Believe not every handsome knight,
And dance not with the Water-Spright!*

* As I have taken great liberties with this Ballad, and have been much questioned as to my share in it, I fhall here fubjoin a literal transJation:

THE WATER-MAN.

"Oh! mother, give me good counsel; "How fhall I obtain the lovely maid ?".

She form'd for him a horse of clear water,
With a bridle and faddle of fand.

She arm'd him like a gallant knight,
Then rode he into Mary's churchyard.

He bound his horfe to the church door,
And paced round the church three times and four,

The Waterman enter'd the church;

The people throng'd about him both great and small.

The priest was then standing at the altar.
"Who can yonder white chieftain be ?"-

The lovely maiden laugh'd afide

"Oh! would the white chieftain were for me!"

He ftepp'd over one ftool, and over two;
--"Oh! maiden, give me thy faith and troth !"—

He stepp'd over ftools three and four,
"Oh! lovely maiden go with me!"

The lovely maid gave him her hand.

"There hast thou my troth; I follow thee readily."-

They

They went out with the wedding guests:
They danced gaily, and without thought of danger.

They danced on till they reached the strand :
And now they were alone hand in hand.

-"Lovely maiden, hold my horse :

"The prettieft little veffel will I bring for you."--

And when they came to the white fand,

All the ships made to land.

And when they came to deep water
The lovely maiden fank to the ground.

Long heard they who stood on the shore,

How the lovely maiden fhriek'd among the waves,

I advise you, damfels, as earnestly as I can,
Dance not with the Water-man,

No

No. XII.

THE FIRE-KING.

THE BLESSINGS OF THE EVIL GENII, WHICH ARE CURSES "WERE UPON HIM."

Eastern Tale.

ORIGINAL. -WALTER SCOTT.

(By the translator of Goethe's "Goetz of Berlichingen.") For more of this gentleman's Ballads, both original and translated, see "Glenfinlas," and the Poems following it.

BOLD knights and fair dames, to my harp give an ear,
Of love, and of war, and of wonder to hear,
And you haply may figh in the midst of your glee
At the tale of Count Albert and fair Rofalię.

O fee you that caftle, fo ftrong and fo high?
And fee you that lady, the tear in her eye?
And fee you that palmer, from Paleftine's land,
The fhell on his hat, and the staff in his hand?

"Now

"Now palmer, grey palmer, O tell unto me "What news bring you home from the Holy Countrie; "And how goes the warfare by Gallilee's ftrand, "And how fare our nobles, the flower of the land ?"

"O well goes the warfare by Gallilee's wave, "For Gilead, and Nablous, and Ramah we have, "And well fare our nobles by Mount Libanon, "For the Heathen have loft, and the Chriftians have won.".

A rich chain of gold mid her ringlets there hung; That chain o'er the palmer's grey locks has fhe flung; "-Oh! palmer, grey palmer, this chain be thy fee, "For the news thou haft brought from the Eaft Countric.

"And palmer, good palmer, by Gallilee's wave, "O faw ye Count Albert, the gentle and brave?

"When the Crefcent went back, and the Red-cross rufh'd

"O faw

on,

ye

him foremoft on Mount Libanon ?"

"O lady, fair lady, the tree green it grows, "O lady, fair lady, the ftream pure it flows,

"Your castle ftands ftrong, and your hopes foar on high, "But lady, fair lady, all bloffoms to die.

"The green boughs they wither, the thunderbolt falls, "It leaves of your caftle but levin-fcorch'd walls,

"The

"The pure ftream runs muddy, the gay hope is gone, "Count Albert is taken on Mount Libanon."

O fhe's ta'en a horse should be fleet at her speed,
And she's ta'en a fword fhould be sharp at her need,
And she has ta'en fhipping for Palestine's land,
To ranfom Count Albert from Soldanrie's hand.

Small thought had Count Albert on fair Rofalie,
Small thought on his faith, or his knighthood had he;
A heathenifh damfel his light heart had won,
The Soldan's fair daughter of Mount Libanon.

"Oh! Chriftian, brave Chriftian, my love would't thou be?

"Three things must thou do ere I hearken to thee"Our laws and our worship on thee fhalt thou take, "And this thou fhalt firft do for Zulema's fake.

"And next in the cavern, where burns evermore
"The myftical flame which the Curdmans adore,
"Alone and in filence three nights fhalt thou wake,
“And this thou shalt next do for Zulema's fake.

"And laft, thou fhalt aid us with council and hand,
"To drive the Frank robbers from Paleftine's land;
"For my lord and my love then Count Albert l'il take,
"When all this is accomplish'd for Zulema's fake."-

He