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and I can't find any. "But this

σε

is not the season for flowers," faid I. "There are fo niany flowers," he faid, I have in my garden, roses, and honey-fuckles of two forts, one of them I had from my father; they grow every where: I have been two whole days looking for them, and I can't find them. There are flowers too above there, yellow, and blue, and red, and that centaury which grows in fuch pretty clufters; I can find none of them." I asked him what he intended to do with these flowers. He smiled, and holding up his finger with a myfterious air,

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faid, Don't betray me, I have

promised

promised my mistress a nofegay."

66

"You did well," faid I. Oh!

66

she has every thing," he answered, "fhe is very rich :"-" And yet,” faid I, "fhe likes your nofegays." "Oh! fhe has jewels and a crown!"* he exclaimed. I afked who fhe was? "If the States General would but

pay me," he cried out,

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be quite another man!

I fhould

Alas!

there was a time when I was fo happy; but that time is paft, and I am now" He raised his swimming eyes to Heaven." You were then hap"I faid. 66

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Alas! why am I not

ftill the fame ?" faid he.

I was

fo well, fo gay, fo contented-I was

like

like a fish in the water." An old woman who was coming towards us, called out " Henry, Henry! where are you? we have been looking every where for you; come to dinner!" "Is that your fon ?" I afk'd her. Yes, my poor unfortunate fon," faid fhe; "the Lord has fent us this affliction." I asked whether he had been long in that ftate?" It is about fix months," she answered, 66 fince he has been calm as he is now, and I thank Heaven for it; he was one whole year quite raving, and chained down in a mad-house; now he does no harm to any body, but he talks of nothing but kings

and

and emperors. He was a very good young man, and helped to maintain me; he wrote a very fine hand: and all of a fudden he became melancholy, was feized with a burning fever, grew diftracted, and is now as you fee. If I was to tell you, Sir" -I interrupted her by afking at what time it was that he boasted of having been fo happy.

66

Poor

boy," said she, with a smile of compaffion," it is the time in which he was entirely out of his fenfes; he never ceases to regret it: it is the time when he was confined and abfolutely raving." I was thunderftruck. I put fome money into his hand, and went away.

You

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You were happy!" I exclaimed,

as I walked haftily back towards the

town; you were like a fish in the water!" God of Heaven! is this the destiny of man! is he only happy before he poffeffes his reafon, and after he has loft it! You are unfortunate, and I envy your lot: Full of hopes you go to gather flowers for your princefs-in winter! and are grieved not to find any, and don't know why they cannot be found.-But as for me, I wander without hope, without defign, and I return as I came. To your difordered fancy it appears that if the States General paid you, you should

be

2

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