knight, bearing in his arms a slender female form, who clung to him at once, lovingly and timidly. As they passed by I heard her sing,-- “Spur, spur thy steed, Sir Frederick dear, The silent Druda’s towers are near;” to which the knight answered,-- “What need of Druda, dearest life? Already we are man and wife.” “Just as these rhymes were uttered, there sprung out from among the thickets a number of armed men, who, as I perceived by their dresses, were of low rank. A tall powerful youth rushed up, and, seizing the knight’s horse by the reins, called aloud, ‘Villain, villain, whither art thou bearing my sister,’--the rest, meanwhile wielding great halberts, and other weapons, made a circle round the lovers. The knight, however, on the first attack, had drawn his sword, and now said, ‘Not so fast, base churl! She loves me, and I love her. What business is it of thine, if thy chief is pleased to demand thy sister? Knows’t thou not that I am Sir Frederick von Edekon?’ ‘In a few seconds more thou shalt be but his ghost,’ answered the youth, ‘if thou dost not instantly give back this maiden to her family.’ Thereupon the knight struck him a blow with his sword, and a furious battle commenced. As I perceived very well that the maiden wished to remain with her lover, I assisted him, and attacked the countrymen in a manner which they had little expected. Notwithstanding their courageous resistance, the victory would soon have been ours; but, in the midst of our conflict, Heaven knows how it could happen, but we all heard the sound of a lattice opened in the castle that stood above us, and, for reasons inscrutable, found ourselves irresistibly impelled to pause in our encounter, and look upwards for whatever should present itself at the window. Then, behold, the full moon shone calm and bright on the lattice, and we all saw the figure of the Lady Minnatrost, tall in stature, clad in a white garment, and with her right hand held up threateningly towards the stars. At this apparition a cold shuddering vibrated through our frames. We remained for a long while silent and motionless, till at length she spoke, ‘Lift not again your swords in vain and impious contention! I know that there is one among you who is my nephew, and is named Heerdegen von Lichtenried. He is here a stranger, but, nevertheless, he shall place that maiden before him on his horse, and shall bring her to me in my castle. The rest shall go peaceably home for this night; but in three days let her bridegroom and brother come also to me.’ All was done as she had commanded. Though the maiden wept bitterly, though the knight and her brother gnashed their teeth with rage, yet no one felt inclined to pass a night under the roof of that ghastly white-robed Druda! But it seemed as if her will were now irresistible, and every one must submit in silence. Without saying a word, therefore, the combatants laid down their