CORNELIUS AGRIPPA went out one day;
His Study he lock'd ere he went away,
And he gave the key of the door to his wife,

That the Saint was so near increased my fear,

And faster I hasten'd away.

So all night long I hurried on,
Pacing full many a mile,

And knew not his avenging hand
Was on me all the while.

"And if any one ask my Study to see,

I charge you to trust them not with the key; Whoever may beg, and entreat, and implore, On your life let nobody enter that door."

There lived a young man in the house, who in vain Access to that Study had sought to obtain;

And he begg'd and pray'd the books to see, Till the foolish woman gave him the key.

On the Study-table a book there lay,
Which Agrippa himself had been reading that day;
The letters were written with blood therein,
And the leaves were made of dead men's skin;-

And these horrible leaves of magic between
Were the ugliest pictures that ever were seen,
The likeness of things so foul to behold,
That what they were is not fit to be told.

The young man he began to read

He knew not what; but he would proceed, When there was heard a sound at the door Which, as he read on, grew more and more.

And more and more the knocking grew;
The young man knew not what to do;
But, trembling, in fear he sat within,

Till the door was broke, and the Devil came in.

Two hideous horns on his head he had got,
Like iron heated nine times red-hot;

The breath of his nostrils was brimstone blue,
And his tail like a fiery serpent grew.

"What wouldst thou with me?" the Wicked One cried,

But not a word the young man replied;
Every hair on his head was standing upright,
And his limbs like a palsy shook with affright.

"What wouldst thou with me?" cried the Author of ill;

But the wretched young man was silent still;
Not a word had his lips the power to say,
And his marrow seem'd to be melting away.

Prestres une histoire prodigeuse qu'ils tenoient de main en main pour tres veritable. Qui estoit que Charles le Grand, apres avoir conquesté plusieurs pays, s'esperdit de telle façon en l'amour d'une simple femme, que mettant tout honneur et reputation en arriere, il oublia non seulement les affaires de son royaume, mais aussi le soing de sa propre personne, au grand desplaisir de chacun; estant seulement ententif à courtiser ceste dame: laquelle par bonheur commenca à s'aliter d'une grosse maladie, qui lui apporta la mort. Dont les Princes et grands Seigneurs furent fort rejouis, esperans que par ceste mort, Charles reprendroit comme devant et ses esprits et les affaires du royaume en main: toutesfois il se trouva tellement infatué de ceste amour, qu' encores cherissoit-il ce cadaver, l'embrassant, baisant, accolant de la meme façon que devant, et au lieu de prester l'oreille aux legations qui luy survenoient, il l'entretenoit de mille bayes, comme s'elle eust esté pleine de vie. Ce corps commençoit deja non seulement à mal sentir, mais aussi se tournoit en putrefaction, et neantmoins n'y avoit aucun de ses favoris qui luy en osast parler; dont advint que l'Archevesque Turpin mieux advisé que les autres, pourpensa que telle chose ne pouvoit estre advenue sans quelque sorcellerie. Au moyen dequoy espiant un jour l'heure que le Roy s'estoit absenté de la chambre, commença de fouiller le corps de toutes parts, finalement trouva dans sa bouche au dessous de sa langue un anneau qu'il luy osta. Le jour mesme Charlemaigne retournant sur ses premieres brisees, se trouva fort estonne de voir une carcasse ainsi puante. Parquoy, comme s'il se fust resveillé d'un profond sommeil, commanda que l'on l'ensevelist promptement. Ce qui fut fait; mais en contr' eschange de ceste folie, il tourna tous ses pensemens vers l'Archevesque porteur de cest anneau, ne pouvant estre de là en avant sans luy, et le suivant en tous les endroits. Quoy voyant ce sage Prelat, et craignant que cest anneau ne tombast en mains de quelque autre, le jetta dans un lac prochain de la ville. Depuis lequel temps on dit que ce Roy se trouve si espris de l'amour du licu, qu'il ne se desempara de la ville d'Air, où il bastit un Pulais, et un Monastere, en l'un desquels il parfit le reste de ses jours, et en l'autre voulut estre ensevely, ordonnant par son testament que tous les Empereurs de Rome cussent à se faire sacrer premierement en ce lieu. PASQUIER. Recherches de la France. L. 6, C. 33.

This very learned author has strangely mistaken Aix in Savoy, the real scene of the legend, for Aix-la-Chapelle. The ruins of a building said to have been Charlemain's palace are still to be seen on the Lake of Bourget.

1.

cries,

And a flash of lightning came from his eyes,
And he lifted his griffin claw in the air,

And the young man had not strength for a prayer.

