Ep. 1216 - Prince Darling, Pt. 3

One of the Prince’s favourite companions was his foster-brother, whom he trusted entirely; but he was not at all a good man, and gave Prince Darling very bad advice, and encouraged him in all his evil ways. When he saw the Prince so downcast he asked what was the matter, and when he explained that he could not bear Celia’s bad opinion of him, and was resolved to be a better man in order to please her, this evil adviser said to him:

‘You are very kind to trouble yourself about this little girl; if I were you I would soon make her obey me. Remember that you are a king, and that it would be laughable to see you trying to please a shepherdess, who ought to be only too glad to be one of your slaves. Keep her in prison, and feed her on bread and water for a little while, and then, if she still says she will not marry you, have her head cut off, to teach other people that you mean to be obeyed. Why, if you cannot make a girl like that do as you wish, your subjects will soon forget that they are only put into the world for our pleasure.’

‘But,’ said Prince Darling, ‘would it not be a shame if I had an innocent girl put to death? For Celia really has done nothing to deserve punishment.’

‘If people will not do as you tell them they ought to suffer for it,’ answered his foster-brother; ‘but even if it were unjust, you had better be accused of that by your subjects than that they should find out that they may insult and thwart you as often as they please.’