In one of those agreeable countries subject to the Empire of the
Fairies, reigned the redoubtable Danamo. She was learned in her art,
cruel in her deeds, and proud of the honour of being descended from
the celebrated Calypso, whose charms had the glory and the power, by
detaining the famous Ulysses, to triumph over the prudence of the
conquerors of Troy.
She was tall, fierce-looking, and her haughty spirit had with much
difficulty been subjected to the rigid laws of Hymen. Love had never
been able to reach her heart, but the idea of uniting a flourishing
kingdom to that of which she was Queen, and another which she had
usurped, had induced her to marry an old monarch, who was one of her
neighbours.
He died a few years after his marriage, and left the Queen with one
daughter, named Azire. She was exceedingly ugly, but did not appear so
in the eyes of Danamo, who thought her charming, perhaps because she
was the very image of herself. She was heiress also to three kingdoms,
a circumstance which softened down many defects, and her hand was
sought in marriage by all the most powerful princes of the adjacent
provinces. Their eagerness, joined to the blind affection of Danamo,
rendered her vanity insupportable. She was ardently besought--she must,
therefore, be worthy of such solicitation. It was thus that the Fairy
and the Princess reasoned in their own minds, and enjoyed the pleasure
of deceiving themselves. Meanwhile, Danamo thought only of rendering
the happiness of the Princess as perfect as she considered was her due,
and, with this object, brought up in her palace a young Prince, the son
of her brother.
His name was Parcin Parcinet. He had a noble bearing, a graceful
figure, a profusion of beautiful fair hair. Love might have been
jealous of his power, for that deity had never, amongst his
golden-pointed arrows, any so certain to triumph irresistibly over
hearts as the fine eyes of Parcin Parcinet. He could do everything well
that he chose to undertake--danced and sang to perfection, and bore
off all the prizes in the tournament whenever he took the trouble to
contend for them.
This young Prince was the delight of the Court, and Danamo, who had her
motives for it, made no objection to the homage and admiration which he
received.
The King who was the father of Parcinet was the Fairy's brother. She
declared war against him without even seeking for a reason. The King
fought valiantly, at the head of his troops; but what could any army
effect against the power of so skilful a Fairy as Danamo? She allowed
the victory to remain in doubt only long enough for her unfortunate
brother to fall in the combat. As soon as he was dead, she dispersed
all her enemies with one stroke of her wand, and made herself mistress
of the kingdom.
Parcin Parcinet was at that time still in his cradle. They brought him
to Danamo. It would have been in vain to attempt hiding him from a
Fairy. He already displayed those seductive graces which win the heart.
Danamo caressed him, and a few days afterwards took him with her to her
own dominions.
The Prince had attained the age of eighteen, when the Fairy, desirous
at length of executing the designs which she had so many years
contemplated, resolved to marry Parcin Parcinet to the Princess, her
daughter. She never for a moment doubted the infinite delight which
that young Prince, born to a throne, and condemned by misfortune to
remain a subject, would feel at becoming in one day the sovereign of
three kingdoms. She sent for the Princess, and revealed to her the
choice she had made of a husband for her. The Princess listened to
this disclosure with an emotion which caused the Fairy to believe that
this resolution in favour of Parcin Parcinet was not agreeable to
her daughter. "I see clearly," she said to her, as she perceived her
agitation increasing, "that thou hast much more ambition, and wouldst
unite with thine own empire that of one of those kings who have so
often proposed for thee; but where is the King whom Parcin Parcinet
cannot conquer? In courage he surpasses them all. The subjects of so
perfect a prince might one day rebel in his favour. In giving thee to
him I secure to thee the possession of his kingdom. As to his person,
it is unnecessary to speak--thou knowest that the proudest beauties
have not been able to resist his charms." The Princess, suddenly
flinging herself at the feet of the Fairy, interrupted her discourse,
and confessed to her that her heart had not been able to defy the young
victor, famous for so many conquests. "But," added she, blushing, "I
have given a thousand proofs of my affection to the insensible Parcin
Parcinet, and he has received them with a coldness which distracts me."
"'Tis because he dares not raise his thoughts so high as thee," replied
the haughty Fairy. "He fears, no doubt, to offend me, and I appreciate
his respect."
This flattering idea was too agreeable to the inclination and the
vanity of the Princess for her not to be persuaded of its truth. The
Fairy ended by sending for Parcin Parcinet. He came, and found her in
a magnificent cabinet, where she awaited him with the Princess, her
daughter. "Call all thy courage to thy assistance," said she to him as
soon as he appeared--"not to support affliction, but to prevent being
overcome by thy good fortune. Thou art called to a throne, Parcin
Parcinet, and to crown thy happiness, thou wilt mount that throne by
espousing my daughter." "I, Madam!" exclaimed the young Prince, with an
astonishment in which it was easy to perceive that joy had no share, "I
espouse the Princess," continued he, retreating a few paces. "Hah! what
deity is meddling with my fate? Why does he not leave the care of it to
the only one from whom I implore assistance?"
These words were uttered by the Prince with a vehemence in which
his heart took too much part to allow it to be controlled by his
prudence. The Fairy imagined that the unhoped-for happiness had driven
Parcin Parcinet out of his wits; but the Princess loved him, and love
sometimes renders lovers more keen sighted than even wisdom. "From
what deity, Parcin Parcinet," said she to him with emotion, "do you
implore assistance so fondly? I feel too deeply that I have no share
in the prayers you address to him." The young Prince, who had had
time to recover from his first surprise, and who was conscious of the
imprudence he had committed, summoned his brain to the assistance
of his heart. He answered the Princess with more gallantry than she
had hoped for, and thanked the Fairy with an air of dignity that
sufficiently proved him to be worthy not only of the empire that was
offered him, but of that of the whole world.
Danamo and her proud daughter were satisfied with his expressions,
and they settled everything before they left the apartment, the Fairy
deferring the wedding-day a short time, only to give opportunity to all
her Court to prepare for this grand solemnity.
The news of the marriage of Parcin Parcinet and Azire was spread
throughout the Palace the moment they had quitted the Queen's cabinet.
Crowds came to congratulate the Prince. However unamiable the Princess,
it was to high fortune she conducted him. Parcin Parcinet received
all these honours with an air of indifference, which surprised his
new subjects the more, for that they detected beneath it extreme
affliction and anxiety. He was compelled, however, to endure for the
rest of the day the eager homage of the whole Court, and the ceaseless
demonstrations of affection lavished upon him by Azire.
What a situation for a young Prince, a prey to the keenest anguish.
Night seemed to him to have delayed its return a thousand times longer
than usual. The impatient Parcin Parcinet prayed for its arrival.
