It is so called from the queen or governess of a numerous tribe of
faeries, which tradition assures us anciently held their court here; and
as there may be some of my readers who may like at the moonlit hour to
be entertained at one of Jannet's banquets, I will give an idea as to
the mode of obtaining admission into such society.... On the evening
when I first learned the mystic lore, the golden sun had kissed every
flower, even unto the retiring lily, and was gliding westward when, from
the heart's couch of a moss rose, there came the eldest daughter of
faeryland, probably the self-same Jannet's daughter, saying:--
'I have come from whence
Peace with white sceptre wafting to and fro,
Smooths the wide bosom of the Elysian world,'
and who, upon being informed that I was desirous of swearing allegiance
to her sweet mother, said that she would bring intelligence whether I
might be admitted to her pretty vassalage; she then bade her attendants
bring her car, which was a leaf of a favourite hyacinth, drawn by two
lady-birds who were guided by reins of gossamer; the mellow horn of the
herald bee summoned her attendants, who, to the number of twenty, obeyed
the call; and taking the coronets from off their brows, made low
obeisance to their young princess, which she pleasingly acknowledged.
Then they each captured a sphere of thistle-down, and seating themselves
thereon, followed their princess; who, attended by her guards, each
armed with a maiden's eye-lash, journeyed onwards towards the realms of
enchanted ground. I should think that not many minutes elapsed when the
cavalcade returned, and the charter written upon the leaf of a
'forget-me-not,' with the gold from a butterfly's wing, was placed into
my hand by 'a fay,' with injunctions not to divulge the secrets of the
order. I would have promised but awoke from this pleasant dream."
We will now read Montagu's description of the Fairy Janet, and a fairy
coming to him at sundown when adapted by Charlotte Brontë in _Jane
Eyre_.
Adèle asks Rochester whether she is to go to school without her
governess, Jane Eyre:--
"Yes," he replied; ... "for I am to take mademoiselle to the moon,
and there I shall seek a cave in one of the white valleys among
the volcano tops, and mademoiselle shall live with me there, and
only me."
"... But you can't get her there...."
"Adèle ... late one evening ... I sat down to rest me on a stile
... when something came up the path.... Our speechless colloquy
was to this effect--
"It was a fairy, and come from Elf-land, it said.... It told me of
the alabaster cave and silver vale.... I said I should like to
go.... 'Oh,' returned the fairy.... 'Here is a talisman which will
remove all difficulties' and she held out a pretty gold ring...."
"But what has mademoiselle [Jane Eyre] to do with it? I don't care
for the fairy...."
"Mademoiselle [Jane Eyre] is a fairy," he said, whispering
mysteriously.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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