P. 199, No. LXXIX. A legend relates that when Nero Claudius Drusus, or the elder Drusus, intended during his fourth campaign in Germany, to cross the Elbe, in B.C. 9, a woman of superhuman stature warned him not to proceed any further, as the end of his life was approaching, Drusus thereupon retreated towards the Rhine, but before reaching it he died through a fall from his horse. The present ballad is, in point of form, somewhat an imitation of Schiller's trochaic

verse.

P. 200, No. LXXX. Based on one of the numerous historical anecdotes connected with the life of Charles the Great. The rhythmical movement of this ballad, with its occasional middle rhymes, imparts to it a tone of liveliness in perfect correspondence with its subject.

P. 201, No. LXXXI. This legendary ballad is based on one of the lion-stories' current in folk-lore. Henry, surnamed the Lion, Duke of Brunswick (1139-81), is said to have saved a lion from the grasp of some monster during his pilgrimage to Palestine, upon which the grateful animal became his constant companion.

P. 203, No. LXXXII. This historical ballad, which has become a Volkslied in Germany, is based on an incident which occurred in the Polish war of insurrection, 1830-31. On May 26 of the latter year the Russian Fieldmarshal Diebitsch totally defeated the Poles near Ostrolenka. The Fourth Polish Infantry Regiment was on that occasion totally destroyed, and only a few men are said to have escaped to Prussia.

P. 205, No. LXXXIII. This ballad refers to the contest, in 1809, between Tyrol, on the one side, and Bavaria and France on the other. Tyrol is here represented by Hans Euler, and Bavaria, to which country it was to be annexed, by the 'strange warrior.' The Bavarians, though vigorously assisted by the French, sustained great losses.

P. 207, No. LXXXIV. The present ballad is based on one of the numerous ghost-legends' connected with the somewhat mysterious looking Mummelsee, in the Schwarzwald.

P. 208, No. LXXXV. This legendary ballad reminds us in form and conception of the muse of Rückert rather than that of Uhland. P. 210, No. LXXXVI. Robert Reinick was one of the most

humorous ballad-writers of Germany.

P. 212, No. LXXXVIII. Heine placed this most popular of his poems in the cycle entitled Die Heimkehr. It partakes so much of the character of a purely lyrical song and of a narrative poem, that its insertion in both a collection of lyrics and ballads seems quite justifiable. Cp. above No. XXIX. and my Deutsche Lyrik, No. CCXI. and Notes.

P. 213, No. LXXXIX. The legend of the appearance of watersprites on earth, who mingle in rural dances, has here been treated by Heine in his own humorous fashion. The rhythm of the poem happily expresses the dancing movement. Cp. above, No. XLIX. n., and Heine's account of the Nixies (Grote's edition, v. 317, etc.).

P. No. St. 5. Neckenlilie, 'water-sprite lily.' Neck is the same as Nix, i.e. the male water-spirit.

St. 6. Water-sprites are recognized by their 'fish-bone teeth,' by their 'icy-cold hands,' and by the 'wetness of the hems of their robes.' (St. 2 next page).

P. 214, No. XC. This idyllic ballad, which is one of the finest, if not actually the finest, poem of Heine, was composed by him during his journey in the Harz Mountains in 1824. Cp. my edition of Heine's Harzreise (Clarendon Press Series), p. 36.

P. 220, No.- St. 1. A legend relates that a castle standing on the Ilsenstein, in the Harz Mountains, was changed by a witch, out of vexation, into a rock. Grimm's Deutsche Sagen, p. 407.

P. 222, No. XCI. The present traditional ballad, taken from the author's Romancero, is based on a legend related by F. Gottschalk, in his Ritterburgen und Burgschlösser Deutschlands (viii. 251, etc.). The family of the Schelme von Bergen, 'The Rogues of Bergen,' has been mentioned as far back as the 12th century. The last male descendant died in 1844. Simrock, who treated the same subject in his Rheinsagen, retained the locality of the legend, but Heine, perhaps from fondness for his native place, transferred it to Düsseldorf.

P. 223, No. -line 3. Drickes and Marizzebill, used in the dialect of Cologne for Heinrich and Maria Sybilla respectively, are typical figures of the puppet-show current in that place.

P. 224, No. XCII. The present historical ballad, relating to a well-known subject, is also taken from the poet's Romancero.

P. 225, No. XCIII. This tragic ballad, dating from 1844, is entirely the poet's own invention, although some slight parallels might be found in ballad-literature.

P.- No. XCIV. This idyllic ballad has been placed by Heine among his Romanzen.

P. 227, No. XCV. Source not distinctly known. The Asras are described as a sentimental Arabic tribe, many of whom died of lovesickness.