It came at length. He quitted precipitately the place in which he
had suffered so much. He retired to his own apartments, and, having
dismissed his attendants, opened a door which led into the Palace
Gardens, and hurried through them, followed only by a young slave.
A beautiful, but not very extensive, river ran at the end of the
gardens, and separated from the magnificent Palace of the Fairy a
little Château, flanked by four towers, and surrounded by a tolerably
deep moat, which was filled by the river aforesaid. It was to this
fatal spot that the vows and sighs of Parcin Parcinet were incessantly
wafted.
What a miracle was confined in it! Danamo had the treasure carefully
guarded within it. It was a young Princess, the daughter of her
sister, who, dying, had confided her to the charge of the Fairy. Her
beauty, worthy the admiration of the universe, appeared too dangerous
to Danamo to allow her to be seen by the side of Azire. Permission was
occasionally accorded to the charming Irolite (so was she named), to
come to the Palace, to visit the Fairy and the Princess her daughter,
but she had never been allowed to appear in public. Her dawning
beauties were unknown to the world, but there was one who was not
ignorant of them. They had met the eyes of Parcin Parcinet one day at
the apartments of the Princess Azire, and he had adored Irolite from
the moment that he had seen her. Their near relationship afforded no
privilege to that young Prince; from the time Irolite ceased to be an
infant the pitiless Danamo suffered no one to behold her.
Nevertheless Parcin Parcinet burned with a flame as ardent as such
charms as Irolite's could not fail to kindle. She was just fourteen.
Her beauty was perfect. Her hair was of a charming colour. Without
being decidedly dark or fair, her complexion had all the freshness
of spring. Her mouth was lovely, her teeth admirable, her smile
fascinating. She had large hazel eyes, sparkling and tender, and her
glances appeared to say a thousand things which her young heart was
ignorant of.
She had been brought up in complete solitude. Near as was the Palace of
the Fairy to the Château in which she dwelt, she saw no more persons
than she might have seen in the midst of deserts. Danamo's orders to
this effect were strictly followed. The lovely Irolite passed her days
amongst the women appointed to attend her. They were few in number,
but little as were the advantages to be gained in so solitary and
circumscribed a Court, Fame, which feared not Danamo, published such
wonders of this young Princess, that ladies of the highest rank were
eager to share the seclusion of the youthful Irolite. Her appearance
confirmed all that Fame had reported. They were always finding some new
charm to admire in her.
A governess of great intelligence and prudence, formerly attached to
the Princess who was the mother of Irolite, had been allowed to remain
with her, and frequently bewailed the rigorous conduct of Danamo
towards her young mistress. Her name was Mana. Her desire to restore
the Princess to the liberty she was entitled to enjoy, and the position
she was born to occupy, had induced her to favour the love of Parcin
Parcinet. It was now three years since he had contrived to introduce
himself one evening into the Château in the dress of a slave. He found
Irolite in the garden, and declared his passion for her. She was then
but a charming child. She loved Parcin Parcinet as if he had been her
brother, and could not then comprehend the existence of any warmer
attachment. Mana, who was rarely absent from the side of Irolite,
surprised the young Prince in the garden; he avowed to her his love
for the Princess, and the determination he had formed to perish, or
to restore her one day to liberty, and then to seek, by a personal
appeal to his former subjects, a glorious means of revenging himself on
Danamo, and of placing Irolite upon the throne.
The noble qualities which were daily developed in the nature of
Parcin Parcinet, might have rendered probable his success in still
more difficult undertakings, and it was also the only hope of rescue
which offered itself to Irolite. Mana allowed him to visit the Château
occasionally after nightfall. He saw Irolite only in her presence, but
he spoke to her of his love, and never ceased endeavouring, by tender
words and devoted attentions, to inspire her with a passion as ardent
as his own. For three years Parcin Parcinet had been occupied solely
with this passion. Nearly every night he visited the Château of his
Princess, and all his days he passed in thinking of her. We left him on
his road through Danamo's gardens, followed by a slave, and absorbed in
the despair to which the determination of the Fairy had reduced him. He
reached the river's bank: a little gilded boat, moored to the shore,
in which Azire sometimes enjoyed an excursion on the water, enabled
the enamoured Prince to cross the stream. The slave rowed him over,
and as soon as Parcin Parcinet had ascended the silken ladder which
was thrown to him from a little terrace that extended along the entire
front of the Château, the faithful servant rowed the boat back to its
mooring-place, and remained with it there until a signal was made to
him by his master. This was the waving, for a few minutes, of a lighted
flambeau on the terrace.
This evening the Prince took his usual route, the silken ladder was
thrown to him, and he reached, without any obstacle, the apartment of
the youthful Irolite. He found her stretched on a couch, and bathed
in tears. How beautiful did she appear to him in her affliction. Her
charms had never before affected the young Prince so deeply.
"What is the matter, my Princess?" asked he, flinging himself on his
knees before the couch on which she lay. "What can have caused these
precious tears to flow? Alas!" he continued, sighing, "have I still
more misfortunes to learn here?" The young lovers mingled their tears
and sighs, and were forced to give full vent to their sorrow before
they could find words to declare its cause. At length the young Prince
entreated Irolite to tell him what new severity the Fairy had treated
her with. "She would compel you to marry Azire," replied the beautiful
Irolite, blushing; "which of all her cruelties could cause me so much
agony?" "Ah! my dear Princess," exclaimed the Prince, "you fear I
shall marry Azire! My lot is a thousand times more happy than I could
have imagined it!" "Can you exult in your destiny," sadly rejoined
the Princess, "when it threatens to separate us? I cannot express to
you the tortures that I suffer from this fear! Ah, Parcin Parcinet,
you were right! The love I bear to you is far different from that I
should feel for a brother!" The enamoured Prince blessed Fortune for
her severities; never before had the young heart of Irolite appeared
to him truly touched by love, and now he could no longer doubt having
inspired her with a passion as tender as his own. This unlooked-for
happiness renewed all his hopes. "No!" he exclaimed with rapture; "I no
longer despair of overcoming our difficulties, since I am convinced of
your affection. Let us fly, my Princess. Let us escape from the fury of
Danamo and her hateful daughter. Let us seek a home more favourable to
the indulgence of that love, in which alone consists our happiness!"
"How!" rejoined the young Princess with astonishment. "Depart with you!
