Page:History of the sleeping beauty in the wood.pdf/14

14 such an occasion, so that the chapel was soon swept, the crimson velvet hangings neatly brushed, and the beeksbooks [sic] nicely dusted.

When all was ready, my lord almener led the way in his canonical robes, with his mitre on his head, and preceded by half a dozen servants in thothe [sic] richest liveries that can be imagined, bearing each a lighted torch,— then followed six beautiful boys in white surplices, with censers in their hands, perfuming the air with the most aromatic sweets,—after them followed the prince and princess, hand in hand; they walked in silence, but thothe [sic] delight which sparkled in their eyes showed how well pleased they were,—next followed the maids of honour, the gentlemen and ladies of the bed-chamber, the lords in waiting, and in short the whole court. They were all magnificently dressed, but, as yeuyou [sic] may suppose, their clothes were rather old-fashioned. So soon as the ceremony was performed, they returned to a magnificent banquet where the company enjoyed themselves to a very late hour.

The next merningmorning [sic], the prince reflected that he had been guilty of a very great fault in marrying without having previously asked the consent of his parents; hohe [sic] was in great perplexity how he should get over this reprehensible act of disobedience, and at last concluded that he would say nothing about it, until a favourable opportunity offered; not but what he could readily have obtained the pardon of the king his father, who was a very good and benevolent man, but the queen his mother was descended from the race of cannibal giants called Ogres; and though some generations had passed, she still retained their horrid inclinations, and had all the difficulty in the world, when she saw little children pass to refrain from falling on them, and eating them up.

The prince, therefore, resolved not to say one word at home of his marriage, and took the opportunity, under pretence of hunting, to visit his beautiful princossprincess [sic] threothree [sic] or four times a-week. He lived in this way some years, and had in that time two children; the eldest of which, who was a daughter, was named M, and the youngest, who was a son, they called D, because he was much handsomer and more beautiful than his sister.