good deal of astrology and other marvels, | victory to the heathens. One of their lea and the loves of Carl af Rice and Princess ders, the bold Kyriawan, had noticed that Rigmor, fill up the three volumes. where the royal banner waved the Danes fought with most steadiness. On this banner Queen Dagmar's pious hand had wrought the the twenty-four golden hearts, and it was royal arms, the three silvery blue leaves and planted on an eminence from whence it was visible to all. By a pretended flight Kyriawan lured away the impetuous Earl Otto with his chief warriors who guarded it, and then, by a sudden onset in person, carried the hill.

We give two more extracts, very different in character from the last and from each other, but alike designed as pictures of the state of feelings and manners in Denmark at the beginning of the thirteenth century. The first is a scene from Waldemar's greatest and last crusade in Esthonia, and exhib. its our author's straight-forward mode of narrating a legendary miracle. Waldemar has rashly landed in the face of very superior forces, and has with difficulty repilsed a night attack.

"See the help that the light of the Lord affords,' said Bishop Peter, pointing to the East, where the first gleam of dawn was appearing. And see there, sir king, from the hill-shore, the enemy is flying before bold

Witzlaw.'

"From that hill,' said Archbishop Andreas, quietly folding his hands, shall I, by prayer, show thee the way to victory?'

"But there, my Danish horse are flying! Forward!' cried the king, turning his charger.

"Stay! I adjure you!' cried Bishop Peter, with an authority that the king, he krew not why, could but obey. 'See! the Estnonians pause, and Earl Albert has rallied the fugitives; give the army time to assemble round you, and omit not morning prayers. Before sun-rise your hour strikes not. *** The enemy has seen us in our weakness; let them now see how we seek strength!'

"He is in the right, sir king,' said the archbishop, bid the army kneel and pray The time is not lost in which we arm ourselves with heavenly weapons.'

banner flying, they stood thunder-stricken; "When the Danes no longer saw the royal and such disorder ensued that even the king and Earl Albert, his chief general, gave up the day for lost.

voice, Look up to heaven, Christians, and "But now Bishop Peter cried with a loud despair not! See ye the sign on high?'

A red flag with a white cross was whirling "The warriors halted and gazed upwards.

on the blast over their heads.

ry!' rang in loud tones through the field. "The higher it soars the nearer the victoed, and many thought it was from heaven. No one knew from whence the voice proceed

"See!' cried Bishop Peter, 'that is the that we conquer: should it fall into the enebanner of our heavenly king! Only with my's hands we must despair!'

"A miracle! a miracle!' shouted the arhigh above their heads, driven by the wind my in amazement; whilst the banner flew towards the enemy. No one could seize it.

ven-sent banner!' cried the bishop; and with Divine interposition alone could inspire, the a zeal and energy which seemed as though excited warriors rushed forward.

"Forward! Forward! Rescue the hea

"Carl af Rise, with a crowd of other Chris"I will trust in you, pious men!' said the stood disarmed upon a height, where they tian prisoners, (taken in the night affray,) king; and as soon as the troops were re-were guarded by some Esthonian infantry, assembled, he calmly drew them in battle- in order to be offered immediately after the array in front of the camp, and regardless of battle and victory, in sacrifice to the idols. the scornful challenge of the foe, of their He knelt and prayed: he alone of the prisorapid advance and immeasurably increasing numbers, bade the host kneel and join in the accustomed morning hymn.

"Waldemar himself alighted, and, with the two prelates, knelt at the head of his army. The deep tones of the chanted psalm resounded powerfully and solemnly through the reddening morning sky, and the wild

yells of the heathen host were silenced.

"At this moment the sun rose.

