Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

And some of their neighbours were so absurd as to take it into their heads to follow the example of Queen Nicelinda's subjects, and make goods for themselves, so that they might save their money.

Then the queen consulted again with her council, and one of the councillors stood up and said,

66

May it please your majesty, it has been my fortune to travel in many parts of the world, and I have observed that in distant regions there are many nations so barbarous, that they wear neither silk nor cotton stockings, nor even worsted. Some clothe themselves in the fur of animals, or the hides of beasts; and some are dressed, or rather undressed, in a manner not fit to be seen in any civilized country. My advice therefore is, that we send out ship-loads of goods to these poor people, and so obtain money for our poor at home."

So a great many ships were laden with goods, and sent to different parts of the globe. But when they came to the nations aforesaid, many of them were so ridiculous and obstinate that they said they would rather have their old skins and furs than the cotton and woollen of Queen Nicelinda's subjects; others even liked bare legs better than the finest silk stockings that could be made; and many declared they much preferred sleeping without nightcaps. Some of them liked the goods which had been sent out to them very well, but unfortunately had no money to pay for them. All this was very disappointing, and the money came but slowly in. Still the subjects of Queen Nicelinda were so infatuated that they made more and more goods, and even neglected to till their own land; and went on toiling and slaving at their cottons and hardware, and covered the land with smoke and dust, expecting that riches would flow in as heretofore.

And so things went on from bad to worse, and notwithstanding all Queen Nicelinda's wise schemes, her subjects could not get their bread and cheese, and beer, much less roast beef and plum pudding. And what was worst of all, there came a grievous famine, and the people of other countries kept all their corn and beef, and cheese for themselves, and would not let Queen Nicelinda's subjects have any; and they, having foolishly neglected to till their own land sufficiently for their own support, were very badly off indeed.

Then they assembled in greater numbers than ever, crying out for bread and cheese; and some began to knock very rudely at the doors, so as greatly to alarm the queen, and make her head ache.

Upon this, Prince Bertal was much displeased, and said that he would not allow the queen to be thus tormented; and he was determined to call the guards and drive the people away, and if any of them would not go they should be put into prison.

Moreover the prince said, that in order to insure the fidelity of the guards, he was determined to make each of them a present of a new hat.

So the guards were doubled at all the gates, and the people driven away; and another council was summoned.

The old minister of the late king then rose and said he perceived now that that was come upon them which had been foretold by the old fairy. The queen had so many subjects that she did not know what to do.

"Most true, indeed," said the queen, "but what can be done?"

"My advice," said the old councillor, “is this: that we build a great many large houses in different parts of the country, and that all who want food shall be sent there; and that the men and women, and children, be kept separate, and all fed in the cheapest manner possible so that we may at least prevent the increase of this great evil."

Accordingly a great number of houses were built for the people, but when they were finished it was found that the people objected to go into them, and many of them said they would rather beg, steal, or even starve, than be shut up in these great houses. The poor queen and her ministers were now at their wits' end. Queen Nicelinda sat at the head of the council board, her eyes streaming with tears, and Prince Bertal wiping them away most affectionately. The prime minister sat with his hands in his pockets, the chancellor pretended to hum a tune, and tried to look wise, and the old minister of the queen's father was as gloomy as the rest. At last he said,

"I know only one person in your majesty's dominions who is able to help us.'

[ocr errors]

"Who is that?" said the queen eagerly.

"Old Mother Prudence."

66

Oh, I do so wish Old Mother Prudence was here," said the queen.

At this moment the door opened, and in walked Old Mother Prudence herself, and took a seat at the council board opposite the queen.

66

Oh, I am so glad to see you," said the queen. good fairy, do tell us what we are to do."

"You dear

"Ah, now you are glad to see me," said the fairy.

"Your

father took no notice of me when he asked all the other fairies to the entertainment given at your birth: but I thought his daughter would one day want to ask my advice, and heartily glad shall I be to give it."

"Well, do tell us what we are to do to satisfy these poor people."

"First let me tell you what you should not have done.

