“We were all asleep, my mother in the nest with us, my father on an adjoining branch, when suddenly we were aroused by a rustling noise immediately over our heads, and I felt myself, with one of my brothers, in the grasp of some unknown being. Our parents fled, they knew not whither, (for it was a dark night,) and we were conveyed by the stranger to a room which overlooked the garden, and placed in a basket, where, after having remained some time very comfortless and chilly, we at length fell asleep.
“Our clamours aroused the gardener (for he, it appeared, was the disturber of our peace) by day-break; he arose and endeavoured to feed us, but so awkwardly, that we were more fatigued than refreshed by his kindness, for such I am sure he intended it. Finding, therefore, his efforts were of little use, he put us into a small cage, which he carried into the garden, and hung up in the tree where we were hatched. It was then I saw our once comfortable little nest entirely forsaken. I looked around, in the hope of seeing our parents, but neither of them appeared: however, in a fork of the tree, I discovered my little sister lying very still, as if she had not yet recovered the panic into which we had all been thrown the preceding evening. I pointed her out to my brother, and we both called to her; but she either did not hear, or was afraid to answer us.
“The noise we made, however, had one good effect, for it brought our parents, who were just then hovering over their late peaceful abode, in order, if possible, to regain their lost family. They were much distressed at finding us in captivity; but as our present wants were on that account the more urgent, they tried to comfort us with the assurance that they would speedily return with food, and then left us, not forgetting to take our little sister with them.
“They soon returned, and when the calls of hunger were satisfied, we made some enquiries about our two brothers, whom we had neither seen nor heard. They informed us, that they had conveyed them to a place of safety soon after day-break, and had then returned, in the hope of finding our sister and us. I will not detail the whole of our conversation, nor weary you with the relation of our complaints, and the consolations offered by our parents; but proceed to inform you, that their visits were constant, and our wants always supplied. At length, however, the weather became very hot, and we began to suffer much from thirst; for though the food our parents brought us was generally moist, it was by no means sufficiently so to supply the want of water, which, had we been at liberty, we could have procured abundantly for ourselves. Our friend the gardener did not perceive our uneasiness, though he took us in every night, till one morning he found my poor brother just expiring, and me apparently very ill. He then tried to recover us by giving us water. With me his efforts succeeded, but my poor brother was too far gone, and, though he revived for a short time, died that day.
“I now felt my condition so forlorn, that confinement was doubly painful to me, and grief for the loss of my beloved companion was nearly effecting what pain had not accomplished, when the gardener observing that I did not thrive, resolved to set me free. Accordingly, he one day opened my prison door, and I, who did not want much persuasion to depart, immediately flew out. My first sensation was exquisite delight at finding myself at liberty. I hopped from bough to bough, on the first tree I came to, and exerted the little voice I then had, in strains of rapture.
“When my ecstasy had somewhat subsided, I remembered my parents, and anticipated the pleasure I should have in ranging at large with them; but it being about noon, and not expecting them till the evening, I purposed hovering near the spot till the interval (which never before appeared so long) should elapse. The gardener, however, was again destined to be the destroyer of my hopes, for some time after he came into the garden, and though I thought myself quite secure from observation, he soon perceived me. He called to me, and I, seized with terror, lest, repenting his late precious gift, he had come to reclaim it and convey me back to my prison, immediately flew away.
“So fast and so far did my fright carry me, that I could not find my way back again, when the thought of my parents recurred to me; so that, with extreme anguish, I now found myself obliged to relinquish the hope of ever seeing them again. This, as you may suppose, was a severe stroke to me; and I began to discover that there are other evils besides captivity, scarcely less insupportable.
“Having no one now to provide food for me, and being hungry, I sought it for myself, and soon found abundance; but even in this particular I experienced fresh mortification, for whether, having been brought up in a cage, I had imbibed habits different from those of my species who were at large, or whether my being a stranger was the cause, I know not; but all the goldfinches I approached treated me with contempt and derision, and when I once attempted to expostulate with them, they proceeded to further violence, and attacking me with their beaks, drove me from their society.
“My days were now passed in solitude, but my nights were not the less peaceful; for though my situation was somewhat forlorn, I was not conscious of having done any thing disgraceful; and surely, thought I, misfortune is no crime; nay, so far from it, that I am persuaded, were my persecutors to hear my sad adventures, they would pity and console me.
“In my rambles to seek food and amusement, I often approached a village, by which you are to understand several houses near each other. One day, being near this place, I saw a very large bird just above me, with his eyes intently fixed on me. I flew from the spot where I was, but found, to my great astonishment, that he followed me. Not knowing his intention, I continued my flight, and he his pursuit, till we came near one of the houses in the village. I had often seen the little birds pursue each other in sport, and at first imagined that to be his object; but as I was now nearly exhausted, and unable to fly so fast as before, my pursuer gained upon me; and, as he came nearer, I perceived that his feet were large, strong, and armed with immense claws; his eyes fierce and piercing, and his whole appearance terrific.