musically soft and low. Gradually it grew upon the ear, as a blossom opening to the sunshine. A gentle harmony became distinguishable: then came tones of such exquisite melodiousness, it was ravishing to listen to them. At last voices, seeming in some number, were readily heard, and then, words becoming audible, they were at last distinctly repeated in the following order:

"We come from the violet's azure cells,

We come from the cowslip's golden bells,
From the hawthorn's odorous bloom we fly-
From the dewy eaves

Of the primrose leaves,

From the daisy's blushing buds we hie :
And fill the air with sounds and sights

As though to earth all Heaven was streaming,

More sweet than lovers' stolen delights,

More bright than aught loved maid is dreaming.

We come from the snowdrop's pallid head,

We come from the heather's lowly bed,

From the wild-bee's haunt and the wood-lark's home;
From the grassy couch

Where the lev'rets crouch,

And the coney hides:-we come! we come!"

Whilst this roundelay was being sung, there appeared moving in the atmosphere, all manner of bright colours, like unto a goodly rainbow in the heavens, or a shower of all the delicatest flowers upon the earth, and presently forms could be distinctly traced amongst them; and as they approached the banks of the river, it was seen that they were

crowds of tiny beings, of shape as beautiful as ever the eye looked on; garmented very daintily in what seemed to be blossoms of divers kinds and colours. Their complexions were marvellous fair; their hair of a bright golden hue, curling very prettily, decorated with exceeding small wreaths, or, mayhap, a dainty sweet flower worn as a helmet: and they floated on the air with infinite ease in every possible position; some plunging head downwards, and others, as it were, reclining backwards, looking to observe who came after them. On they came, as countless as the stars; and in the centre was one, round whom the rest were thronging with a wonderful shew of love and reverence; and she reclined in a car, carved of pearl, that seemed to be as light as a gossamer, was shaped like a shell, and drawn by two bright winged butterflies. Her face was as lovely as the morning light, and on her brows she wore a coronal of jasmine studded with fresh dew drops. A scarf of rose colour of a singular fine fabric, the material whereof had doubtless been stolen from the silk worm's web, was tied from the shoulder to the hip, where it was fastened in a bow over a close vest of a sapphire hue, richly ornamented with gold leaves; and the rest of her apparelling was of the like pretty fantasy. Scarcely had this exquisite fair creature and her companions alighted on the enamelled banks of the river, and the voices had become hushed into an indistinct

murmur of pleasure at finding of themselves at their journey's end, when the air was again filled with the same wondrous harmonies and delicate words, that had there been created so recently; but the voices now were of a deeper tone.

Presently there appeared hovering about, a vast crowd of similar little beings as those that had a moment since alighted on the ground, only these were of a more masculine aspect, and garmented in hose and doublet, fitting tight to the body, of divers delicate colours, wearing famous pretty feathers in their caps, mayhap filched from the small birds; and some had quivers of arrows at their backs. Some wore a smart rapier of at least the length of a tailor's needle; and many carried spears of a marvellous fine point and thinness. These were floating on the air in all manner of picturesque attitudes, save one who sat in a fair car of gold, drawn by a pair of gigantic dragon-flies, attended by a company who appeared to act as a guard of honour. He wore a crown on his head, and a rapier at his side, and a purple robe of fine velvet, richly embroidered with stars, over his vest. Perpetual youth sat smiling on his countenance, and his limbs were of so graceful a shape, my poor words have not the cunning to describe it. As this assembly descended to join the other, a chorus of mutual congratulation arose, whereof the burthen of the sylphs was, " Hail Oberon !" and that of the

others, "Hail Titania!"-shewing that those two were the king and queen of fairie-which seemed to be sung with such wonderful joy and so sweet a spirit, that it was exquisite to hear beyond all conceiving.

King Oberon having stepped from his car, advanced to that of his queen close by, and with a very excellent courtesy, did hand the fair Titania out, perchance to tread a measure on the verdant mead; whereupon their discourse ran thus:

"Light of my life, and life of all my joy!"

rapturously exclaimed the fairy king.

“In whose fair eyes the fountains of my bliss—
My soul drinks sweeter and more delicate draughts
Than flowers or fruits provide; say with what aim-
For well I know some hidden purpose lies

Within the covert of thy fantasy,

Have I been summoned with my company
From the deep dingle in the emerald wood,

Where-'mid the tangled roots and gnarled boughs
Of reverential oaks and hoary pines-

With our rude mirth we rouse the dappled deer
Or chase the owlets to their dark retreats."

"And what wouldst give to know?"

asked Titania, with a pretty seriousness.

"What give, sweetheart?" replied he.

"How like a very woman art thou grown!
Thou hast some pretty meaning in the act,
Some quaint device-mayhap some harmless jest
Whereby the rosy hollows of thy cheek
Shall be arrayed with all thy fairest smiles,

To bear glad witness how man's wiser mind
Can by a woman's wit be set at nought.
And for the secret thou'lt a bargain make—
Which having ratified, the secret's told;
And in its nothingness must lie the jest,
And its point thy triumph.”

"Tush, my lord!"

cried his fair companion, half turning from him.

"Art thou so little curious as this?

Nay, by the trembling beam that leaves the skies
To steal soft kisses from the yielding wave,

I'll hie me hence and tell thee not at all."

"In pity say not so!" said he.

"I'll say and do!"

answered the other with a famous shew of resolution.

"Seem'st thou not more inclined to learn the drift

Of why on such a night of all the year,

I bade thee hasten to this favoured spot."

"Then am I curious to such excess," observed her lord.

"As passeth all conceiving: I prythee say

What was thy purpose.

Tell it straight,

For my impatience is so powerful
As will endure no hindrance."

"O' my word!" cried Titania.

"Thy nature grows impatient of a sudden.
Fie on thee, my Lord! Dost mock me so!
With such conceits dost think a woman caught
Who for a curious humour hath been famed,
And therefore knoweth how it shews itself?
Hadst thou a secret I would never rest

A minute, nay, a moment of the hour,
Till I became its mistress. I would watch

All fittest opportunities to ply

The searchingest questions ever spoke ;