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him, who should reconquer the kingdom of Korentin. Wigalois, arriving at the castle, is well received, struck with the loveliness of her for whom he determines to fight, and sees his love reciprocated. At night, in seeing a burning castle, he is informed that it is castle Korentin, which for the last ten years appeared always to be in flames at night, though in perfect condition during daytime. Wigalois now begins his journey in search of the enemy Roaz, and after many combats and obstacles enters his castle, begins a terrific combat, and finally slays, though himself severely wounded, the heathen, whose wife Jafite, then gives herself up to her grief. When Larie's mother is informed of Wigalois feat she offers him the crown of Korentin, and with it the crown of beauty, her lovely daughter, a prize well deserved, which he only obtains after having sustained another successful struggle against Lion, the murderer of King Amion, and the seducer of Liamere, his wife, a niece of Larie. Wigalois, and his wife Larie, then return to Korentin, where they live happily for many a year, leaving an only son, Lifort Gewanidor. Lady Florie had died a short time before their marriage.

WIRNT, of Grafenberg, after a long experience of the world, convinced of the many frailties of human nature, exclaims, in his bitterness, 'Ich bin wohl inne worden, dass der Welt Freude sinket und ihre Ehre kinket. Das macht die Habsucht, die bösen Sinn und Kargheit mit sich führt. O weh! das ist mein Herzeleid !'

HEINRICH VON DEM TÜRLINS 'Khrone,' (der Aventiure Khrone) appeared in the year 1220, and forms a regular literary olla podrida of the various feats of the knights of the round table. Not satisfied with the various events of that era, sufficiently stirring in themselves, the author lets his imagination run riot, and aims at producing effect by terror-inspiring subjects.

'Wigamur,' or 'der Ritter mit dem Adler,' a poem of the thirteenth century, belonging to the Breton cycle, is very tedious from its frequent repetitions of legendary subjects confusedly heaped up. The author has remained unknown.

Gabriel von Muntavel, like Wigamur, is without the least literary merit, and belongs to the second half of the thirteenth century. The author of it is supposed to be Kunhart von Stoffel.

FOURTH GROUP.

The legends and poems belonging to this Group. are based on the Trojan war, Virgil's Eneas, and the deeds of Alexander the Great; but the authors, by abandoning the classical ground, or

by giving to the subject they treat a Teutonic character, deprive it of its native bloom, and make events and persons appear dry, tedious, and not unfrequently ludicrous. Herbort von Fritzlar wrote his Liet von Troye' at the beginning of the thirteenth century, from the French version of Benoit (Bénévois de Sainte More) belonging to the twelfth century. The poem recites the well-known events of the war, the writer striving hard, but unsuccessfully, to imitate Henry of Veldeck's style. In describing the charms of Helena, he evidently is anxious to do justice to her charms.

Helênâ gar schône was,

als ich ez an dem buoche las:

ir stirne was offenbar,

ir ougen lûter unt clâr,

rôsige wangen, rôter munt,
sueze âdeme, zende gesunt,
blichende kel, arme blanc,
schône hende, fingor lanc.

And so he goes on, describing in glowing language, the dress and ornaments of the lovely Grecian lady.

Konrad von Würzburg treated the same subject in his last poem'' der Trojanische Krieg.'

The ENEID,' by Heinrich von Veldekin, which appeared in German in the year 1184, 'bears the stamp of the refined tone then prevailing at the court of the Landgrave of Thuringia; but the language, though polished and correct in metre, wants the high classical stamp given to Virgil's Æneid.

