was delightful and amiable. At length the king and queen died, and Nicelinda succeeded to the throne. On the day of her coronation she went in procession through the streets in a magnificent coach drawn by eight cream-coloured horses, with guards before and behind on prancing horses, and after them came all the ministers of state, and maids of honour, and ladies of the bedchamber, and equerries and pages. And the people rent the air with shouts, and crowded so thick upon each other, that the procession could hardly pass by; and all the windows and tops of the houses were covered with spectators waving handkerchiefs and flags.

Queen Nicelinda viewed the crowds of people, and heard their acclamations with great delight.

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Truly," thought she, if this is all the mischief the old fairy can do me by giving me such a multitude of subjects, I think no very great harm will come of it." Soon after the queen thought she should like to have a husband; and after seeing a great many young princes, and consulting with her minister of state, she fixed on Prince Bertal, as being the handsomest, the most accomplished, and most amiable amongst them.

So Prince Bertal and Queen Nicelinda were married amidst great rejoicings, and all the people cheered and shouted as they had done before: and the queen was very much pleased, and thought she could not possibly have too many subjects, if they behaved so well and dutifully.

However, as the years went on, things were somewhat changed. The times began to get worse; and as the queen drove out with her royal consort in her fine carriage, she thought the people did not look so happy, or welcome her so heartily as before. She saw a great many people in rags and tatters, and some looked half starved. At last a great mob of people collected round the palace, and declared they had no food to eat, and should be starved with their families if the queen would not do something for them.

The queen happened just to be sitting down to a great entertainment with a company of lords and ladies, when she heard the cries of the people. She was very kind-hearted, and at first she thought of asking them all into the palace to dine with her. But she was told that there were too many to ask into the palace, and besides, they were too ragged and shabby to sit down with all the lords and ladies. So for the first time she began to be perplexed to know what to do with her subjects.

At last one of the ladies, who was dressed with diamonds and feathers scarcely less magnificent than the queen herself, and had just sipped a cup of sparkling wine, observed to the queen, "What foolish people all these are! Why, if I could not get

a good dinner, I would be contented with bread and cheese, and beer, rather than starve."

"Bread and cheese, and beer!" said the queen, "what sort of food is that? I should like very much to taste some." So she ordered some to be brought in on a tray, and after tasting a morsel herself, she desired it might be handed round to the lords and ladies, and ministers of state, who all declared that, though not very palatable, they had no doubt it was wholesome and nutritious food for the poor.

Not content with this opinion, Queen Nicelinda sent for the state physician, and consulted with him whether bread and cheese, and beer, were good and sufficient food for the poor. Upon which the physician declared he must have a consultation with his brethren, and, after the consultation, he returned and said that the physicians had all unanimously agreed, that, next to roast beef and plum pudding, there was not a better sort of food for the poor than bread and cheese, and beer, and he only wished they might get it. After hearing this opinion, Queen Nicelinda called all her ministers to a council, and drew up a proclamation thus:

"Whereas divers persons had assembled together round the palace gates, to the serious annoyance of the queen and her noble guests, she hereby made proclamation that her subjects were no longer so to assemble, but that they were henceforth to live upon bread and cheese, and beer, with roast beef and plum pudding on Sundays; the queen being well assured, on the authority of eminent physicians, that no food was more wholesome for people of their condition."

When the people heard this, they were all greatly rejoiced to hear that they were to have plenty of bread and cheese, and beer, and roast beef and plum pudding on Sundays. And they all cried out," Long live Queen Nicelinda! bread and cheese for ever! roast beef for ever! huzzah!”

After waiting some time, they were surprised to find that the queen did not send them out the good things named in the proclamation; and when they learned that they were to get it themselves, they were greatly disappointed, and began again to murmur against the queen and her ministers. It was very fine, they said, to make a proclamation that they were to live on bread and cheese, and beer, roast beef, and plum pudding, but then how were they to get it?

So the queen called another council, and proposed to them a question, where the people were to get bread and cheese, and beer. And one of the councillors rose and said,

"May it please your majesty, these people are most unreasonable. How can they expect that your majesty's larder should be

stored with bread and cheese, and beer, for such a multitude. My advice is, that they be directed to go to the bakers' and cheesemongers' shops, and to divers beer shops which your majesty has been so good as to license for that purpose, and there buy food for themselves."

This advice seemed to satisfy the council, and another proclamation was about to be prepared, when an aged minister, who had been chancellor under the queen's father, and was noted for his deep sagacity, rose and said,

"May it please your majesty, the advice just given is good in all particulars save one, and that perhaps it may be as well to consider, namely, whence the people are to get the money to buy the provisions. I fully agree with the noble lord that his advice is most commendable, provided he can show how the people are to be supplied with money."

"What!" said the queen in surprise, "have the people no money? Then indeed they will have a difficulty in buying food. My lords, this must be looked to. Let all the people have money given them."

