Vertue Rewarded facts for kids
Title page
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| Author | Unknown |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Language | Early Modern English |
| Genre | Romance novel Conduct book |
| Set in | Clonmel, 1690 |
| Publisher | Richard Bentley |
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Publication date
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1693 |
| Media type | |
| 823.4 | |
Vertue Rewarded; or, The Irish Princess is an old book from 1693. It was published in London, England. This book is one of the first stories written in English from Ireland.
Only two original copies of this book still exist today. One copy is kept safe in the Bodleian Library. The other copy is at the British Museum.
What is Vertue Rewarded About?
This story takes place in Clonmel, Ireland, in August 1690. The main character is a young Irish Protestant woman named Marinda. She falls in love with a European prince. This prince is part of the army of William of Orange. William of Orange was a powerful leader at that time.
The book also tells two other stories inside the main one. One story is about an old Irish princess named Cluaneesha. Her tale is set in Ireland long before the Normans arrived. The second story is about a character named Faniaca. Faniaca is an Indigenous American person. Their story happens during the time when the Spanish took over the Inca Empire.
Why is Vertue Rewarded Important?
This book is important because it mixes different types of stories. It combines romance, which is about love, with history and old folk tales. Some experts have noticed it is similar to another famous book called Oroonoko.
The book's title, "Virtue Rewarded," means that good behavior gets a prize. This exact title was not used in other books from that time.
Some people who study books have pointed out interesting things about Vertue Rewarded. For example, the story mostly focuses on English-speaking characters. It does not include much about the "wild Irish," which was a term for the native Irish people. Marinda, the main character, is a Protestant and likely has English family roots.
The story about Faniaca in Peru also makes the book feel like it's showing faraway, unusual places. Many believe that someone from the British families who moved to Ireland after the Williamite conquest wrote this book. Some have even called it a type of anti-Irish message.