P. 228, No. XCVI. Heine has himself given the origin of this affecting ballad, which, like so many of his poems, shows that he was imbued with a deep religious feeling in general. It was first published in the Gesellschafter of 1822, with the following note by the poet : "Der Stoff dieses Gedichtes ist nicht mein Eigentum. Es entstand durch Erinnerung an die rheinische Heimat. Als ich ein kleiner Knabe war, und im Franziskanerkloster zu Düsseldorf die erste Dressur erhielt und dort zuerst Buchstabieren und Stillsitzen lernte, sasz ich oft neben einem andern Knaben, der mir immer erzählte: wie seine Mutter ihn nach Kevlaar (der Accent liegt auf der ersten Silbe, und der Ort selbst liegt im Gelderschen) einstmal mitgenommen, wie sie dort einen wächsernen Fusz für ihn geopfert, und wie sein eigener schlimmer Fusz dadurch geheilt sei. Mit diesem Knaben traf ich wieder zusammen in der obersten Klasse des Gymnasiums und als wir im Philosophenkollegium bei Rektor Schallmeyer neben einander zu sitzen kamen, erinnerte er mich lachend an jene Mirakelerzählung, setzte aber doch etwas ernsthaft hinzu: jetzt würde er der Mutter Gottes ein wächsernes Herz opfern. Ich hörte später, er habe damals an einer unglücklichen Liebschaft laboriert, und endlich kam er mir ganz aus den Augen und aus dem Gedächtnis. Im Jahre 1819, als ich in Bonn studierte und einmal in der Gegend von Godesberg am Rhein spazieren ging, hörte ich in der Ferne die wohlbekannten Kevlaarlieder, wovon das vorzüglichste den gedehnten

Refrain hat: 'Gelobt seist du, Maria!' und als die Prozession näher kam, bemerkte ich unter den Wallfahrtern meinen Schulkameraden mit seiner alten Mutter. Diese führte ihn. Er aber sah sehr blasz und krank aus."

P. 232, No. XCVII. This Biblical ballad (Dan. v. 1-30) was, according to Heine's own statement, one of his first poems. See his Kritische Gesammtausgabe, herausg. von Dr. G. Karpeles (I. 65), Grote, Berlin.

P. 233, No. XCVIII. Heine quotes a passage from Aug. Thierry's Histoire de la Conquête d'Angleterre, etc., as the source of this legendary ballad, the subject of which is too well known to English readers to require special illustration.

P. 237, No. St. 1. Lailich, properly Lailach, obsolete for Bettuch.

THIRD PERIOD.

P. 239, No. XCIX. This ballad is based on the floral legend that each flower harbours an innate elf, who slumbers until the former breaks out in bloom. When this is done the elf awakes, but dies away with the fading of the flower.

P. 243, No. C. The Wassergeusen, or 'Beggars of the Sea," were a branch of the famous patriotic league formed in 1566 by the nobles of the Netherlands under the self-imposed nickname of 'Gueux,' or 'Beggars,' against the tyrannical rule of Philip II. They carried on a sanguinary and successful warfare against the Spaniards, in the course of which, however, a number of the brave patriots perished.

P. No. St. 3. The patriotic corsairs wore a sailor's cap, on which a silver crescent was fastened, with the inscription in Dutch, Liever Turk dan Paus, i.e., “Rather Turkish than Popish."

P. 244, No. St. 6. Falcons and Lions often figured in the arms of Netherlandish noble families, and they were also frequently adopted as emblems by corsairs.

P. 245, No. CI. In this magnificent ballad, which is Freiligrath's most popular poem, he presents to us a picture from the animal world, the correctness of which has long been doubted, but has been fully confirmed by the accounts given by some trustworthy Bechuana chiefs to the poet Thomas Pringle, who treated the same subject, but not quite so fully and picturesquely. In describing the scene in the desert when the giraffe, the antelope, &c., timorously approach the wells in order to quench their thirst, the distinguished zoologist Brehm remarks, Dann wird Freiligraths hochdichterische Beschreibung im ' Löwenritt' fast zur vollen Wahrheit.*

P. 246, No. St. 1.

Karoo, 'a barren plain in the desert.'

* I know it on the best authority that Freiligrath wrote the_above ballad several years before he became acquainted with Pringle's Poems. The assumption that he drew his inspiration for the Löwenritt from Pringle's The Lion and the Giraffe, is therefore without foundation.ED.

P. 247, No.

of sand.

St. 2. Eine sandgeformte Trombe, i.e., a pillar

P. 248, No. CII. In this popular ballad the poet gives the imaginary origin of the famous Volkslied entitled, Prinz Eugen vor Belgrad, and composed in 1717, when that town was captured by Prince Eugene from the Turks. The first line of the Volkslied runs,

Prinz Eugenius, der edle Ritter.

Werda = Rufer, i.e. sentinels.

P. 250, No. CIII. Cp. with the present historical ballad No. LXIII. (p. 168), and Notes.

P. 251, No. CIV. This ballad describes an incident such as was not uncommon in former years in the Austrian army. We may assume that the Deserter was a native of the Austrian Alps.