"You should not have allowed them when they were rich and had plenty to spend all their money in riotous living, but should have taught them to live soberly, and lay up a portion of their gains for an evil day.

"You should not have encouraged them to make such a quantity of goods, as to undersell and interfere with each other. "You should not have expected that the people of other nations would not learn to make goods for themselves.

"You should not have relied on selling your goods to people who either cannot or will not buy them.

"You should not have thought of shutting up people in great prisons, and separating husbands, and wives, and families, one from another.

"And, above all, you should never on any account have allowed your subjects to let their own fields go out of tillage, so as to depend on their neighbours for the staff of life."

66

"How very prosy the old woman is," whispered the minister. 'Ay, ay, I am prosy enough," said Mother Prudence, whose ears were sharp as needles. "But you must listen to what I say, or you will never get out of the scrape you are in. Here you are letting the people of the country starve, when there are thousands of acres in the country uncultivated, and rich countries uninhabited all over the world, and ships rotting in your harbours, and money lying idle in your bankers'. It is not one thing that will help you, but you must use all the means at hand. Some of the people must be sent to other lands, some set to work at home. Give them spades, and hoes, and seed, and land, and do not doubt they will soon get plenty of bread and cheese, and beer. But there is another thing more important than all. You must teach them their duties, and make them ashamed of being idle, and drunken, and riotous. Train up their children in good, honest ways: in short, make them virtuous, and you will make them happy."

“Well, now I do hope the old woman's sermon is over,” whispered the prime minister.

"Yes," said the queen, "and a very good sermon it is; and if my present ministers do not profit by it, I will try if I cannot find those who will."

So saying, she went up and thanked the old fairy, and so earnestly begged that she would come and live with her, that Old Mother Prudence consented thenceforth to become an inmate of Queen Nicelinda's palace.

"But if I am to live at court," said she, "I must put on my court dress.'

وو

Upon these words her long nose and chin dropped from her

face, her humped back vanished, her old cloak and stick dropped to the ground, and she stood before the astonished council in the shape of a young and beautiful fairy.

"And now let me tell you," said she, in a soft sweet voice, "that though I commonly go by the name of Prudence, my real name is Charity."

[blocks in formation]

If thus He bled, that only SON
The FATHER held so dearly,
Thou, faithless servant, wicked one,
Oh how much more severely?
If the green tree kindled, how
Shall not every sapless bough
Consume as fuel merely?

O therefore flee the gates of hell,
O sinner, flee from sinning;
The tortures there consider well,
For evermore beginning;

Render thanks to CHRIST on high;
Thus with Him beyond the sky
Eternal glory winning.

OLIVER GOLDSMITH.

CHAPTER II.

IN 1747, Goldsmith was entered as a sizer, or poor scholar, at Trinity College, Dublin. At this time this class of students were distinguished from the others, not only by their dress, but also by the menial offices they had to discharge. At these Goldsmith was not a little annoyed, in consequence of the false pride by which he was tormented. Nor was he so fortunate in the tutor under whose care he was more especially placed, as to have his mind directed in a proper channel. The Rev. T. Wilder was devoted to mathematics; Goldsmith's tastes led him to cultivate the classics. To the former branch of study he had a marked and insuperable aversion. His tutor, irascible in the extreme, instead of striving to lead and guide, gave way to constant bursts of passion, and rated the young student in the presence of his com peers. This, of course, had the effect of increasing Goldsmith's hatred of the exact sciences, and not a few heard him declare from time to time, that the meanest intellects were competent to mathematical studies.

The death of his father placed him in very straitened circumstances; and although his friends, and especially his generous uncle, contributed to his support, he was oftentimes compelled to have recourse to most unworthy means of obtaining money. At times he would despond beyond measure; at times be full of hope. Whilst in this predicament, he began to exercise his poetical powers in the composition of street ballads, "which he privately sold for five shillings each at a shop which dealt in such small wares of literature." He felt an author's affection for these unknown bantlings, and, we are told, would stroll privately through the streets at night to hear them sung, listening to the comments

« ZurückWeiter »