an earnest religious person. The author has erred in his view, that tlie poet was self-conscious of laying as its foundation a designed allegory. Ingeniously, however, and from his standing- point, as if inspired, has the critic interpreted the imagery ; and the poet cheerfully acknowledges, that such also might in part lie within his vision, although till then in no wise, even to himself, had it arisen through the medium of the understanding. Similar phenomena often present themselves in poetic works, on account of the mysterious richness of the gift, whereby the gifted one has much more imparted than he can evolve with his own intellectual power, if not e.xcited thereto by some bright hint from another quarter.
After this serious relation, shall another naive judgment be mentioned .' It may be, if only for the sake of contrast. Not long since, a friend brought me a library-copy of the " Magic Ring," with which he had accidentally become acquainted, on the cover of which were written these words, " By a boy or a girl? It looks very like it. It is, however, very bad that Arinbiorn gets
I readily confess, that scarcely ever has unlimited applause afforded me such hearty joy as this censure, proceeding from inmost sympathy with my dear sea-king. The more so, as even my own mind, on arriving at the final chord, felt almost melan- choly, as I saw in spirit the hero of the sea floating on so lone- somely to future scenes of war.
In regard to translations into foreign languages of the " Magic Ring," I have heard of a French one, which [ have never seen, but which has probably had an essential share in the far- spread celebrity of the fiction. The French language, now as ever, still holds its established office of interpreter amongst the European tongues. Whether, however, this " Anneau Magique" has effici- ently rendered the spirit and essence of the German work, may, in the mean time, especially from the then condition of modern French literature, be well doubted. What especially befeU. the ballads which lie scattered through the work, I know not ! On the contrary, a brave Englishman has successfully solved the pro- blem in a translation, to which is prefixed a friendly notice of the author, who once met his translator at a noble, hospitable mansion, not anticipating at that time a future niglier relationship. As re- gards the ballads, the English author, not deeming himself qualified