P. 255, No. CV. The incident on which this anecdotal ballad is based has often been treated in prose and poetry.

P. 256, No. CVI. Based on a legendary tale.

P. 259, No. CVII. Gudrun is the heroine of the second great German epic bearing that name. Having been betrothed to King Herwig of Seeland, she was captured by Hartmuth of Normandy, whose mother compelled her and her faithful companion, Frau Hildburg, to do menial service, and to wash clothing in the sea, amidst ice and On this incident, related in the 21st, 24th and 25th Abenteuer, the present elegiac ballad is based.

snow.

P. No. St. 3. The words, Mir ward kein guter Morgen, &c., seem to be based on the following stanza (which we give in Simrock's translation), in the 25th Abenteuer, in which the arrival in Normandy is related of Gudrun's brother Ortwin, and of her betrothed Herwig:

Herwig der edle, ihnen guten Morgen bot:

Wohl war den Heimatlosen ein guter Morgen Noth.
Von ihrer bösen Meisterin hörten sie nur Schelten:

Guten Morgen, guten Abend kam den minniglichen Maiden selten. P. 260, No. St. 3. Buhle wert, my dearly beloved one.' P. 261, No. CVIII. This ballad is based on the well-known legend of the Knight Tanhäuser, who had on his wanderings arrived at the abode of Venus, or the Venusberg. Of his tragic end there are various versions current.

P. 263, No. CIX. In this ballad Geibel unrolls before our eyes, in general outlines, a poetical retrospect of the life of Frederick the Great, revealing at the same time the patriotic sentiment, which was uppermost in the King's mind. In the first two stanzas the poet gives a description of the surroundings of the famous castle of Sanssouci, built by the King near Potsdam, in 1745-47. The next stanza describes Frederick-popularly called Der alte Fritz-in his old age. The fact of his drawing figures in the sand seems to be borrowed from a well-known incident which occurred after the unfortunate battle of Kolin (1757). In the subsequent stanzas allusions are made to some decisive events in the king's life-to his brilliant victories of Roszbach and Leuthen, and to his reverses at Kunersdorf and Hochkirch. At the same time some of his characteristics are touched upon his great capacity as legislator, his fondness

of celebrating in verse his victories, and of aiming sarcastic epigrams at Voltaire.

In Stanza 1 (p. 265) the poet alludes to the time of Frederick's youth, when he used to play the flute secretly in fear of his father's anger, and to the tragic end of his faithful friend Katte, who suffered death through his devotion to him. The next stanza contains an allusion to the subsequent victories of Prussia over the 'Double Eagle' of Austria, and a vision of her future prestige in Germany. None of the foregoing topics, however, engrossed the king's thoughts (St. 3, p. 265), but what harassed his mind was the grief that the German muse occupied an inferior rank, and he utters the invocation" that the morning may appear which will bring to Germany the favourite of the gods," i.e., the god-inspired poet. In the last stanza allusion is made to the fact that whilst Frederick mourned the lack of a German poet, the dawn of the "Classical era" had already made its appearance with the advent of Goethe. It should be remembered that before Frederick died Goethe had already written his Goetz von Berlichingen, his Werthers Leiden, a portion of the first part of Faust, &c.*

P. 266, No. CX. This "literary" ballad relates to an incident in the life of Schiller, who had been educated at the expense of Duke Karl of Würtemberg, at the Karlsschule, in Stuttgart, where he was obliged to study medicine. In 1780 he had finished his famous tragedy, Die Räuber, and in the same year he was appointed surgeon, or Feldscher, as it was called in those days, to a regiment of grenadiers. The poet-surgeon is said to have had recourse occasionally to some extraordinary remedies, with by no means invariably beneficial results, and the present ballad describes the imaginary scene when the commander of the regiment addressed to him a sharp remonstrance, couched in harsh military language. In the 3rd stanza Schiller's awkward appearance in his uniform, which neither suited nor fitted him, is admirably described. P. 267, No.- St. 2. Ich hab's im Katalog gelesen, i.e., in the

report on the students' progress.

P. No.

St. 3. Die Vagabunden, i.e., his vagrant thoughts. Some of the wildest scenes in the Räuber are placed in the Bohemian forests.

P. 268, No. CXI. This historical ballad, written in the same metre as Platen's Grab im Busento (No. LXVII., p. 180), is based on an incident of the Vendean Wars in 1793.

P. 271, No. CXII. This anecdotal ballad, whilst describing the wild excitement of the Hungarian gypsies, so famous for their musical skill, on having heard for the first time the melody of the Marseillaise, and the impression it produced on the peasants to whom they subsequently played it, shows the deep emotion it aroused in the Duke of Bordeaux on listening to the notes of the Red Song'

The town of Debreczin (pron. 'Dèbrètzin') is situated in a vast sandy plain. Mit flatternder Mähne, i.e. with flowing

P. 272, No.

shaggy hair.

St. 2.

* That Frederick had a prophetic instinct of the future flourishing state of German literature, may be inferred from his essay in French entitled Littérature Allemande.