By this the stars began to wink,

They shriek, they fly, the tapers sink,
And down y-drops the knight;

For never spell by fairie laid,

With strong enchantment bound a glade Beyond the length of night.

She softly stroak'd my youngling head,
And when the tale was done,

"Thus some are born, my son," she cries, "With base impediments to rise,

And some are born with none.

“But virtue can itself advance

To what the fav'rite fools of chance
By fortune seem design'd;

Virtue can gain the odds of fate,

And from itself shake off the weight
Upon th'unworthy mind."

XXXVII. THE LUCK OF EDEN HALL.

From Ritson's "Fairy Tales," p. 150, and Brand's “Popular Antiquities," ii., 284. The tradition is said to be still

current.

In Eden-hall, in Cumberland, the mansion of the knightly family of Musgrave for many generations, is carefully preserved, in a leathern case, an old painted drinking-glass, which, according to the tradition of the neighbourhood, was long ago taken from fairies near a well dedicated to St. Cuthbert, not far from the house. This glass is supposed to have been a sacred chalice; but the legendary tale is, that the butler, going to draw water, surprised a company of fairies, who were amusing themselves upon the green near the well. He seized the glass, which was standing upon its margin; they tried to recover it, but after an ineffectual struggle, flew away, saying:

If that glass either break or fall,
Farewell the luck of Eden-hall.

From this friendly caution the glass obtained the name recorded in a humorous and excellent ballad, usually, but erroneously attributed to the duke of Wharton, of a famous drinking match at this place, which begins thus:

God prosper long from being broke,

The luck of Eden-hall.

The good-fortune, however, of this ancient house, was never so much endangered as by the duke himself, who, having drunk its contents, to the success and perpetuity, no doubt, of the worthy owner and his race, inadvertently dropped it, and here, most certainly, would have terminated The luck of Eden-hall,

if the butler, who had brought the draught, and stood at his elbow, to receive the empty cup, had not happily caught it in his napkin.

XXXVIII. ISLE OF MAN FAIRIES.

The following fairy legends are related in Waldron's "History of the Isle of Man." They are very curious documents in the history of our fairy mythology, and have been previously reprinted by Ritson, whose selection is here adopted.

[The Manks] say, that an apparition, called in their language, the Mauthe Doog, in the shape of a large black spaniel, with curled shaggy hair, was used to haunt Peel-castle; and has been frequently seen in every room, but particularly in the guard-chamber, where, as soon as candles were lighted, it came and lay down before the fire, in presence of all the soldiers, who, at length, by being so much accustomed to the sight of it, lost great part of the terror they were seized with at its first appearance. They still, however, retain'd a certain awe, as believing it was an evil spirit, which only waited permission to do them hurt, and, for that reason, forbore swearing and all prophane discourse while in its company. But tho' they endured the shock of such a guest when all together in a body, none cared to be left alone with it: it being the custom, therefore, for one of the soldiers to lock the gates of the castle, at a certain hour, and carry them to the captain, to whose apartment the way led through a church; they agreed among themselves, that whoever was to succeed the ensuing night, his fellow in this errand should accompany him that went first, and, by this means, no man would be expos'd singly to the danger for the Mauthe Doog was always seen to come from that passage at the close of day, and return to it again as soon

as the morning dawned, which made them look on this place as its peculiar residence.

One night a fellow, being drunk, and, by the strength of his liquor, rendred more daring than ordinary, laugh'd at the simplicity of his companions, and tho' it was not his turn to go with the keys, would needs take that office upon him to testify his courage. All the soldiers endeavour'd to dissuade him, but the more they said, the more resolute he seemed, and swore that he desired nothing more than that [the] Mauthe Doog would follow him, as it had done the others, for he would try if it were dog or devil. After having talked in a very reprobate manner for some time, he snatched up the keys, and went out of the guard-room. In some time after his departure a great noise was heard, but nobody had the boldness to see what occasioned it, till the adventurer returning, they demanded the knowledge of him; but as loud and noisy as he had been at leaving them, he was now become sober and silent enough; and tho' all the time he lived, which was three days, he was entreated by all who come near him, either to speak, or, if he could not do that, to make some signs, by which they might understand what had happened to him, yet nothing intelligible could be got from him, only, that, by the distortion. of his limbs and features, it might be guess'd that he died in agonies more than is common in a natural death.

The Mauthe Doog was, however, never seen after in the castle, nor would any one attempt to go thro' that passage, for which reason it was closed up, and another way made. This accident happened about threescore years since, and I HEARD IT ATTESTED by several, but especially, BY AN OLD SOLDIER, who assured me HE HAD SEEN IT OFTENER THAN HE

HAD THEN HAIRS ON HIS HEAD.

A Manks-man, who had been led by invisible musicians for several miles together, and not being able to resist the harmony, followed till it conducted him to a large common, where

was a great number of little people sitting round a table, and eating and drinking in a very jovial manner. Among them were some faces which he thought he had formerly seen, but forbore taking any notice [of them] or they of him, till the little people offering him drink, one of them, whose features seemed not unknown to him, plucked him by the coat, and forbad him, whatever he did, to taste any thing he saw before him; for, if you do, added he, you will be as I am, and return no more to your family. The poor man was much affrighted, but resolved to obey the injunction: accordingly a large silver cup, filled with some sort of liquor, being put into his hand, he found an opportunity to throw what it contained on the ground. Soon after, the music ceasing, all the company disappeared, leaving the cup in his hand; and he returned home, though much wearied and fatigued. He went the next day, and communicated to the minister of the parish all that had happened, and asked his advice how he should dispose of the cup: to which the parson replied he could not do better than to devote it to the service of the church; and this very cup, they say, is that which is now used for the consecrated wine in Kirk-Merlugh.

A fiddler, in the Isle of Man, having agreed with a person, who was a stranger, for so much money, to play to some company he should bring him to, all the twelve days of Christmas, and received earnest for it, saw his new master vanish into the earth the moment he had made the bargain. Nothing could be more terrified than was the poor fiddler; he found he had entered into the devil's service, and looked on himself as already damned; but, having recourse to a clergyman, he received some hope he ordered him, however, as he had taken earnest, to go when he should be called; but that, whatever tunes should be called for, to play none but psalms. On the day appointed, the same person appeared, with whom he went, though with what inward reluctance 'tis easy to guess; but, punctually obeying the ministers directions, the company to whom he

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