Sir Leoline is Christabel's father, a typical mediaeval baron, with characteristic hospitality, a man whose misunderstandings had led to his quarrel with his boyhood's friend, Sir Roland de Vaux of Tryermaine.

Geraldine is the sorceress whose power and wickedness are most felt when she renews the spell which she placed over Christabel during the mystic hour of midnight.

Bracy the bard is the very necessary adjunct to the story, in order to carry out fully the mediaeval atmosphere.

Christabel and her father live in a castle near the woods. The castle is surrounded by a moat (a defensive ditch, usually filled with water and surrounding a mediaeval castle). Christabel's mother is dead (Li. 197) and the daughter is betrothed to a lover who is far away (Li. 30).

C. THE DETAILED STUDY OF THE TEXT.

The first part of the poem was written in 1797; the second part in 1800. The first part bears the marks of the influence of Wordsworth in the keen observation of the small details of nature (1. 49, "one red leaf"). It was written when Coleridge's genius was at the highest point. The second is rather spoiled because of the constant mention of places in the locality of Keswick, where he wrote this part. This rather removes from the atmosphere of unreality which is suggested in such phrases as:

"Like a lady of a far countree."

William Watson, in "Excursions in Criticism," says:

"It is not merely a falling-off in the quality of workmanship-although there is a falling-off of that sort, the poetry, as such, is still very fine--but the whole basis, environment and atmosphere of the First Part were magical and homogeneous. The conditions of time and place were purely ideal; there was no uncomfortable elbowing of Wonder by Familiarity; the clumsy foot of Fact did not once tread upon the rustling train of Romance. But we turn to the continuation-we enter the second chamber of this enchanted palace and we are met at the threshold by the dull and earthy imp Typography. Since writing the first part, Coleridge has removed to Keswick, and so forsooth, when he re

sumed his story, we hear of Borrowdale and Langdale, of Bratha Head and Dungeon Ghyll. The subtlest part of the illusion is gone; the incursion of accidents has commenced and the empire of fantasy is threatened."

The opening lines of the text are very effective. The title contains nothing that is suggestive of mystery or the supernatural. There is just a hint of the old ballad poetry in this.

Note 1. Compare Coleridge's choice of the title "Christabel," with Scott's choice of title "Rosabelle" for his ballad.

The supernatural element is forced upon the reader by Ll. 1-3:

""Tis the middle of the night—

The owls have awakened the crowing cock-
Tu-whit!-Tu-whoo!"

Li. 12. The howling of the dog at midnight is significant.
Ll. 14-22. The atmosphere of the poem is typical of some-
thing supernatural-gray cloud-chilly-full moon.
These suggest ghostliness.

Note 2. Dorothy Wordsworth, who was a constant com-
panion of her brother and Coleridge, has entries in her
diary of 1798 in which the atmosphere corresponds
closely to that of the first few lines of "Christabel."
(Extract.) "The sky spread over with one continuous
cloud, whitened by the light of the moon, . . the
howling of the manufacturer's dog."

The following details of ballad poetry are present: (a) Title-an odd name.

(b) Archaic language-e. g., What makes her?-furlonweal-did thus pursue-betrothed knight-yestermorn-naught-guess (a word of Anglo-Saxon origin). There are others of similar nature.

(c) Supernatural element.

(1) The force of dreams.-Christabel prayed for her lover after she had dreamed all the night previously of him. Bracy's dream and vision, occurring as it does in Part II.

(2) The force of words.-"It moaned." There is something very suggestive in both of these

words. "It" suggests

suggests the unknown, and "moaned" suggests creepiness by its onomatopoeic effects.

(d) Question and answer form.-In many old ballads this rhetorical question form was popular. The fact that it could not be answered added to the mystery. The use of conversation was common in all ballads. (e) The situation is romantic-e. g., the castle surrounded by a moat-the lady-knight-forest-apparitionthe fire whose brands are dying-Geraldine turns out to be a witch.

Ll. 31-42. This shows confusion of tenses in the past and present. Possiby it is a means of suggesting the fear and breathlessness of Christabel.

Ll. 34-42, 49-61, give examples of Coleridge's apt choice of adjectives, e. g. rarest mistletoe-broad-breasted old oak tree-one red leaf-white robe wan-her answer meet-a damsel bright-muttered words.

