PAUL AND VIRGINIA. 55 



fhade of the two cocoa-trees; and fometimes (he 

 led her goats to pafture there. While (lie prepared 

 cheefes of their milk, (he took delight to fee them 

 browfe on the maiden-hair, which grew on the 

 fteep fides of the rock, and fufpcnd themfelves in 

 the air, on one of it's cornices, as on a pedeftal. 



Paul, perceiving this to be the favourite retreat 

 of Virginia i brought thither, from the neighbour- 

 ing foreft, the nefts of all kinds of birds. The pa- 

 rents of thefe birds followed their young ones, and 

 eflablilhed themfelves in this new colony. Virginia 

 fcattered among them, from time to time, grains 

 of rice, of maize, and of millet. As foon as (he 

 appeared, the whiftling blackbirds, the bengali, 

 whofe warbling is fo fweet, and the cardinal, with 

 his flame-coloured plumage, left the bulhes; the 

 parroquets, as green as the emerald, defcended 

 from the neighbouring lataniers ; the partridges 

 ran nimbly along the grafs : all haftened, in varie- 

 gated groups, to her very feet, like little chickens, 

 while P^;// and flieamufed themfelves, with tranfport, 

 at their playfulnefs, their appetites, and their loves. 



Amiable children, thus did you pafs your early 

 days, in perfed innocence, and employ ingyourfelves 

 in afts of virtue! How many times, in that fpot, 

 did your mothers, folding you in their arms, pive 

 thanks to Keaven, for the confoiation which you. 

 E 4- - were 



