The queen, in the meantime, suffered for the loss of her child more than
words can express, till the good fairy Sybella returned. The queen burst
into tears at the sight of her; but the fairy immediately cried out,
‘You may spare yourself, my royal guest, the pain of relating what has
happened. I know it all; for that old man, whom I took such pity on, was
a phantom, raised by Brunetta, to allure me hence, in order to have an
opportunity, in my absence, of seducing the princess from her duty.
She knew nothing but a probable story could impose on me, and therefore
raised that story of the misery of the old man’s son (from motives which
too often, indeed, cause the misery of mortals); as knowing I should
think it my duty to do what I could to relieve such a wretch. I will not
tell you all my journey, nor what I have gone through. I know your
mind is at present too much fixed on the princess, to attend to such
a relation I’ll only tell you what concerns yourself. When the phantom
found, that by no distress he could perturb my mind, he said he was
obliged to tell the truth, what was the intention of my being deluded
from home, and what had happened since; and then vanished away.’ Here
the fairy related to the queen everything that had happened to the
princess, as has already been written; and concluded with saying, that
she would wander about the castle walls (for Brunetta had no power over
her); and if she could get a sight of the princess, she would endeavour
to bring her to a true sense of her fault, and then she might again be
restored to happiness.
The queen blessed the fairy for her goodness; and it was not long before
Sybella’s continual assiduity got her a sight of the princess; for
she often wandered a little way towards that wood she had once so
much delighted in, but never could bring herself to enter into it: the
thought of seeing her injured mother made her start back, and run half
wild into the fatal castle. Rozella used frequently to throw herself
in her way; and on hearing her sighs, and seeing her tears, would burst
into a sneering laugh at her folly; to avoid which laugh, the poor
princess first suffered herself to throw off all her principles of
goodness and obedience, and was now fallen into the very contempt she so
much dreaded.
The first time the fairy got a sight of her, she called to her with the
most friendly voice; but the princess, stung to the soul with the sight
of her, fled away, and did not venture out again in several days. The
kind Sybella began almost to despair of regaining her lost child; but
never failed walking round the castle many hours every day. And one
evening, just before the sun set, she heard within the gates a loud
tumultuous noise, but more like riotous mirth, than either the voice
either of rage or anger; and immediately she saw the princess rush out
at the gate, and about a dozen girls, laughing and shouting, running
after her. The poor princess flew with all her speed till she came to a
little arbour, just by the side of the wood; and her pursuers, as they
intended only to tease her, did not follow her very close; but, as soon
as they lost sight of her, turned all back again to the castle.
Sybella went directly into the arbour, where she found the little
trembler prostrate on the ground, crying and sobbing as if her heart was
breaking. The fairy seized her hand, and would not let her go till she
had prevailed with her to return to the Placid Grove, to throw herself
once more at her mother’s feet, assuring her, that nothing but this
humble state of mind could cure her misery and restore her wonted peace.
The queen was filled with the highest joy to see her child; but
restrained herself so much, that she showed not the least sign of it,
till she had seen her some time prostrate at her feet, and had heard
her with tears properly confess, and ask pardon for, all her faults. She
then raised, and once more forgave her; but told her that she must learn
more humility and distrust of herself, before she should again expect to
be trusted.
The princess answered not, but with a modest downcast look which
expressed her concern and true repentance, and in a short time recovered
her former peace of mind; and as she never afterwards disobeyed her
indulgent mother, she daily increased in wisdom and goodness.
After having lived on in the most innocent and peaceful manner for three
years (the princess being just turned of eighteen years old) the fairy
told the queen that she would now tell her some news of her kingdom,
which she had heard in her journey; namely, that her sister-in-law
was dead, and her brother-in-law had made proclamation throughout the
kingdom, of great rewards to any one who should produce the queen and
the Princess Hebe, whom he would immediately reinstate on the throne.
The Princess Hebe was by when she related this, and said she begged
to lead a private life, and never more be exposed to the temptation of
entering into vice, for which she already had so severely smarted.
The fairy told her, that, since she doubted herself, she was now fit
to be trusted; for, said she, ‘I did not like your being so sure of
resisting temptation, when first I conferred on you the gift of wisdom.
But you will, my princess, if you take the crown, have an opportunity
of doing so much good, that, if you continue virtuous, you will have
perpetual pleasures; for power, if made a right use of, is indeed a very
great blessing.’
The princess answered, that if the queen, her mother, thought it her
duty to take the crown, she would cheerfully submit, though a private
life would be otherwise her choice.
The queen replied, that she did not blame her for choosing a private
life; but she thought she could not innocently refuse the power that
would give her such opportunities of doing good, and making others
happy; since, by that refusal, the power might fall into hands that
would make an ill use of it.
After this conversation, they got into the same car in which they
travelled to the wood of Ardella; arrived safely at the city of
Algorada; and the Princess Hebe was seated, with universal consent, on
her father’s throne; where she and her people were reciprocally happy,
by her great wisdom and prudence; and the queen-mother spent the
remainder of her days in peace and joy, to see her beloved daughter
prove a blessing to such numbers of human creatures; whilst she herself
enjoyed that only true content and happiness this world can produce;
namely, a peaceful conscience, and a quiet mind.
