A charger of filver each placed on the board,
While the fiend of the forefts thus greeted her ear.

"With the heart of a warrior, Cloud Queen, for thy food,

“The head of a child on thy table we place;

"She fpell-ftruck the knight as he ftray'd through the wood;

"I ftrangled the child in his father's embrace."-

The roof now divided.-By fogs half conceal'd,
Suck'd from marshes, infecting the air as he came,
And blafting the verdure of forest and field,
On a dragon defcended the Giant of Flame.

Fire feem'd from his eyes and his noftrils to pour;
His breath was a volume of fulphurous smoke;
He brandifh'd a fabre ftill dropping with gore,

And his voice fhook the palace when filence he broke:

"Feaft, Queen of the Clouds! the repaft do not scorn; "Feaft, Queen of the Clouds! I perceive thou haft food!

"To-morrow I feast in my turn, for at morn

"Shall I feed on thy flesh, fhall I drink of thy blood!

"Lo! I bring for a prefent this magical brand,
"The bowels of Chriftians have dyed it with red;

"This once flamed in Albert the renegade's hand,
"And is destined to-morrow to strike off thy head.".

Then paler than marble Romilda she grew,

While tears of regret blamed her folly and pride. "Oh! tell me, Cloud King, if the giant faid true, "And wilt thou not fave from his fabre thy bride ?"——

""Tis in vain, my fair lady, thofe hands that you wring,

"The bond is completed, the dye it is caft;

"For she who at night weds an element-king,

"Next morning must serve for his brother's repast."-

-"Yet fave me, Cloud-King! by that love you profefs'd

"Bear me back to the place whence you tore me away."

"Fair lady! yon fiends, should I grant your request, "Inftead of to-morrow, would eat you to day."

"Yet mark me, Cloud-King! fpread in vain is your fnare,

"For my bond must be void, and efcap'd is your prey, "The two firft commands which I give you, howe'er "The task fhould be wondrous, unless you obey."

-"Well fay'ft thou, Romilda; thy will, then, impart, "But hope not to vanquish the King of the Storm,

" Of

"Or baffle his skill by invention or art;

"Thou can'ft not command what I cannot perform !".

Then clafping her hands, to the Virgin she pray'd,
While in curfes the wicked ones vented their rage.
"Now fhow me the trueft of lovers!" he said,
And lo! by her fide stood the lovely young Page.

His mind was all wonder, her heart all alarms; She fank on his breaft as he fank at her knee. "The trueft of lovers I fold in my arms,

"Than the truest, now fhow me a truer !"-faid fhe.

Then loud yell'd the dæmons! the cloud-fashion'd halls
Diffolved, thunder bellow'd, and heavy rains beat;
Again ftood the Fair midft her own caftle walls,
And ftill knelt the lovely young page at her feet.

And foon for her own, and for Rofenhall's lord,
Did Romilda the truest of lovers declare,

Nor e'er on his bofom one figh could afford,

That for him the had quitted the Monarch of Air.

Full long yonder chapel has fhelter'd their urns,
Long ceafed has the tear on their ashes to fall;

Yet ftill, when October the twenticth returns,

Roars the fiend round these turrets, and fhakes Rofen

hall.

Oh!

Oh! Pilgrim, thy fears let these annals remove,
For day to the skies will tranquillity bring ;

This ftorm but declares that refentment and love
Still gnaw the proud heart of the cruel Cloud-King.

Left my readers fhould mistake the drift of the foregoing tale, and suppose its moral to rest upon the danger in which Romilda was involved by her infolence and prefumption, I think it necessary to explain, that my object in writing this ftory, was to fhew young ladies that it might poffibly, now and then, be of use to understand a little grammar; and it must be clear to every one, that my heroine would infallibly have been devoured by the dæmons, if she had not luckily understood the difference between the comparative and fuperlative degrees.

No.

THE water rufh'd, the water fwell'd,

A fisherman fat nigh;

Calm was his heart, and he beheld
His line with watchful eye :

While thus he fits with tranquil look :
In twain the water flows;

Then, crown'd with reeds, from out the brook,

A lovely woman rose.

To him the fung, to him she said,

-"Why tempt'ft thou from the flood,

By cruel arts of man betray'd,

"Fair youth, my scaly brood?

"Ah!