And what would all the kingdom say of my flight?" "Away with such idle
fears, beautiful Irolite," interrupted the impatient Parcin Parcinet,
"everything urges us to quit this spot. Let us hasten--" "But whither?"
asked the prudent Mana, who had been present during the entire
interview, and who, less pre-occupied than these young lovers, foresaw
all the difficulties in the way of their flight. "I have plans which I
will lay before you," answered Parcin Parcinet; "but how did you become
so soon acquainted here with the news of the Fairy's Court?" "One of
my relatives," replied Mana, "wrote to me the instant that the rumour
was circulated through the Palace, and I thought it my duty to inform
the Princess." "What have I not suffered since that moment!" said the
lovely Irolite. "No, Parcin Parcinet, I cannot live without you!" The
young Prince, in a transport of love, and enchanted by these words,
imprinted on the beautiful hand of Irolite a passionate and tender
kiss, which had all the charms of a first and precious favour. The day
began to dawn, and warned Parcinet, too soon, that it was time for
him to retire. He promised the Princess he would return the following
night to reveal his plans for their escape. He found his faithful
slave in waiting with the boat, and returned to his apartments. He was
enraptured with the delight of being beloved by the fair Irolite, and
agitated by the obstacles which he clearly perceived would have to be
surmounted, sleep could neither calm his anxiety, nor make him for one
moment forget his happiness.
The morning sun had scarcely lighted his chamber, when a dwarf
presented him with a magnificent scarf from the Princess Azire, who in
a note, more tender than Parcin Parcinet would have desired, entreated
him to wear it constantly from that moment. He returned an answer which
it embarrassed him much to compose; but Irolite was to be rescued,
and what constraint would he not have himself endured to restore her
to liberty. He had no sooner dismissed the dwarf than a giant arrived
to present him, from Danamo, with a sabre of extraordinary beauty.
The hilt was formed by a single stone, more brilliant than a diamond,
and which emitted so dazzling a lustre that it would light the way by
night. Upon its blade were engraven these words--
"For the hand of a conqueror."
Parcin Parcinet was pleased with this present. He went to thank the
Fairy for it, and entered her apartment, wearing the marvellous sabre
she had sent him, and the beautiful scarf he had received from Azire.
The assurance of Irolite's affection for him had relieved him from all
anxiety, and filled his bosom with that gentle and perfect happiness
which is born of mutual love. An air of joy was apparent in all his
actions. Azire attributed it to the effect of her own charms, and the
Fairy to satisfied ambition. The day passed in entertainments which
could not diminish the insupportable length of it to Parcin Parcinet.
In the evening they walked in the Palace gardens, and were rowed on
that very river with which the Prince was so well acquainted. His heart
beat quickly as he stepped into that little boat. What a difference
between the pleasure to which it was accustomed to bear him, and the
dreary dulness of his present position. Parcin Parcinet could not help
casting frequent glances towards the dwelling of the charming Irolite.
She did not make her appearance upon the terrace of the Château,
for there was an express order that she was not to be permitted to
leave her chamber, whenever the Fairy or Azire was on the water. The
latter, who narrowly watched all the Prince's actions, observed that
he often looked in that direction. "What are you gazing at, Prince?"
said she. "Amidst all the honours that surround you, is the prison of
Irolite deserving so much attention?" "Yes, Madam," replied the Prince,
very imprudently, "I feel for those who have not drawn on themselves
by their own misconduct the misfortunes they endure." "You are too
compassionate," replied Azire, contemptuously; "but to relieve your
anxiety," added she, lowering her voice, "I can inform you that Irolite
will not long continue a prisoner." "And what is to become of her,
then?" hastily inquired the young Prince. "The Queen will marry her
in a few days to Prince Ormond," answered Azire. "He is, as you know,
a kinsman of ours; and, agreeable to the Queen's intentions, the day
after the nuptials he will conduct Irolite to one of his fortresses,
from whence she will never return to the Court." "How!" exclaimed
Parcin Parcinet, with extraordinary emotion; "will the Queen bestow
that beautiful Princess on so frightful a Prince, and whose vices
exceed even his ugliness? What cruelty!"--The latter word escaped his
lips despite himself: but he could no longer be false to his courage
and his heart. "Methinks it is not for you, Parcin Parcinet," retorted
Azire, haughtily, "to complain of the cruelties of Danamo."
This conversation would, no doubt, have been carried too far for the
young Prince, whose safety lay in dissimulation; when, fortunately for
Parcin Parcinet, some of the ladies in waiting on Azire approached
her, and a moment afterwards the Fairy having appeared on the bank
of the river, Azire signified her desire to rejoin her. On landing,
Parcin Parcinet pretended indisposition in order to obtain at least the
liberty of lamenting alone his new misfortunes.
The Fairy, and more particularly Azire, testified great anxiety
respecting his illness. He returned to his own apartments. There he
indulged in a thousand complaints against destiny for the ills it
threatened to inflict on the charming Irolite, abandoned himself to
all his grief and all his passion, and beginning at length to seek
consolation for sufferings so agonizing to a faithful lover, wrote
a letter full of the most moving phrases that his affection could
dictate, to one of his Aunts, who was a Fairy as well as Danamo, but
who found as much pleasure in befriending the unfortunate as Danamo did
in making them miserable. Her name was Favourable. The Prince explained
to her the cruel situation to which love and fate had reduced him,
and not being able to absent himself from the Court of Danamo without
betraying the design he had formed, he sent his faithful slave with the
letter to Favourable. When every one had retired to rest, he left his
apartment as usual, crossed the gardens alone, and stepping into the
little boat, took up one of the oars without knowing whether or not he
could manage to use it: but what cannot love teach his votaries? He
can instruct them in much more difficult matters. He enabled Parcin
Parcinet to row with as much skill and rapidity as the most expert
waterman. He entered the Château, and was much surprised to find no
one but the prudent Mana, weeping bitterly in the Princess's chamber.
"What afflicts you, Mana?" asked the Prince, eagerly; "and where is my
dear Irolite?" "Alas! my Lord," replied Mana, "she is no longer here.
A troop of the Queen's Guards, and some women, in whom she apparently
confides, removed the Princess from the Castle about three or four
hours ago."
Parcin Parcinet heard not the last of these sad words. He had sunk
insensible on the ground the instant he learned the departure of the
Princess. Mana, with great difficulty, restored him to consciousness.
He recovered from his swoon only to give way to a sudden paroxysm
of fury. He drew a small dagger from his girdle, and had pierced his
heart, if the prudent Mana, dragging back his arm as best she could,
and falling at the same time on her knees, had not exclaimed--"How,
my Lord! would you abandon Irolite? Live to save her from the wrath
of Danamo. Alas! without you, how will she find protection from the
Fairy's cruelty?" These words suspended for a moment the despair of
the wretched Prince. "Alas!" replied he, shedding tears, which all
his courage could not restrain, "whither have they borne my Princess?
Yes, Mana! I will live to enjoy at least the sad satisfaction of dying
in her defence, and in avenging her on her enemies!" After these
words, Mana conjured him to quit the fatal building to avoid fresh
misfortunes. "Hasten, Prince," said she to him; "how know we that the
Fairy has not here some spy ready to acquaint her with everything that
passes within these walls? Be careful of a life so dear to the Princess
whom you adore. I will let you know all that I can contrive to learn
respecting her."
