l«ff)3« queries on ideat heings. 2$ 



sions to imaginary beings, once no lefs firmly believed 

 the inhabitants of these northern regions, thau mag- 

 pies, crows, and black cattle. You will readily 

 perceive that Brownies, Fairies, and sncli like gob- 

 lins, are the subject of my present inquiry : not that 

 I wifli to know whether those beings were the off- 

 spring of a gloomy superstition, combined with igno- 

 rance and credulity, or what could have given rise 

 to the fabulous legends concerning them ; though I 

 fliould think those subjects, properly handled, not un- 

 worthy of the pen of genius ; but simply this, as a 

 previous inquiry with regard to the natural history of 

 those creatures of a wild disordered fancy, to ascer- 

 tain, if that can be done, in what country, and at 

 ■what era the idea of fairies was first broached. 

 Their airy forms lefs terrible than those of the other 

 spirits of darknefs; their drefs, their music and dan- 

 cing, itnmenente luna, mark them rather as the at- 

 tendants of Diana, than the inmates of Pluto, or the 

 children of Lodo. Should any of your correspon- 

 dents through the channel of your valuable Miscel- 

 lany, favour us with any new light on those anti- 

 quated topics, I may perhaps trouble you with a 

 conjecture concerning their real character and true 

 origin, supported by collateral evidence from their 

 history, as handed down by tradition. I mention the 

 latter circumstance to distinguifh the real fairies from 

 those that were the creatures of poetic fancy, whe- 

 ther in allegory or novel. I am, Sir, Yours, 



Ice *. 



* The Editor will thank any of his correspondents for hints on this 

 subject, aiid will be particularly obliged to the writer of the above ;, 

 lijr his proiulsed communication. 