"Forward, in the name of God and all his saints!' said the king, vaulting upon his white, mail-clad war-horse: and now began the celebrated battle of Wolmar, which in great measure decided the fate of Esthonia.

a

"The victory was contested with great courage and perseverance till noon; but by that time the Danes began to be wearied out, whilst fresh troops continued to pour in reinforcement to the enemy. And now occurred an incident that seemed necessarily to ensure

ners, one friend excepted, was unbound, an indulgence granted for the last day of their lives by Kyriawan, in honour of their valour.

and countrymen, now raised his eyes towards "As Carl, in earnest prayer for his king heaven, he saw the glittering Cross-banner over his head. The sign! The sign!-Redemption from heaven!" shouted he, and sprang to his feet, as in a frenzy of joy. The Carl swung it enthusiastically over his flag sank towards the hill, and catching it,

head.

the Danes recognized Carl af Rise's lofty "The sun shone upon the white cross, and stature and dazzling azure armour. His hel. met had fallen off, his long yellow hair waved in the wind about his shoulders; and, as he thus stood, he resembled the image of the angel Michael, represented with the banner of victory in his hand, and the fiends overthrown beneath his feet.

"The tumult and battle were now at the

foot of the hill. 'See! see!' cried the bishop | demand for knightly satisfaction, and the the heavenly banner is in Christian hands chastisement of Sir Carl af Rise for this auamongst enemies.' Earl Otto was already dacious and lawless deed. I now, in virtue cutting his way through the Esthonian foot of my kingly authority, permit the offended who guarded the eminence; in a moment father to fix the penalty which he deems they were trampled under the horses' hoofs, reason and equity sanction his infliction upand the hill was in the hands of the Chris- on the knight, whose face he has sworn netians. ver to look upon until the hour of justice and retribution. I feel confident that my noble kinsman, if he cannot forgive, will at least require no disgraceful punishment of so honourable, so highly esteemed a knight, and that he will act according to the, law of chivalry, which if they rigidly require satisfaction for the injury, require, only such as beneits valiant and high born knights.Whatever punishment or honourable repar ation my noble kinsman may demand and, Sir Carl af Rise freely submit to, I here, according to their joint wish confirm beforehand by my royal authority and inviolable word.'

"All eyes were fixed upon the miraculous banner of the Cross, and when that waved by the king's side the enemy fled perforce." This miracle, we are afterwards told, was by some persons explained naturally; but our author does not say how, and as the banner bearing the especial name of the Dannebrog was long preserved in Sleswig Cathedral, we see not why we should more disbelieve its descent from heaven into the hands of Carl af Rise-for which, by the way, he is revered by some and flouted by other through the remainder of the bookthan the astrological predictions, and the other wonders therein also recorded without a hint at trickery. Neither was this the only miracle required to decide the battle of Wolmar. The whole Scriptual history of the alternations of success and failure as the hands of Moses were raised or dropped, and the final necessity of his having his arms supported, is here ascribed to the archbishop. It is needless to add that the victory finally rested with Waldemar.

"Now spoke dark Earl Albert: My Lord and king, your word and promise have beer heard by our common judges, and all the Danish chivalry present. Bear this in mind when you hear my demand! The man whose face I swore not to behold until this hour of justice and retribution—whose name I entreated you to spare me when we met in your abode of misery the man whose gude and instructor in chivalry I waswhom I loved as a son till he forced me to hate him as my bitterest enemy-that man I doom to no other punishment than, either, this very hour to engage with me in single combat for life and death, or, in presence of my king and the knights here assembled, to kneel down with covered eyes and submit him to the stroke of retribution, which I have sworn to strike with my own hand; and which I trust will as little injure his knightly honour as stain my name, the name of King Waldemar's princely nephew.'

"The knights started-and the king impetuously exclaimed, 'Dare you thus misuse my word and promise?"

Our other extract is from the closing scene of the novel. King Waldemar has been compelled to purchase the release of himself and his fellow-captives, including his eldest son Waldemar, and Earl Albert, from the dungeons of the Duke Schwerin, by great sacrifices of suzerainty, land, and money. He himself had been released upon signing the humiliating treaty and giving his younger sons as hostages; and "My royal uncle,' Earl Albert calmly anhe has just fulfilled his engagements, and swered, a king's word is inviolable. If I received home his children, kinsman, and misuse it, my business will it be to justify my friends. The king, whose heart has been actions, as I trust to do. The choice rests softened, and whose pride and ambition with Sir Carl af Rise.' have been corrected by suffering, is holding a solemn council with his warriors, prelates, and scalds; and when the state-affairs are dispatched, Waldemar thus speaks :

