The Fountains.-A Fairy Tale. When fhe entered the thicket, and was near the place for which he was looking, from behind a bloffoming hawthorn advanced a female form, of very low ftature, but of elegant proportion and majestic air, arrayed in all the colours of the meadow, and fparkling as the moved like a dew-drop in the fun. Floretta was too much disordered to fpeak or to fly, and stood motionlefs between fear and pleasure, when the little lady took her by the hand. I am, faid fhe, 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 mufic, and fometimes 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 inountain, 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 mischievous practices of my fifters, without always inquiring whether they were juft. I extinguished the light that was kindled to lead a traveller into a marih, 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 fo many fchemes of obftruction and punishment, that I was cited before the Queen as one who favoured wickedness, and oppofed the execution of Fairy justice. Having never been accustomed to fuffer controul, and thinking myfelf difgraced by the neceffity of defence, I fo much irritated the Queen by my fulLennefs and petulance, that in her an ger the transformed me into a gold inch. In this form, fays fhe, I doom thee to remain till some human being fball fhew thee kindness without any profpect of intereft. I flew out of her prefence not much dejected; for I did not doubt but every reasonable being must love that which, having never offended, could not be hated, and having no power to hurt, could not be feared. VOL. VI. No 33. 199 I therefore fluttered about the vil lages, and endeavoured to force myfélf into notice. Having heard that nature was leaft corrupted among those who had no acquaintance with elegance and splendour, Iemployed myself for five years in hopping before the doors of cottages, and often fat finging on the thatched roof: my motions were feldom feen, my notes feldom heard; no kindness was ever excited, and all the reward of my officioufnefs was to be aimed at with a ftone when I stood within a throw. The ftones never hurt me, for I had ftill the power of a Fairy. I then betook myself to spacious and magnificent habitations, and fung in bowers by the walks or on the banks of fountains. In the fe places where novelty was recommended by fatiety, and curiofity excited by leisure, 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 last it was their practice to court my vifits by fcattering meat in my common haunts. This was repeated till I went about pecking in full fecurity, and expected to regain my original form, when t obferved two of my moft liberal benefactors filently advancing with a net behind me. I flew off, and fluttering befide them, pricked the leg of each and left them halting and groaning with the cramp. I then went to another houfe, where for two Springs and Summers I entertained a fplendid family with fuch melody as they had never heard in the woods before. The Winter that fol lowed the fecond Summer was remarkably cold, and many little birds perifhed 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 he had found the goldfinch that fimg fo finely all Summer in the myrtle hedge, that she would lay him where he should die, for fhe 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 fhe could not hold me, then flew at her face, and with my beak gave her nofe Bb four four pecks, that left four black fpots indelible behind them, and broke a match by which he would have obtain ed 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 tenderne fs and attract his regard. We made many attempts, in which we were always difappointed. At laft fhe placed me in your way, held by a lime twig, and herself in the fhape of a hawk, made the fhew of devouring me. You, my dear, have refcued me from the feeming danger without defiring to detain me in captivity, or feeking any o ther recompence than the pleasure of benefiting a feeling creature. The Queen is fo much pleafed with your kindness, that I am come, by her permiffion, to reward you with a greater favour than ever Fairy bestowed be fore. The former gifts of Fairies, though bounties in defign, have proved commonly mischiefs in the event. We have granted mortals to wish according to their own difcretion, and their difcretion being finall, and their wishes irreverfible, they have rafhly petitioned for their own deftruction: But you, my deareft 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 thro' a labyrinth of crags 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 ber through a long fubterraneous paf fage, where he faw many beautiful Fairies, who came to gaze at the ftranger, but who, from reverence to their miftrefs, gave her no disturbance. She heard, from remote corners of the gloomy cavern, the roar of winds and the fall