The Prince departed after this promise, and regained his chamber,
oppressed with all the grief which so tender and so luckless a passion
could inspire. He passed the night on a couch on which he had thrown
himself on entering the room. Daybreak surprised him there: and the
morning was advanced some hours, when he heard a noise at his chamber
door. He ran to it with the eager impatience which we feel when we
await tidings in which the heart is deeply interested. He found
his people conducting to him, a man who desired to speak with him
instantly. He recognised the messenger as one of Mana's relations, who
placed in the hand of Parcin Parcinet a letter which he took with him
into his cabinet to read, in order to conceal the emotion its receipt
excited in him. He opened it hastily, having observed it was in Mana's
handwriting, and found these words:--
"Mana, to the greatest Prince in the world. Be comforted, my Lord;
our Princess is in safety, if such an expression be allowable, so
long as she is subjected to the power of her enemy. She requested
Danamo to permit my attendance on her, and the Fairy consented that I
should rejoin her. She is confined in the Palace. Yesterday evening
the Queen caused her to be brought into her cabinet, ordered her to
look upon Prince Ormond as one who would be in a few days her husband,
and presented to her that Prince so unworthy of being your rival. The
Princess was so distressed that she could answer the Queen only by
tears. They have not yet ceased to flow. It is for you, my Lord, to
find, if possible, some means of escape from the impending calamity."
At the foot of the letter were the following lines, written with a
trembling hand, and some of the words being nearly effaced. "How I pity
you, my dear Prince; your sufferings are more terrible to me than my
own. I spare your feelings the recital of what I have endured since
yesterday. Why was I born to disturb your peace? Alas! had you never
known me, perhaps you might have been happy."
What mingled emotions of joy and grief agitated the heart of the young
Prince in reading this postscript. What kisses did he not imprint
on this precious token of the love of the divine Irolite! He was so
excited that it was with the greatest difficulty in the world that he
succeeded in writing a coherent answer. He thanked the prudent Mana;
he informed the Princess of the assistance he expected from the Fairy
Favourable; and what did he not say to her of his grief or his love!
He then took the letter to Mana's kinsman, and presented him with a
clasp set with jewels of inestimable beauty and value, as an earnest of
the reward he had deserved, for the pleasure he had given him. Mana's
kinsman had scarcely departed, when the Queen and Princess Azire sent
to enquire how the Prince had passed the night. It was easily seen by
his countenance that he was not well. He was entreated to return to his
bed, and as he felt he should be under less restraint there than in the
company of the Fairy, he consented to do so.
After dinner, the Queen came to see him, and spoke to him of the
marriage of Irolite and Prince Ormond as of a matter she had decided
upon. Parcin Parcinet, who had at length made up his mind to control
himself, so as not to awaken suspicions which might frustrate his
designs, pretended to approve of the Fairy's intentions, and only
requested her to await his perfect recovery, as it was his wish to be
present at the festivities which would take place on the occasion of
these grand nuptials. The Fairy and Azire, who were in despair about
his illness, promised him everything he desired; and Parcin Parcinet
thus retarded, for some days at least, the threatened marriage of
Irolite. His conversation with Azire, when on the water with her, had
hastened the approach of that misfortune to the beautiful Princess he
loved so tenderly. Azire had related to the Queen the words of Parcin
Parcinet, and the pity he had expressed for Irolite. The Queen, who
never paused in the execution of what she had determined on, sent that
very evening for Irolite, and decided, in conjunction with Azire, that
the marriage of the former should immediately take place, and that her
departure should be expedited before Parcin Parcinet was established in
the higher authority his match with Azire would invest him with. Before
ten days had expired, however, the Prince's faithful slave returned
from his mission. With what delight did the Prince discover in the
letter Favourable had written to him, the proofs of her compassion and
of her friendship for him and for Irolite. She sent him a ring made of
four separate metals, gold, silver, brass, and iron. This ring had the
power to save him four times from the persecution of the cruel Danamo,
and Favourable assured the Prince that the Fairy would not order him
to be pursued more often than that ring was able to protect him. These
good tidings restored the Prince to health, and he sent with all
speed for Mana's kinsman. He entrusted him with a letter for Irolite,
informing her of the success they might hope for. There was no time to
be lost. The Queen had determined the wedding of Irolite should take
place in three days. That evening there was to be a ball given by the
Princess Azire. Irolite was to be present. Parcin Parcinet could not
endure the idea of appearing "_en négligé_," as his recent illness
might have permitted him, he dressed himself in the most magnificent
style, and looked more brilliant than the sun. He dared not at first
speak to the fair Irolite; but what did not their eyes discourse when
occasionally, they ventured to glance at each other. Irolite was in the
most beautiful costume in the world. The Fairy had presented her with
some marvellous jewels, and as she had only four days to remain in the
palace, Danamo had resolved, during that short period, to treat her
with all due honour. Her beauty, which had hitherto been unadorned, in
such splendour, appeared wonderful to the whole court, and, above all,
to the enamoured Parcin Parcinet. He even imagined he could read in
some joyous flashes of her bright eyes an acknowledgment that she had
received his letter. Prince Ormond addressed Irolite frequently; but
he was so ill-looking, notwithstanding the gold and jewels with which
he was burthened, that he was not a rival worth the jealousy of the
young Prince. The ball was nearly over, when Parcin Parcinet, carried
away by his love, wished with intense ardour for an opportunity to
speak for one moment to his Princess. "Cruel Queen, and thou, also,
hateful Azire!" he mentally exclaimed; "will ye still longer deprive
me of the delightful pleasure of repeating a thousand times to the
beautiful Irolite that I adore her! Jealous witnesses of my happiness,
why do ye not quit this spot? Love can only triumph in your absence."
Scarcely had Parcin Parcinet formed this wish, than the Fairy, feeling
rather faint, called to Azire, and passed with her into an adjoining
apartment, followed by Ormond. Parcin Parcinet had on his finger the
ring which the fairy Favourable had sent him, and which had the power
to rescue him four times from the persecutions of Danamo. He should
have reserved such certain help for the most pressing necessity; but
when did violent love obey the dictates of prudence?
The young Prince was convinced by the sudden departure of the Fairy and
Azire, that the ring had begun to favour his love. He flew to the fair
Irolite. He spoke to her of his affection in terms more ardent than
eloquent. He felt that he had perhaps invoked the spell of Favourable
too thoughtlessly; but could he regret an imprudence which obtained
for him the sweet gratification of speaking to his dear Irolite?
