the ballad of "Young Lochinvar." Both the translation of the Review, and that of Mr. Bowring, are in the metre of the original; but by the aid of poetical embellishment, and some adaptation, the translation in the Review is more likely to attract the attention of the mere English reader. In this ballad of Ajkuna's marriage, as well as in the one which follows, the "Illness of Prince Mujo," the Turkish and Servian manners are blended in a way which tells the event that had taken place as plainly as history. The "finding of the head of Lazar," is one of the many Servian ballads that allude to the last conflict on the plain of Kossova, which completed the subjugation of the Servians, under the Turkish yoke. The Servian Krall or Despot Lazar, was taken prisoner, and put to death in the camp of sultan Amurath. Many miracles were wrought on his body, according to the superstition of his country. This "finding of the head" records one of them:-A caravan halts on the plain of Kossova; a party of the travellers seeing something shine on the fountain, drew it out-it is the holy head of the Servian monarch. They threw it on the turf, quenched their thirst, sate themselves round it, and "looked about them," when, lo! the holy head is seen making off across the plain, and marches on until it joins the "untainted body." In the morning, all the dignitaries assemble, to ask the corpse where it chooses to be buried. Lazar selects "his beauteous Ravanitza," a convent he had himself founded. They had quenched their thirst, and all were seated- On the verdant turf it lies no longer, O'er the field the head is slowly moving Holy head seeks out the holy body; Joins it, where that body lay untainted. When the dawning of the morn had broken, All were habited in priestly vestments; Camilanks their holy heads enshrouded: In their hands they held old sacred writings And they pour'd their fervent prayers to heaven, And perform'd their holiest solemn vigils Through three days, and through three nights of darkness Nor for rest they stopp'd, nor for refreshment, Nor for sleep, nor any interruption: And they asked the holy dead, unceasing, Where his grave should be-his corpse be buried; In Opovo, or in Krushedōli, Or in Jassak, or in Beshenovi, Or Racovatz, or in Shisatovatz, Or in Jivski, or in Kurejdini, Or in distant Macedonia rather. But Lazar will choose no foreign cloister; In the convent he himself erected; In his days of life and youthful glory, He erected for his soul's salvation; With his bread and with his gold he raised it; Not with tears nor wealth from poor men wrested. The ballad of Hassan Aga's wife's lament, is one of great pathos and beauty. Hassan's wife neglects him, when he is sorely wounded; in his wrath he threatens to repudiate her. The haughty dame takes him at his word-she is fetched home by her brother; and her hand being sought by many, she is compelled, by him, to marry one of her suitors. As the bridal procession passes the habitation of her former husband, she beseeches to be permitted to see her children. She had prepared little presents for each, even to the poor baby in the cradle For the time to come, a little garment. Hassan is present, with a breaking heart. He calls his children from the caresses of their mother, and tells them, in her presence, that her heart is of iron. Her children leave her, looking at her with changed looks-and as they leave her, On the ground she fell, all pale and trembling, Till her spirit burst her heavy bosom At the glances of her orphan children. What's so white upon yon verdant forest? And his mother seeks him, and his sister; But for very shame his wife is absent. When the misery of his wounds was soften'd, Hassan thus his faithful wife commanded: In my house thou shalt abide no longer Thou shalt dwell no more among my kindred." Fain would throw her from the castle window. These are not our father Hassan's coursers; 'Tis our uncle Pintorovich coming." Then approached the wife of Hassan Aga- Could she tear her, wretched, from her infant? Led her swiftly to the agile courser; Short the time was-not seven days had glided- Had our lady-though in widow's garments- And the noblest was Imoski's Cadi; Friendly greetings speeds the youthful woman; Than he gather'd his Suates together, Arm'd himself, and hasten'd t'wards the lady, Home to bring her as his bridal treasure. Happily he reach'd the princely dwelling, When toward Hassan's house they were approaching, And they cried, "Come hither! O come hither! Sorrowfully Hassan's consort heard them; As they stopped at the beloved portal, Come to me, poor children! to your father; When these words were heard by Hassan's consort, Till her spirit burst her heavy bosom At the glances of her orphan children. Of these ballads we can only speak of one more: it is, the "Building of Skadra," a curious specimen of superstition. The mythology of the Servians seems to be nearly a-kin to our notions of fairies. * Conductors of the marriage festival. There is a little all-powerful and very capricious body, called the Vila by the Servians. She appears in a great number of shapes, and seems to haunt the woods like a cuckoo. Whatever she commands must, however, be obeyed; there is no resisting her will; her power seems to be as indefinite as her motives and motions are uncertain and wayward. Three brothers, King Vukashin, the Voivode Uglesha, and the youngest Goiko, determine on rebuilding the fortress of Skadra (or Scutari). The Vila, unfortunately, demands a sacrifice; and, until a suitable one is found, she destroys every night the labours of the day. The Vila first demands that Vukashin shall find two persons, named Stojan and Stojana-a command we do not comprehend. When this is found impossible, she requires that the young wife of one of the brothers shall be built up in the walls of the tower, which-is to be settled by chance:-she who first brings food for the workmen in the morning is to be the one immured. The three brothers take an oath not to divulge the commands of the Vila to their wives, but to leave the determination of the event to accident. The two elder brothers violate their oaths; the third keeps his, and his young wife falls the victim. She visits the builders at noontide, to carry their meal. The rest of the story is thus told.— Then arose the youthful wife of Goiko; Gave them the repast, and bade them forward. On his youthful wife, heart-rent, he threw him; O my wife, my own! my full heart's-sorrow! And he summons his three hundred workmen. But the young-espoused one smiles, and deems it Let us go and seek my aged mother: Leave a window for that snowy bosom." freely When her voiceless Jovo shall come near her, Once again she cried to Neimar Rado, That these eyes may see our own white dwelling, We must now turn to the songs and the occasional poems. won delful." The following poem is called by Goethe " tainly a little piece of great delicacy and beauty. Neimar.-Master. t is cer A small stream of liquid carbonate of lime is still shown on the walls of Scutari, as evidence of the truth of this story. ‡ A translation of the poem by Grimm is to be found in the second part of the fifth volume of the Kunst und Altherthum, p. 24, and Goethe observes, that it is equally remarkable for its polish and for its barbarously superstitious sentiment. It represents a human victim as murdered in its most disgusting shape. A young woman is immured in order that the fortress of Scutari may be built; and the sacrifice seems less accountable, since oriental usages have generally only required the entombment of consecrated pictures or talismans in order to make castles and asylums impregnable. |