References to Artamenes in The Female Quixote
Book I Chapter XII
“But true repentance, as I was saying, not only produces Reformation, but the Person who is possessed of it voluntarily punishes himself for the Faults he has been guilty of. Thus Mazares, deeply repenting of the Crime his Passion for the divine Mandana had forced him to commit; as a Punishment, obliged himself to follow the Fortune of his glorious Rival; obey all his Commands; and, fighting under his Banners, assist him to gain the Possession of his adored Mistress. Such a glorious Instance of Self-denial was, indeed, a sufficient Proof of his Repentance; and infinitely more convincing than the Silence he imposed upon himself with respect to his Passion” (Lennox 47)
After Mr. Glanville offends Arabella by being too frank with his love for her, Arabella demands that he obey the laws of romance and treat her with “distance and respect” (Lennox 46). Arabella is pleased with his new behavior, but still does not believe he is showing the proper signs of true repentance. In the quote above, Arabella refers to a plotline from Artamenes; Mazares abducted the princess Mandana, but, realizing his fault, repented and came back into Mandana’s good graces by “obeying” Mandana’s true love, Cyrus (or, Artamenes), and even helping him obtain Mandana from subsequent kidnappers. And this is all to get Mandana to merely think positively of him again, not for her love. The fact that Mandana can control Mazares like this is a testament to her female authority within the romance, and this is the same authority Arabella tries to exercise here.
Book III Chapter I
Why, sure, Lady Bella, said Miss Glanville, it would be no such Crime for my Brother to love you!
But it was a mortal Crime to tell me so, interrupted Arabella.
And why was it such a mortal Crime to tell you so, said Miss Glanville? Are you the first Woman by Millions, that has been told so?
Doubtless, returned Arabella, I am the first Woman of my Quality, that ever was told so by any Man, till after an infinite Number of Services, and secret Sufferings: And truly, I am of the illustrious Mandana’s Mind; for she said, That she should think it an unpardonable Presumption, for the greatest King on Earth to tell her he loved her, tho’ after Ten Years of the most faithful Services, and concealed Torments” (Lennox 111).
Here Arabella reveals a few things. First, she shows what high self-esteem she has, presuming to have a very extraordinary “quality.” But also, she professes a code for love which is counter-social and which makes no sense to the culturally-savvy Miss Glanville. Instead of being flattered and pleased with the first man that might show interest in her, Arabella intends to make a potential suitor prove his love quite strenuously; ten years of “faithful services and concealed torments” is barely enough time for a man to attest to his love. Marriage, for Arabella, should not be arranged or forced, but should be based on an active, zealous love on the part of the man, over which the woman has the final say.
Book III Chapter VII
“Let us not waste the time in idle Reproaches, said Arabella: If my Rigour has brought your Brother into this Condition, my Compassion can draw him out of it: It is no more than what all do suffer, who are possessed of a violent Passion; and few Lovers ever arrive to the Possession of their Mistresses, without being several times brought almost to their Graves, either by their Severity, or some other Cause: But nothing is more easy, than to work for a Cure, in these Cases; for the very Sight of the Person beloved sometimes does it, as it happened to Artamenes, when the divine Mandana condescended to visit him” (Lennox 132).
Throughout the novel, Arabella seems to see herself as possessing a near mythical power, which allows her to control the health, life, and death of men. At this point, Mr. Glanville is suffering from a serious illness, and Miss Glanville has come to Arabella to send for their father, since it is predicted that he will die. Arabella assumes he is sick because of his “passion” for her, but has neglected to see him until this point. Arabella goes to visit him and commands that he recover, but instead, his fever gets worse and his prognosis looks grim. Arabella chides him for disobeying him, and takes her command one step further: he may live, and he may also love her. The narrative continues, “Make me no Reply, said she, putting her Hand on his Mouth; but begin from this Moment to obey me” (Lennox 136). And indeed, Mr. Glanville recovers shortly after the command. Arabella takes this as more evidence that the authority bestowed on women, and described in Artamenes, is real and efficacious.
Book VII Chapter VIII
“’Tis true, reply’d Arabella, that I did desire you to partake with me of a pleasing and rational Amusement. For such I imagin’d Mr. Tinsel’s Histories might afford; far from a Detail of Vices, Follies, and Irregularities, I expected to have heard the Adventures of some Illustrious Personages related; between those Actions, and those of the Heroes and Heroines of Antiquity, I might have found some Resemblance.
For Instance, I hop’d to have heard imitated the sublime Courage of a Clelia, who, to save her Honour from the Attempts of the impious Tarquin, leap’d into the River Tyber, and swam to the other Side; or the noble Resolution of the incomparable Candace, who, to escape out of the Hands of her Ravisher, the Pirate Zenodorus, set Fire to his Vessel with her own Hands, and committed herself to the Mercy of the Waves: Or, the Constancy and Affection of a Mandana, who, for the Sake of Cyrus, refused the richest Crowns in the World, and braved the Terrors of Death to preserve herself for him” (Lennox 277-8).