666

"Waldemar fixed a piercing glance upon his dark and terrible nephew, reflected for a moment, and then said with repressed anger,

'Strange as your last alternative appears, shameful and revolting as it were to see my "And now, noble knights and Danes,' nephew turned into an executioner, and my said the king, before I leave my place, hall of knighthood into a place of execution have a duty of justice to perform. Sir Carl you have my word, and I break it not. If af Rise, who is here present, and whom in Sir Carl can stoop to choose the last revoltother respects I pronounce one of my best ing alternative, I will avert my face in disand most loyal knights, has deeply wronged gust, and your will be done! But I trust a my princely nephew, Earl Albert of Or- valiant and high-born knight will prefer the lamunde, inasmuch as, without his fatherly duel which, painful as its issue must prove approbation and consent, he has, carried off to me, can alone end this affair without and wedded the earl's only daughter. My shame and dishonour to knighthood and the wronged kingsman has, in his high-souled royal family.'

zeal for my deliverance and the weal of our "The king ceased speaking and resumed country, deferred until the present day, his his seat. All eyes were fixed upon Sir Carl,

truth.

who without uttering a word, stepped firm- day of his imprisonment he recognized his ly forward, unclosed his vizor, and looked, proud daughter and swore to reward her keenly, but calmly, at Earl Albert's gloomy, unchanging countenance. He then took off his helmet, bound his scarf over his eyes, knelt down before the throne, and quietly awaited his death stroke from the hand of the man against whom he could not lift a

weapon.

"Father, you knew me, and spoke not!" exclaimed Rigmor.

"Silence. The song is not finished ;' answered Earl Albert, gravely.

"Thorgeir Danasjald resumed; his song told what had just occurred, and that the knight's choice was to decide whether he and the earl were to be foes, or friends for life.

"With unaltered aspect Earl Albert unsheathed his formidable sword, and the knights gazed at him with an expression of horror, as "With a kindly nod Earl Albert interruptat a maniac. He took one step back, and raised ed him; You chose not the death-fight with the heavy weapon. The king put forth his your wife's father, Sir Carl; you preferred hand, as though to hold back the sword, and death from his hand (he said), and therefore strongly was he tempted to break his promise do I give you my daughter and my blessing. and stay the vengeful deed by his sovereign I have tried you hard, but it joys me that I will. But now, from amongst the attendants, have. I knew Earl Albert's daughter; I have forth sprang the youthful page, (he had at- now learned to know Carl of Rise's wife. tended them through the wars and in the God bless you, my children!' dungeon,) and interposed between the kneeling knight and the menacing earl. 'Hold, unmerciful, inexorable father!' cried the voice of his child; 'see, it is your daughter Rigmore; and the knight kneeling here as a criminal is my wedded husband, before God and man!'

"Earl Albert let his sword sink, and silently gazed upon his daughter. Carl af Rise knew the voice of his wife, and opened his arms; but neither uncovered his eyes nor changed his posture.

He

"Carl had torn the scarf from his eyes and rapturously embraced his Rigmor, who, in the guise of the bold page, lay in his bosom with tears of delight. The re-united pair threw themselves into the reconciled father's arms; and the joy was universal."

We turn to the other two volumes before us. As a dramatist, Ingemann is less suc cessful than in narrative. His Masaniello and Turnus are ineffective; and though "Rigmore went on. See, he has bared something of the comparative weakness of his head to the avenger's sword! these tragedies may arise from the author's chooses death from your hand, stern father, being less familiar with the Italian nature rather than purchase life with your blood. than with his own countrymen, we must But he shall not cast it away-no longer think his talent decidedly undramatic: the shall he kneel to the merciless. Stand up, very idea of dramatizing the conclusion of Sir Carl, and defend your life! My father the Eneid, is proof sufficient of his wanting is no longer your's; I here renounce my the dramatic sense, for what poet wilfully right to the title of your wife in this world, that your honour may not be sacrificed for disturbs our existing associations? Of Turmy fault. If any one is to be dishonourablynus we will not speak; but select a drama. murdered, let it be me! I trembled at my tic specimen from Masaniello. The Neafather's revenge when it was just now let politan fisherman is made at once a philosoit crush me-I defy it. Stern father! here pher, an enthusiast, an unscrupulous conkneels the daughter of Earl Albert of Nord- spirator, and a credulous dupe; the tool of Albingien: if thou deemest it right, let me his confessor, who is a fiend in the garb of fall by thine implacable hand; but with no lesser crime shalt thou stain the honour of our princely house.'

