mind arrived at the conception of such beings, in nearly the follow. ing manner :

Let us divest ourselves for a moment of all the trammels of education and social refinement, and carrying with us only that portion of our nature which is universal, go back to that period of early time when "man first walked abroad upon the new-created earth." We find the human race, hitherto but small, located in those regions of the earth where the beams of the sun dispense a radiance unknown in our cold climes, and where nature is clothed in a garb of surpassing beauty and luxuriance. The inhabitant of such countries would naturally become a worshipper of the external face of nature: his pursuits, his exercises, his amusements were all in the open air, and he prayed and sacrificed in the face of heaven. By a natural impulse of gratitude and admiration he would be led to deify the fountains and rivers which purified him, the winds which refreshed him, the sun and moon which lighted him. He looked upon the magnificent work of creation, and his thoughts were carried up to a Being who was above all, and over all, who must have been the author and fashioner of so divine a work. He then turned his thoughts inward upon himself, his own existence and powers. If these exist, he would say, if there is a God-a Jove—or a Bramah, according to what his faith might be; and if I myself have a real existence, why are there not other beings of the same essential nature, of the same essence, differing only in the modes of their existence. This thought would be aided and encouraged by that earnest sympathy, that strong yearning after a communication, a real converse with Nature, which is sometimes felt even by civilized and sophisticated man; and he would finally create for himself these beings, by breathing into the powers of nature the vivid and strong conceptions of his own imagination.*

But although the imagination had gone so far as to people the external world with the beings of its own creation, still the craving for more fixed and permanent attributes of existence in such beings was not yet unsatisfied. They were as yet only invisible influences; they were too abstract and spiritual to be constantly within the apprehension of so limited and sensual a being as man. It was necessary, therefore, to endow them with a form which might present their actual existence, and afford an object for sympathy and admiration. The human form was the only one that possessed powers and capabilities fit for the residence of a spiritual nature. Accordingly the form of man and woman was bestowed on these creations of fancy, which have obtained a place in the early popular

We state the substance of the passage from memory; not having the book before us. It is found in Henry Nelson Coleridge's work on the Greek classics.

THE FAIRY MYTHOLOGY.

creed of all races; whether they are the nymphs and fauns of Gre cian mythology, the genii of Arabian fiction, or the fairies of English romance.

The origin of those fabulous beings, the fairies, which occupied so large a space in the literature of the middle ages, is involved in obscurity. The fact, also, that two independent superstitions met and were confounded together by the poets and the people in those times, has contributed not a little to throw a cloud over the subject. But by settling first the etymology of the word fay or fairy, we may get a clue to some parts of the superstition itself.

The word fairy is of uncertain origin, but it is generally agreed that it came from the East. It is supposed to have been derived from the Persian Peri, or Feri; since, as is asserted, the P. in the Arabic and Persic has a sound analogous to the F. in the modern languages of Europe. Now the whole mass of fairy superstition, as it existed when Spencer wrote the Fairy Queen, and Shakspeare the Midsummer Night's Dream, was made up of contributions from various sources. The first source was the middle age romance of Europe. The fairies of this body of literature were originally only human beings endowed with powers which they had received from the agents of the other world, by which they were enabled to per form super-human exploits. Men and women too, who were ex. chanted or bewitched, were sometimes called fairies in the romantic fiction of the middle ages. In fact, the term did not designate at all that peculiar, diminutive, and distinct race of beings, the English elves. It meant something analogous to the more modern character of witches. It is in this sense that Spencer used it, and many of his "Fairies" belong to the fairies of romantic fiction. But then he also employed the popular English superstitions, and by apply. ing the term indiscriminately to the domestic elves and the fairies of continental literature, he entirely changed the whole etymology of the subject. After him, the poets began to call the popular elves fairies; and Shakspeare, who wrote the Midsummer Night's Dream after the Fairy Queen, adopted what had then become the poetical acceptation of the term. These two classes of fairies, then, which the poets nearly confounded together by this indiscriminate use of language-are, first, the fairies of romance, which came from the East through Arabia into the middle age fiction of Europe, and to that fabulous region called "Fairy Land;" second, the popular, domestic, English elves, which came from the North of Europe, and derived themselves by direct descent from the Duergar or Dwarfs of Scandinavian mythology.

I. In the mythology of the Persians, long before the time of Ma. homet, there were two distinct classes of beings; the one called the

THE FAIRY MYTHOLOGY.

Peri, children of light; the other, the Deers, children of darkness, malicious and deformed. When the prophet came, these superstitions, which had been received by the Arabs, were altered to suit the character of the new religion. The ancient Peri of the Persians became the fairy of the Arabian stories, and the Deers became the genii of the same fictions, with some modifications. The tendency of the Arabian system was at first gross and sensual; but when the Persian fictions were incorporated with it, it became somewhat more refined; and when these fictions finally reached their splendour in the "Thousand and One Nights," they were full of a gorgeous variety of imagery, and their whole spirit was emi. nently rich and magnificent. It is from these sources that the splendid palaces and jewelled halls, the unbounded stores of wealth, and the powerful talismans and charms are derived, which are found in the fairy land of European fiction. Still the whole spirit of Eastern imagination was coarse, and tended to grossness rather than to purity. It is full of a strong addiction to objects of sense. If we compare the fairies of the Arabian stories with those of the English poets, we are at once struck with the superior delicacy, grace, and refinement of the Northern superstitions.