They agreed as to the place and hour at which, the next day, they
would meet, to fly from their painful bondage. The Fairy and Azire,
after some time, returned to the ball-room. Parcin Parcinet separated
with regret from Irolite. He looked at the fatal ring, and perceived
that the iron had mixed with the other metals, and was no longer
distinguishable, he therefore saw too clearly that he had only three
more wishes to make. He resolved to render them more truly serviceable
to the Princess than the first had been. He confided the secret of his
flight to no one but his faithful slave, and passed the rest of the
night in making all the necessary preparations. The next morning he
calmly presented himself to the Queen, and appeared even in better
spirits than usual. He jested with Prince Ormond on his marriage, and
conducted himself in such a manner as to lull all suspicions, had any
existed as to his intentions. Two hours after midnight he repaired to
the Fairy's Park; he found there his faithful slave, who, in obedience
to his master's orders, had brought thither four of his horses. The
Prince was not kept long waiting. The lovely Irolite appeared, walking
with faltering steps, and leaning upon Mana. The young Princess felt
some pain in taking this course. It had needed all the cruelties of
Danamo, and all the bad qualities of Ormond, to induce her to do so.
Love alone had not sufficed to persuade her.
It was autumn. The night was beautiful, and the moon, with a host of
brilliant stars, illuminated the sky, shedding around a more charming
light than that of day. The Prince eagerly advanced to meet his
beloved, there was no time for long speeches, Parcin Parcinet tenderly
kissed the hand of Irolite and assisted her to mount her horse.
Fortunately she rode admirably. It was one of the amusements she had
taken pleasure in during her captivity. She had frequently ridden with
her attendants in a little wood close to the Château she resided in,
and of which the Fairy allowed her the range. Parcin Parcinet, after
the interchange of a few words with the Princess, mounted his own
horse. The other two were for Mana and the faithful slave. The Prince
then drawing the brilliant sabre he had received from the Fairy, swore
on it to adore the beautiful Irolite as long as he should live, and to
die, if it were necessary, in defending her from her enemies. They then
set out, and it seemed as if the Zephyrs were in league with them, or
that they mistook Irolite for Flora, for they accompanied them in their
flight.
Morning disclosed to Danamo the unexpected event. The ladies in
attendance on Irolite were surprised that she slept so much later than
usual; but, in obedience to the orders the prudent Mana had given them
over-night, they did not venture to enter the Princess's apartment
without being summoned by her. Mana slept in Irolite's chamber, and
they had quitted it by a small door that opened into a court-yard of
the Palace that was very little frequented. This door was in Irolite's
cabinet. It had been fastened up, but, with a little trouble, in two or
three evenings, they had found means to open it. The Queen at length
sent orders for Irolite to come to her. The Fairy's commands were not
to be disobeyed by any one. They accordingly knocked at the chamber
door of the Princess. They received no answer. Prince Ormond arrived.
He came to conduct Irolite to the Queen, and was much surprised to find
them knocking loudly at the door. He caused it to be broken open. They
entered, and finding the little door of the cabinet had been forced,
no longer doubted that the Princess had fled the Palace. They bore
these tidings to the Queen, who trembled with rage at hearing them. She
ordered a search to be made everywhere for Irolite, but in vain did
they endeavour to obtain a clue to her evasion, no one knew anything
about it. Prince Ormond himself set out in pursuit of Irolite. The
Fairy's Guards were despatched in all haste, and in every direction it
was thought possible she might have taken. It was observed, however, by
Azire, that amidst this general agitation, Parcin Parcinet had not made
his appearance. She sent an urgent message to him, and jealousy opening
her eyes, she felt certain that the Prince had carried off Irolite,
although she had not until that moment suspected he was in love with
her. The Fairy could not believe it; but she hastened to consult her
books, and discovered that Azire's suspicion was but too well founded.
In the meanwhile that Princess having learned that Parcin Parcinet was
not in his apartments, and could not be found anywhere in the Palace,
sent some one to the Château in which Irolite had so long resided, to
see if they could find any evidence that would convict or acquit the
Prince. The prudent Mana had taken care to leave nothing in it that
could betray the understanding that had existed between Irolite and
Parcin Parcinet; but they found near the seat on which the Prince had
lain so long insensible, the scarf Azire had given to him. It had been
unfastened during his swoon, and the Prince and Mana, absorbed in their
grief, had neither of them subsequently observed it. What were the
feelings of the haughty Azire at the sight of this scarf? Her love and
her pride were equally wounded. She was exasperated beyond measure.
She flung into the Fairy's prisons all who had been in the service of
Irolite or of the Prince. Parcin Parcinet's ingratitude to the Queen
also goaded her naturally furious temper into madness, and she would
have willingly parted with one of her kingdoms to be revenged on the
two lovers.
[Illustration: Perfect Love.--P. 63.]
Meanwhile the fugitives were hotly pursued: Ormond and his troop found
everywhere fresh horses in readiness for them by the Fairy's orders.
Those of Parcin Parcinet were fatigued, and their speed no longer
answered to the impatience of their master. As they issued from a
forest, Ormond appeared in sight. The first impulse of the young Prince
was to attack his unworthy rival. He was spurring towards him with his
hand on the hilt of his sword, when Irolite exclaimed, "Prince! Rush
not into useless danger! Obey the orders of Favourable!" These words
calmed the anger of Parcin Parcinet, and in obedience to his Princess,
and to the Fairy, he wished that the beautiful Irolite was safe from
the persecution of the cruel Queen. He had scarcely formed the wish,
when the earth opened between him and Ormond, and presented to his
sight a little misshapen man in a very magnificent dress, who made a
sign to him to follow him. The descent was easy on his side, he rode
down it accompanied by the fair Irolite. Mana and the faithful slave
followed them, and the earth reclosed above them. Ormond, astonished at
so extraordinary an event, returned with all speed to inform Danamo.
Meanwhile our young lovers followed the little man down a very dark
road, at the end of which they found a vast Palace, lighted only by a
great quantity of lamps and flambeaux. They were desired to dismount,
and entered a Hall of prodigious magnitude. The roof was supported by
columns of shining earth covered with golden ornaments. The walls were
of the same material. A little man all covered with jewels was seated
at the end of the Hall on a golden throne surrounded by a great number
of persons as misshapen as the one who had conducted the Prince to that
spot. As soon as the latter appeared leading the charming Irolite, the
little man rose from his throne and said, "Approach, Prince. The great
Fairy Favourable, who has long been a friend of mine, has requested
me to save you from the cruelties of Danamo. I am the King of the
Gnomes. You and the fair Princess who accompanies you are welcome
to my Palace." Parcin Parcinet thanked him for the succour he had
afforded them. The King and all his subjects were enchanted with the
beauty of Irolite. They looked upon her as a star that had descended
to illuminate their abode. A magnificent banquet was served up to the
Prince and Princess. The King of the Gnomes did the honours. Music
of a very melodious, though somewhat barbaric, character, formed the
entertainment of the evening. They sang the charms of Irolite, and the
following verses were frequently repeated:--
What lovely star hath left its sphere
This subterranean realm to cheer?