"Proudly, calmly knelt the intrepid daughter, and gazed at her father with a fearless look, in which he recognized his own haughty, danger-scorning soul.

a Jesuit. Masaniello rises in character with his success, and goes mad only from the effect of a drug administered for the express purpose of disordering his brain. We cannot but think that a portraiture of the simple, unpolitical, unpremeditating fisherman, "Rise up, Sir Carl! Rise, my daughter!' roused to sudden passion by injustice, besaid he, tranquilly; with your permission, my sovereign, a stranger's impartial voice coming the casual leader of a casual tumult which grows into successful rebellion, for a shall judge betwixt us.' He made a sign to his followers, and Thorgeir Danasjald, (a moment using well the unbounded power scald) came forward, harp in hand. Sing he derives from the people, but gradually us the ballad of the captive earl's revenge,' so intoxicated as to incur universal hatred, said the general gravely. would be more dramatic, as well as more "All present looked in amazment at the true. Writers, however they may refine, scald. He ceremoniously saluted the king and however they may think to improve and the assembly; then struck his chords,

and sang a ballad that touched every one, upon truth, are seldom more natural than but chiefly Sir Carl and the Lady Rigmor. nature herself; and we abominate the He sang how the captive earl sat in his dun-introduction of unproved and unnecessary geon, soothed by his page; how on the last crimes, the vulgar substitutes of inefficiency

and presumption; unequal to the compre- honours, in order to make him his own inhension and developement of moral pheno-strument: the Jesuit had proposed to the viceroy to enfrenzy Masaniello by a potion,

mena.

One extract must conclude our notice of and the latter had answered that he would Ingemann as a dramatist, and we cannot know nothing about such matters. Genuifind a better specimen of his excellences no, the Jesuit, is alone in the room where and defects than the scene in which the Masaniello is to be received, and two goblets viceroy tries to tempt the fisherman with of wine stand on the table.

"Genuino. This is the royal goblet, splendidly

With kingly crown embossed, and golden lilies;

This will the haughty Arcos drain himself:

His pride's my surety; no concern with this

Have I. (Takes the smaller goblet.) Quick! Shake not, hands! 'tis self-defence.
Masaniello, this will relish well;

Thy draught I'll not embitter; somewhat stronger

I merely make it. (Pours in the poison.) Now, an unseen witness,

I'll watch the issue of th' unwitnessed deed.

[Retires behind the arras.

Duke Arcos. (entering). He comes in princely garb, they say;-what he,
So late who shoeless trod the streets? Audacious!
But this confirms my hope that he proves frail.

*

*

*

*

Enter Masaniello, the Duke meets him.

I joy to see the man, whom as a foe,

I must esteem; to whom the hand of friendship
I offer now.

Masaniello. I come to give me up

To your discretion. You, if such your will,

May crucify me-little matters that

So you respect the people's liberty.

Duke (Aside). Authoritative words. (Aloud.) Their liberty
I've ratified; the people's friend I honour,

Although he still mistakes me. Masaniello,

Here's peace and friendship! (Offering his hand.)

Masaniello (taking it.) If the viceroy be

The friend of Naples, in the people's name
I take his hand. Myself am not in question.
Duke. Why so? Or I'm deceived, or, in thine eye,
Excellent man, I still can read mistrust:

A true and honest champion this beseems not.

But I'll not therefore blame thee.

