Chapter Forget-me-nots of the Angels to Foscari of F by Brewer's Readers Handbook

the farce is to show the pleasure of doing good, and the blessings which a little liberality can dispense. Robin was not spoilt by his good fortune, but married Dolly, and became the good genius of the cottage tenantry.

Fortunes of Nigel, a novel by sir W. Scott (1822). This story gives an excellent picture of the times of James I., and the account of Alsatia is wholly unrivalled. The character of king James, poor, proud, and pedantic, is a masterly historic sketch.

The tale is as follows:—

Th e estates of lord Nigel are very heavily mortgaged, and James I. gives his sign-manual for their relea se. This being promised, the tale runs thus: Lord Dalgarno, a profligate young nobleman, takes N igel to a gambling-house, but soon afterwards, being in the company of prince Charles, he pretends not to know him. Nigel, indignant at this insult, strikes him with his sword, and flees to Alsatia for refuge. Here he is lodged in the room of an old miser, who steals from Nigel’s trunk the king’s sign-manual. The old miser is murdered, and his treasures pass into the hands of Moniplies, a quondam serving-man of lord Nigel. Margaret Ramsay, the watchmaker’s daughter, who is in love with Nigel, induces lady Hermione, the unhappy wife of lord Dalgarno, to interfere on Nigel’s behalf, and she gives him money to aid his escape. He flees to Greenwich, where he meets the king, who sends him to the Tower for treason. Moniplies pays off the “mortgage” with the miser’s money; Nigel, being set at liberty, marries Margaret, and Moniplies marries Martha, the miser’s daughter. (Time, James I.)

Fortunio, one of the three daughters of an old lord, who at the age of four score was called out to join the army levied against the emperor of Matapa. Fortunio put on military costume, and went in place of her father. On her way, a fairy gave her a horse named Comrade, not only of incredible swiftness, but all-knowing, and endowed with human speech; she also gave her an inexhaustible Turkey-leather trunk, full of money, jewels, and fine clothes. By the advice of Comrade, she hired seven gifted servants, named Strongback, Lightfoot, Marksman, Fine-ear, Boisterer, Trinquet, and Grugeon. After performing several marvellous feats by the aid of her horse and servants, Fortunio married Alfurite the king of her country.—Comtesse D’Aulnoy: Fairy Tales (1682).

Fortunio’s Horse, Comrade, which not only possessed incredible speed, but knew all things, and was gifted with human speech.

Fortunio’s Attendants.

Trinquet drank up the lakes and ponds, and thus caught for his master the most delicate fish. Lightfoot hunted down venison, and caught hares by the ears. As for Marksman, he gave neither partridge nor pheasant any quarter; and whatever game Marksman shot, Strongback would carry without inconvenience.—Comtesse D’Aulnoy: Fairy Tales (“Fortunio,” 1682).

Fortunio’s Sisters. Whatever gifts Fortunio sent her sisters, their touch rendered them immediately worthless. Thus the coffers of jewels and gold, “became only cut glass and false pistoles” the momen the jealous sisters touched them.

Fortunio’s Turkey-leather Trunk, full of suits of all sorts swords, jewels, and gold. The fairy told Fortunio “she needed but to stamp with her foot, and call for the Turkey-leather trunk, and it would always come to her, full of money and jewels, fine linen and laces.”—Comtesse D’Aulnoy: Fairy Tales (1682).

Forty Thieves, also called the tale of “Ali Baba.” These thieves lived in a vast cave, the door of which opened and shut at the words, “Op en, Sesamê!” “Shut, Sesamê!” One day, Ali Baba, a wood-monger, accidentally discovered the secret, and made himself rich by carrying off gold from the stolen hoards The captain tried several schemes to discover the thief, but was always outwitted by Morgiana, the wood-cutter’s female slave, who, with boiling oil, killed the whole band, and at length stabbed the captain himself with his own dagger.—Arabian Nights (“Ali Baba, or the Forty Thieves”).