THE SOLITARY HUNTSMAN. All present then utter'd a terrific shout All turn'd with disgust from the scene, The worms they crept in and the worms they crept out, And sported his eyes and his temples about, While the spectre address'd Imogine! M. G. Lewis. IN the time of the far-famed Frederick Redbeard, all Thuringia, perhaps, boasted not a more able and eager huntsman than Ernest Von Zubervhald. Forest sports were his delight-nay, his idolatry; insomuch, that he even withdrew himself entirely from the society of his kinsmen, and took up his abode in a solitary tower, amid the recesses of the Harz Forest. Oftentimes this singular being, engaged in his favourite pursuit, was encountered in divers parts of the woods by those whose concerns led them in that direction, to whom, in the event of their being lost or benightVOL. VII. See page 212 ed, he frequently proffered his services as guide, but always avoided conversation, and never offered to any one the shelter of his lonely dwelling. His At the death of his father, Ernest Von Zubervhald became possessed of a liberal patrimony, wherewith, having no one closely allied, or dependant on him for support, and taking no manner of delight in any other occupation than that we have named, he purchased the lonely and somewhat ruinous tower, and at once determined his mode of life. presence was rather prepossessing than otherwise: he was tall of stature, athletic and robust; while the whole contour of his person, dignified and graceful, implied at once the descendant of, though poor, at least enobled ancestry. His attire was a rich hunting suit of green and gold, and a belt round his waist sustained a short silver-hilted dagger, anelace, and various other implements of the chase. In his hand he carried a long hunting spear, which serving him to strike the gaunt wolf and grim wild boar to earth, sufficed him also to urge on his noble raven steed. 181 The woodsman returning from his daily toil, the miner plodding to his shieling-ay, and the lover hastening to his place of tryst, all were oftentimes scared at the sudden and frequently mysterious appearance of the Solitary Hunter, as he was termed, looming darkly across their path; and in sooth such an apparition, seen too in the still twilight of a summer's evening, moving noiselessly yet swiftly amid the glades and thickets, was little calculated to inspire aught save terror, particularly in the minds of German peasantry, whose sole creed is superstition. Gradually, however, the presence of the Solitary Hunter grew customary to them, and at length all save strangers viewed him with unconcern. Thus this singular individual pursued his favourite sport, both summer and winter, for the space, perhaps, of ten or twelve years, when, all at once, he disappeared. A whole twelvemonth elapsed, and he had not once been seen or heard of. Some said-nay, positively averred (of course, without alleging any reason for so saying,) that he had plunged, steed and all, into the river Oides, or the Rhine, or some other; while many more declared no less firmly, that he had leaped from the Kynast, and thereby terminated his existence. We are not aware of aught that should have stimulated him to the perpetration of any such rash action, except, indeed, that he might have beheld the forest Queen, which appellation was justly given by the dwellers around to the Baron Von Kugelstein's daughter, Leodine; except, therefore, that he had seen this beautiful girlhad become enamoured of her charmshad communicated to her his passion, and had, finally, met with a repulse, and thereby sealed his destruction, we can by no means account for his disappearance. That such, however, could have been his fate, is strongly disputed by his well-known character and disposition. Society he constantly avoided, his manners were stern and forbidding, and the most beautiful of the gentler sex he had contemplated with apathy and unconcern. The whole affair, therefore, gradually wore away, and became at length entirely forgotten. It chanced, one cool dewy evening, in the height of summer, not very long after the mysterious disappearance of the solitary hunter, that the Emperor Frederick, attended by a gallant company of knights and nobles, among whom was the Baron Kugelstein, thread ed the intricacies of the Harz Forest, in artillery, immediately accompanied the flash. The Emperor stood nigh; his golden casque, crested with a coronet of diamonds and precious stones, rolled on the ground, and was instantly melted in the levin glare; meanwhile his affrighted steed plunged, reared, and wheeling madly round, dashed at once into the forest depths. Kugelstein saw his monarch's peril, and flew to his aid, but ere he had far advanced into the wood, he beheld the frantic steed stretched lifeless on the ground, and the Emperor supported in the arms of a tall, muffled figure. Kugelstein leaped from his steed, and in the ebullition of his joy on beholding the monarch safe, he grasp ed the hand of the stranger, and thus addressed him,— "Sir, whoe'er ye are, ye have preserved the life of your sovereign; how can I thank ye?