The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-02-13
LEGEND OF a LAKE.
1t Tells How Princess Was Lost with
Her Humble Lover.


For some past a series of cxpiora-
tions has been carried on at the bot
tom of Lake Nemi, an extinct crater in
the Aiban hills, about Is miles from
Rome. The place is most picturesque,
and little village, with a tall
medieval tower and red and yellow
roofs, regards its reflection in the limpid
waters of the lake far below.
The dwei'ers along the banks of the
little lake, the nymphs and satyrs of
the chestnut alleys" have thrown the
poetry of their vivid maginations
around the story of lost ship and have
woven around it strangely pic
turesquc legend.
This legend in its briejest form re-
lates that once upon time in the misty
ages of the past a king lived here with
his one only child, the fair Princess
Diana. She was noted huntress and
went daily to the chase, attended by a
| group of girls, spirits kindred to her
own.
One day the fortunes of the chase
separated her from her companions
and after wandering about, tired and
! hungry, she saw i'll the distance a
youth engaged in whistling, initiating
the birds of the forest, especially the
nightingale, whose ripping notes he
had caught exactly. lie was as hand
some as dream and was a strawberry
gatherer. He gave the princess a
basket filled with strawberries and a
pretty bunch of cyclamens, which
abound in these woods. 1t may be
noted here that Nemi is celebrated for
the flavor of its wild Strawberries.
Next day the princess separated
again from her companions of the
chase, but now it was by design and not
by accident. She again met the peasant
youth with the strawberries and the
cyclamens. The wandering away of
the princess from her companions be-
came as much habit with her as meet
| ing with the handsome young man
who whist!ed like nightingale. These
two became fond lovers. The king was
informed of the matter and the hunt
ing was stopped and the princess was
relcgated to a sort of mild imprison.
Jnent.
She wandered about in wooded
garden, open on the lake side, but liz
closed with great walls on the land
side.
A great barge or boat was moored
near tho land, and when the days were
warm she sought the GOODNESS of this
retreat. The barge, according to the
legend, was an enchanted island united
TO the shore by well-guarded draw
bridge. 1t was a retreat just suited fol
lovers and had sort of resemblance tc
| that dreamed of by Claude Melnotte as
fitting residence for his bride Pauline
Love laughs at locksmiths and over
passes grea5 obstacles. On wide, low
spreading plane-tree that hung over the
water, the strawberry youth with the
nightingale notes walked along the
spreading branch and dropped dowr
INTO the barge. He saw Diana and ht
was happy.
One evening every one was overcome
with the hot sirocco wind. A storm
arose. The princess and the straw
berry lad were on the barge. The huge
ship broke from her moorings. She
sprung leak and began gradually tt
settle down in the water. The storm
ragged and the terrible darkness wal
only broken by the flashes of vivid light
ming which illuminated the scene for {
brief moment. When the morning
broke the lake was smooth and tran
quill, but no boat broke the shine o.
lis surface. The barge, with Princes:
Diana and her lover with the nightin
gale notes had persisted, and no mor'
was ever heard of the hapless pair
baltimore sun.