Northern mythology

NETHERLANDISH TRADITIONS. 287
in thought, and neither ate nor drank, said to him :
" My
good man, why eat you not ? Conceal it not from me, if
you desire aught else ; ask for it, and it shall be given
jou." The hermit then rose, and addressing the count
and all the nobles present, exhorted them to cease from
eating and drinking, for that they were in great peril, and
then continued "
: But dread not before it is time to dread,
for that w^hich ye will soon see will
inspire you with great
dread. Nevertheless, put your trust in God and it cannot
harm you.''^ At this address all were wonder-struck, and
every one sat silent and still, and ceased from eating and
drinking. The hermit then conjured the countess in the
name of the Almighty, and said to her "
: Thou devil, who
sojournest in the body of this woman, I conjure thee, in
the name of the Lord, who for us suffered a painful death
on the cross, who drove thee from his holy paradise, with
all the evil spirits who had sinned through their pride
and by the
holy sacraments, which God hath appointed
and by his great power, which will endure for ever, that
thou depart from this company, and that ere thou goest,
thou confess before all these lords why the count of Flanders
hath been seduced by thee, that all may know it
and that thou go to
the place whence thou earnest, without
touching aught with harmful hand, whatsoever it
may be.^'
Allien the lady heard herself thus exorcised, without
the power of resistance, or of doing further injury to
;
the
count, or of remaining longer in Flanders, she began to
speak and confess before all, saying :
" I am one of the
angels that God cast from paradise, from which circumstance
we suffer more misery than any one can conceive,
and would gladly see every one treading in our path, that
God might, together with all others, also forgive us. Nor
for thus seeking help can any one justly blame us. The
count in this case could but ill guard against us when he