179^' ELMI>rA, A TALE. I5I 



panfion, by pradifing gracious airs at the mirror or elff - 

 where, this iingular flower clofed itfelf immediately. It 

 opened again when (he thought nothing about it. It had 

 only three leaves ; but thel'e were fo beautiful and fo en. 

 chanting, that I know not by what charm their luftre com- 

 municated itfelf to the other flowers, and gave them an in- 

 ineffable fweetnefs they could not have had without it. 



You will ealily imagine, that Elmina polTeffing the 

 flower that never fades, and cultivating it lb carefully, be- 

 came the moll perfeft 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 elle 

 than run up -and down in the world, and recount all that 

 ihe knows of every perion, whether gaod or bad, efpecially 

 of young princeffes. Fame therefore did not ceafe to pub- 

 lilh the virtues and the graces of Elmina; and the people of 

 every nation wiihed to have a princefs fo accompliihed for 

 their queen. The fon of the king of the Roxaians, heir of 

 the greatell empire in the uniyerl'e, undertook a long jour- 

 ney to fee her, and demanded her in marriage of Lindcvine. 

 Lindorine agreed to bellow Elmina upon him, not becaule 

 he was the heir of the greateft empire, but becaufe this ami- 

 able prince had alfo cultivated the flower that never fades : 

 for there is alfo one for men, which is in fome refpecls dif- 

 ferent from that of which we have fpoken. 



The princefs would not quit a place fo dear to her, witir- 

 out going to vifit once more the bower where the precious 

 gift had been made to her, which had occafioned her hap- 

 pinefs. 



She hoped there to find Verdurine, and to thank her 

 once more : it was jull three years from the time of her firli 

 appearance. Elmina then put the flower which never fades 

 into her bofom, and went thither j but in arriving at the 

 bower, what was her furpril'e, to find, inflead of Verdurine, 

 Lindorine, whom ihe had left -in the houfe. 



" I am, faid the fairy to her, flie whom you feek. It 

 was me who gave you the flower, under the figure of Ver-. 

 durine ; and it is me who have aided you to cultivate it un- 

 der that of Lindorine. My tafk is happily accompliflied ; 

 the flower fliall continue always freih, and ZUoina Ihall 