Instead of dancing and engaging in frivolous activities at the ball, Arabella rather wants to hear the stories of Mr. Tinsel, which she assumes will be for her education and moral improvement. She is disappointed in what she actual hears from Mr. Tinsel, and instead wishes she had heard stories more in line with the adventures of the heroines in her favorite romances. What is interesting about the instances that she lists here are the attributes she assigns to her heroines: courage, nobility, bravery, etc. She chooses to focus on instances of daring and resolution from her heroines, traits that are more associated with men, and insists she could learn more from these.
Book VII Chapter XIII
“Well, Sir, said Arabella upon his Entrance, you have I suppose, given your Rival his Liberty. I assure you this Generosity is highly agreeable to me—And herein you imitate the noble Artamenes, who upon a like Occasion, acted as you have done….I perceive, pursued she, seeing Mr. Glanville continued silent, with his eyes bent on the Ground, for indeed he was asham’d to look up; that you would willingly avoid the Praise due to the heroick action you have just perform’d—Nay, I suppose you are resolv’d to keep it secret if possible; yet I must tell you, that you will not escape the Glory due to it. Glory is as necessarily the Result of a virtuous Action, as Light is an Effect of the Sun which causeth it, and has no Dependence on any other Cause; since a virtuous Action continues still the same, tho’ it be done without Testimony; and glory, which is, as one may say born with it, constantly attends it, tho’ the Action be not known.
….Mr. Glanville, who was charm’d into an Extacy at this sensible Speech of Arabella’s, forgot in an Instant all her Absurdities” (Lennox 303-4).
Mr. Glanville and Mr. Tinsel have just had a heated exchange about Arabella; Mr. Tinsel angrily insisted she is “mad,” and Mr. Glanville threatened to “despoil” his face of a nose if he saw him again. Arabella is not aware of the actual discourse that took place in her absence, but she assumes that Mr. Glanville has nobly defended her honor. Here she praises him, first referencing Artamenes own treatment of his rival, and then, noticing his shame (which Arabella takes for modesty) praises his humility in a way that seems agreeable and even socially acceptable to both Sir Charles and Mr. Glanville. Here is one instance where Arabella is able to articulate values which are sensible and rational to both her and her audience, which is rare in The Female Quixote, which shows that there are some traits of romance which transcend cultural difference.
“But true repentance, as I was saying, not only produces Reformation, but the Person who is possessed of it voluntarily punishes himself for the Faults he has been guilty of. Thus Mazares, deeply repenting of the Crime his Passion for the divine Mandana had forced him to commit; as a Punishment, obliged himself to follow the Fortune of his glorious Rival; obey all his Commands; and, fighting under his Banners, assist him to gain the Possession of his adored Mistress. Such a glorious Instance of Self-denial was, indeed, a sufficient Proof of his Repentance; and infinitely more convincing than the Silence he imposed upon himself with respect to his Passion” (Lennox 47)
After Mr. Glanville offends Arabella by being too frank with his love for her, Arabella demands that he obey the laws of romance and treat her with “distance and respect” (Lennox 46). Arabella is pleased with his new behavior, but still does not believe he is showing the proper signs of true repentance. In the quote above, Arabella refers to a plotline from Artamenes; Mazares abducted the princess Mandana, but, realizing his fault, repented and came back into Mandana’s good graces by “obeying” Mandana’s true love, Cyrus (or, Artamenes), and even helping him obtain Mandana from subsequent kidnappers. And this is all to get Mandana to merely think positively of him again, not for her love. The fact that Mandana can control Mazares like this is a testament to her female authority within the romance, and this is the same authority Arabella tries to exercise here.
Book III Chapter I
Why, sure, Lady Bella, said Miss Glanville, it would be no such Crime for my Brother to love you!
But it was a mortal Crime to tell me so, interrupted Arabella.
And why was it such a mortal Crime to tell you so, said Miss Glanville? Are you the first Woman by Millions, that has been told so?
Doubtless, returned Arabella, I am the first Woman of my Quality, that ever was told so by any Man, till after an infinite Number of Services, and secret Sufferings: And truly, I am of the illustrious Mandana’s Mind; for she said, That she should think it an unpardonable Presumption, for the greatest King on Earth to tell her he loved her, tho’ after Ten Years of the most faithful Services, and concealed Torments” (Lennox 111).
Here Arabella reveals a few things. First, she shows what high self-esteem she has, presuming to have a very extraordinary “quality.” But also, she professes a code for love which is counter-social and which makes no sense to the culturally-savvy Miss Glanville. Instead of being flattered and pleased with the first man that might show interest in her, Arabella intends to make a potential suitor prove his love quite strenuously; ten years of “faithful services and concealed torments” is barely enough time for a man to attest to his love. Marriage, for Arabella, should not be arranged or forced, but should be based on an active, zealous love on the part of the man, over which the woman has the final say.
