The Monk

witches, and evil spirits. Every element possesses its appropriate daemons. The woods are haunted by a malignant power, called ‘the Erl- or Oak-King:’ He it is who blights the trees, spoils the harvest, and commands the imps and goblins: he appears in the form of an old man of majestic figure, with a golden crown and long white beard: his principal amusement is to entice young children from their parents, and as soon as he gets them into his cave, he tears them into a thousand pieces⁠—the rivers are governed by another fiend, called ‘the Water-King:’ His province is to agitate the deep, occasion shipwrecks, and drag the drowning sailors beneath the waves: he wears the appearance of a warrior, and employs himself in luring young virgins into his snare: what he does with them, when he catches them in the water, reverend ladies, I leave for you to imagine⁠—‘The Fire-King’ seems to be a man all formed of flames: he raises the meteors and wandering lights which beguile travellers into ponds and marshes, and he directs the lightning where it may do most mischief⁠—the last of these elementary daemons is called ‘the Cloud-King;’ His figure is that of a beautiful youth, and he is distinguished by two large sable wings: though his outside is so enchanting, he is not a bit better disposed than the others: he is continually employed in raising storms, tearing up forests by the roots, and blowing castles and convents about the ears of their inhabitants. The first has a daughter, who is queen of the elves and fairies; the second has a mother, who is a powerful enchantress: neither of these ladies are worth more than the gentlemen: I do not remember to have heard any family assigned to the two other daemons, but at present I have no business with any of them except the fiend of the waters. He is the hero of my ballad; but I thought it necessary before I began, to give you some account of his proceedings⁠—”

Theodore then played a short symphony; after which, stretching his voice to its utmost extent to facilitate its reaching the ear of Agnes, he sang the following stanzas.

The Water-King

A Danish ballad

With gentle murmur flowed the tide,
While by the fragrant flowery side
The lovely maid with carols gay
To Mary’s church pursued her way.

The water-fiend’s malignant eye
Along the banks beheld her hie;
Straight to his mother-witch he sped,
And thus in suppliant accents said:

“Oh! Mother! Mother! now advise,
How I may yonder maid surprise:
Oh! Mother! Mother! Now explain,
How I may yonder maid obtain.”

The witch she gave him armour white;
She formed him like a gallant knight;
Of water clear next made her hand
A steed, whose housings were of sand.

The Water-King then swift he went;
To Mary’s church his steps he bent:
He bound his courser to the door,
And paced the churchyard three times four.

His courser to the door bound he,
And paced the churchyard four times three:
Then hastened up the aisle, where all
The people flocked, both great and small.

The priest said, as the knight drew near,
“And wherefore comes the white chief here?”
The lovely maid she smiled aside;
“Oh! would I were the white chief’s bride!”

He stepped o’er benches one and two;
“Oh! lovely maid, I die for you!”
He stepped o’er benches two and three;
“Oh! lovely maiden, go with me!”

Then sweet she smiled, the lovely maid,
And while she gave her hand, she said,
“Betide me joy, betide me woe,
O’er hill, o’er dale, with thee I go.”

The priest their hands together joins:
They dance, while clear the moonbeam shines;
And little thinks the maiden bright,
Her partner is the water-spright.

Oh! had some spirit deigned to sing,
“Your partner is the Water-King!”
The maid had fear and hate confest,
And cursed the hand which then she pressed.

But nothing giving cause to think,
How near she strayed to danger’s brink,
Still on she went, and hand in hand
The lovers reached the yellow sand.

“Ascend this steed with me, my dear;
We needs must cross the streamlet here;
Ride boldly in; it is not deep;
The winds are hushed, the billows sleep.”

Thus spoke the Water-King. The maid
Her traitor-bride-groom’s wish obeyed:
And soon she saw the courser lave
Delighted in his parent wave.

“Stop! Stop! my love! The waters blue
E’en now my shrinking foot bedew!”
“Oh! lay aside your fears, sweet heart!
We now have reached the deepest part.”

“Stop! Stop! my love! For now I see
The waters rise above my knee.”
“Oh! lay aside your fears, sweet heart!
We now have reached the deepest part.”

“Stop! Stop! for God’s sake, stop! For oh!
The waters o’er my bosom flow!”⁠—
Scarce was the word pronounced, when knight
And courser vanished from her sight.

She shrieks, but shrieks in vain; for high
The wild winds rising dull the cry;
The fiend exults; the billows dash,
And o’er their hapless victim wash.

Three times while struggling with the stream,
The lovely maid was heard to scream;
But when the tempest’s rage was o’er,
The lovely maid was seen no more.

Warned by this tale, ye damsels fair,
To whom you give your love beware!
Believe not every handsome knight,
And dance not with the water-spright!

The youth ceased to sing. The nuns were delighted with the sweetness of his voice and masterly manner of touching the instrument: but however acceptable this applause would have been at any other time, at present it was insipid to Theodore. His artifice had not succeeded. He paused in vain between the stanzas: no voice replied to his, and he abandoned the hope of equalling Blondel.

The convent bell now warned the nuns that it was time to assemble in the refectory. They were obliged to quit the grate; they thanked the youth for the entertainment which his music had afforded them, and charged him to return the next day. This he promised: the nuns, to give him the greater inclination to keep his word, told him that he might always depend upon the convent for his meals, and each of them made him some little present. One gave him a box of sweetmeats; another, an Agnus Dei; some brought relics of saints, waxen images, and consecrated crosses; and others presented him with pieces of those works in which the religious excel, such as embroidery, artificial