‘My father,’ said the fairy, ‘was a magician: he married a lady for
love, whose beauty far outshone that of all her neighbours; and by means
of that beauty, she had so great an influence over her husband, that she
could command the utmost power of his art. But better had it been for
her, had that beauty been wanting; for her power only served to make her
wish for more, and the gratification of every desire begot a new one,
which often it was impossible for her to gratify. My father, though he
saw his error in thus indulging her, could not attain steadiness of mind
enough to mend it, nor acquire resolution enough to suffer his beloved
wife once to grieve or shed a tear to no purpose, though in order to
cure her of that folly which made her miserable.
‘My grandfather so plainly saw the temper and disposition of his son
towards women, that he did not leave him at liberty to dispose of his
magic art to any but his posterity, that it might not be in the power
of a wife to tease him out of it. But his caution was to very little
purpose; for although my mother could not from herself exert any magic
power, yet such was her unbounded influence over her husband, that she
was sure of success in every attempt to persuade him to gratify her
desires. For if every argument she could invent happened to fail, yet
the shedding but one tear was a certain method to prevail with him to
give up his reason, whatever might be the consequence.
‘When my father and mother had been married about a year, she was
brought to bed of a daughter, to whom she gave the name of Brunetta. Her
first request to my father was, that he would endow this infant with as
much beauty as she herself was possessed of, and bestow on her as much
of his art as should enable her to succeed in all her designs. My father
foresaw the dreadful tendency of granting this request, but said he
would give it with this restriction, that she should succeed in all
her designs that were not wicked; for, said he, the success of wicked
designs always turns out as a punishment to the person so succeeding.
In this resolution he held for three days, till my mother (being weak
in body after her lying-in) worked herself with her violent passions to
such a degree, that the physicians told my father, they despaired of her
life, unless some method could be found to make her mind more calm
and easy. His fondness for his wife would not suffer him to bear the
thoughts of losing her, and the horror with which that apprehension had
but for a moment possessed his mind, prevailed with him to bestow on
the little Brunetta (though foreseeing it would make her miserable) the
fatal gift in its full extent. But one restriction it was out of his
power to take off, namely, that all wicked designs ever could and should
be rendered ineffectual by the virtue and perseverance of those against
whom they were intended, if they in a proper manner exerted that virtue.
‘I was born in two years after Brunetta, and was called Sybella: but my
mother was so taken up with her darling Brunetta, that she gave herself
nut the least concern about me; and I was left wholly to the care of my
father. In order to make the gift she had extorted from her fond husband
as fatal as possible to her favourite child, she took care in her
education (by endeavouring to cultivate in her the spirit of revenge and
malice against those who had in the least degree offended her) to
turn her mind to all manner of mischief; by which means she lived in a
continual passion.
‘My father, as soon as I was old enough to hearken to reason, told me
of the gift he had conferred on my sister; said he could not retract it;
and therefore, if she had any mischievous designs against me, they must
in some measure succeed; but she would endow me with a power superior to
this gift of my sister’s, and likewise superior to any thing else that
he was able to bestow, which was strength and constancy of mind enough
to bear patiently any injuries I might receive; and this was a strength,
he said, which would not decay, but rather increase, by every new
exercise of it; and, to secure me in the possession of this gift, he
likewise gave me a perfect knowledge of the true value of everything
around me, by which means I might learn, whatever outward accidents
befell me, not to lose the greatest blessing in this world, namely, a
calm and contented mind. He taught me so well my duty, that I cheerfully
obeyed my mother in all things, though she seldom gave me a kind word,
or even a kind look; for my spiteful sister was always telling some lies
to make her angry with me. But my heart overflowed with gratitude to my
father, that he would give me leave to love him, whilst he instructed me
that it was my duty to pay him the most strict obedience.
‘Brunetta was daily encouraged by her mother to use me ill, and chiefly
because my father loved me; and although she succeeded in all her
designs of revenge on me, yet was she very uneasy, because she could not
take away the cheerfulness of my mind; for I bore with patience whatever
happened to me: and she would often say, “must I with all my beauty,
power, and wisdom (for so she called her low cunning) be suffering
perpetual uneasiness? and shall you, who have neither beauty, power, nor
wisdom, pretend to be happy and cheerful?” Then would she cry and stamp,
and rave like a mad creature, and set her invention at work to make my
mother beat me, or lock me up, or take from me some of my best clothes
to give to her; yet still could not her power extend to vex my mind: and
this used to throw her again into such passions, as weakened her health,
and greatly impaired her so much boasted beauty.