When Miss Jenny had finished her story, Mrs. Teachum left them for
the present, that they might with the utmost freedom make their own
observations; for she knew she should be acquainted with all their
sentiments from Miss Jenny afterwards.
The little hearts of all the company were swelled with joy, in that
the Princess Hebe was at last made happy; for hope and fear had each by
turns possessed their bosoms for the fate of the little princess; and
Miss Dolly Friendly said, that Rozella’s artful manner was enough to
have drawn in the wisest girl into her snares; and she did not see how
it was possible for the Princess Hebe to withstand it, especially when
she cried for fear of parting with her.
Miss Sukey Jennett said, that Rozella’s laughing at her, and using her
with contempt, she thought was insupportable, for who could bear the
contempt of a friend?
Many and various were the remarks made by Miss Jenny’s hearers on the
story she had read to them. But now they were so confirmed in goodness,
and every one was so settled in her affection for her companions,
that, instead of being angry at any opposition that was made to their
judgments, every one spoke her opinion with the utmost mildness.
Miss Jenny sat some time silent to hear their conversation on her fairy
tale. But her seeing them so much altered in their manner of talking to
each other, since the time they made their little remarks on her story
of the giants, filled her whole mind with the most sincere pleasure; and
with a smile peculiar to herself, and which diffused a cheerfulness to
all around her, she told her companions the joy their present behaviour
had inspired her with; but saying that it was as late as their governess
chose they should stay out, she rose, and walked towards the house,
whither she was cheerfully followed by the whole company.
Mrs. Teachum after supper, again, in a familiar manner, talked to
them on the subject of the fairy tale, and encouraged them, as much as
possible, to answer her freely in whatever she asked them; and at last
said, ‘My good children, I am very much pleased when you are innocently
amused; and yet I would have you consider seriously enough of what you
read, to draw such morals from your books, as may influence your future
practice; and as to fairy tales in general, remember, that the fairies,
as I told Miss Jenny before of giants and magic, are only introduced by
the writers of those tales, by way of amusement to the reader. For if
the story is well written, the common course of things would produce the
same incidents, without the help of fairies.
‘As for example, in this of the Princess Hebe, you see the queen her
mother was not admitted to know the fairy’s history, till she could calm
her mind enough to hearken to reason; which only means, that whilst we
give way to the raging of our passions, nothing useful can ever sink
into our minds. For by the fairy Sybella’s story you find, that by our
own faults we may turn the greatest advantages into our own misery, as
Sybella’s mother did her beauty, by making use of the influence it gave
her over her husband, to tease him into the ruin of his child; and as
also Brunetta did, by depending on her father’s gift, to enable her to
complete her desires, and therefore never endeavouring to conquer them.
‘You may observe also on the other side, that no accident had any power
to hurt Sybella, because she followed the paths of virtue, and kept her
mind free from restless passions.
‘You see happiness in the good Sybella’s peaceful grove, and misery
in the wicked Brunetta’s gaudy castle. The queen desiring the fairy to
endow her child with true wisdom, was the cause that the Princess Hebe
had it in her power to be happy. But take notice, that when she swerved
from her duty, all her knowledge was of no use, but only rendered her
more miserable, by letting her see her own folly in the stronger light.
Rozella first tempted the princess to disobedience, by moving her
tenderness, and alarming her friendship, in fearing to part with her;
and then by persuading her to set up her own wisdom, in opposition to
her mother’s commands, rather than be laughed at, and despised by
her friends. You are therefore to observe, that if you would steadily
persevere in virtue, you must have resolution enough to stand the sneers
of those who would allure you to vice; for it is the constant practice
of the vicious, to endeavour to allure others to follow their example,
by an affected contempt and ridicule of virtue.
‘By the Princess Hebe’s being drawn at last beyond the prescribed
bounds, by the cries and entreaties of that insidious girl, you are to
learn, that whatever appearance of virtue any action may be attended
with, yet if it makes you go contrary to the commands of those who know
better what is for your good, than you do your selves, and who can see
farther into the consequences of actions than can your tender years, it
will certainly lead you into error and misfortune; and you find, as soon
as the princess had once overleaped the bounds, another plausible excuse
arose to carry her on; and by a false fear of incurring her mother’s
displeasure, she really deserved that displeasure, and was soon reduced
into the power of her enemy.
‘The princess, you see, could have no happiness till she returned again
to her obedience, and had confessed her fault. And though in this story
all this is brought about by fairies, yet the moral of it is, that
whenever we give way to our passions, and act contrary to our duty, we
must be miserable.
‘But let me once more observe to you, that these fairies are only
intended to amuse you; for remember that the misery which attended the
Princess Hebe, on her disobedience, was the natural consequence of that
disobedience, as well as the natural consequence of her amendment and
return to her duty, was content and happiness for the rest of her life.’
Here good Mrs. Teachum ceased, and Miss Jenny, in the name of the
company, thanked her for her kind instructions, and promised that they
would endeavour, to the utmost of their power, to imprint them on their
memory for the rest of their lives.