Beware! for in its dazzling light
Is more than danger to the sight.
The while its lustre we admire
It sets the gazer's heart on fire.
After the concert the Prince and Princess were each conducted to
magnificent apartments. Mana and the faithful slave attended on them.
The next morning they were shown all over the King's Palace. He was
master of all the treasures contained in the bosom of the earth. It
was impossible to add to his riches. They presented a confused mass
of beautiful things; but art was wanting everywhere. The Prince and
Princess remained for a week in this subterranean region. Such was
the order of Favourable to the King of the Gnomes. During this time
entertainments were made for the Princess and her lover, which, though
not very tasteful, were exceedingly magnificent. The eve of their
departure, the King, to commemorate their sojourn in his empire,
caused statues of them to be erected, one on each side of his throne.
They were of gold, and the pedestals of white marble. The following
inscription, formed with diamonds, was upon the pedestal of the
Prince's statue:--
"We desire no longer to behold the sun,--
We have seen this Prince;
He is more beautiful and more brilliant."
And on that of the Princess were these words, formed in a similar
manner:--
"To the immortal glory
Of the Goddess of Beauty.
She descended to this spot
Under the form and name of Irolite."
The ninth day they presented the Prince with the most beautiful horses
in the world. Their harness was of gold entirely covered with diamonds.
He quitted the gloomy abode of the Gnomes with his little troop, after
having expressed his gratitude to the King. He found himself again on
the very spot where Ormond had confronted him. He looked at his ring,
and perceived that only the silver and brazen portions of it were
discernible. He resumed his journey with the charming Irolite, and made
all speed to reach the abode of Favourable, where at length they might
feel themselves in safety, when all on a sudden, as they emerged from
a valley, they encountered a troop of Danamo's guards, who had not
given up the pursuit. The soldiers prepared to rush upon them, when the
Prince wished, and instantly a large piece of water appeared between
the party of Parcin Parcinet and that of the Fairy. A beautiful nymph,
half naked, in a little boat made of interwoven rushes, was seen in
the middle of it. She approached the shore, and requested the Prince
and Princess to enter the boat. Mana and the slave followed them. The
horses remained in the plain, and the little boat suddenly sinking,
the Fairy's Guards believed that the fugitives had perished in their
attempt to escape. But at the same moment they found themselves in
a Palace, the walls of which were only great sheets of water, which
incessantly falling with perfect regularity, formed halls, apartments,
cabinets, and surrounded gardens, in which a thousand fountains of
the most extraordinary shapes marked out the lines of the parterres.
Only the Naiades, in whose empire they were, could inhabit this
Palace, as beautiful as it was singular. To offer, therefore, a more
substantial dwelling to the Prince and the fair Irolite, the Naiade
who was their conductor led them into some grottoes of shell-work,
where coral, pearls, and all the treasures of the deep, were seen in
dazzling profusion. The beds were of moss. An hundred dolphins guarded
the grotto of Irolite, and twenty whales that of Parcin Parcinet.
The Naiades admired the beauty of the Princess, and more than one
Triton was jealous of the looks and attentions which were bestowed
on the young Prince. They served up in the grotto of the Princess a
superb collation composed of all sorts of iced fruits. Twelve Syrens
endeavoured with their sweet and charming songs to calm the anxiety of
the young Prince and the fair Irolite. The concert finished with these
verses:--
Wherever with Love for our leader we stray,
To render us happy he knows the sweet way.
Rejoice, Perfect Lovers, who here, in his name
The floods may defy to extinguish your flame.
In the evening there was a banquet, at which nothing was served but
fish, but of most extraordinary size and exquisite flavour. After
the banquet the Naiades danced a ballet in dresses of fish-scales of
various colours, which had the most beautiful effect in the world. The
horns of Tritons, and other instruments unknown to mortals, performed
the music, which, though strange, was novel and very agreeable.
Parcin Parcinet and the beautiful Irolite remained four days in this
empire. Such were the commands of Favourable. The fifth day the
Naiades assembled in crowds to escort the Prince and Princess. The two
lovers were placed in a little boat made of a single shell, and the
Naiades, half out of the water, accompanied them as far as the border
of a river, where Parcin Parcinet found his horses waiting for him,
and recommenced his journey with the more haste, as he perceived, on
examining his ring, that the silver had disappeared, and that nothing
remained but the brass; they were, however, but a short distance
from the wished-for dwelling of the Fairy Favourable. They travelled
unmolested for three more days; but on the fourth morning they saw
weapons glitter in the distance in the rays of the rising sun, and as
those who bore them advanced, they recognised Prince Ormond and his
band. Danamo had sent them back in pursuit with orders not to leave
them when seen again, nor to quit the spot where anything extraordinary
might occur to them, and, above all things, to endeavour to engage
Parcin Parcinet in single combat. Danamo had correctly imagined, from
the account of Ormond, that a Fairy protected the Prince and Princess;
but her science was so great, that she did not despair of conquering,
by spells more potent than her antagonist could cast around them.
Ormond, delighted at beholding again the Prince and Irolite, whom he
had sought with so much toil and anxiety, galloped, sword in hand, to
encounter Parcin Parcinet, according to the commands of the Fairy.
The young Prince also drew his sabre with so fierce an air, that
Ormond more than once felt inclined to waver in his course; but Parcin
Parcinet, observing Irolite bathed in tears, touched at the sight,
formed his fourth wish, and instantly a great fire rising almost to the
clouds, separated him from his enemy. This fire made Ormond and his
troop fall back, while the young Prince and Irolite, closely followed
by the faithful slave and the prudent Mana, found themselves in a
Palace, the first sight of which greatly alarmed the fair Irolite.
It was entirely of flame; but her alarm subsided as she perceived that
she felt no more heat than from the rays of the sun, and that this
flame had only the brilliancy and blaze of fire, without its more
insupportable qualities. Crowds of young and beautiful personages,
in dresses over which light flames appeared to wanton, presented
themselves to receive the Princess and her lover. One amongst them,
whom they imagined to be the Queen of those regions, by the respect
that was paid to her, accosted them, saying, "Come, charming Princess,
and you also, handsome Parcin Parcinet; you are in the Kingdom of
Salamanders. I am its Queen, and it is with pleasure I have undertaken
to conceal you for seven days in my Palace, according to the commands
of the Fairy Favourable. I would only that your stay here might be
of longer duration." After these words they were led into a large
apartment, all of flames, like the rest of the Palace, and in which a
light shone brighter than that of day. The Queen gave that evening a
grand supper, composed of every delicacy, and well served.