‘In this manner we lived, till on a certain day, after Brunetta had been
in one of her rages with me for nothing, my father came in and chid
her for it; which, when my mother heard, she threw herself into such a
violent passion, that her husband could not pacify her. And, being big
with child, the convulsions, caused by her passions, brought her to her
grave. Thus my father lost her, by the same uncontrollable excesses, the
fatal effects of which he had before ruined his daughter to preserve her
from. He did not long survive her; but, before he died, gave me a little
wand, which, by striking three times on the ground, he said, would at
any time produce me any necessary or convenience of life, which I really
wanted, either for myself, or the assistance of others; and this he gave
me, because he was very sensible, he said, that as soon as he was dead,
my sister would never rest till she had got from me both his castle,
and everything that I had belonging to me, in it. “But,” continued he,
“whenever you are driven from thence, bend your course directly into the
pleasant wood Ardella; there strike with your wand, and everything you
want, will be provided for you. But keep this wand a profound secret, or
Brunetta will get it from you; and then (though you can never, while you
preserve your patience, be unhappy) you will not have it in your power
to be of so much use as you would wish to be, to those who shall stand
in need of your assistance.” Saying these words, he expired, as I
kneeled by his bedside, attending his last commands, and bewailing the
loss of so good a father.
‘In the midst of this our distress, we sent to my Uncle Sochus, my
father’s brother, to come to us, and to assist us in an equal division
of my deceased father’s effects; but my sister soon contrived to make
him believe, that I was the wickedest girl alive, and had always set
my father against her by my art, which she said I pretended to call my
wisdom; and by several handsome presents she soon persuaded him (for he
did not care a farthing for either of us) to join with her in saying,
that, as she was the eldest sister, she had a full right to the castle,
and everything in it; but she told me I was very welcome to stay there,
and live with her, if I pleased; and while I behaved myself well, she
should be very glad of my company.
‘As it was natural for me to love every one that would give me leave to
love them, I was quite overjoyed at this kind offer of my sister’s, and
never once thought on the treachery she had so lately been guilty of;
and I have since reflected, that happy was it for me, that passion was
so much uppermost with her, that she could not execute any plot, that
required a dissimulation of any long continuance; for had her good
humour lasted but one four-and-twenty hours, it is very probable that
I should have opened my whole heart to her; should have endeavoured to
have begun a friendship with her, and perhaps have betrayed the secret
of my wand; but just as it was sunset, she came into the room where I
was, in the most violent passion in the world, accusing me to my uncle
of ingratitude to her great generosity, in suffering me to live in her
castle. She said, “that she had found me out, and that my crimes were of
the blackest dye,” although she would not tell me either what they were,
or who were my accusers. She would not give me leave to speak, either
to ask what my offence was, or to justify my innocence; and I plainly
perceived, that her pretended kindness was only designed to make my
disappointment the greater; and that she was now determined to find me
guilty, whether I pleaded, or not. And after she had raved on for some
time, she said to me with a sneer, “Since you have always boasted of
your calm and contented mind, you may now try to be contented this night
with the softness of the grass for your bed; for here in my castle you
shall not stay one moment longer.” And so saying, she and my uncle led
me to the outer court, and thrusting me with all their force from them,
they shut up the gates, bolting and barring them as close as if to keep
out a giant; and left me, at that time of night, friendless, and, as
they thought, destitute of any kind of support.