The first lord of the treasury then rose, and craved permission to offer his advice. It was necessary, he said, to inform her majesty, that the sum now lying in her majesty's treasury, though apparently large, yet was all appropriated to certain specific purposes,—the maintenance of the army and navy, the judges, the ministers of state, and the royal palaces and household. With all his economy he found but barely sufficient to meet this expenditure. If he might be allowed to propose a scheme, he would suggest that the people be directed to work, and sell the produce of their labour, and so they would have money to buy food.

This plan seemed the most eligible, and the council adopted it without hesitation. So all the people were directed to work for their livelihood, and not disturb the queen with their clamours.

So all the people set themselves to work, some made cloth, and some made cotton goods, and some linen, and some iron ware; there never was seen such a bustle before. And when they had made all these things they sold them to their neighbours, and with the money they bought food from the shops, according to the wise counsel of the queen's minister. And the people got so much money that they were able to buy not only what was sufficient for their maintenance, but some of them ate and drank too much, and got very tipsy and riotous.

This went on for some time. At last it happened that they became so clever at work, and made goods in such abundance, that they could not find purchasers. Their neighbours told them that they had got as many knives and forks, and spoons, and buttons, and cotton stockings, and gowns, and nightcaps, and other articles as they wanted.

And some of their neighbours were so absurd as to take it into their heads to follow the example of Queen Nicelinda's subjects, and make goods for themselves, so that they might save their money.

Then the queen consulted again with her council, and one of the councillors stood up and said,

"May it please your majesty, it has been my fortune to travel in many parts of the world, and I have observed that in distant regions there are many nations so barbarous, that they wear neither silk nor cotton stockings, nor even worsted. Some clothe themselves in the fur of animals, or the hides of beasts; and some are dressed, or rather undressed, in a manner not fit to be seen in any civilized country. My advice therefore is, that we send out ship-loads of goods to these poor people, and so obtain money for our poor at home."

So a great many ships were laden with goods, and sent to different parts of the globe. But when they came to the nations aforesaid, many of them were so ridiculous and obstinate that they said they would rather have their old skins and furs than the cotton and woollen of Queen Nicelinda's subjects; others even liked bare legs better than the finest silk stockings that could be made; and many declared they much preferred sleeping without nightcaps. Some of them liked the goods which had been sent out to them very well, but unfortunately had no money to pay for them. All this was very disappointing, and the money came but slowly in. Still the subjects of Queen Nicelinda were so infatuated that they made more and more goods, and even neglected to till their own land; and went on toiling and slaving at their cottons and hardware, and covered the land with smoke and dust, expecting that riches would flow in as heretofore.

And so things went on from bad to worse, and notwithstanding all Queen Nicelinda's wise schemes, her subjects could not get their bread and cheese, and beer, much less roast beef and plum pudding. And what was worst of all, there came a grievous famine, and the people of other countries kept all their corn and beef, and cheese for themselves, and would not let Queen Nicelinda's subjects have any; and they, having foolishly neglected to till their own land sufficiently for their own support, were very badly off indeed.

Then they assembled in greater numbers than ever, crying out for bread and cheese; and some began to knock very rudely at the doors, so as greatly to alarm the queen, and make her head ache.

Upon this, Prince Bertal was much displeased, and said that he would not allow the queen to be thus tormented; and he was determined to call the guards and drive the people away, and if any of them would not go they should be put into prison.

Moreover the prince said, that in order to insure the fidelity of the guards, he was determined to make each of them a present of a new hat.

So the guards were doubled at all the gates, and the people driven away; and another council was summoned.

The old minister of the late king then rose and said he perceived now that that was come upon them which had been foretold by the old fairy. The queen had so many subjects that she did not know what to do.

"Most true, indeed," said the queen, "but what can be done?"

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'My advice," said the old councillor, "is this: that we build a great many large houses in different parts of the country, and that all who want food shall be sent there; and that the men and women, and children, be kept separate, and all fed in the cheapest manner possible: so that we may at least prevent the increase of this great evil."

Accordingly a great number of houses were built for the people, but when they were finished it was found that the people objected to go into them, and many of them said they would rather beg, steal, or even starve, than be shut up in these great houses. The poor queen and her ministers were now at their wits' end. Queen Nicelinda sat at the head of the council board, her eyes streaming with tears, and Prince Bertal wiping them away most affectionately. The prime minister sat with his hands in his pockets, the chancellor pretended to hum a tune, and tried to look wise, and the old minister of the queen's father was as gloomy as the rest. At last he said,

"I know only one person in your majesty's dominions who is able to help us."

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Who is that?" said the queen eagerly.

"Old Mother Prudence."

"Oh, I do so wish Old Mother Prudence was here," said the queen.

At this moment the door opened, and in walked Old Mother Prudence herself, and took a seat at the council board opposite

the queen.

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Oh, I am so glad to see you," said the queen.

good fairy, do tell us what we are to do."

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"You dear

Ah, now you are glad to see me," said the fairy. "Your father took no notice of me when he asked all the other fairies to the entertainment given at your birth: but I thought his daughter would one day want to ask my advice, and heartily glad shall I be to give it."

"Well, do tell us what we are to do to satisfy these poor people."