so much in harmony with this taste, and have left us a striking resemblance to it in the old fabliaux of " Partenopex de Blois." That the reader, who is unacquainted with the original, may be enabled to judge for himself how far these several assertions are correct, I will now give an abridgment of it, retaining as far as may be the peculiar tone and colouring, though not the precise language of Apuleius.

There was a certain king in the West, who had three daughters, all remarkable for beauty, but the youngest excelled her sisters, as much as they excelled all other women. Such indeed was her loveliness that strangers came from the farthest lands but to look upon her, and having once beheld her incomparable beauty they worshipped and reverenced her with divine adorations according to the olden rites. Hence it happened that the temples of Venus fell into neglect; Paphos was deserted; no worshippers visited Cithera; whereupon the goddess grew indignant, and, resolving to be revenged, she called her son, Cupid, and having shown him where Psyche dwelt, for so was the maiden called-she passionately entreated him that he would cause her to fall in love with the most wretched object possible.

While Venus was thus plotting with her son, poor Psyche, honoured as she was on all hands, yet reaped very little advantage from her beauty. Her two sisters had been long wedded to kings, while no one, noble or ignoble, offered to marry herself, but all were content rather to admire her as they might have admired a beautiful statue. The maiden was disconsolate; her father was no less so, and suspecting that some of the Gods were as usual at the bottom of this mischief, he resolved to consult the oracle of Apollo at Miletus. The customary sacrifices being paid, the God, although he was an Ionian, because of the Milesian founder, did yet think proper to

reply in Latin, the substance of his answer being that Psyche should be placed in mourning weeds upon the top of a high rock, for she must not expect a mortal husband, but a cruel serpent, who flew on wings above the skies, and was the terror of the Gods themselves." Infinite was the grief of the king at this oracle, but as there seemed to be no help for it, he was obliged to submit, and in this he was farthermore encouraged by Psyche herself; she was not a little curious to see her promised husband, besides that she felt flattered by the enmity of Venus, to whom she attributed this evil, since it was an acknowledgment of her superior beauty. In this frame of mind she was carried to the appointed rock, and there left alone to meet her destiny. And now was seen wonder; the breezes began to blow gently about her, and lifting her up as it were upon their wings they gently laid her down in the valley below amidst the flowers. Then sleep fell upon her, and when the maiden again awoke it was with a calm and placid mind, and she found that she was sweetly couched in the midst of a pleasant grove, through which ran a stream as clear as crystal. At the farther end, by the fall of the river, was a princely edifice, not builded by the hands of man, but fashioned by divine art. You would judge at the first entry therein that it was the dwelling of some God, for the roof was of citron-wood and ivory supported by pillars of gold, the walls were cased in silver, and the pavement was composed of precious stones, forming various pictures, so that blessed, and thrice blessed, were they who might tread upon such a floor. Yea, all around was as bright as day from the glittering of fiery gems that shot forth a splendour equal to that of the sun when he is at the highest.

Captivated by a scene so brilliant, Psyche did not long hesitate to enter, and her admiration encreased with every moment, when suddenly a gentle voice was heard, saying,

Why, O maiden, do you marvel at these riches? they are all thine; wherefore, go you into yon chamber, and repose yourself on the couch, and demand what bath you desire. We, whose voices you hear, are your servants, ready to minister to your wishes, and when you have recovered from your fatigue a regal feast is prepared for you."

Psyche did as the voice said to her, and having bathed and refreshed herself she sate down to a banquet, which was brought in by no hands, but wafted as it were by the wind. Then came the sound of music, but though it seemed as if multitudes played and sang, yet still she saw no one. So too, with the lover who has prepared all these delights for her gratification; unseen he woos and weds her, and at the dawn of day he again departs without her having once looked upon her new husband.

And thus it happened for a long time. Custom, as is usual, recommended novelty, and the sound of that sweet invisible voice was the delight of her solitude. In the meantime her parents grew old in sorrow; and the fame of her abduction, spreading far and wide, came at length to the ears of her sisters, who hereupon left their own homes that they might console and comfort their parents.

