old  acquaintance,  "  thou  deservest  to  be  installed  forever  as  chief
priest  of  the  fountain  of  Merry-Mount.  You  are  aware,  Master
Maudsley,"  continued  he,  turning  to  the  young  man  who  sat  on
his  right,  "  you  are  aware  that  there  are  many  fountains  of  rare
and  curious  merit  in  this  wilderness ;  so  that  the  future  Moses
who  shall  lead  the  Puritans  to  this  Canaan,  will  need  to  smite  no
rock  for  their  water."

"  Truly,  Master  Morton,"  answered  the  young  gentleman,
"  the  fountain  presided  over  by  your  butler  and  friend,  Robert
Bootjack ."

"  Bootefish,  your  honor,"  interposed  the  worthy  butler  with
calm  dignity.
"  A  thousand  pardons,  Robert  Bootefish,"  resumed  Maudsley,
"  is  a  fountain  of  quite  sufficient  merit  to  find  in  the  wilderness,
and  one  quite  equal  to  assuage  the  thirst  of  all  the  Puritans  of
New  Canaan.  But  of  what  other  fountains  do  you  speak?"

"  Marry  at  Winnesimit,"  answered  Morton,  "  is  a  fountain  of
wonderful  virtue  for  the  fair  sex.  'T  is  said  and  proved  that  one
glass  cures  the  most  obstinate  barrenness ;  so  that  we  may  be
sure,  if  the  place  ever  comes  to  be  settled,  'twill  be  blessed  with
a  most  redundant  population."

"  A  fountain  haunted  not  by  Egeria,  but  Lucina,"  said  Mauds-
ley  ;  "  and  to  what  others  do  you  allude  ?  "

"  Next,  and  in  this  neighborhood,"  replied  Morton,  "  over  at
Squanto's  chapel  yonder,  is  a  fountain  of  a  most  remarkable
power ;  for  its  waters  cause  a  dead  sleep  of  forty-eight  hours  to
those  who  drink  forty-eight  ounces  at  a  draught,  and  so  on  pro-
portionably."  *

"  And  are  you  chymist  enough  to  solve  the  mystery  of  its
waters  ?  "  asked  Maudsley.
