She had been received by her subjects with transports of joy as great as those of grief which her loss had occasioned them. She had always loved them dearly, and her will being now unfettered, she proved as much, by showering upon them for many centuries all the benefits they could desire. Her power, assisted by the friendship of the Queen of the Fairies, preserved the life, health, and youth of the King, her husband, for ages. He only ceased to exist because no mortal can live for ever. The Queen and the Fairy, her sister, were equally attentive to Beauty, her husband, the Queen, his mother, the old man, and all his family, so that there never was known people who lived so long. The Queen, mother of the Prince, caused this marvellous history to be recorded in the archives of her kingdom and in those of the Happy Island, that it might be handed down to posterity. They also disseminated copies of it throughout the Universe, so that the world at large might never cease to talk of the wonderful adventures of Beauty and the Beast. FOOTNOTES: [16] I have not thought it necessary to alter these initials, signifying those of "La Belle." [17] A South American tribe (genus _Erbus_), distinguished from all other monkeys for their gentleness and intelligence. There are many varieties,--the white-fronted, the horned, the large-headed, the golden-footed, the weeper, &c., and their differences in colour are very considerable. [18] Perhaps an allusion to the New Theatre in the Rue des Fosses, St. Germain. Vide page 272, note. [19] At this period, the Grand Opera, or "Académie Royal de Musique," under the direction of the celebrated Lulli, was located at the Theatre du Palais Royal, which had been occupied by Molière from 1660 to his death in 1673. It was opened in 1674, with the opera of _Alceste_, and destroyed by fire on the 6th of April, 1763. [20] Of this celebrated Fair a notice will be found in the notes to the Fairy Tales of Madame d'Aulnoy, page 65. It was visited by the royal family, and may be said to have been the birthplace of the opera comique and the vaudeville of France. It was suppressed in 1789. [21] The most celebrated was that of Brioche, who is said to have been the inventor of that species of entertainment. [22] Le Sage and other equally celebrated authors wrote for this theatre.