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The legends of Alexander the Great, belonging to the fourth group, were written by the Priest Lamprecht, probably Clerc Lambert, a French author, living in the 12th century. Ulrich von Eschenbach and Rudolph von Ems, treated the same subject in the 13th century. The poem, necessarily defective in its metrical form, is very graphic in the description of events, and often reminds the reader of the style in the old Hildbrandslied and Beowulf.' Some of the wonders Alexander meets with are described in highly poetical language. One day, whilst on his march, he arrives at an immense forest; gigantic trees spread their branches far and wide, so as to prevent the sun from piercing them. Everything is charming and pleasurable here; streams of the purest water flow in every direction, birds of the most variegated hues fill the air with their sweet songs, and large pink and white flowers form the carpet of this delicious abode. These beautiful flowers open, when attaining their maturity, and out of their chalices rise fairies of matchless beauty, who, after having sprung into life, mingle their sweet voices with the melodious songs of the birds, and form graceful groups on the soft turf. Dressed in white and red, like the flowers from which they have sprung, the children of

the green forest solitude bloom and prosper whilst basking in its refreshing shades, but when the sun touches them with its glowing darts they fade away. Born in May, these children of spring are doomed to die in autumn. Alas, the three months of their happy existence rapidly glide away, for, as the poet says:

Die Blumen all' verdarben,
Die schönen Mägdlein starben
Ihr Laub die Bäume liessen
Die Brunnen all' ihr Fliessen,
Die Vögelein ihr Singen
Die Freuden all' zergingen!
And, melancholy, he adds:-
Da schied ich traurig dannen
mit allen meinen mannen.

Die blumen gare versturben,

unde die scônen frowen sturben;

di boume ir loub liezen
unde die brunnen ir fliezen
und di fugele ir singen.
(unse frowede di zegine).

Dô schiet ih trûrich dannen
mit allen mînen mannen.

FIFTH GROUP.

The legends, published from the 12th to the 15th century, bear, as already stated, a purely saintly character; if they are here and there intermixed with the worldly, the spiritual element decidedly predominates. In reading them, we breathe a different atmosphere, one of peace and love; we no longer hear the clang of arms, the sounding of the war-trumpet, or the neighing of the battle-horse, stamping the ground, as if urging on its rider to be led to the charge, to those sanguinary encounters between the gladiators of the past. The combatants fight now on another battle-field, where, instead of the agonizing cries of the wounded and dying, we hear hymns of praise addressed to the Eternal, a nobler field, one leading to a brighter world! Of the legends belonging to this group, the number of which is legion, we mention that of Eraclius,' by Otto, written towards the middle of the 13th century after a Welsh model. Eraclius possesses the peculiar gift of knowing the mysterious properties of stones, the qualities of horses and the secret thoughts of women. After the death of his mother, he, then a mere boy, enters the service of a rich Roman, belonging to the household of the emperor Phocas. His wonderful faculties having attracted general attention, he finds an opportunity of evincing his skill, by selecting for the emperor's wife a certain Lady Athenaïs, of humble origin, but possessing all the qualities of the heart and mind. Soon after the marriage, the emperor is obliged to leave for some warlike expedition, and, during his absence, causes her to be shut up in a tower, a precaution by no means warranted by the conduct of his wife. This treatment, however, produces a different result (a fact to be borne in mind by

all jealous husbands), for Athenaïs, hitherto so faithful, finds now, aided by the old woman, Morphea, means to deceive her husband. After the emperor's return, Eraclius is appealed to, and the secret is soon revealed. Athenaïs repents, but is separated from her husband. Eraclius then rises rapidly in the highest dignities, becomes finally emperor, and in a war with the Persians is said to have retaken the holy cross, previously fallen into their hands. This event is celebrated among Roman Catholics up to this day, by the feast of the raising of the Host, also called 'Holy-Rood-Day.'

