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goblet and her tail. The fairies, however, sent this parting denun- 

 ciation after him as he crossed the stream : — 



If this cup should break or fall. 

 Farewell the Luck of Edenhall. 



And words to that effect are still inscribed upon the goblet. He 

 is said to have been so exhausted when he reached his home, that 

 the cup dropped out of his hand, and the butler saved it from 

 being broken by catching it ere it fell to the ground. It has been 

 embodied in a ballad commencing — 



A sudden thought fires Musgrave's brain, 



So help him all ye powers of light : 

 He rushes to the festive train, 



And snatches up the goblet bright. 



With three brave bounds the lawn he cross'd — 



The fourth it mounts him on his steed. 

 Run, courser, or thy Lord is lost ! 



Stretch to the stream with lightning's speed ! 



Uhland, the German national poet, has written a song or ballad 

 upon this same Luck of Edenhall, only he describes it as having 

 been originally snatched from the water nymphs or fairies (and the 

 goblets of water nymphs are possibly more fortunate in preserving 

 the luck of families than those used by spirits of a more potent 

 spell). He has thrown an air of German mysticism over the 

 legend, for he makes fire to issue from the walls of the castle at 

 the same moment that the goblet is shivered, by being brought 

 down upon the table with a kling klang. 



Longfellow has made a translation of this ballad from the 

 German of Uhland ; attracted possibly, amongst other things, by 

 its connexion with Cumberland ; for I remember when Longfellow 

 visited England, and came over to Cumberland, he claimed to 

 be a Cumberland man, in that he was born at Cumberland in 

 Massachusetts. 



Hitherto I have spoken of poetry rather than ot poets ; and 

 ballads or poetry, which, like the restless spirits that form its 

 leading subjects, may be looked upon as belonging to either side 



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