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This. Lindorine explained to the princefs: fhe was fenfible of her involuntary error, and was fo amiable during the whole day, that before evening the flowers had refumed their former luftre, and were even more beautiful than before. This little leffon rendered Elmina more attentive and more difcreet, and made her perceive what pains and attention were required to preferve the flower that never fades. Elmina was fenfible and good; to do good the only had to confult the natural emotions of her own heart; but the flower of celeftial blue, fhe found, required from her more difficult exertions. She was naturally lively; and upon the least fretfulness of temper or impatience, the flower of gentleness failed not to become tarnished, and to reproach her with her faults. The princefs corrected these as well as fhe could, and was never happy till her flower refumed its native luftre; for fhe was perfuaded, that it is much lefs fhameful to repair a fault than to commit it, and far lefs culpable to commit it, than to attempt to conceal it without amending it.

As to the white flower, I have heard that it always preferved its purity: It is true that Elmina perceived one day a little mark upon it; but a tear that she dropped upon it, effaced it immediately. I know not however, what little weakness Elmina had been guilty of, because every one readily forgets a fault that has been effaced by repentant

tears.

The bud of the flower of genius continued always to increase; whenever the princefs had been attentive to any leffon, and docile, fhe failed not to examine it, and ufually found it had pushed forth fome new leaves. This flower was the most marvellous of the whole; and it augmented during the whole life of Elmina. Nothing could be more varied than the form and colour of its leaves. Upon one might be feen a beautiful landfcape, or rich embroidering; upon another, reprefentations of history or geography; upon fome might be seen a golden lyre, or a harp of ivory; in fhort, one remarked upon these, all the emblems that ferve to adorn the mind of a young lady.

As to the flower of gracefulness, it flourished, as Verdurine had faid, without being attended to. Elmina had even occafion to remark, that if she endeavoured to haften its ex

panfion, by practifing gracious airs at the mirror or elfewhere, this fingular flower closed itself immediately. It opened again when the thought nothing about it. It had only three leaves; but these were fo beautiful and fo enchanting, that I know not by what charm their luftre communicated itfelf to the other flowers, and gave them an inineffable sweetness they could not have had without it.

You will easily imagine, that Elmina poffeffing the flower that never fades, and cultivating it fo carefully, became the most perfect princefs of her time. The report of her fine qualities fpread around; for you know that there is a kind of a fairy called Fame, who does nothing else than run up and down in the world, and recount all that fhe knows of every perfon, whether good or bad, especially of young princeffes. Fame therefore did not ceafe to publifh the virtues and the graces of Elmina; and the people of every nation wished to have a princess fo accomplished for their queen. The fon of the king of the Roxalans, heir of the greatest empire in the universe, undertook a long journey to fee her, and demanded her in marriage of Lindorine. Lindorine agreed to beflow Elmina upon him, not because he was the heir of the greatest empire, but because this amiable prince had alfo cultivated the flower that never fades: for there is also one for men, which is in fome refpects different from that of which we have spoken.

The princefs would not quit a place fo dear to her, without going to vifit once more the bower where the precious gift had been made to her, which had occafioned her happiness.

She hoped there to find Verdurine, and to thank her once more: it was just three years from the time of her first appearance. Elmina then put the flower which never fades into her bofom, and went thither; but in arriving at the bower, what was her furprise, to find, instead of Verdurine, Lindorine, whom the had left in the house.

"I am, faid the fairy to her, fhe whom you seek. It was me who gave you the flower, under the figure of Verdurine; and it is me who have aided you to cultivate it under that of Lindorine. My talk is happily accomplished; the flower fhall continue always fresh, and Elmina fhall

be always lovely and ever beloved: for the virtues of the heart, and the graces of a cultivated mind, confer a charm which nothing can efface." The princess threw herfelf at the feet of her benefactress, and the fairy tenderly embraced her dear princefs, and then took an aerian form, and disappeared.

Elmina melted in tenderness and diftrefs, held out her hands, and called her back. The prince ran to confole her, and carried her into his empire, where they lived together many years in great happiness.

Journal Encyclopedique.

Intelligence refpecting Arts, &c.

Panopticon.

THE editor has juft received, by the favour of an obliging friend, fketches of the plan and elevation of the panopticon or new penitentiary houfe, announced in the eleventh number of the Bee-which promifes to be a moft important discovery, and will doubtlefs be very generally adopted. It is fortunate that it will he published before the new erection of that fort in this country fhall be begun. The work is not yet completed, otherwife the editor would have published the plan in this performance directly. This he will do, as foon as he shall be in poffeffion of the whole, fo as to be able to give a complete view of all the parts. What he has got at prefent, can only give a general idea of the plan; which he will readily communicate, if defired, to the magiftrates of this city, or any other perfon interested in this great national work.

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I OBSERVE that you have made confiderable extracts from the miscellanies in profe and verfe, lately printed here. The following article, as well as feveral others by the fame hand, was intended for a place in that volume, but arrived too late. If you think the present proper for your publication, I fhall perhaps tranfmit you some other articles of a fimilar nature.

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-I wonder not that his fon Lorenzo was an infidel. In this age, we have two authors prodigiously great in the outrè ftyle; one in verfe, and one in profe; one serious, the other comical. They are both much admired by the multitude of readers, com

* None of the human faculties are longer of attaining perfection than those which serve as a bafis for a correct tafte in compofition.-Hence it happens, that young perfons, in general, admire as excellent, unnatural Voy III. + U

June 8, monly titled by modern authors, "the refpectable pub"lic." There is a wonderful fimilarity in their talents, in quaint expreffion, wild conceit, and ftudied fetches of metaphyfical reverie. The poet is Young: The Profequixote is Sterne.

In my opinion, our celebrated enthusiast of this country, the Reverend Mr. Ralph Erfkine, in his Riddles, is less extravagant. I am fure, that he should at least be more amufing and tolerable, either to believers or infidels, than Dr. Young in his horrid Night Thoughts. I know no rule of criticifm fo juft, fo material, and fo general, as one laid down by old Horace, importing, that good fenfe is the only true principle and fountain of good writing and taste.

"Scribendi recte, SAPERE eft et principium et fons."

where !

I fhall examine the Night Thoughts by this rule, after first inferting a few fpecimens of Ralph's Riddles. "I'm here and there, and every "And yet I'm neither here nor there. "I'm fchool'd, though never at a school; "I'm wife, and yet a natural fool! "I'm poor, and yet I nothing want! "I'm both a Devil and a Saint!"

conceits, and extravagant flights in poetry, which, to men of taste, who have viewed the works of nature with attention, are intoltrably disgusting.Many readers, therefore, who, in their youth, have admired the works of Dr. Young, come gradually to lofe a relish for his manner of writing, as they advance in life, though it may fometimes happen, that on account of the refpect they bear for the fubject on which he writes, they are difpofed to criticife with tenderness. Men view matters of this fort, in very different lights: Some, who could freely forgive extravagance of compofition on any other fubject, have their indignation excited, when they fee that extravagance employed on religious fubjects, while others think they feel the fervour of their devotion excited by thofe incomprehenfible images, which the ardour of their imagination makes them think they understand. The critique that follows feems to be dictated by the first of these confiderations, and may therefore prove unpleafing to thofe of the fecond class, who, if they defire not to have their judgment informed, will do well to pass over this effay Edit

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