piled  rocks  which  rise  in  her  path,  so  that  the  water  strangely
whizzes  or  foams  in  one  place  among  rifted  rocks,  and  in  an-
other wells  through  a  thousand  crannies,  as  if  from  a  giant
watering-pot,  and  then,  in  collected  stream,  trips  away  over
the  pebbles  like  a  merry  maiden.  Yes — the  old  legend  is
true,  the  Use  is  a  princess,  who,  laughing  in  beauty,  runs
adown  the  mountain.  How  her  white  foam-garment  gleams
in  the  sunshine  !  How  her  silvered  scarf  flutters  in  the
breeze  !  How  her  diamonds  flash !  .  .  .  .  The  flowers  on
the  bank  whisper.  Oh  take  us  with  thee  j  take  us  with  thee,
dear  sister.
"  I  am  the  princess  Use,
And  dwell  in  Ilsenstein  ;
Come  with  me  to  my  castle,
Thou  shalt  be  blest  and  mine  1

I  '11  kiss  thee  an^  caress  thee.
As  in  the  ancient  day,
I  listened  to  Emperor  Henry,
Who  long  has  past  away."

83.    Lami^.
The  original  Lamia,  the  daughter  of  Belus  and  Libya,  was
beloved  by  Jupiter,  and  then  transformed,  through  Juno's
jealousy,  into  a  hideous,  child-devouring  monster.  Lilith,
the  nocturnal,  female  vampire  of  the  Hebrews,  mentioned  in
Isaiah,  is  rendered  Lamia  in  the  Vulgate.  In  the  plural,
they  appear  to  have  corresponded,  very  nearly,  to  (bewitches
of  the  Middle  Ages,  who,  indeed,  were  then  frequently  called
Lamia.  Keats's  poem  of  "  Lamia,"  in  which  the  bride,  rec-
ognized by  the  keen-eyed  sage,  returns  to  her  original  ser-
pent-form, represents  another  of  the  superstitions  attached
to  the  race.
