The Governess [The Little Female Academy]

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THE FAIRY TALE CONTINUED.

'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.

SATURDAY.
THE SIXTH DAY.

It was the custom on Saturdays to have no school in the afternoon,
and it being also their writing day from morning-school till
dinner, Mrs. Teachum, knowing how eager Miss Jenny's hearers were
for the rest of the story, accompanied them into the arbour, early
in the afternoon, when Miss Jenny went on as follows:

THE FAIRY TALE CONTINUED.

The queen and the Princess Hebe remained, by the good fairy's
desire, in her habitation during her absence. They spent their
time in serenity and content; the princess daily improving herself
in wisdom and goodness, by hearkening to her mother's instructions,
and obeying all her commands, and the queen in studying what would
be of most use to her child. She had now forgot her throne and
palace, and desired nothing for her, than her present peaceful
retreat. One morning, as they were sitting in a little arbour at
the corner of a pleasant meadow, on a sudden they heard a voice,
much sweeter than they had ever heard, warble through the following song:

A SONG.

Virtue, soft balm of every woe,
Of ev'ry grief the cure,
'Tis thou alone that canst best bestow
Pleasures unmix'd and pure.

The shady wood, the verdant mead,
Are Virtue's flow'ry road;
Nor painful are the steps which lead
To her divine abode.

'Tis not in palaces of halls,
She or their train appear;
Far off she flies from pompous walls;
Virtue and Peace dwell here.

The queen was all attention, and at the end of the song she gazed
around her, in hopes of seeing the person whose enchanting voice
she had been so eagerly listening to, when she espied a young
shepherdess, not much older than the Princess Hebe, but possessed
of such uncommon and dazzling beauty, that it was some time before
she could disengage her eyes from so agreeable an object. As soon
as the young shepherdess found herself observed, she seemed
modestly to offer to withdraw; but the queen begged her not to go
till she had informed them who she was, that, with such a
commanding aspect, had so much engaged them in her favour.

The shepherdess coming forward, with a bashful blush, and profound
obedience, answered, that her name was Rozella, and she was the
daughter of a neighbouring shepherd and shepherdess, who lived
about a quarter of a mile from thence; and, to confess the truth,
she had wandered thither, in hopes of seeing the young stranger,
whose fame for beauty and wisdom had filled all that country
round.

The Princess Hebe, well knowing of whom she spoke, conceived from
that moment such an inclination fur her acquaintance, that she
begged her to stay and spend that whole day with them in Placid
Grove. Here the queen frowned upon her, for she had, by the
fairy's desire, charged her never to bring any one, without her
permission, into that peaceful grove.

The young Rozella answered, that nothing could be more agreeable
to her inclinations; but she must be at home by noon, for so in
the morning had her father commanded her, and never yet in her
life had she either disputed or disobeyed her parent's commands.
Here the young princess looked on her mother with eyes expressive
of her joy at finding a companion, which she, and even the fairy
herself, could not disapprove.

When Rozella took her leave, she begged the favour that the little
Hebe (for so she called her, not knowing her to be a princess)
might come to her father's small cottage, and there partake such
homely fare as it afforded; a welcome, she said, she could insure
her; and though poor, yet from the honesty of her parents, who
would be proud to entertain so rare a beauty, she was certain no
sort of harm could happen to the pretty Hebe, from such a friendly
visit; and she would be in the same place again tomorrow, to meet
her, in hopes, as she said, to conduct her to her humble habitation.

When Rozella was gone, the queen, though highly possessed in her
favour, both by her beauty and modest behaviour, yet pondered some
time on the thought, whether or no she was a fit companion for her
daughter. She remembered what Sybella had told her, concerning
Brunetta's adorning young shepherdesses with beauty, and other
excellences, only to enable them the better to allure and entice
others into wickedness. Rozella's beginning her acquaintance too
with the princess, by flattery, had no good aspect; and the sudden
effect it had upon her, so as to make her forget, or wilfully
disobey, her commands, by inviting Rozella to Placid Grove, were
circumstances which greatly alarmed her. But, by the repeated
entreaties of the princess, she gave her consent that she should
meet Rozella the next day, and walk with her in that meadow, and
in the wood, but upon no account should she go home with her, or
bring Rozella back with her. The queen then, in gentle terms,
chid the princess for her invitation to the young shepherdess,
which was contrary to an absolute command; and said, 'You must, my
dear Hebe, be very careful to guard yourself extremely well
against those temptations which wear the face of virtue. I know
that your sudden affection to this apparent good girl, and your
desire of her company, to partake with you the innocent pleasures
of this happy place, arise from a good disposition; but where the
indulgence of the most laudable passion, even benevolence and
compassion itself, interferes with, or runs counter to your duty,
you must endeavour to suppress it, or it will fare with you, as it
did with that hen, who, thinking that she heard the voice of a
little duckling in distress, flew from her young ones, to go and
give it assistance, and following the cry, came at last to a
hedge, out of which jumped a subtle and wicked fox, who had made
that noise to deceive her, and devoured her in an instant. A kite
at the same time, taking advantage of her absence, carried away,
one by one, all her little innocent brood, robbed of that parent
who should have been their protector.' The princess promised her
mother that she would punctually obey all her commands, and be
very watchful and observant of everything Rozella said and did,
till she had approved herself worthy of her confidence and
friendship.

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