The legend of Der gute Gerhard,' by Rudolph von Ems, gives a touching account of Gerhard's extreme modesty, charity, humility, and disinterestedness. Emperor Otto, the Red, had, at the instigation of his excellent wife, Ottogebe, founded some charitable institution, but constantly boasts of this act. One day, he is told that gifts bestowed in such a manner are not pleasing to God; and the name of the humble Gerhard of Cologne being on that occasion mentioned to him, Otto expresses the desire of making the acquaintance of that charitable man. He arrives at Cologne, has an interview with Gerhard, in which the latter, after much hesitation, explains why he obtained the by-name of 'der Gute,' the Kind one-how he, in order to redeem some captive English nobleman and a Norwegian princess, had sacrificed all his property, and watched over the safety of the lady, until her lover, King William of England, supposed to have perished at sea during a storm, had finally returned to Cologne; how he had refused the most brilliant offers made to him by that king, and accepted for his only reward a ring from the queen for the sake of her sweet rosy lips. The modesty and humility shown on this occasion by Gerhard produced a deep impression on the mind of Otto, who, since that time, acknowledged that gifts, in order to be pleasing in the sight of God, ought to be bestowed secretly and without display.

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Another work of Rudolph von Ems, of less merit, is his 'Wilhelm von Dourlens or Orlienz,' a story of a prince of Brabant, and taken from a Welsh original. We also mention the poems of Darifant,' ' Demantin,' and 'Crane,' by Berthold von Holle, written towards the middle of the 13th century; the legend of emperor 'Otto the Bearded,' by Conrad von Würzburg, and the poem of 'Duke Ernst,' attributed to Heinrich von Veldekin. The legend on which the latter is based was known before 1180; we possess only two fragments of it, published towards the middle of the 13th century, and subsequently frequently altered. The poem, divided into two parts, by no means remarkable for its æsthetic beauties,

describes at first the combat of Duke Ernst with the emperor, called here 'Otto,' and then the wonderful adventures of his pilgrimage; the description is either tediously long, or too abrupt.

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Duke Ernst is the son of the Bavarian duchess Adelheid, who married emperor Otto the Red.' Ernst, calumniated by the Count Palatine Heinrich, slays the latter in the emperor's palace, and then starts for Jerusalem, accompanied by his faithful follower Count Wetzel. On his way thither, Duke Ernst arrives one day at a castle, uninhabited like the Graal temple, but containing all that is required to refresh the worn-out crusaders. The day after their arrival, they see with surprise a numberless swarm of cranes around the castle, carrying along with them an Indian lady of matchless beauty, bathed in tears. Duke Ernst, in trying to deliver her, not only sustains [serious losses, but has also the mortification of seeing the captive lady killed by those spiteful cranes. He and his men then embark, but their ship being, during its voyage, irresistibly attracted by a mysterious magnetic rock, they are wrecked, and Ernst, and only five of his attendants, are saved, thanks to the providential arrival of large sea-gulls, on whose wings they reach the shore. Ernst then continues his journey, meets the one-eyed giants, called 'Arimaspians,' for whose king he fights against a tribe called 'Flatfeet,' who run over heath and moor, impassable to horse and man; also with a long-eared tribe, and finally against a race of giants. After many miraculous adventures, he returns home on a Christmas-day, and is pardoned by the emperor.

There exists, also, a poem of a comical character belonging to the same group, called 'Salomon and Morolt,' given in our list; also Stricker's 'Parson Amîs,' on which the celebrated Till Eulenspiegel' has been founded. Of the legends published in the middle of the 13th century, we mention' Die goldene Schmiede,' by Konrad von Würzburg; 'Der heilige Gregor auf dem Steine,' by Hartmann von der Aue, the legend of the holy 'Sylvester,' the holy 'Alexius,' 'Pilatus,' and that of the 'Seamless Coat of Trier.' The latter speaks of a King Orendel. The name of Orendel is frequently mentioned in the earliest chronicles, for the Heldenbuch speaks already of a King Erntelle and his wife Brigitta; and the northern myth alludes to one 'Oervandil,' who, having been thrown by the god 'Thor' into the heavens, becomes one of the bright stars; the Anglo-Saxon word 'Earendel' has the same meaning. The Annolied,' a legendary tale, celebrating the life and wonders of the Archbishop Anno of Cologne, was written in the year 1170. It is preceded by a poetical description of

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