‘I then remembered my dear father’s last words, and made what haste I
could to this wood, which is not above a mile distant from the castle;
and being, as I thought, about the middle of it, I struck three times
with my wand, and immediately up rose this grove of trees, which you
see, this house, and all the other conveniences, which I now enjoy; and
getting that very night into this my plain and easy bed, I enjoyed as
sweet a repose as ever I did in my life, only delayed, indeed, a short
time, by a few sighs, for the loss of so good a parent, and the unhappy
state of a self-tormented sister, whose slumbers (I fear) on a bed of
down, were more restless and interrupted that night than mine would have
been, even had not my father’s present of the wand prevented me from the
necessity of using the bed of grass, which she, in her wrath, allotted
me. In this grove, which I call Placid Grove, is contained all that I
want; and it is so well secured from any invaders, by the thick briars
and thorns which surround it, having no entrance but through that tender
jessamine, that I live in no apprehensions of any disturbance, though so
near my sister’s castle. But once, indeed, she came with a large train,
and, whilst I was asleep, set fire to the trees all around me; and
waking, I found myself almost suffocated with smoke, and the flames had
reached one part of my House. I started from my bed, and striking on
the ground three times with my wand, there came such a quantity of water
from the heavens, as soon extinguished the fire; and the next morning,
by again having recourse to my wand, all things grew up into their
convenient and proper order. When my sister Brunetta found that I had
such a supernatural power at my command, though she knew not what it
was, she desisted from ever attempting any more by force to disturb me;
and now only uses all sorts of arts and contrivances to deceive me,
or any persons whom I would wish to secure. One of my father’s daily
lessons to me was, that I should never omit any one day of my life
endeavouring to be as serviceable as I possibly could to any person in
distress. And I daily wander, as far as my feet will carry me, in search
of any such, and hither I invite them to peace and calm contentment. But
my father added also this command, that I should never endeavour doing
any farther good to those whom adversity had not taught to hearken to
the voice of reason, enough to enable them so to conquer their passions
as not to think themselves miserable in a safe retreat from noise and
confusion. This was the reason I could not gratify you in relating the
history of my life, whilst you gave way to raging passions, which only
serve to blind your eyes, and shut your ears from truth. But now, great
queen (for I know your state, from what you vented in your grief), I am
ready to endow this little princess with any gift in my power, that I
know will tend really to her good; and I hope your experience of the
world has made you too reasonable to require any other.’
The queen considered a little while, and then desired Sybella to endow
the princess with that only wisdom which would enable her to see and
follow what was her own true good, to know the value of everything
around her, and to be sensible that following the paths of goodness and
performing her duty was the only road to content and happiness.
Sybella was overjoyed at the queen’s request, and immediately granted
it, only telling the Princess Hebe, that it was absolutely necessary
towards the attainment of this great blessing, that she should entirely
obey the queen her mother, without ever pretending to examine her
commands; for ‘true obedience (said she) consists in submission; and
when we pretend to choose what commands are proper and fit for us,
we don’t obey, but set up our own wisdom in opposition to our
governors--this, my dear Hebe, you must be very careful of avoiding, if
you would be happy.’ She then cautioned her against giving way to the
persuasions of any of the young shepherdesses thereabouts, who would
endeavour to allure her to disobedience, by striving to raise in her
mind a desire of thinking herself wise, whilst they were tearing from
her what was indeed true wisdom. ‘For (said Sybella) my sister Brunetta,
who lives in the castle she drove me from (about a mile from this wood)
endows young shepherdesses with great beauty, and everything that is in
appearance amiable, and likely to persuade, in order to allure away and
make wretched, those persons I would preserve: and all the wisdom with
which I have endowed the Princess Hebe will not prevent her falling into
my sister’s snares, if she gives the least way to temptation; for my
father’s gift to Brunetta, in her infancy, enables her (as I told you)
to succeed in all her designs, except they are resisted by the virtue of
the person she is practising against. Many poor wretches has my sister
already decoyed away from me, whom she now keeps in her castle;
where they live in splendor and seeming joy, but in real misery, from
perpetual jars and tumults, railed by envy, malice, and all the train of
tumultuous and tormenting passions.’