His eyes red fire and fury dart

As out he tore the young man's heart; He grinn'd a horrible grin at his prey; And in a clap of thunder vanish'd away.

THE MORAL.

Henceforth let all young men take heed How in a Conjurer's books they read. Westbury, 1798.

KING CHARLEMAIN.

François Petrarque, fort renomme entre les Poëtes Italiens, discourant en un epistre son voyage de France et de l'Allemagne, nous raconte que passant par la ville d'Aix, il apprit de quelques

And the bloom of her beauty was fled: [by, 'Twas the glance of the harlot that gleam'd in her

THE

KING OF THE CROCODILES.

The people at Isna, in Upper Egypt, have a superstition concerning Crocodiles similar to that entertained in the West Indies; they say there is a King of them who resides near Isna, and who has ears, but no tail; and he possesses an uncommon regal quality, that of doing no harm. Some are bold enough to assert that they have seen him.BROWN'S Travels.

If the Crocodile Dynasty in Egypt had been described as distinguished by a long neck, as well as the want of a tail, it might be supposed that some tradition of the Ichthyosaurus, or other variety of the Præadamite Crocodile, was preserved in those countries.

No one who has perused Mr. Waterton's Wanderings will think there is any thing more extraordinary in the woman's attack upon her intended devourer, than in what that enterprising and most observant naturalist has himself performed. He has ridden a Crocodile, twisting the huge reptile's fore legs on his back by main force, and using them as a bridle. "Should it be asked," he says, "how I managed to keep my seat, I would answer, I hunted some years with Lord Darlington's fox-hounds."

There is a translation of this ballad by Bilderdijk, published in his Krekelzangen, 1822, vol. ii. p. 109, before the second part was written.

PART I.

"Now, Woman, why without your veil?
And wherefore do you look so pale?
And, Woman, why do you groan so sadly,
And wherefore beat your bosom madly?

"Oh! I have lost my darling boy,
In whom my soul had all its joy;
And I for sorrow have torn my veil,
And sorrow hath made my very heart pale.

"Oh, I have lost my darling child,
And that's the loss that makes me wild;
He stoop'd to the river down to drink,
And there was a Crocodile by the brink.

"He did not venture in to swim;
He only stoop'd to drink at the brim;
But under the reeds the Crocodile lay,

And struck with his tail, and swept him away.

"Now take me in your boat, I pray, For down the river lies my way, And me to the Reed Island bring, For I will go to the Crocodile King.

"He reigns not now in Crocodilople,
Proud as the Turk at Constantinople;
No ruins of his great City remain,
The Island of Reeds is his whole domain.

"Like a Dervise there he passes his days,.
Turns up his eyes, and fasts and prays;
And being grown pious, and meek, and mild,
He now never eats man, woman, or child.

"The King of the Crocodiles never does wrong;
He has no tail, so stiff and strong;
He has no tail to strike and slay,
But he has ears to hear what I say.

"And to the King I will complain
How my poor child was wickedly slain;
The King of the Crocodiles he is good,
And I shall have the murderer's blood."

The man replied, "No, Woman, no, To the Island of Reeds I will not go; I would not for any worldly thing See the face of the Crocodile King."

"Then lend me now your little boat,
And I will down the river float.
I tell thee that no worldly thing
Shall keep me from the Crocodile King.

"The King of the Crocodiles he is good, And therefore will give me blood for blood; Being so mighty and so just,

He can revenge me; he will, and he must."

The Woman she leap'd into the boat,
And down the river alone did she float;
And fast with the stream the boat proceeds;
And now she is come to the Island of Reeds.

The King of the Crocodiles there was seen;
He sat upon the eggs of the Queen;
And all around, a numerous rout,
The young Prince Crocodiles crawl'd about.

The Woman shook every limb with fear,
As she to the Crocodile King came near;
For never man without fear and awe
The face of his Crocodile Majesty saw.

She fell upon her bended knee,
And said, "O King, have pity on me,
For I have lost my darling child,
And that's the loss that makes me wild.

"A Crocodile ate him for his food;
Now let me have the murderer's blood;
Let me have vengeance for my boy,
The only thing that can give me joy.

"I know that you, Sire! never do wrong;
You have no tail, so stiff and strong,
You have no tail to strike and slay,
But you have ears to hear what I say."

"You have done well," the King replies,
And fixed on her his little eyes;
"Good Woman, yes, you have done right,
But you have not described me quite.

"I have no tail to strike and slay,
And I have ears to hear what you say;

I have teeth, moreover, as you may see,
And I will make a meal of thee."

Bristol, 1799.