-how sufficiently reward ye? Ha! hear me; I have a daughter-she is accounted beautiful--she is thine! nay, I have said it. The word of Von Kugelstein is pledged." The Emperor slowly revived-recovered his senses, and saw his deliverer before him his first care was to bestow on him a precious collar of diamonds, which he took from his own neck; his next to command him to fall in with his train. To the surprise of both, however, the stranger rejected the costly boon, and testified no inclination to obey the Emperor's command. He turned to Kugelstein; his visage closely concealed by a huge sombrero hat and its drooping plumage, and thus he spake, "Remember your promise!" The tone of his voice made Kugelstein's blood run cold in his veins; he shuddered and looked around, but the stranger was no longer visible. Meanwhile the storm had abated, the thunder, in low fitful murmurings, was dying fast away, and the sheet lightning was now comparatively mild; the heavens grew lighter and, gradually divesting itself of its masses of murky cloud, revealed full many a star glimmering in the here and there patches of lively blue. Kugelstein wound his horn, which swiftly assembling the scattered band, they were soon again on their journey; and soon, to their infinite joy, the towers of Kugelstein Castle made themselves visible. It is not our purpose to describe the feasting and revelry which that night took place therein. Suffice it to say, that every one except the host did am ple justice to the repast, and departed on the following morning, no ways displeased either with the entertainment or their entertainer. Leodine received an especial mark of the Emperor's favor, which was no less than the costly circlet of diamonds that had been so unceremoniously rejected by his unknown preserver. As for Kugelstein, his joy was damped by the remembrance of the singular incident in the forest; he bethought him of his promise, so rashly, yet so faithfully made; could he recall it?-no, his word as a knight was pledged, it was past recall, and he must abide by it. Yet, could he hope that by offering the stranger a large reward-even the half of his domains— he might render him a greater gratification than he could derive from the possession of his daughter's hand. The baron's visage brightened as this project occurred to him, and determined him forthwith to seek the unknown. These deliberations took place on the night succeeding the event we have just narrated; the baron was seated in his private apartment, which was lighted up by two flaming torches fixed in rude iron staples against the wall; the hour was waxing late, the castle-bell had tolled the eleventh hour long since, yet the baron's reverie continued. "Yes," said he, "to-morrow I will seek him; this offer will probably induce him to relinquish his claim to Leodine." The pause which here ensued was presently broken by the tones of a deep and sepulchral voice, sternly exclaiming, "Remember your promise!" and all again was silence. The baron's cheek turned deadly pale, an icy tremor ran through his whole frame, and a fear came over him that he was totally unable to repress. The sound seemed to come from behind; he raised his head his eye glanced at a mirror which pended from the wall before him, and there became fixed. Within it he be held the same mysterious form that had appeared to him once before, his visage as then, closely concealed. The baron did his utmost to shake off his terror, and gradually turned round, though dreading to encounter his singular visitan'. To Kugelstein's utter amazement, however, the stranger had disappeared; he was nowhere visible. He summoned his vassals, and questioned them, but all were totally ignorant of the presence of of the unknown. Long, long did Kugelstein reflect on Who this mysterious circumstance. could the stranger be? he asked himself; he had heard ofttimes of the fiends of the Blockberg; he had heard, moreover, that the forest was haunted by the spectre of the Solitary Huntsman; but never had he listened seriously to things so wild, far less did he believe in their existence. He knew not what to think; he strove to forget, and he succeeded. Years passed by, and nothing of note occurred. At the expiration, however, of about four years, the marriage of his daughter Leodine with the son of a neighbouring baron was celebrated in Kugelstein Castle, and a noble company were assembled therein. Good cheer was dispersed around with the utmost prodigality, and every door of the castle was thrown open to those whom chance or intention should bring in that direction. The spacious banquetting apartment sparkled with the superb costume of the noble and knightly personages that were gathered therein, and rang full gaily with the songs and harps of the minstrels. All on a sudden, however, amid the general confusion that took place previous to the banquet, a piercing shriek issued from the lips of the bride; in the same moment a violent though brief clashof weapons was heard. Many of the females, ignorant of what was passing, and thinking that some banditti had broken in among them, uttered scream upon scream, until the whole of the apartment was a scene of indescribible chaos and alarm. Gradually, however, the hall became somewhat cleared, and the cause of terror, stood at once revealed. It was the stranger,-he whom Kugelstein had already twice beheld, and who now stood again proudly and erect before him, his visage still viewless, and screening some object beneath his huge black mantle, one part of which was perforated as with a sword and dabbled with blood which had oozed forth; his left arm was drawn around it, and his right hand rested on the hilt of his weapon, which was likewise reddened with gore. At his feet lay the bridegroom, who had apparently just expired; his hand clutched tightly the hilt of a sword, whose blade had seemingly pierced the mantle of the unknown.' The horrified demeanour of the Baron, whose wild, distended eyeballs resting now on one now on the other, is hard to portray. Several of his guests standing around, each having their swords drawn, and hesitating whether or not to seize on the mysterious intruder, completes the scene. Kugelstein was the first to break the terrific silence. "Fiend, Dæmon, or whate'er ye be, restore me my child!—my daughter!