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 r