nted to sail round the Cape {86} of Good Hope, and as
the wind was against him, he swore a terrible oath, that he never would
leave off trying. The devil heard him and doomed him to sail on to
eternity, but God's angel had pity on him and showed him, how he could
find deliverance through a wife, faithful unto the grave.

All the maidens pray to God, to let the maiden be found at last, when
Senta ecstatically exclaims: "I will be his wife!" At this moment her
father's ship is announced. Senta is about to run away to welcome him,
but is detained by Erick, who tries to win her for himself. She
answers evasively; then Daland enters and with him a dark and gloomy
stranger. Senta stands spell-bound: she recognizes the hero of her
picture. The Dutchman is not less impressed, seeing in her the angel
of his dreams and as it were his deliverer, and so, meeting by the
guidance of a superior power, they seem created for each other and
Senta, accepting the offer of his hand, swears to him eternal fidelity.

In the third act we see the flying Dutchman's ship; everybody
recognizes it by its black mast and its blood-red sail. The Norwegian
sailors call loudly to the marines of the strange ship, but nothing
stirs, everything seems dead and haunted. At last the unearthly
inhabitants of the Dutch ship awake; they are old and gray and
wrinkled, all doomed to the fate of their captain. They begin a wild
and gloomy song, which sends a chill into the hearts of the stout
Norwegians.

{87}

Meanwhile Erick, beholding in Senta the betrothed of the Dutchman, is
in despair. Imploring her to turn back, he calls up old memories and
at last charges her with infidelity to him.

As soon as the Dutchman hears this accusation, he turns from Senta,
feeling that he is again lost. But Senta will not break her faith.
Seeing the Dutchman fly from her, ready to sail away, she swiftly runs
after him and throws herself from the cliff into the waves.

By this sacrifice the spell is broken, the ghostly ship sinks for ever
into the ocean, and an angel bears the poor wanderer to eternal rest,
where he is re-united to the bride, who has proved faithful unto death.

THE FOLKUNGS.

Grand Opera in five acts by EDMUND KRETSCHMER.

Text by MOSENTHAL.

The composer of this opera evidently belongs to the most talented of
our days, and it is no wonder that his two operas "Henry the Lion" and
"The Folkungs", have rapidly found their way to every