While she was thus occupied,
her mother, the fairy, entered with such a dreadful noise that Leander
started out of his sleep. But how deeply was he afflicted, to behold
his beloved princess in the most deplorable condition! Her mother
dragged her by the hair, and loaded her with a thousand bitter
reproaches. In what grief and consternation were the two young lovers,
who saw themselves now upon the point of being separated for ever! The
princess durst not open her lips, but cast her eyes upon Leander, as
if to beg his assistance. He judged rightly, that he ought not to deal
rudely with a power superior to his own, and therefore he sought, by
his eloquence and submission, to move the incensed fairy. He ran to
her, threw himself at her feet, and besought her to have pity upon a
young prince, who would never change in his affection for her
daughter. The princess, encouraged, also embraced her mother's knees,
and declared that without Leander she should never be happy.
"Happy!" cried the fairy, "you know not the miseries of love, nor the
treacheries of which lovers are capable. They bewitch us only to
poison our lives; I have known it by experience; and will you suffer
the same?"
"Is there no exception, madam?" replied Leander, and his countenance
showed him to be one.
But neither tears nor entreaties could move the implacable fairy; and
it is very probable that she would never have pardoned them, had not
the lovely Gentilla appeared at that instant in the chamber, more
brilliant than the sun.
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