and fortalice in the land daily poured out its best and bravest defenders, bearing the crusader's badge, the red cross, on their surcoat, and wending their way in every direction, by land and by water, to far distant Palestine. Among the nobles who were thus assembled at Frankfort, were the old knight, Sir Dietrich, and his younger son, Heinrich. Both caught the contagion of zeal for the cause of the Lord, which the holy man's very presence inspired even in all who only saw him; and each felt equally desirous to go forth and rescue the scene of the Saviour's sufferings from the power of the cruel and scoffing infidels. But it could not be. Sir Dietrich was old and infirm; besides which, his broad lands required a vigilant guardian, and his numerous vassals a beloved chief. Heinrich had no considerations of this kind to detain him in Europe; though he had another not less, but usually more powerful, in the person of his betrothed bride, Minna. All considerations, however, gave way to the wild impulse which urged him onward to join the crusaders; and, truth must be told, he found no opposition from his father, who should have known better and acted far otherwise. It was decided that the youth should proceed, with the army of the emperor, to the Holy Land: and, on his return to the Rhine, it was settled that he should lead his Minna to the altar. He immediately set out -bewept bitterly by the deserted maiden ;—and, with a small body of his father's boldest retainers, joined the imperial standard at Frankfort-on-the Maine.

Soon after his departure, old Sir Dietrich died; and Conrad, his elder son, was summoned from

Rhens to take possession of his titles and property. Again was the heart of the young knight troubled with love for his brother's betrothed, Minna; but again he mastered his passion by a powerful effort of his understanding. From thenceforward he learned to look on her as a beloved sister; and he watched over her with all the affectionand something more - of a fond brother. Two years thus sped over; they sped, however, without bringing any intelligence of Heinrich. At the expiration of that period a rumour reached the shores of the Rhine, and speedily found its way to Liebenstein, that he was on his return; but it also trumpeted forth that he had been false to his plighted troth to Minna, and was now the husband of a beautiful Greek lady. It was a rumour; alas! too true! Unabashed, and with cruel heart, he did return, his fair Greek with him as his bride; and took up his abode in Sternfels, the opposite castle to that in which dwelt his brother and the betrayed and brokenhearted Minna. The struggle was too severe for the feelings of the maid: she could no longer live in his sight; and she soon after took the veil in the neighbouring convent of Bornhofen.

Sir Conrad's noble heart burned with indignation at the treachery of his brother. When the avant courier which announced the coming of the faithless knight entered his castle, to tell him of his near arrival, the only reply he made was to fling his gauntlet on the floor.

"Take that," he said, "to my brother: that is my only answer. Say that we are brothers no longer. I defy him to mortal combat as a faitour and a false knight."

The messenger did as he was directed; and Conrad immediately summoned his vassals. All these proceedings were communicated to Minna by a confidential servant of her deceased father.

The crusader, as it has been already stated, arrived in due course at his own castle of Sternfels; and at once prepared for the deadly strife to which his elder brother had bade him. He, too, summoned all his vassals in the field; and a near day was fixed for the deadly and unnatural encounter. Their forces met on the river shore, below their castles, and a mortal combat at once ensued between the brothers. It lasted long-a whole summer's day; but neither had the advantage of the other. At length, just as Conrad was on the point of overcoming his adversary, an angel form stood between the combatants, and, with a wave of her hand, stayed the uplifted glaive which was about to fall on the guilty head of Heinrich. It was Minna! Minna, who had left her holy and peaceful dwelling to stay the fierce and unholy strife, of which she was the innocent and unhappy cause.

66

"Cease, impious men!" she said; cease! put up your murderous weapons, and be at peace, The curse of God on the first murderer will be the only honour of whichsoever conquers: the abhorrence of man will accompany the sentence pronounced by God. He who survives shall be outcast and abandoned of all: his name shall perish, unless it be for the purpose of execration. Put up your swords. Let not the hand of either be stained with the blood of his father's son, for the sake of one a mere stranger. What am I that you should slay one another for me?”

This, and much more, did she say; and her appeal so won on the hearts of the brothers, that they shortly gave over, and stretched forth to each other the hand of peace. When her pious work was complete, she went as she came: and thenceforward never quitted her lowly cell, until she was borne from it, a few months after, to an early grave. Peace to her spirit!

All was sorrow in Liebenstein when her death was made known, for she had acquired the affections of every one about her. Conrad was not to be comforted. His love for her, pure as herself, had survived all the vicissitudes of chance and change, like one of those lights found in ancient sepulchres, after the lapse of hundreds of ages. Not so with Heinrich: his castle was the abode of gaiety; and his Greek bride never gave him peace until he had assembled within its walls all the chivalry of the palatinate. But he was not the more happy withal; for his heart was corroded by care at the levity of his wife; and ever and anon the image of his lost Minna would fit reproachfully before his mind's eye. Then would he contrast what be was with what 'he might have been; the husband of a wanton, when he could have had to wife all but an angel: and then remorse, and deep, bitter grief, would absorb all his feelings and crush his heart together. Meanwhile, matters grew worse and worse every day; the Greek dame gave encouragement to all; and Heinrich's name had become a by-word of contempt among the young Rhenish nobility. Conrad was aware of the infidelity of his brother's wife long before her spouse suspected ber of aught but want of discretion. He com

municated the fact to him; and Heinrich swore to be avenged. The injured husband would have slain her with his own hands; but the interposition of his brother prevented her murder. As it was, he drove her from his doors with curses and reproaches; and she departed, laughing gaily, to seek a protection among her numerous lovers-his most excellent friends.

In this moment of dool, and wretchedness, and despair, Conrad shewed the true nobleness of his nature. He tried to alleviate his brother's anguish by every mode which he thought would be effectual; and he finally succeeded, by his patient assiduity, in somewhat calming the emotions of his afflicted spirit.

66 Come, Heinrich, said he, as they one day sat together alone; 66 come, let us live single from henceforward; to the end that we may the more highly honour the memory of that virtuous maiden who died for one of us.

The brothers

Heinrich wept like a child. thenceforward lived single: and, ere long, they died so. The noble stock, of which they were the last shoots, perished with them; and their castles fell into desolation and ruin.

Since then, these now crumbling towers, which look so sorrowfully in their age and decay on the smiling scene below, on the vine-clad hills, the bounding river, and the distant pastures on the other side of the stream, have been named THE BROTHERS.

Another tradition, however, differs materially from this. A versified translation is attempted here, of a very sweet ballad on the subject by a fair poetess, who has made the romantic