The Canterbury Poets. EDITED BY WILLIAM SHARP. ELFIN MUSIC. ELFIN MUSIC: AN ANTHOLOGY OF ENGLISH FAIRY POETRY. SELECTED AND ARRANGED, WITH AN INTRODUCTION, BY ARTHUR EDWARD WAITE. “O, list the mystic lore sublime Of fairy tales of ancient time.” _The Ettrick Shepherd._ LONDON WALTER SCOTT, 24 WARWICK LANE NEW YORK: THOMAS WHITTAKER TORONTO: W. J. GAGE AND CO. 1888 CONTENTS. PAGE INTRODUCTION—Revival of the Romantic element in modern poetry—Origin of the term “Fairy”—Fays of early French literature—Source of the conceptions at the base of English fairy poetry—Huon de Bordeaux—Oberon—Spiritual traditions of Gothic and Celtic nations—Lineage of the fairies—Romance of Orfeo and Heurodis—Stature of the fairies—Their religious faith—The Fairy Queen—Robin Goodfellow—The elfin hierarchies—Romaunt of the Knight Launfal—Value of English fairy poetry—Plan of the present anthology ix THE FOREVIEW. EDGAR ALLAN POE—Fairyland 3 PRELUDE. FELICIA HEMANS—Fairies’ Recall 7 THE FAIRY FAMILY. EDMUND SPENSER—The Rolls of Elfin Emperours 11 SIR SIMEON STEWARD—The Faery King 13 BEN JONSON—Queen Mab 15 OLD POEM—The Fairy Queen 16 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE—Queen Mab; Lullaby for Titania 18, 19 L. E. L.—The Fairy Queen Sleeping 20 OLD POEM—Robin Good-fellow 22 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE—Puck’s Song 26 ROBERT HERRICK—The Fair Temple; Oberon’s Feast; Oberon’s Palace 27, 31, 32 THOMAS HOOD—The Water Lady 36 SAMUEL MINTON PECK—The Pixies 37 ANDREW JAMES SYMINGTON—Song of the Water Sprite 38 MARGARET DIXON—A Legend of the Water-Spirit, called Neckan 40 JAMES HOGG—The Mermaid 42 SARAH WILLIAMS—Song of the Water Nixies 46