The same night Psyche's invisible husband thus addressed her " My best and dearest wife, a great danger threatens you whereof I earnestly warn you to beware. Know that your sisters, grieving for your loss and tracking your footsteps, have now come to the mountain; but you should hear their lamentations, take heed you neither answer nor show yourself to them, for if you do, you will cause infinite grief to me, and destruction to yourself."

if

Psyche promised obedience to the hests of her lord and husband, but when he had again departed from her at the break of morning, she began to weary of her solitude and

to lament that she might not see, and converse with, her dear sisters. So great was her trouble that she neither ate, nor drank, nor entered into the bath, but wept bitterly throughout the live-long day, till the hour arrived for her to go to bed. Then came her husband, and finding her in tears, he tenderly reproached her, saying, "Is it thus you keep your promise, my dear Psyche? Go to then; do as you list; obey the impulse that is leading you to destruction, but when it is too late remember you of my words." But Psyche would not be persuaded, and ceased not from her entreaties till she had wrung from him permission to see her sisters. Unwillingly as he yielded this consent, his reluctance it was plain proceeded but from excess of love, for at the same time he permitted her to lavish whatever she pleased of gold and jewels upon her sisters, only cautioning her not to be led by their evil counsels into the attempt to see his form;* if she failed in her obedience as to this, great misfortune would fall upon her, and she would lose him for ever. Psyche, as

It is not a little singular that the same idea should pervade so many of the German elf-stories. Thus we find that Hinzelman, the Puck of our Teutonic neighbours, had always a particular aversion to being seen, and this forms the basis of several tales; but one will be sufficient to show the nature of the humorous goblin-A cook who was on terms of great intimacy with him, thought that she might venture to make a request of him, though another might not, and as she felt a strong desire to see Hinzelman bodily whom she heard talking every day, and whom she supplied with meat and drink, she prayed him earnestly to grant her that favour; but he would not, and said that this was not the right time, but that when it was proper he would let himself be seen by any person. This refusal only stimulated her curiosity, and she pressed him more and more to grant her request. He said she would repent if she would not give up her importunity; and when all his representations were to no purpose, he at last said to her, come to-morrow morning before sunrise into the cellar, and carry in each hand a pail full of water, and your request shall be complied with." The maid enquired what the water was for. "That

66

before, was ready enough with her promises, protesting that she would rather undergo a thousand deaths than forfeit his affection, and beseeching as a farther boon that he would allow Zephyrus to fetch her sisters from the mountain into the valley. To this also the enamoured husband assented, and with morning went away as usual.

The sisters had now arrived at the summit of the rock, and finding it impossible to go any farther began afresh to lament for Psyche as one who was for ever lost to them, when suddenly she appeared in the valley below and wishing them to be of good cheer, bade Zephyrus waft them gently down to her. Hereupon the West Wind took them upon his wings and laid them beside her on the green-sward.

you will learn," answered he; "without it the sight of me might be injurious to you."

Next morning the cook was ready at peep of dawn, took in each hand a pail of water, and went down to the cellar. She looked about her without seeing any thing; but as she cast her eyes on the ground she perceived a tray on which was lying a naked child apparently three years old, and two knives sticking crosswise in his heart, and his whole body streaming with blood. The maid was terrified at this sight to such a degree that she lost her senses and fell in a faint on the ground. The spirit immediately took the water that she had brought with her, and poured it all over her head, by which means she came to herself again. She looked about for the tray, but all had vanished, and she only heard the voice of Hinzelman, who said, "you see now how needful the water was; if it had not been at hand, you had died here in the cellar. I hope your burning desire to see me is now pretty well cooled."

In the same way the beautiful fairy PREUSSINE (Histoire de Melusine, tirée des Chroniques de Poitou, Paris 1698. Dobenek,) stipulates with her husband that he shall never visit her in her lyings-in, and when he fails in this condition flies from him with her three daughters. So too, Melusine, when giving her hand to Count Raymond, bargains that he shall never desire to see her on a Saturday, and a similar infraction of the word plighted brings with it a similar punishment.