After the feast they repaired to a terrace, to witness a display of
fireworks of marvellous beauty and great singularity of design, which
were let off in a large court-yard of the Palace of Salamanders. Twelve
Cupids were seen upon as many columns of various coloured marbles. Six
of them appeared to be drawing their bows, and the other six bore a
large shield, on which these words were written in letters of fire:--
Irolite, that matchless fair!
Conqueror is everywhere.
In vain our flaming arrows fly;
Those that issue from her eye
Burn more fiercely, yet are found
Cherished in the hearts they wound.
The young Princess blushed at her own fame, and Parcin Parcinet was
enchanted that the Salamanders considered her as beautiful as she
appeared to him. Meanwhile, the Cupids shot their flaming arrows,
which, crossing each other in the air, formed in a thousand places the
initials of the lovely name of Irolite, and rose up to the Heavens.
The seven days she remained in the Palace were passed in similar
pleasures. Parcin Parcinet remarked that all the Salamanders were witty
and charmingly vivacious, very gallant and affectionate. The Queen
herself appeared not to be exempt from the influence of the tender
passion, but to be enamoured of a young Salamander of wonderful beauty.
The eighth day they quitted with regret a retreat so congenial to their
feelings. They found themselves in a lovely country. Parcin Parcinet
looked at his ring, and discovered engraved upon the metals, which were
now all four mixed together, the following words:--
"You have wished too soon."
These words sadly afflicted the Prince and Princess, but they were now
so near the abode of the Fairy Favourable, that they were in hopes of
arriving there before evening. This reflection consoled them, and they
proceeded, invoking Fortune and Love; but, alas! they are frequently
treacherous conductors. Parcin Parcinet was, in short, on the point of
entering the dominions of the Fairy Favourable; but Ormond, obeying
the commands of Danamo, had not retired far from the spot where the
fire had risen between him and his rival. He had encamped, with his
party, behind a wood, and his sentinels, who kept incessant watch,
brought him word that the Prince and Princess had re-appeared in the
plain. He ordered his men to mount, and about sunset encountered the
unfortunate Prince and the divine Irolite. Parcin Parcinet was not
dismayed at the numbers that fell upon him altogether. He charged them
with a courage that daunted them. "I fulfil my promise, beautiful
Irolite," he exclaimed, as he drew his sabre; "I will die for you or
deliver you from your enemies!" With these words he made a blow at the
foremost, and felled him to the earth. But oh, unexpected misfortune!
the wonderful sabre, which was the gift of the Fairy Danamo, flew into
a thousand pieces. She had foreseen this result of the combat. Whenever
she made a present of weapons, she charmed them in so peculiar a
manner, that the instant they were employed against her, the first blow
shivered them to pieces.
Parcin Parcinet, then disarmed, could not make any prolonged
resistance. He was overwhelmed by numbers, taken, laden with chains,
and the young Irolite shared his fate. "Ah, Fairy Favourable,"
mournfully ejaculated the Prince, "abandon me to all the severity of
Danamo, but save the fair Irolite!" "You have disobeyed the Fairy,"
replied a youth of surprising beauty, who appeared in the air. "You
must suffer the penalty. Had you not been so prodigal of her favour,
we should to-day have saved you for ever from the cruelties of
Danamo. All the Empire of the Sylphs laments being deprived of the
glory of securing happiness to so charming a Prince and so beautiful
a Princess." So saying, he vanished, and Parcin Parcinet groaned at
the recollection of his imprudence: he seemed insensible to his own
misfortunes, but how deeply did he feel those of Irolite! His remorse
at having been the cause of them would have destroyed him, had not
Destiny resolved that he should live to suffer still more cruel agony.
The young Irolite displayed a courage worthy of the illustrious race
from which she had descended, and the pitiless Ormond, far from being
affected at so touching a spectacle, strove to aggravate the misery he
occasioned them. He had the prisoners separated, and so deprived them
of the melancholy pleasure of mingling their tears over their departed
hopes. Their wretched journey ended, they were taken to the palace of
the wicked Fairy. She felt a malignant joy at seeing the young Prince
and Princess in a state that would have awakened pity in the heart of
any other creature. Even Azire commiserated Parcin Parcinet, but did
not dare to evince it before the Fairy. "I shall at length, then," said
the cruel Queen, addressing herself to the Prince, "have the pleasure
of revenging myself for thy ingratitude. Go! In lieu of ascending
the throne my favour had destined thee, enter the prison on the sea,
in which thou shalt end thy wretched life in frightful tortures." "I
prefer the most horrible dungeon," replied the Prince, looking proudly
at her, "to the favours of so unjust a Queen as thou art!" These words
increased the irritation of the Fairy. She had expected to see him
humble himself at her feet. She sent him instantly to the prison she
had fixed upon. Irolite wept as he was dragged away; Azire could not
suppress her sighs, and all the Court mourned in secret the merciless
sentence. As for the beautiful Irolite, the Queen had her removed to
the Château in which she had previously so long resided, placed a
strict guard upon her, and treated her with all the inhumanity of which
she was capable.
The prison to which they conveyed the Prince was a frightful tower
in the midst of the sea, built on a little desert island. They shut
him up in it, laden with irons, and treated him with all the severity
imaginable. What an abode for a Prince worthy to reign over the
universe! To think of Irolite was his sole occupation. He invoked the
help of the Fairy Favourable for his dear Princess alone, and wished
a thousand times a day, to expiate by death the only injury he had
done her. His faithful slave had been consigned to the same prison,
but he had not the satisfaction of serving his illustrious master, and
Parcin Parcinet had about him none but fierce soldiers, devoted to the
Fairy, who nevertheless, while obeying her orders, respected, despite
themselves, the unfortunate captive. His youth, his beauty, and, above
all, his courage, excited in them an admiration which compelled them
to regard him as a man very superior to all others. The prudent Mana
had been dragged to the Château in which they had immured Irolite,
as the Prince's faithful slave had been to the prison on the sea.
Danamo's women alone approached the Princess, and by the Fairy's orders
overwhelmed her every moment with new misery, by their accounts of the
sufferings of Parcin Parcinet. The distresses of her lover made Irolite
forget her own, and everything renewed her tears in that spot where she
had so often heard that charming Prince swear to her eternal fidelity.
"Alas!" she murmured to herself, "why have you been so faithful, my
dear Prince? Your inconstancy would have killed me; but what of that,
you would have lived, and been happy!"
After three months' suffering, Danamo, who had employed that period
in the preparation of a spell of extraordinary power, sent to Irolite
one morning a couple of lamps, one of gold, the other of crystal,
commanding her to keep one of the two always burning, but leaving her
to choose which she would light. Irolite, with her natural docility,
sent word that she would obey the Fairy's orders, without even seeking
to comprehend their object.
