The second let down on the face that slept The veil, and turned him away and wept: “Alas for thee there on the funeral-bier! For thee I have loved full many a year.” The third, he lifted again the veil, And kissed her upon the mouth so pale: “I loved thee before, I love thee to-day, And I will love thee for ever and aye!” The last line, “Und werde dich lieben in ewigkeit,” would be more correctly rendered, “And I will love thee _in_ eternity.” And we are equally aware that our “landlady’s sign” is objectionable, as the original is simply, “They turned in there to a landlady’s.” But it would be hard to render it otherwise without losing the quadruple rhyme, which has a certain mournful elegance. ‘The Landlady’s Daughter’ naturally leads us to ‘The Goldsmith’s Daughter.’ In this poem we must not suppose that the hero and heroine meet for the first time. The maiden has fallen in love with the knight, her superior in station, but scarcely dares even confess it to herself, till the knight agreeably surprises her by adorning her as his bride, taking her acceptance for granted. We would not spoil the romance by hinting that it may not have been an uncommon case in the middle ages for young noblemen of small fortune to seek their brides from the rich _bourgeoisie_ of the Free Towns. THE GOLDSMITH’S DAUGHTER. A goldsmith stood within his stall, Mid pearl and precious stone: Of all the gems I own, of all, Thou art the best, Heléna, My daughter, darling one. One day came in a knight so fine: “Good morrow, maiden fair; Good morrow, worthy goldsmith mine; Make me a costly crownlet, For my sweet bride to wear.” The crown was made, the work was good, It shone the eye to charm, But Helen hung in pensive mood (I trow, when none was by her) The trinket on her arm. “Ah! happy happy _she_ to bear This glittering bridal toy; Would that true knight give me to wear A crownlet but of roses, How full were I of joy!” Ere long the knight came in again, Did well the crown approve: “Now make me, goldsmith, best of men, A ring with diamonds set, To deck my lady-love.” The ring was made, the work was good, The diamonds brightly shone, But Helen drew ‘t in pensive mood (I trow, when none was by her) Her finger half-way on.