— give me back my Leodine!" he cried in agonizing tones, while his arms were stretched forth towards the stranger's mantle. "Remember your promise, Baron Kugelstein!" replied the latter calmly, yet sternly; "she is mine, and with me she remains. Behold my lifeless bride!" He threw back the covering, and Kugelstein's eyes rested on the corse of his daughter, his murdered Leodine. He beheld her fair neck dabbled with blood, her brown tresses wreathing wildly and tangled over it; her hands and arms frozen and icy cold; the death agony had imparted a blackish expression to her features, but it was fast yielding to a soft and sweet serenity. "Speak! speak!" exclaimed the Baron, gasping for utterance. "Whowhat are ye?" "Behold!" answered the stranger; and dashing to the ground his large sombrero hat, he revealed to the amazed and terrified group the fleshless head of a skeleton! A tremendous noise that at that moment reverberated throughout the entire building, recalled the scattered senses of the beholders, while at the same time every inmate of the castle rushed into the apartment. Speech had totally deserted them, but all pointed eagerly towards a huge stained window at the further end of the hall: every eye was instantly upon it, and in less than a moment it was completely shivered; a wild unearthly peal of wind instruments floated on the ear; and plainly discernible against the profound sable back ground of the sky appeared the Solitary Huntsman, mounted on his gigantic steed; across the saddle bow lay the hapless Leodine, and many a ghastly object flickered around. The spectacle, however, was but momentary; but the wild hubbub that attended it resounded long after it had disappeared. Baron Von Kugelstein survived not that fatal night; and his castle according to the tradition of the Harz peasantry, haunted by all the fiends of the Blockberg, was left to ruin and decay. T. F. Lays of the Deep. For the Olio. BY HENRY JAMES MEILER, ESQ. THE MARINER'S GRAVE. Oh! soundly he sleeps in the dark foaming wave, A gallanter soul in the depths of their gloom! Temple Place, Blackfriars. CONFESSIONS OF A COWARD.* "A coward! a most devout coward! religious in it!" Twelfth Night. ANYTHING in reason will I adventure for a lady's love-circumnavigate the terraqueous globe with Mr. Buckingham-sail with Captain Parry to the North Pole-fast with Mr. Percevalpass an hour in an oven with M. Chabert-suffer myself to be rubbed by Mr. St. John Long-or read Moore's Life of Byron from cover to cover-but stand an adversary's fire at Battersea Fields, or Chalk Farm-that I will not do! No!-the power of woman I own, but her omnipotence I deny; or, as I once poetically expressed it— Beauty's bright heaven has many a starry eye, Shines many a radiant orb in Beauty's sky; But well I ween there glitters not the dame Whose glance could fire me with a warrior's flame; Not Loveliness herself, with all her charms, Could nerve my spirit to a deed of arms. Yes, truly! such are my sentiments; and you see they can be couched in rhyme, as well as the most valorous and knightly. Were Venus to be the guerdon of the achievement, I would not exchange a shot with any lord or gentleman in the king's dominions. I will do anything for Beatrice but challenge Claudio. Whether I shall ever be "crowned," or not, is uncertain ; but certes it will never be for "deserts in arms;" and as to the "bubble reputation," if ever I seek it, rely on it, it will be somewhere else than "in the cannon's mouth"-ay, or the pistol's mouth either. A pistol differs from a cannon only as a young lion differs from an old one; and I would just as Monthly Mag. soon be devoured by the king of the forest himself, as by a younger branch of the royal family. No pistol for me! I hold it, with honest David in the play, to be a "bloody-minded animal," and the much-abused nobleman, who several hundred years ago remarked, "that it was great pity-so it wasThat villanous saltpetre should be digged Out of the bowels of the harmless earth, Which many a good tall fellow had destroyed So cowardly" took a view of military affairs in which I concur with all my heart, soul, and strength. It may be asked, how I dare to make an avowal so certain to bring down upon my head the sentence of outlawry from every fashionable circle. "Do I not know," it will be said, "that to the lovely and the brave the character I give of myself is equally detestable? -that I had better be known in polite society as a traitor or a parricide, than as a craven in the field, much less a person who would prefer the most inglorious compromise imaginable to a mortal arbitrement at twelve paces!" A reasonable question, gentle reader ! But, if you wait to the end of these Confessions, you will find an answer; you will see that, communicative as am on other points, with respect to my "local habitation and my name,' I am as mysterious as the man in the Iron Mask, or one of Mrs. Radcliffe's heroes. This, however, I assure youI am not the First Lord of the Admiralty. In perfect confidence, then, I proceed to inform you, that courage is to me the most inexplicable phenomenon in the constitution of man. I was born, without doubt, under a pusillanimous planet; or rather under one of those flying stars, which scamper so fast across the ethereal fields, that there is no way to account for their immediate hurry, but on the hypothesis that there is a comet at their heels. No remark is more common than that Fact is continually outdoing Fiction. The wildest freaks of imagination never bodied forth a Cromwell or a Buonaparte. Nature, as she moulded these giant characters, smiled at the dwarfish creations of romance and poetry, and rebuked the presumption of the Homers, the Dantes, and the Shakspeares. Now it is with cowardice precisely as it is with heroism. Both are natural gifts; and nature, when she is disposed, can be as munificent of the former as of the latter. In the present instance, she has |