4 THE HISTORY OF DAME MITCHELL

among them, a green parrot, having eaten unadvisedly
some parsley, yielded to a dreadful attack of colic. An
indigestion, produced by a dish of fritters, had deprived
Lady Greenford of a most promising little pug; and a
third pet, who was nothing less than a Brazilian‘ monkey,
having broken his chain and strayed into the garden, was
caught in a shower as he was gamboling among the trees,
which brought on a severe cold in the head, that soon after
carried him to his grave.

 

 

Lady Greenford next took a fancy to different kinds of
birds; but in this she was not more fortunate; for some of

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

them flew away, and the rest sickened, and died of the pip.
Borne down by so many sorrows, Lady Greenford was con-
tiually weeping and moaning; and her friends, moved b

her distress, strove to divert her mind. They offered her
squirrels, canary birds, white mice, and large cockatoos ;
but all in vain, she would not listen to them; she even
rejected a lovely black and white spaniel that could play at

dominoes, dance the gavotte, eat salad, and make Greek
verses.