for behind you, on your horse, sits S. Gertrude, whom you lately pledged."

With these words, the Archfiend disappeared, and a light vapour of sulphur suffused the air.

The knight was saved, the love of Gertrude had sanctified him. But he still found in his dwelling a large treasure, which, at Gertrude's wish, he bestowed on a holy institution, and further, in order to be worthy of the favour of Heaven, he dedicated his remaining days to a life of penitence, and to the service of God, by retiring into a monastery.

LEGEND OF THE LURLEI.

LORELEI.

days of yore, fortresses and castles, as well as woods and rivers, were believed

to be peopled by fairies and witches, who were supposed to have either an influence for good or evil over mankind, so has the Rhine been pre-eminently the spot connected with many beautiful and romantic stories of water nymphs, undines, and hobgoblins, which have been handed down from father to son, and so preserved to our times.

But no place of our Fatherland is more fitted for these stories, which have always some historical foundation to give in some measure support and colouring to them, than the banks of the middle and upper Rhine, in some parts richly beautiful, in others awfully grand. The appearance of the rocks, rising as it were out of the water, and stretching heavenward, sometimes perpendicular, sometimes gently sloping,

M

the singular shapes of the mountains, the noise with which the water breaks through the rocky portals, and rushes over the masses of stone precipitated into the bed of the river, might easily lead one to imagine oneself in fairy land, and the favourite resort of those beings upon whom the imagination delights to dwell.

One of the most well known and favourite stories is that of the water nymph Lore, who had her abode on the Ley, a rock situated above S. Goarshausen, which on that account was called the Lurlei. She appeared to boatmen in a beautiful form, standing on the summit of these rocks. Her drapery and veil, of the colour of the green water, flowed gracefully over her delicately formed limbs, her long light hair flowed over her shoulders, and whoever beheld her countenance could never forget the glance of her deeply expressive eyes.

The beneficent fairy bestowed favours and happiness on the good people of the neighbourhood; but showed herself inimical to the wicked and evil doers, and several who went nimbly up the rock, and ventured to deride her power, were overwhelmed by the surging waves, and drawn into the abyss. Those who dared to

climb up to her favourite resort, were precipitated into the shallows, or enticed by her amongst the thorns and bushes, where they lost themselves for many days, and with difficulty regained their freedom.

In these times the Rheinfalz, the neighbouring magnificent island castle, was inhabited by Bruno, Count Palatine, and his only son, a handsome young man, about twenty years of age, who was the flower of chivalry, and the joy of his father. Often and often had the young knight heard of the bewitching Lore on the Lei, and every time he perceived the projecting rock, he longed to catch a glimpse of the water nymph, towards whom he felt drawn by an irresistible power. Hardly a day passed without an inexplicable feeling bringing him at least into the neighbourhood of the mysterious Lei, and hunting and roaming all over the place, or else, with his guitar in hand, he sought a quiet concealed spot, where he poured forth the feelings of his heart in a pathetic melody.

Once towards the close of the evening, he had ventured nearer than ever to the foot of the rock, and was seated in a grotto giving

expression to his feelings in a gentle strain, when raising his eyes there suddenly appeared on the summit of the rock a light of extraordinary brightness and colour which revolved, and gradually condensed, till the bewitching form of the beautiful Lore became visible. Joyful surprise caused the young man to utter an involuntary cry, he let fall his guitar, and with outstretched arms, called the mysterious being by her name, and it appeared to him that she looked down upon him graciously, and beckoned to him; yes, his ear did not deceive him, she murmured his name in an unutterably sweet voice, such as can only be breathed by the lips of love.

His rapture overpowered him, and he fell senseless on the ground. It was not till the morning dawned that he recovered consciousness, and he hastened back to his father's castle in a state of feverish excitement.

From that time Hermann wandered about like one in a dream, thinking of nothing but the beautiful fairy. Whenever he left his home he directed his steps to the Lei, and if the pleasures of hunting enticed him sometimes to a distance in the eastern woods, he was sure