ADVERTISEMENT,

PREFIXED

то

MRS. WILLIAMS's MISCELLANIES.

Printed in 1766.

To thofe, by whose favour and encouragement the following collection has appeared, the motives of its publication are already known: and it were fuperfluous to inform the reft of the world of that about which the world will have no curiofity.

Complaints, however natural, are not pleafing; and I therefore would not mention the misfortunes of my life, but to return my thanks for the kind endeavours to alleviate them, exerted by thofe who have fubfcribed, and procured fubfcriptions, and those who by contributing their compofitions, have left my friends lefs reafon to repent their folicitations.

To the few by whom the dilatorinefs of my performance has been cenfured, I shall answer only by reminding them of my utter inability to haften it by any diligence of my own, and by wishing that they may never learn from experience how flowly that is done, which is done gratuitously,

THE

A

S Floretta was wandering in a meadow at the foot

of Plinlimmon, she heard a little bird cry in fuch a note as she had never observed before; and looking round her, faw a lovely goldfinch entangled by a limetwig, and a hawk hovering over him, as at the point of feizing him in his talons.

Floretta longed to rescue the little bird, but was afraid to encounter the hawk, who looked fiercely upon her without any apparent dread of her approach, and as she advanced feemed to increase in bulk, and clapped his wings in token of defiance. Floretta stood deliberating a few moments, but seeing her mother at no great diftance, took courage, and fnatched the twig with the little bird upon it. When she had difengaged him, she put him in her bofom, and the hawk flew away.

Floretta fhewing her bird to her mother, told her from what danger she had rescued him; her mother, after admiring his beauty, faid, that he would be a very

Published in Mrs. Williams's Mifcellanies,

A a 4

proper

proper inhabitant of the little gilded cage, which had hung empty fince the ftarling died for want of water, and that he should be placed at the chamber window, for it would be wonderfully pleasant to hear him in the morning,

Floretta, with tears in her eyes, replied, that he had better have been devoured by the hawk than die for want of water, and that she would not fave him from a lefs evil to put him in danger of a greater: fhe therefore took him into her hand, cleaned his feathers from the bird-lime, looked upon him with great tenderness, and, having put his bill to her lips, difmiffed him into the air.

He flew in circles round her as he went home, and perching on a tree before the door, delighted them a while with fuch fweetnefs of fong, that her mother reproved her for not putting him in the cage. Floretta endeavoured to look grave, but filently approved her own act, and wished her mother more generosity. Her mother gueffed her thoughts, and told her, that when fhe was older fhe would be wiser.

Floretta however did not repent, but hoped to hear her little bird the next morning finging at liberty. She waked early and liftened, but no goldfinch could the hear. She rofe, and walking again in the fame meadow, went to view the bush where she had seen the lime-twig the day before.

When she entered the thicket, and was near the place for which she was looking, from behind a bloffoming hawthorn advanced a female form of very low ftature, but of elegant proportion and majeftic air, arrayed in

all

all the colours of the meadow, and sparkling as fhe moved. like a dew-drop in the fun.

Floretta was too much disordered to speak or fly, and ftood motionless between fear and pleasure, when the little lady took her by the hand.

I am, faid the, one of that order of beings which fome call Fairies, and fome Pifkies: we have always been known to inhabit the crags and caverns of Plinlimmon. The maids and fhepherds, when they wander by moonlight, have often heard our music, and sometimes feen our dances.

I am the chief of the Fairies of this region, and am known among them by the name of Lady Lilinet, of the Blue Rock. As I lived always in my own mountain, I had very little knowledge of human manners, and thought better of mankind than other Fairies found them to deferve; I therefore often oppofed the mifchievous practices of my fifters, without always enquiring whether they were juft. I extinguished the light that was kindled to lead a traveller into a marfh, and found afterwards that he was hafting to corrupt a virgin: I diffipated a mift which affumed the form of a town, and was raised to decoy a monopolizer of corn from his way to the next market: I removed a thorn, artfully planted to prick the foot of a churl, that was going to hinder the poor from following his reapers; and defeated so many schemes of obstruction and punishment, that I was cited before the Queen, as one who favoured wickedness, and opposed the execution of fairy justice.

Having never been accustomed to fuffer control, and thinking myself disgraced by the neceffity of defence, I

fo

fo much irritated the Queen by my fullenness and petulance, that in her anger fhe transformed me into a goldfinch. In this form, fays fhe, I doom thee to remain, till fome human being fhall fhew thee kindness without any profpect of intereft.

I flew out of her presence not much dejected; for I did not doubt but every reasonable being muft love that which having never offended, could not be hated, and, having no power to hurt, could not be feared.

I therefore fluttered about the villages, and endea voured to force myself into notice.

Having heard that nature was least corrupted among those who had no acquaintance with elegance and fplendor, I employed myself for five years in hopping before the doors of cottages, and often fat finging on the thatched roof; my motions were feldom feen, nor my notes heard, no kindness was ever excited, and all the reward of my officioufness was to be aimed at with a stone when I ftood within a throw.

The stones never hurt me, for I had ftill the power of a Fairy.

I then betook myself to fpacious and magnificent habitations, and fung in bowers by the walks or on the banks of fountains.

In these places, where novelty was recommended by fatiety, and curiofity excited by leifure, my form and my voice were foon diftinguished, and I was known by the name of the pretty goldfinch; the inhabitants would walk out to listen to my mufic, and at laft it was their practice to court my vifits by scattering meat in my common haunts.