Literary cadet, and Saturday evening bulletin. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1826-1827, 1826-09-23
A LEGEND OF THE RHINE.
FROM THE GERMAN.

FROM THE GERMAN.
There where yon rocks sleeping beneath the bright
moonshne,
Nymph her watch keeping, and gazing the Rhine
She looks upon the river, the vessels glide aong
She sings and gazes ever but youth beware her song
With eyes softly beamng, thus doth she look on all
Whilst like clustering sun-bcams streaming, her golden
Tinglets tai.
But like the inconstant water, those glances still have
Beware fie Floods va - ner for TIE false
and cold
Thus sung an old huntsman, who had
seated himself on rock which impended
| over the Rhine, not far from the cave
where, in ancient times, the holy hermit,
st. Goar, had taken up his abode, and Ell
tected the conversion Of the nelghboring
fishermen. The waves, as they rushed
past, bore swiftly along with them, a small
slight bark, In which sat youth clothed in
costly apparel. The boat was just speed
ing to the dangerous whirlpool, called the
Bank, where the steersman is driven to
the exercise of his utmost skill, to retain
any command over his vessel. Yet the
youth needed not the dangers of his stua-
ton, nor turned away his gaze from a
| dark frowning rock, from whence fair
| but unearthly maiden looked down, and
seemed to smile upon him. The old hunts
man now sang louder and louder, for he
could not help fancying that the poor youth
had set out to visit his true love, and had
been bowitched by the sight of the water
fairy, Loreley. Lutte, bow, and rudder, had
ali escaped from his hold; his hat, with its
white plume, hung only by ribbon around
his neck, and he seemed to abandon him
self to the rushing and raging waters, as
though he delighted in their fury, and wait
ed till they should have risen sufficiently
high to bear him up the rock. The hunts
man might have sung yet louder, and the
whirlpool might have risen to overpower
him with Its roar, yet still not one single
word would have reached the object of his
warning; for he heard and saw nothing but
the beautiful nymph, who, seated on the
rock above HIM, was engaged in picking
up little pieces Of glittering stone, as tho
she were gathering flowers, and, anon,
gaily scattering them in the water, and
leaning over its sides to watch them sink
down, and disappear in sparkling foam
bells. 1t seemed to her victim that it as
to him the was leaning and smiling, and he
stretched out his arms with longing look
and stood as if gazing on a far off star
when all at once his little barque was
dashed with shattering stroke on the
sharp stones, and the vortex dragged hin
to its raging gulf, and closed its gigantic
arms above his struggling FORM All wal
now over with the hapless youth. He ne.
yer rose again. But ~koreley looked
down with careless and even sportivt
glance, gathered fresh splinters from the
rock, and smiled like child through hel
long fair hair.
1t was now that the huntsman drew
forth his horn, and blew a shrill blast, thai
brought his dogs bowling to his feet, anc
with them attracted to the spot some fish.
ermen, who were spreading their nets at q
little distance off. But no aid could avail
to rescue the devoted victim from the ed.
dying waters.
"Did you see," asked the old man, al
! he stepped into the fisherman's boat, show
the sorceress rejoiced at the de ath of the
j poor youth, and how gladly she listened