Ll. 79-103. Geraldine's story and request.

Ll. 106-122. Christabel's generosity and invitation.

Ll. 123-189. Several hints of mystery are introduced here: a. According to legend a witch could not walk but must be carried over the threshold.

b. Geraldine could not pray to the Virgin.

C.

The mastiff acts strangely as the women return, even although he knows Christabel.

d. The brands of the apparently dead fire leapt into flame when Geraldine passed by.

e.

Geraldine's body was not so beautiful as her face.
It, on the contrary, was withered and ugly.

Note 3. The full nature of this ugliness is not told, but is
suggested in the word, "Behold!"

Ll. 167. Jealous-because the midnight could be so much more quiet than they.

Ll. 190. "Cordial wine"-This was a tonic drink. "Virtuous powers"-It possessed great restorative value.

Ll. 202 ff. Christabel wishes to have her mother with her. It seems almost significant that she expresses the wish. at the time when an evil power is standing near. The mother, her guardian angel appears, but by Geraldine's words, "This hour is mine."

Ll. 205. "Peak and pine."-To grow thin and pale as from illness.

Ll. 217. "Wildered"-Bewildered is the meaning.

Ll. 225. The spelling of the word "countree" is indicative of ballad literature.

Ll. 249. "Cincture"-A belt or band around the waist for the purpose of holding the clothing.

Ll. 203, 255-259. It would almost seem in these two instances as if Geraldine regretted what she was attempting to do to Christabel.

Ll. 267. "Spell"-The magic curse which Geraldine is to put upon Christabel. This is the only point where the hint comes out at all plainly that there could be a moral significance to the story-that of an evil nature working on a pure one.

Ll. 294. "I wis"-From the Anglo-Saxon "gewis," an adjective meaning "certainly." The meaning here is, “I think."

Ll. 306. "Tairn"-A small mountain lake.

Ll. 305-310. All nature seems to be out of working order in the hour when witchcraft is most powerful.

Ll. 317. It is said that infants who smile in their sleep do so because the angels are kissing them. The inference here might be that Christabel, as pure in fancy as in body, was visited once more by the angels after the power of the sorceress was removed.

Ll. 332. "Matin bell"-The bell for morning chapel.
Ll. 339.

"Sacristan"-The sexton.

Ll. 341. "Beads must tell"-The beads on the rosary represented prayers and each prayer must be said as the beads were counted or told. Coleridge succeeds in giving his readers a very truthful picture of the mediaeval conception of religion in the opening lines of Part II, when he tells us about the scrupulous care with which the sexton observed his religious duties.

Ll. 344. Bratha Head-Windermere-These are actual spots in the Lake Country in England.

Ll. 350. Langdale Pike-This is another reference to the Lake Country. A "pike" is a mountain with a sharp summit.

Ll. 351. Dungeon Ghyll-A "ghyll" is a narrow valley or ravine.

Ll. 359. Borrowdale-A small mountain nearby which was supposedly haunted.

Ll. 365. "Tricks"-Arranges

braid.

or

dresses. "Plight"-A

Ll. 370. The first part of the spell is felt. Christabel for the time being seems not to see the ugliness. Here, too, Coleridge uses the somewhat popular idea of the benefit to be derived from sleep. Cf. also, in this connection, "The Ancient Mariner."

"To Mary queen the praise be given,

She sent the blessed sleep from Heaven
That slid into my soul."

Ll. 381 ff. Here are hints of Christabel's religious fervor and superstition. In mediaeval days religion and superstition were closely allied.

Ll. 395, 402. "Pacing" and "beseem," are suggestive of ballad language.

Ll. 402-426.

These are the most famous lines in the whole poem. We have here the causes for the quarrel, the quarrel and the failure of each man to find a substitute. Coleridge adds here a very human modern touch to a poem which elsewhere has been quite mediaeval, but at the same time this modernness does not destroy the artistic unity of the whole.

Ll. 437. "Spotted infamy"-Infamy means shame or disease, and the use of "spotted" means "tainted." This is a kind of transferred epithet, since a taint always produced a spot.

Ll. 442. "Their reptile souls"-There is a hint here of the doctrine of Pythagoras, who believed that there was a transmigration of souls-that animals' spirits most similar in nature to the predominating characteristic in the human being, infused themselves into men, and he there