of waters, and more than once intreated to return; but Lilinet affuring her that he 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 gueft upon a bench of agate, and pointing to two fountains that bubbled be fore them, faid, Now attend, my dear Floretta, and enjoy the gratitude of a Fairy. Obferve the two fountains that fpring up in the middle of the vault, one into a bafon of alabaster, and the other into a bafon of dark flint. The one is called the Spring of Joy, the other of Sorrow; they rife from diftant veins in the rock, and burst out in two places, but after a fhort courfe unite their ftreams, and run ever after in one mingled current. By drinking of these fountains, which, though fhut 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 alabafter fountain, you may form your wifh, and it fhall be granted. As you raife your wifh higher, the water will be fweeter and fweeter to the tafte; but beware that you are not tempted by its increafing tweetnefs to repeat your draughts, for the ill effects of your with can only be removed by drinking the Spring of Sorrow 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 firft proof of moderate defires. Take the golden cup that stands on the margin of the Spring of Joy,* form your wish, and drink. Floretta wanted no time to deliberate on the fubject of her wifh; her first defire was the increase of her beauty. She had fome difproportion of features. She took the cup, and wifhed to be agreeable: the water was sweet, and the drank copiously; and in the fountain, which was clearer than crystal, the 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 sweeter than before, and the colour of her cheeks was heightened. She next wished 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, and defired to be made a perfect beauty, and a perfect beauty fhe be The Fountains.-A Fairy Tale. and the Fairies in the way wondered at the change of Floretta's form. She came home delighted to her mother, who, on feeing 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 aflemblies of pleafure he was fatigued with balls, fhe was cloyed with treats, fhe was exhausted by the necef fity of returning compliments. This life delighted her a while, but cuftom 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 women attacked her reputation by whifpers and calumnies, till, without knowing how the had offended, fhe was fhunned as infamous. She knew that her reputation was deftroyed by the envy of her beauty, and refolved to degrade herself from the dangerous pre-eminence. She went to the bush where the refcued 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, he cried, my Floretta, and be wifer for the future. They went to the fountains, and Floretta began to taste the waters of Sorrow, which were fo bitter that the withdrew more than once the cup from her mouth at laft fhe refolutely drank away the perfection of beauty, the Sparkling eye and rofy bloom, and left herfelf only agreeable. She lived for fome time with great content; but content is feldom lafting. She had a defire, in a fhort time, again to taste the waters of joy: fhe called for the conduct of Liinet, and was led to the alabafter fountain, where he drank, and wifhed for a faithful lover. After her return fhe was foon addref fed by a young man, whom she thought worthy of her affection. He courted, and flattered, and promised; till at last she yielded up her heart. He then applied to her parents; and, finding her fortune lefs than he expected, contrived a quarrel, and deferted her. Exafperated by her difappointment, fhe went in queft of Lilinet, and expoftulated with her for the deceit which he had practifed. Lilinet aiked her with a finile, for what he had been wifhing and being told, made her this Bb 201 reply, You are not, my dear, to wonder or complain; you may wish for yourfelf, but your wishes can have no effect upon another. You may become lovely by the efficacy of the fountain, but that you fhall be loved is by no means a certain confequence; for you cannot confer upon another either difcernment or fidelity that happiness which you muft derive from others, it is not in my power to regulate or beftow. Floretta was for fome time fo dejected by this limitation of the fountain's power, that he thought it unworthy of another visit; but being on fome occafion thwarted by her mother's autherity, fhe went to Lilinet and drank at the alabafter fountain for a spirit to do her own way. Lilinet faw that he drank immoderately, and admonished her of her danger; but fpirit, and her own way, gave fuch fweetness to the water that the could not prevail upon herfelf to forbear, till Lilinet, in pure compaffion, fnatched the cup out of her hand. 2 When the came home, every thought was contempt, and every action was rebellion: She had drunk into herself a spirit to refift, but could not give her mother