She carried the two lamps carefully to a cabinet. The golden one was
lighted when she received it, and therefore she allowed it to burn
throughout that day and night, and the next morning she lighted the
other. In this manner she continued to obey the Fairy, lighting the
lamps alternately for fifteen days, when her health became seriously
affected. She attributed her failing strength to her sorrow, and,
to increase her grief, they informed her that Parcin Parcinet was
exceedingly ill. What tidings for Irolite! Her deep distress, her utter
prostration, affected all her attendants. One evening, when the rest
were asleep, one of them softly approached the Princess, and seeing her
about to light the crystal lamp, said to her, "Extinguish that fatal
light, your existence depends upon it. Save the life of one so lovely
from the cruel designs of Danamo." "Alas!" feebly replied the wretched
Irolite, "she has rendered my life so miserable, that it is but kind
of the Fairy to afford me such means of ending it; but," added she,
with an emotion which brought back the colour to her pale cheeks, "what
life depends upon the golden lamp, which I have been equally careful to
light in its turn?" "That of Parcin Parcinet," answered the confidante
of Danamo, for the woman was but obeying her orders in thus speaking to
the Princess. The wicked Fairy wished to torment her by this revelation
of the cruel task she had imposed upon her. At this intelligence her
agony at having unconsciously hastened the termination of her lover's
existence, deprived her for some considerable time of her senses. On
recovering them, she at the same time returned to her despair. "Hateful
Fairy!" she exclaimed, as soon as she had power to speak, "Barbarous
Fairy! will not my death satisfy thy vengeance? Wouldst thou condemn
me, inhuman, to destroy with my own hand a Prince so dear to me, and so
worthy of the most perfect and tender affection? But death, a thousand
times more merciful than thou art, will soon deliver me from all the
tortures which thy wrath hath invented, to rack such fond and faithful
hearts."
The young Princess wept incessantly over the fatal lamp, on which
depended the life of Parcin Parcinet, and from that moment only lighted
the one that wasted her own. That she saw burn with joy, regarding it
as a sacrifice to love, and to her lover. In the meanwhile the wretched
Prince was a prey to tortures, which surpassed even his powers of
endurance. By command of the Fairy, one of his guards, feigning to
pity the misfortunes of the illustrious prisoner, informed him that
Irolite had consented to marry Prince Ormond, a few days after he
(Parcin Parcinet) had been consigned to the frightful dungeon in which
he still languished. That the Princess had appeared quite happy since
her marriage, that she had been present at all the entertainments given
in celebration of it, and had finally quitted the country with her
husband. This was the only misfortune the Prince had not anticipated,
and it was also the only one too heavy for him to bear. "What!" he
exclaimed, despairingly, "Thou art faithless to me, dear Irolite! Thou
art the bride of Ormond! Thou hast not even pitied my misfortunes. Thou
hast but thought how to end those my love brought upon thyself. Live
happy, ungrateful Irolite! Inconstant as thou art, I still adore thee,
and desire but to die for love, as thou wouldst not I should have the
glory of dying for thee!"
Whilst Parcin Parcinet was plunged in this affliction, and the tender
Irolite wasted her own life to prolong that of her lover, Danamo was
moved by the despair of Azire, who was dying with sorrow for the
sufferings of Parcin Parcinet. The cruel Fairy perceived at length
that, to save the life of her child, it was necessary to pardon the
Prince, to permit Azire to visit him, and to promise him all the
benefits that had previously awaited him, provided he consented to
marry her, and the Fairy determined to put Irolite to death, the moment
the Prince had accepted that offer.
The hope of again beholding Parcin Parcinet restored Azire to life,
and the Fairy allowed her to send to Irolite's Château for the golden
lamp, which she desired to keep in her own custody, that she might be
certain it was not lighted. This mandate seemed more cruel than all
the others to the afflicted Irolite. What anxiety did she not endure
respecting the fate of Parcin Parcinet. "Do not distress yourself so
much about the Prince," said the women in attendance upon her, "he is
going to marry the Princess Azire, and it is she who, interested in the
preservation of his life, has sent for the lamp on which it depends."
The torments of jealousy had as yet been wanting, to complete the
misery of the unfortunate Irolite. At these words she felt them waking
in her heart. In the meanwhile Azire had visited the Prince, and
offered him her hand and her kingdoms; then, pretending to be ignorant
that he had been told that Irolite had married Ormond, she endeavoured
to convince him by citing this example, that he had been more than
sufficiently constant. Parcin Parcinet, to whom nothing was valuable
without the charming Irolite, preferred his prison and his sufferings
to liberty and sovereignty. Azire was distracted at his refusal, and
her affliction rendered her almost as unhappy as he was.
During this time the Fairy Favourable, who had hitherto boasted of
her insensibility to love, had found it impossible to resist the
attractions of a young Prince residing at her Court. He had conceived
a passion for her. The Fairy had considerable difficulty in bringing
herself to let him know that his attentions had conquered her pride.
At length, however, she yielded to the desire of acquainting him with
his triumph. The pleasure of conversing with those we love appeared to
her then so charming and so desirable, that, excusing the fault she had
so severely punished, she repaired, in all haste, to the assistance of
Parcin Parcinet and the beautiful Irolite.
A little later, and her aid would have been useless. The fatal lamp
of Irolite had but six days longer to burn, and the grief of Parcin
Parcinet was rapidly terminating his existence, when the Fairy
Favourable arrived at the Palace of Danamo. She was by far the most
powerful, and made herself obeyed despite the anger of the wicked
Fairy. The Prince was released from prison; but he would not quit it
until he was assured by Favourable that the fair Irolite might still
be his bride. He appeared, notwithstanding his pallor, more beautiful
than the day, the light of which he was once more permitted to behold.
He repaired, with the Fairy Favourable, to the Château of his Princess.
Her lamp emitted but a feeble light, and the dying Irolite would not
allow them to extinguish it until she had been assured of the fidelity
of her now happy lover. There are no words capable of expressing the
perfect joy experienced by the fond pair at this meeting. The Fairy
Favourable restored them in an instant to all their former health and
beauty, and endowed them with long life and constant felicity. Their
affection she found it impossible to increase. Danamo, furious at
beholding her authority thus overthrown, perished by her own hand. The
fate of Azire and of Ormond was left by the Prince to the decision of
Irolite. The only vengeance she took upon them was uniting them in
marriage, and Parcin Parcinet, as generous as he was constant, would
only receive his father's kingdom, leaving Azire to reign over those of
Danamo.
The nuptials of the Prince and the divine Irolite were celebrated
with infinite magnificence, and after duly expressing their gratitude
to the Fairy Favourable, and heaping rewards on the slave and the
prudent Mana, they departed for their kingdom, where the Prince and the
charming Irolite enjoyed the rare happiness of loving as fondly and
truly in prosperity as they had done in adversity.