The Roi7ia7ice of M^litsine. 189
mountini:^, he crept cautiously to the spot, and, peerinfr through the branches of the trees, he saw a lady so beautiful that he was at once smitten with love. He was a widower and the father of several children. Whether the lady knew this does not appear ; but she received his advances graciously, and agreed to become his wife if he would promise not to attempt to see her during childbirth, warning him that, if he failed his covenant, he would lose her for ever. The requirement was not unreason- able, and the promise was given. But Elinas' son by his former wife, variously called Mathathas, Nathas, and Thiaus, hated his stepmother ; and, when she gave birth to three little daughters of surpassing beauty, he egged his father on to enter the room where Pressine was en- gaged in bathing the babes. Pressine instantly snatched them up and disappeared. In fact, she took refuge in the isle of Avalon with her sister, the Lady of the Lost Island ; and there she brought up her daughters until they were fifteen years of age. The eldest of these daughters was Melusine, who, having discovered her father's breach of faith, thought she would be showing her affection for her mother by going with her sisters and shutting him up " in the lofty mountain of Northumberland, called Brumbelioys, where he spent his life in great sorrow." Her mother, how- ever, took her officious interference in anything but good part, and cursed her to become every Saturday a serpent from the navel down, only to be released if she could find a husband who would promise never to see her on a Satur- day, or to betray her to any other person. In case he broke his promise, her punishment was to return to her misery until the Day of Judgement, and, further, she was to appear three days before the fortress, which she should build and should call by her name, every time its lord should change or a man descended of her line should die.
Out of the many identifications proposed by M. Baudot for names occurring in the story, only these names of
