on the silvery waves at moonlight, playing his harp to the Elves 

 and Fays who dance on the flowery margin, in obedience to his 

 summons — , 



" Come queen of the revels — come, form into bands 

 The Elves and the Fairies that follow your train ; 

 Tossing your tresses, and wreathing your hands, 



Let your dainty feet dance to my wave- wafted strain." 



The Graeco-Latin Naiades, or Water-nymphs, were also of this 

 family : they generally inhabited the country, and resorted to the 

 woods or meadows near the stream over which they presided. 

 It was in some such locality on the Asiatic coast that the ill-fated 

 Hylas was carried off by Isis and the River-nymphs, whilst 

 obtaining water from a fountam. 



" The chiefs composed their wearied limbs to rest, 

 But H) las sought the springs, by thirst opprest ; 

 At last a fount he found with flow'rets graced : 

 On the green bank above his urn he placed. 

 'Twas at a time when old Ascanius made 

 An entertainment in his watery bed, 

 For all the Nymphs and all the Naiades 

 Inhabitants of neighb'ring plains and seas." 



These inferior deities were held in great veneration, and received 

 from their votaries offerings of fruit and flowers ; animal sacrifices 

 were also made to them, with libations of wine, honey, oil, and 

 milk ; and they were crowned with Sedges and flowers. A remnant 

 of these customs was to be seen in the practice which formerly 

 prevailed in this country of sprinkling rivers with flowers on Holy 

 Thursday. Milton, in his ' Comus,' tells us that, in honour of 

 Sabrina, the Nymph of the Severn — 



"The shepherds at their festivals 

 Carol her good deeds loud in rustic lays, 

 And throw sweet garland wreaths into her stream, 

 Of Tansies, Pinks, and gaudy Daffodils." 



A belief in the existence of good spirits who watched and 

 guarded wells, springs and streams, was common to the whole 

 Aryan race. On the 1 3th of October the Romans celebrated at the 

 Porta Fontinalis a festival in honour of the Nymphs who presided 

 over fountains and wells : this was termed the Fontinalia, and 

 during the ceremonies wells and fountains were ornamented with 

 garlands. To this day the old heathen custom of dressing and 

 adorning wells is extant, although saints and martyrs have long 

 since taken the place of the Naiades and Water-nymphs as patrons. 

 In England, well-dressing at Ascension-tide is still practised, and 

 some particulars of the ancient custom will be found in the chapter 

 on Floral Ceremonies. 



" The fountain marge is fairly spread 



With every incense flower that blows. 

 With flowry Sedge and Moss that grows, 

 For fervid limbs a dewy bed." — Fane. 