The Princess Hebe said, she doubted not but she should be able to
withstand any of Brunetta’s temptations. Her mother interrupting her,
cried out, ‘Oh, my dear child, though you are endowed with wisdom enough
to direct you in the way to virtue, yet if you grow conceited and proud
of that wisdom, and fancy yourself above temptation, it will lead you
into the worst of all evils.’ Here the fairy interposed, and told the
Princess Hebe, that if she would always carefully observe and obey her
mother, who had learned wisdom in that best school, adversity, she would
then, indeed, be able to withstand and overcome every temptation, and
would likewise be happy herself, and able to dispense happiness to all
around her. Nothing was omitted by the fairy to make this retirement
agreeable to her royal guests; and they had now passed near seven years
in this delightful grove, in perfect peace and tranquillity; when one
evening, as they were walking in the pleasant wood which surrounded
their habitation, they espied under the shade, and leaning against
the bark of a large oak, a poor old man, whose limbs were withered and
decayed, and whose eyes were hollow, and sunk with age and misery. They
stopped as soon as they saw him, and heard him in the anguish of his
heart, with a loud groan, utter these words: ‘When will my sorrows end?
Where shall I find the good fairy Sybella?’ The fairy immediately begged
to know his business with her; and said, if his sorrows would end on
finding Sybella, he might set his heart at ease; for she stood now
before him, and ready to serve him, if his distresses were such as would
admit of relief, and he could prove himself worthy of her friendship.
The old Man appeared greatly overjoyed at having found the fairy, and
began the following story:
‘I live from hence a thousand leagues. All this tiresome way have I come
in search of you. My whole life has been spent in amassing wealth, to
enrich one only son, whom I doted on to distraction. It is now five
years since I have given him up all the riches I had laboured to get,
only to make him happy. But, alas how am I disappointed! His wealth
enables him to command whatever this world produces; and yet the poorest
wretch that begs his bread cannot be more miserable. He spends his days
in riot and luxury; has more slaves and attendants than wait in the
palace of a prince; and still he sighs from morning till night, because,
he says, there is nothing in this world worth living for. All his
dainties only sate his palate, and grow irksome to his sight. He daily
changes his opinion of what is pleasure; and, on the trial, finds
none that he can call such; and then falls to sighing again, for the
emptiness of all that he has enjoyed. So that, instead of being my
delight, and the comfort of my old age, sleepless nights, and anxious
days, are all the rewards of my past labours for him. But I have had
many visions and dreams to admonish me, that if I would venture with my
old frame to travel hither a-foot in search of the fairy Sybella, she
had a glass, which if she showed him, he would be cured of this dreadful
melancholy, and I have borne the labour and fatigue of coming this
long tiresome way, that I may not breathe my last with the agonizing
reflection, that all the labours of my life have been thrown away.
But what shall I say to engage you to go with me? Can riches tempt, or
praise allure you?’
‘No, (answered the fairy) neither of them has power to move me; but
I compassionate your age; and if I thought I could succeed, would not
refuse you. The glass which I shall bid him look in, will show him his
inward self; but if he will not open both his eyes and heart enough to
truth, to let him understand, that the pleasures he pursues not only are
not but cannot be satisfactory, I can be of no sort of service to him.
And know, old man, that the punishment you now feel is the natural
result of your not having taught him this from his infancy; for, instead
of heaping up wealth, to allure him to seek for happiness from such
deceitful means, you should have taught him, that the only path to it
was to be virtuous and good.’
The old man said, he heartily repented of his conduct, and on his knees
so fervently implored Sybella’s assistance, that at last she consented
to go with him. Then striking on the ground three times with her wand,
the car and horses rose up, and placing the old Man by her, after taking
leave of the queen, and begging the Princess Hebe to be careful to guard
against all temptations to disobedience, she set out on her journey.
It being now come to the latest hour that Mrs. Teachum thought proper
for her little scholars to stay out in the air, she told Miss Jenny that
she must defer reading the remaining part of her story till the next
day. Miss Jenny always with great cheerfulness obeyed her governess, and
immediately left off reading; and said she was ready to attend her; and
the whole company rose up to follow her.
Mrs. Teachum had so much judgment, that, perceiving such a ready
obedience to all her commands, she now endeavoured, by all means she
could think of; to make her scholars throw off that reserve before her,
which must ever make it uneasy to them for her ever to be present
whilst they were following their innocent diversions; for such was the
understanding of this good woman, that she could keep up the authority
of the governess in her school, yet at times become the companion of
her scholars. And as she now saw, by their good behaviour, they deserved
that indulgence, she took the little dumpling by the hand, and, followed
by the rest, walked towards the house, and discoursed familiarly with
them the rest of the evening, concerning all their past amusements.