Masaniello (impatiently). Duke Arcos, to the point! You have acknowledged
Our liberty, and sworn with hand and seal

To sanction it. For this, i' th' people's name,

Receive my thanks, and, if you hold your word,
Heaven's blessing also.

Duke. Yet such fervent thanks

Mas.

I claim not; whatsoever good is done,
To thee, brave man, am I indebted.

Ay?

If you speak sooth, I have indeed, lord Duke
Mistaken you.

Duke. I would that in my word

The people trusted; and-tranquillity
Being now established-lay aside their arms.
Mas. All's tranquil, true; but till our covenant
Be sanctioned by King Philip, how should I,
The people's leader, dare to lay aside

The sword the Lord committed to my hand?

Duke (after a moment's thought). Then bear it gallant champion, bear it ever!
Well hast thou merited both sword and shield.

And that I from this hour esteem thee chief

Of Neapolitan nobles, this gold chain

That round thy neck I hang, shall testify.

Mas. (tearing it off). Hang cords around my neck, not golden yokes!
Nor deem that gold can bribe God's instrument !

Duke. Again my good will thou mistak❜st.

Down anger-nor betray me!-(Aloud) Masaniello,
Be't as thou wilt; a man like thee requires

No prince's hand to give nobility. (Noise without.)
Why do the people throng thus, clamouring,
Around my castle?

Mas. Too impatiently,

Perchance, they seek me: but I'll quiet them

At once. (Goes into the balcony and speaks to the people.)
See fellow-citizens, I'm here,

Alive and free: 'Tis peace.

People (without). Peace! Peace!

Duke. And now,

Come Masaniello, and, in ancient usage,
Drink with me to the welfare of the people,

And to our union. With the king's own goblet,
Behold, I honour thee (offers him the large goblet).
Gen. (in his lurking place, aside). Hell! Takes he that?
Mas. Far be't from me to touch my sovereign's goblet!
Such honour ill beseems me. To the king

I know to give his due; and heaven's to heaven:
Let me take this (takes the poisoned cup).

Gen. (as before). His choice has fixed his fate.

Mas. Naples for ever! Peace with our good viceroy! (drinks.)
Duke (drinks). These drafts have quenched our enmity.

Mas. And now

I'll show you how obedient is this people,

How loyal. (To the people) Long live Philip, King of Spain!
Long live our good archbishop and our viceroy !
And long may Naples' loyal sons live free!

People. Long life to all, longest to Masaniello!

Mas. Now not a word more! Each man to his business!

(Lays his fingers on his lips, with a gesture of dismissal.)
Duke (aside). How! They obey him as he were their king!
Thus, Arcos, never wast thou feared. (Aloud) I know not
Whether thy self-denying modesty

I most admire, or thine unbounded power
Over the people. Thou shalt now select
Freely the ministerial post, in which

Most good thou canst effect. Myself have seen

Thy wisdom and thy skill in government,

Shown when the infamous banditti swarm

Was swept away. But on thy laurels now
Methinks thou mayst repose, and bid the people
Lay down their arms."

We have now only to notice the collection of poems: these minor pieces, especially the graver kind, are decidedly inferior in merit to the narrative; the strain, however Teutonic, seeming less congenial to our northern Scald's temperament. One specimen of his sportive mood we must however give, and, as his happiest effort, from the prologue to the volume. After painting the swallow's delight in build

The viceregal blandishments are inter- | rupted by a burst of frenzy on the part of his visiter, wrought by the Jesuit's drugs, and henceforward until his assassination he is constantly insane. All that need be added is, that the Jesuit is caught in his own toils. The viceroy declares his horror of a crime of which he avers utter ignorance, and the baffled intriguer is killed by the surgeon's washing a slight wound he has received from ing her nest under the roof of lovers, the poet the frantic Masaniello with one of his own thus concludes::

poisons, which, after wetting the bullets to be

used against the fisherman, he had left in the

basin, where it looked like clean water.

VOL. XXI.

"Thou who to my Progne giv'st shelter and shade,

Oh, hear what she fain would say.

'I was born a little unfortunate maid,
'Before my birth's proper day.

11