The prince followed him with his eyes, and then gave way to bitter
repining. The singing of the birds which once delighted him, now added
to his bitterness. Love! love! love! Alas, poor youth! he now
understood the strain.
His eyes flashed fire when next he beheld the sage Bonabben. "Why
hast thou kept me in this abject ignorance?" cried he. "Why has the
great mystery and principle of life been withheld from me, in which
I find the meanest insect is so learned? Behold all nature is in a
revel of delight. Every created being rejoices with its mate. This-
this is the love about which I have sought instruction. Why am I alone
debarred its enjoyment? Why has so much of my youth been wasted
without a knowledge of its raptures?"
The sage Bonabben saw that all further reserve was useless; for
the prince had acquired the dangerous and forbidden knowledge. He
revealed to him, therefore, the predictions of the astrologers, and
the precautions that had been taken in his education to avert the
threatened evils. "And now, my prince," added he, "my life is in
your hands. Let the king your father discover that you have learned
the passion of love while under my guardianship, and my head must
answer for it."
The prince was as reasonable as most young men of his age, and
easily listened to the remonstrances of his tutor, since nothing
pleaded against them. Besides, he really was attached to Eben
Bonabben, and being as yet but theoretically acquainted with the
passion of love, he consented to confine the knowledge of it to his
own bosom, rather than endanger the head of the philosopher.
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