Book III Chapter VII
“Let us not waste the time in idle Reproaches, said Arabella: If my Rigour has brought your Brother into this Condition, my Compassion can draw him out of it: It is no more than what all do suffer, who are possessed of a violent Passion; and few Lovers ever arrive to the Possession of their Mistresses, without being several times brought almost to their Graves, either by their Severity, or some other Cause: But nothing is more easy, than to work for a Cure, in these Cases; for the very Sight of the Person beloved sometimes does it, as it happened to Artamenes, when the divine Mandana condescended to visit him” (Lennox 132).
Throughout the novel, Arabella seems to see herself as possessing a near mythical power, which allows her to control the health, life, and death of men. At this point, Mr. Glanville is suffering from a serious illness, and Miss Glanville has come to Arabella to send for their father, since it is predicted that he will die. Arabella assumes he is sick because of his “passion” for her, but has neglected to see him until this point. Arabella goes to visit him and commands that he recover, but instead, his fever gets worse and his prognosis looks grim. Arabella chides him for disobeying him, and takes her command one step further: he may live, and he may also love her. The narrative continues, “Make me no Reply, said she, putting her Hand on his Mouth; but begin from this Moment to obey me” (Lennox 136). And indeed, Mr. Glanville recovers shortly after the command. Arabella takes this as more evidence that the authority bestowed on women, and described in Artamenes, is real and efficacious.
Book VII Chapter VIII
“’Tis true, reply’d Arabella, that I did desire you to partake with me of a pleasing and rational Amusement. For such I imagin’d Mr. Tinsel’s Histories might afford; far from a Detail of Vices, Follies, and Irregularities, I expected to have heard the Adventures of some Illustrious Personages related; between those Actions, and those of the Heroes and Heroines of Antiquity, I might have found some Resemblance.
For Instance, I hop’d to have heard imitated the sublime Courage of a Clelia, who, to save her Honour from the Attempts of the impious Tarquin, leap’d into the River Tyber, and swam to the other Side; or the noble Resolution of the incomparable Candace, who, to escape out of the Hands of her Ravisher, the Pirate Zenodorus, set Fire to his Vessel with her own Hands, and committed herself to the Mercy of the Waves: Or, the Constancy and Affection of a Mandana, who, for the Sake of Cyrus, refused the richest Crowns in the World, and braved the Terrors of Death to preserve herself for him” (Lennox 277-8).
Instead of dancing and engaging in frivolous activities at the ball, Arabella rather wants to hear the stories of Mr. Tinsel, which she assumes will be for her education and moral improvement. She is disappointed in what she actual hears from Mr. Tinsel, and instead wishes she had heard stories more in line with the adventures of the heroines in her favorite romances. What is interesting about the instances that she lists here are the attributes she assigns to her heroines: courage, nobility, bravery, etc. She chooses to focus on instances of daring and resolution from her heroines, traits that are more associated with men, and insists she could learn more from these.
Book VII Chapter XIII
“Well, Sir, said Arabella upon his Entrance, you have I suppose, given your Rival his Liberty. I assure you this Generosity is highly agreeable to me—And herein you imitate the noble Artamenes, who upon a like Occasion, acted as you have done….I perceive, pursued she, seeing Mr. Glanville continued silent, with his eyes bent on the Ground, for indeed he was asham’d to look up; that you would willingly avoid the Praise due to the heroick action you have just perform’d—Nay, I suppose you are resolv’d to keep it secret if possible; yet I must tell you, that you will not escape the Glory due to it. Glory is as necessarily the Result of a virtuous Action, as Light is an Effect of the Sun which causeth it, and has no Dependence on any other Cause; since a virtuous Action continues still the same, tho’ it be done without Testimony; and glory, which is, as one may say born with it, constantly attends it, tho’ the Action be not known.
….Mr. Glanville, who was charm’d into an Extacy at this sensible Speech of Arabella’s, forgot in an Instant all her Absurdities” (Lennox 303-4).
Mr. Glanville and Mr. Tinsel have just had a heated exchange about Arabella; Mr. Tinsel angrily insisted she is “mad,” and Mr. Glanville threatened to “despoil” his face of a nose if he saw him again. Arabella is not aware of the actual discourse that took place in her absence, but she assumes that Mr. Glanville has nobly defended her honor. Here she praises him, first referencing Artamenes own treatment of his rival, and then, noticing his shame (which Arabella takes for modesty) praises his humility in a way that seems agreeable and even socially acceptable to both Sir Charles and Mr. Glanville. Here is one instance where Arabella is able to articulate values which are sensible and rational to both her and her audience, which is rare in The Female Quixote, which shows that there are some traits of romance which transcend cultural difference.
