fin |# Bit de la Marguerite. This flower .was formed, according to the.poet, from the^tears the young Heres Ihed over the tomb of Cepheus her loveri Mercury accidentally 4ed to the fpot of this meta» morphofis, as he was driving his ftack to pafture ; furprifed to fee fo beautiful a flower in the month of JfULUfpy, when all the others were lifelefs, and delighted with its brilliancy, he made a chaplet of it, and fent it by his meffenger Liris to the fair Heres* So rare a prefent caufed another change more happy than the firft ; the nymph, hitherto cruel, became affezionate. . The God full of love and gratitude for a flower, to which he owed the happinefs of his life, determined to wear it ever after as an ornament to his head. This fiftion is written, with much delicacy and ingenuity ; the purity with which the author protette to love eternally this flower, the fubjeft of his poem, is expreffed with too much tendernefs not to conceal a real pafEon, perhaps, for a, lady of a fimilar name. The greater number of Froiffart's paftorals are on the prizes offered in different parts of Flanders and Picardy, to the faireft fhepherdefs of the diftrift, or to the fwain who fhould in fong the beffi celebrate his love. M. de la Curne defignedly fuppreffes many details concerning the drefs of that age, the various mufical inftruments ufed in the country, and other particulars of the feme fort. He likewife paffes over feveral paftorals, apparently more important from their connexion with hiftoricai events ; fuch as a. coining of money ; the ar g 4 ' rival