He twisted his tail round the virgin bright,
And was off at a moment's warning.

Then up and arose Sir Siegfried bold,
To the dragon's rock he sped:
"What ho! thou traitor linden-worm,
I am come for thy craven head!"
One sweep of his good sword Balmung,
And he cut the beast in twain,

As lightly as a skilful leech

Would breathe a lady's vein.

And the monarch hath taken Sir Siegfried's hand,

And called him his son:

A kingdom and a bride, the knight
By a single blow hath won!—
O! had the doughty champion
But a little prudence known,

With the kingdom he had been content,

And left the bride alone!

LAYS OF THE RHINE, by J. R. PLANCHE.

Drinking.

To dream of drinking cold fresh water, presages great wealth or a triumph. Warm water, sickness or persecution. Wine betokens patronage from some great person, and speedy prosperity.

AND we will dream

Of icy drinks that float the fragrant rind

Of the golden lemon.

REV. G. HUNTINGTON.

Methought I saw, as I did dream in bed,
A crawling vine, about Anacreon's head;
Flushed was his face, his hair with oil did shine,
And as he spake, his mouth ran o'er with wine;
Tippled he was, and tippling lisped withal;
And lisping, reeled, and reeling, like to fall.
A young enchantress close by him did stand,
Tapping his bosom with a myrtle wand:

She smiled-he kissed; and kissing, thought to woo,
For which, methought, in pretty anger she
Snatched off his crown, and gave the wreath to me.

HERRICK.

Drowning.

To dream of drowning alone, presages the acquisition of money or property; but if drowned by another person, it is ominous of loss or ruin.

VON GERSTENBERGK.

*

O! I HAVE passed a miserable night,
So full of fearful dreams, of ugly sights,
That, as I am a Christian faithful man,
I would not spend another such a night.
Methought that I had broken from the Tower,
And was embarked to cross to Burgundy;
And in my company my brother Gloster :
Whom from my cabin tempted me to walk
Upon the hatches; thence we looked toward England,
And cited up a thousand heavy times,

During the wars of York and Lancaster,
That had befallen us. As we paced along
Upon the giddy footing of the hatches,

Methought, that Gloster stumbled; and, in falling,
Struck me, that thought to stay him, overboard,
Into the tumbling billows of the main.

O Lord! methought what pain it was to drown!
What dreadful noise of water in mine ears!
What sights of ugly death within mine eyes!
Methought, I saw a thousand fearful wrecks;
A thousand men that fishes gnawed upon;
Wedges of gold, great anchors, heaps of pearl,
Inestimable stones, unvalued jewels,

All scattered in the bottom of the sea.

Some lay in dead men's skulls; and in those holes
Where eyes did once inhabit, there were crept
(As 'twere in scorn of eyes) reflecting gems,
That wooed the slimy bottom of the deep,

And mocked the dead bones that lay scattered by.

KING RICHARD III.

Eagle.

To see an eagle perched on a high crag or tree, or other lofty place, is a good omen for the brave and bold, but evil for cowards; and it is also an encouraging sign to dream that you behold one calmly soaring above. But to be borne away upon an eagle presages death to kings and magnates. ARTEMIDORUS, lib. 2, cap. 20.

-THOU art perched aloft on the beetling crag,

And the waves are white below,

And on, with a haste that cannot lag,

They rush in an endless flow.

Again thou hast plumed thy wing for flight
To lands beyond the sea,

And away, like a spirit wreathed in light,
Thou hurriest, wild and free.

Lord of the boundless realm of air,
In thy imperial name,

The hearts of the bold and ardent dare
The dangerous path of fame.

Beneath the shade of thy golden wings
The Roman legions bore,

From the river of Egypt's cloudy springs,
Their pride to the polar shore.

PERCIVAL.

Eating.

To dream of eating with enemies, presages a reconciliation with them.

ASTRAMPSYCHIUS.

WHEN at the board, let hate forget
The bitterest words of yesterday;
For where the bread and salt have met,
All thoughts of death should pass away.

I swore that Wassili should die,
Wherever Wassili I found;

If every friend and foe stood nigh,

If all the deaths were laughing round,
-But one short dream has blown my rage
To heaven above, or hell below;

Far as the wild wolf hunts the deer,
Far as the Wingas drives the snow.

I dreamed last night we met at board,
And eat together, frank and free;
I gave him bread-I gave him salt,
And he poured votka out for me.
The man who sees the sun in sleep
Should never wake to seek for showers:
And if I love in dreams, I'll keep
No hatred for my waking hours.

For at the board, let hate forget
The bitterest words of yesterday;
And where the bread and salt have met,
All thoughts of death should pass away.
Imitated from the Russian by CHARLES G. LELAND.

Eggs.

To dream of eggs, is favourable to physicians and artists. To others it portends the acquisition of money—dearly bought by cares, strife, and anxiety.

ARTEMIDORUS.

Holding or cooking eggs presages sorrow, but to eat them when cooked is a sign of wealth.

Quam pulchra sunt ova

Cum alba et nova

In stabulo scite leguntur ;

NICEPHORUS.