold and follow me.

Floretta was easily perfuaded to accompany the Fairy, who led her through a labyrinth of craggs and fhrubs, to a cavern covered by a thicket on the fide of the mountain.

This cavern, faid fhe, is the court of Lilinet your friend; in this place you fhall find a certain remedy for all real evils. Lilinet then went before her through a long fubterraneous paffage, where she saw many beautiful Fairies, who came to gaze at the stranger, but who, from reverence to their mistress, gave her no difturbance. She heard from remote corners of the gloomy cavern the roar of winds and the fall of waters, and more than

once

once entreated to return; but Lilinet affuring her that fhe was fafe, perfuaded her to proceed till they came to an arch, into which the light found its way through a fiffure of the rock.

There Lilinet feated herself and her guest upon a bench of agate, and pointing to two fountains that bubbled before them, faid, now attend, my dear Floretta, and enjoy the gratitude of a fairy. Obferve the two fountains that spring up in the middle of the vault, one into a bason of alabaster, and the other into a bason of dark flint. The one is called the fpring of joy, the other of forrow; they rife from diftant veins in the rock, and burst out in two places, but after a fhort course unite their ftreams, and run ever after in one mingled current.

By drinking of these fountains, which, though shut up from all other human beings, fhall be always acceffible to you, it will be in your power to regulate your future life.

When you are drinking the water of joy from the alabaster fountain, you may form your wifh, and it shall be granted. As you raise your wish higher, the water will be sweeter and sweeter to the tafte; but beware that you are not tempted by its increasing sweetness to repeat your draughts, for the ill effects of your wifh can only be removed by drinking the fpring of forrow from the bafon of flint, which will be bitter in the fame proportion as the water of joy was fweet. Now, my Floretta, make the experiment, and give me the first proof of moderate defires. Take the golden cup that ftands on the margin of the fpring of joy, form your wifh and drink.

Floretta

Floretta wanted no time to deliberate on the fubject of her wish; her first defire was the increase of her beauty. She had fome difproportion of features. She took the cup and wished to be agreeable; the water was fweet, and the drank copiously; and in the fountain, which was clearer than crystal, fhe faw that her face was completely regular.

She then filled the cup again, and wished for a rofy bloom upon her cheeks: the water was fweeter than before, and the colour of her cheeks was heightened.

She next wifhed for a fparkling eye: the water grew yet more pleafant, and her glances were like the beams of the fun.

She could not yet ftop; fhe drank again, defired to be made a perfect beauty, and a perfect beauty fhe be

came.

She had now whatever her heart could wifh; and making an humble reverence to Lilinet, requested to be restored to her own habitation. They went back, and the fairies in the way wondered at the change of Floretta's form. She came home delighted to her mother, who, on seeing the improvement, was yet more delighted than herself.

Her mother from that time pushed her forward into public view: Floretta was at all the reforts of idleness and affemblies of pleafure; fhe was fatigued with balls, fhe was cloyed with treats, fhe was exhaufted by the neceffity of returning compliments. This life delighted her awhile, but custom foon destroyed its pleasure. She found that the men who courted her to day, refigned her on the morrow to other flatterers, and that the wo

men

men attacked her reputation by whispers and calumnies, till without knowing how fhe had offended, fhe was fhunned as infamous.

She knew that her reputation was destroyed by the envy of her beauty, and refolved to degrade herself.from the dangerous pre-eminence. She went to the bush where fhe rescued the bird, and called for Lady Lilinet. Immediately Lilinet appeared, and difcovered by Floretta's dejected look, that she had drank too much from the alabafter fountain.

Follow me, fhe cried, my Floretta, and be wiser for the future.

They went to the fountains, and Floretta began to taste the waters of forrow, which were fo bitter that she withdrew more than once the cup from her mouth: at last she resolutely drank away the perfection of beauty, the fparkling eye and rofy bloom, and left herself only agreeable.

She lived for fome time with great content; but content is feldom lasting. She had a defire in a short time again to taste the waters of joy: fhe called for the conduct of Lilinet, and was led to the alabafter fountain, where the drank, and wifhed for a faithful lover.

After her return fhe was foon addreffed by a young man, whom he thought worthy of her affection. He courted, and flattered, and promifed; til at last she yielded up her heart. He then applied to her parents; and, finding her fortune less than he expected, contrived a quarrel and deferted her.

Exasperated by her disappointment, she went in quest of Lilinet, and expoftulated with her for the deceit which

fhe