“When I let all my characters die,” writes the Queen, “I am only like nature, in which everything ends with death. There is nothing in this world which has any other ending than death. It is such a peaceful feeling when they have ceased to struggle, and the poor soul is at rest. Decebal’s end is as historically true as most histories. “The third volume will contain legends of birds or flowers, amongst which ‘Jochen Spatz’ belongs to Roumania. I was asked to write a page in the album which is dedicated to the memory of Fritz Reuter, and sent this fairy tale of the people.” Later the royal lady composed a highly poetical libretto for the opera. It treats of an episode in the life of the Roumanian people, and is called Neaga. The Swedish composer Hallström has set it to music. The subject of the poem, “A Prayer,” was also taken from life, having occurred to a priest. The Queen writes French poetry with ease. In the spring of 1883 the “Félibres,” an alliance of authors and learned men in the South of France which had in view the resuscitation of Provence and its poetry, induced the Queen to answer in the same strain. The royal pair were spending a few weeks at Sestri Ponente at that time. Thither the Félibres de Lar sent her Majesty a sonnet in the old language of Provence, containing the poetic invitation to visit them in the sunny land of the Troubadours. Without much reflection Queen Elizabeth answered them in the following poem, which we give here as a proof of the wide range of her talent:-- RÉPONSE DE S. M. LA REINE ELISABETH DE ROUMANIE AU CAPISCOL. MONSIEUR J. B. GANT, POUR LES FÉLIBRES DE LAR. “De gracieux noms suis appelée, Venir ne puis, Par tems et devoir enchaînée, Oiseau ne suis. Si, comme la pensée moult radieuse, Ailes j’avais, A votre source mystérieuse Je renaîtrais. Je baignerais dans l’harmonie De la chanson, Cherchant des froideurs de la vie La guérison. Au grand soleil qui vous innonde De son amour, Oyez--je volerais une onde, Beau troubadour. Je cueillerais de vos pensées La fraîche fleur, Vos harpes au cœur accordées Me diraient: Sœur! Le Mistral même s’est fait caresse! Venir ne puis A votre source enchanteresse; Oiseau ne suis!” ELISABETH. SESTRI PONENTE, _le 11 Avril 1883_. We will also mention the two newest works of Carmen Sylva that were published at Christmas 1883. First we will tell of a little book of novelettes, termed “Etchings.” It contains sketches and pictures from life, which bear the technical titles of the work of the artist, such as Engravings, Chalk Drawings, Wood Engravings, &c. “In my eyes,” says the royal lady, “novelettes are for the poet what studies of heads are for the artist, and the aphorisms are the slight sketches in the sketch-book.” Almost at the same time the large collection of poems termed ‘My Rest’ appeared.