a difpofition to yield: the old lady afferted her right to govern; and, though he was often foiled by the impetuofity of her daughter, fhe fupplied by pertinacity what he wanted in violence; fo that the houfe was in continual tumult, by the pranks of the daughter and oppofition of the mo ther. In time, Floretta was convinced that fpirit had only made her a capricious termagant, and that her own ways ended in error, perplexity, and difgrace: fhe perceived, that the vehemence of mind which to a man may fometimes procure awe and obedience, produce to a woman nothing but deteftation: fhe therefore went back, and by a large draught from the flinty fountain, tho the water was very bitter, replaced herself under her mother's care, and quitted her spirit and her own way. Floretta's fortune was moderate, and her delires were not larger, till her mother took her to spend a fummer at one of he places which wealth and idlenefs frequent, under pretence of drinking the waters. She was now no longer a perfect beauty, and therefore converfation in her prefence took its courfe as in other company; opinions were freely told, and obfervations made without Here Floretta first drawers and boxes, found them filled with gold. without referve. learned the importance of money. When the faw a woman of mean air and empty talk draw the attention of the place, fhe always difcovered upon in quiry that fhe had fo many thousands to her fortune. She foon perceived, that where thefe golden goddeffes appeared, neither birth, nor elegance, nor civility, had any power of attraction; that every art of entertainment was devoted to them, and that the great and the wife courted their regard. The defire after wealth was raifed yet higher by her mother, who was always telling her how much neglect the fuffered for want of fortune, and what diftinctions, if he had but a fortune, her good qualities would obtain. Her narrative of the day was always, that Floretta walked in the morning, but was not spoken to because the had a small fortune; and that Floretta danced at the ball better than any of them, but nobody minded her for want of a fortune. 2 This want, in which all other wants appeared to be included, Floretta was refolved to endure no longer, and came home flattering her imagination in fecret with the riches which he was now about to obtain. On the day after her return fhe walked out alone to meet Lady Lilinet, and went with her to the fountain riches did not tafte fo fweet as either beauty or fpirit, and therefore he was not immoderate in her draught. When they returned from the cavern, Lilinet gave her wand to a Fairy that attended her, with an order to conduct Floretta to the Black Rock. The way was not long, and they foon came to the mouth of a mine, in which there was a hidden treasure, guarded by an earthy Fairy deformed and fhaggy, who oppofed the entrance of Floretta till she recognized the wand of the Lady of the Mountain. Here Floretta faw vait heaps of gold, and filver, and gems, gathered and repofited in former ages, and entrusted to the guard of the Fairies of the earth. The little Fairy delivered the orders of her mistress, and the furly centinel promifed to obey them. Floretta, wearied with her walk, and pleafed with her fuccefs, went home to reft, and when he waked in the morning, first opened her eyes upon a cabinet of jewels, and looking into her 1 Floretta was now as fine as the finest. She was the firft to adopt any expenfive fashion, to fubfcribe to any pompous entertainment, to encourage any foreign artift, or to engage in any frolick of which the coft was to make the pleasure. She was on a fudden the favourite of every place. Report made her wealth thrice greater than it really was, and wherever he came, all was attention, reverence, and obedience. The Ladies who had formerly flighted her, or by whom he had been formerly caressed, gratified her pride by open flattery and pri vate murmurs. She fometimes overheard them railing at upftarts, and wondering whence fome people came, or how their expences were fupplied. This incited her to heighten the fplendour of her drefs, to increase the number of her retinue, and to make fuch propofitions of coftly fchemes, that her rivals were forced to defift from contest. ! But he now began to find, that the tricks which can be played with money will feldom bear to be repeated, that admiration is a fhort-lived paffion, and that the pleasure of expence is gone when wonder and envy are no more excited. She found that respect was ah empty form, and that all those who crouded around her were drawn to her by vanity or interest. It was however pleasant to be able, on any terms, to elevate and to mortify, to raife hopes and fears; and the would ftill have continued to be rich, had not the ambition of her mother contrived to marry her to a Lord, whom the defpifed as ignorant, and abhorred as profligate. Her mother perfifted in her importunity; and Floretta, having now loft the spirit of refiftance, had no other refuge than to divelt herself of her fairy fortune. 