This Arabian fiction came into the middle ages of Europe through several different channels. First, through Spain, where the Arabian system was modified by chivalry, and where parts of it were incorporated with the European fictions. Secondly, through Italy, where the Venitians carried on an extensive commercial intercourse with the East. Thirdly, the pilgrims from Palestine brought home many of these stories, and told them throughout Europe; while the Crusades, generally, brought away many more. When the Northern superstitions and legends met with the Eastern, they produced that blended and confused mass of imaginative traditions, which it is now almost impossible to separate into its component elements. But, doubtless, the greater part of these fictions which are to be found in the romances of chivalry, are of Eastern origin, though made to conform to the spirit of chivalry itself. "In the eyes of the bards and romance writers of the middle ages, nothing was beautiful or good that did not partake of the splendour and pomp of chivalry ;" and therefore, when they described that fairy land, the idea and imagery of which they received from the East, they made it a country of knights, and tilts, and tournaments, of ladies and castles, as well as of charms and talismans, and dwarfs and fairies.

II. The second great branch of these fanciful beings came from the North, and were derived from the dwarfs of the Scandinavian mythology. In England, before the time of Shakspeare and Spencer,

creed of all races; whether they are the nymphs and fauns of Grecian mythology, the genii of Arabian fiction, or the fairies of English romance.

The origin of those fabulous beings, the fairies, which occupied so large a space in the literature of the middle ages, is involved in obscurity. The fact, also, that two independent superstitions met and were confounded together by the poets and the people in those times, has contributed not a little to throw a cloud over the subject. But by settling first the etymology of the word fay or fairy, we may get a clue to some parts of the superstition itself.

The word fairy is of uncertain origin, but it is generally agreed that it came from the East. It is supposed to have been derived from the Persian Peri, or Feri; since, as is asserted, the P. in the Arabic and Persic has a sound analogous to the F. in the modern languages of Europe. Now the whole mass of fairy superstition, as it existed when Spencer wrote the Fairy Queen, and Shakspeare the Midsummer Night's Dream, was made up of contributions from various sources. The first source was the middle age romance of Europe. The fairies of this body of literature were originally only human beings endowed with powers which they had received from the agents of the other world, by which they were enabled to perform super-human exploits. Men and women too, who were exchanted or bewitched, were sometimes called fairies in the romantic fiction of the middle ages. In fact, the term did not designate at all that peculiar, diminutive, and distinct race of beings, the English elves. It meant something analogous to the more modern character of witches. It is in this sense that Spencer used it, and many of his "Fairies" belong to the fairies of romantic fiction. But then he also employed the popular English superstitions, and by apply. ing the term indiscriminately to the domestic elves and the fairies of continental literature, he entirely changed the whole etymology of the subject. After him, the poets began to call the popular elves fairies; and Shakspeare, who wrote the Midsummer Night's Dream after the Fairy Queen, adopted what had then become the poetical acceptation of the term. These two classes of fairies, then, which the poets nearly confounded together by this indiscriminate use of language-are, first, the fairies of romance, which came from the East through Arabia into the middle age fiction of Europe, and to that fabulous region called "Fairy Land;" second, the popular, domestic, English elves, which came from the North of Europe, and derived themselves by direct descent from the Duergar or Dwarfs of Scandinavian mythology.

I. In the mythology of the Persians, long before the time of Mahomet, there were two distinct classes of beings; the one called the

THE FAIRY MYTHOLOGY.

Peri, children of light; the other, the Deers, children of darkness, malicious and deformed. When the prophet came, these supersti. tions, which had been received by the Arabs, were altered to suit the character of the new religion. The ancient Peri of the Persians became the fairy of the Arabian stories, and the Deers became the genii of the same fictions, with some modifications. The tendency of the Arabian system was at first gross and sensual; but when the Persian fictions were incorporated with it, it became somewhat more refined; and when these fictions finally reached their splendour in the "Thousand and One Nights," they were full of a gorgeous variety of imagery, and their whole spirit was emi. nently rich and magnificent. It is from these sources that the splendid palaces and jewelled halls, the unbounded stores of wealth, and the powerful talismans and charms are derived, which are found in the fairy land of European fiction. Still the whole spirit of Eastern imagination was coarse, and tended to grossness rather than to purity. It is full of a strong addiction to objects of sense. If we compare the fairies of the Arabian stories with those of the English poets, we are at once struck with the superior delicacy, grace, and refinement of the Northern superstitions.

This Arabian fiction came into the middle ages of Europe through several different channels. First, through Spain, where the Arabian system was modified by chivalry, and where parts of it were incorporated with the European fictions. Secondly, through Italy, where the Venitians carried on an extensive commercial in. tercourse with the East. Thirdly, the pilgrims from Palestine brought home many of these stories, and told them throughout Europe; while the Crusades, generally, brought away many more. When the Northern superstitions and legends met with the Eastern, they produced that blended and confused mass of imaginative traditions, which it is now almost impossible to separate into its component elements. But, doubtless, the greater part of these fictions which are to be found in the romances of chivalry, are of Eastern origin, though made to conform to the spirit of chivalry itself. "In the eyes of the bards and romance writers of the middle ages, nothing was beautiful or good that did not partake of the splendour and pomp of chivalry ;" and therefore, when they described that fairy land, the idea and imagery of which they received from the East, they made it a country of knights, and tilts, and tournaments, of ladies and castles, as well as of charms and talismans, and dwarfs and fairies.

II. The second great branch of these fanciful beings came from the North, and were derived from the dwarfs of the Scandinavian mythology. In England, before the time of Shakspeare and Spencer,