6 She implored the affiftance of Lilinet, who praised her refolution. She drank chearfully from the flinty fountain, and found the water not extremely bitter. When the returned fhe went to bed, and in the morning perceived that all her riches had been conveyed away fhe knew not how, except a few ornamental jewels, which Lilinet had ordered to be carried back as a reward for her dignity of mind. She was now almost weary of vifiting the fountain, and folaced her elf with fuch amufements as every day happen ed ' ed to produce: at laft there arofe in her imagination a frong defire to become a Wit. The pleasures with which this new character appeared to them were fo numerous and fo great, that he was impatient to enjoy them; and rifing before the fun, haftened to the place where the knew that her Fairy patronefs was always to be found. Lilinet was willing to conduct her, but could now fcarcely restrain her from leading the way, but by telling her, that if she went first the Fairies of the cavern would rerufe her paffage. They came in time to the fountain, and Floretta took the golden cup into her hand; the filled it and drank, and again fhe filled it, for wit was fweeter than riches, fpirit, or beauty. As the returned the felt new fucceffions of imagery rife in her mind, and whatever her memory offered to her imagination, affumed a new form, and connected itself with things to which it feemed before to have no relation. All the appearances about her were changed, but the novelties exhibited were commonly defects. She now faw that almost every thing was wrong, without, often feeing how it could be better; and frequently imputed to the imperfection art thofe failures which were caused by the limitation of nature. Wherever he went the breathed nothing but cenfure and reformation. If the visited her friends, the quarrelled with the situation of their houses, the difpofition of their gardens, the direction of their walks, and the termination of their views. It was vain to thew her fine furniture, for she was always ready to tell how it might be finer; or to conduct her through fpacious apartments, for her thoughts were full of nobler fabrics, of airy palaces and Hefperian gardens. She admired nothing, and praised but little. Her converfation was generally thought uncivil. If the received flatteries, fhe feldom repaid them; for fhe fet no value upon vulgar praife. She could not hear a long story without hurrying the fpeaker on to the conclufon; and obftructed the mirth of her companions, for fie rarely took notice of a good jeft, and never laughed except when the was delighted. This behaviour made her unwelcome wherever she went; nor did her fpeculation upon human manners much con 203 To fee all this was pleafant, but the greatest of all pleafures was to fhew it. To laugh was fome thing, but itwas much more to make others laugh. As every deformity of character made a strong impreffion upon her, fhe could not always forbear to tranfmit it to others: as fhe hated falfe appearances, the thought it her duty to detect them; till, between wantonnefs and virtue, fcarce any that he knew escaped without fome wounds by the fhafts of ridicule; not that her merriment was always the confequence of total contempt, for the often honoured virtue where the laughed at affectation. For thefe practices, and who can wonder, the cry was raised against her from every quarter, and to hunt her down was generally determined. Every eye was watching for a fault, and every tongue was bufy to fupply its fhare of defamation. With the most unpolluted purity of mind, fhe was cenfured as too free of favours, because she was not afraid to talk with inen, With generous fenfibility of every human excellence, fhe was thought cold or envious, becaufe fhe would not fcatter praife with undistinguishing profusion: With tenderness that agonized at real mifery, he was charged with delight in the pain of others, when the would not condole with those whom she knew to counterfeit affliction. She derided falfe appearances of kindness and of pity, and was therefore avoided as an enemy to fociety. As the feldom commended or cenfured but with fome limi tations and exceptions, the world condemned her as indifferent to the good and bad; and because he was often doubtful where others were confident, fhe was charged with laxity of principles, while her days were distracted and her reft broken, by niceties of honour and fcruples of morality. Report had now made her fo formidable, that all flattered and all fhunned her. If a lover gave a ball to his miftreis and her friends, it was ftipulated that Floretta should not be invited. If she entered a public room, the |