The romans of Partenay, or of Lusignen: otherwise known as the tale of Melusine: tr. from the French of La Coudrette (before 1500 A. D.) Formerly edited from a unique manuscript in the library of Trinity college, Cambridge, with an introduction, notes, and glossarial index, and now rev. by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat ...

[With her two sisters, as was right, they talked over every circumstance, and told me, who was their mother, they wished to avenge me on their father. The three daughters agreed to bring a fate upon their father, to avenge me of the great misdeed that he had foolishly done against me. To this they all assented, and enclosed within the mountain Helmas, who was their father, and who had broken his promise. When he died, I buried him beneath this tomb, and enclosed him there, and caused this tomb to be thus made, thus sculptured and painted. Thereon I caused my likeness to be put that there might be remembrance of it in him who should read the tablet. For never should man enter here except he were of the lineage (in Avalon and the fairy-country) of my three daughters, of whom you may hear tell when you will. I bade the giants to watch, from the hour I set them there, that none should enter by this passage except he were sprung of our line. I provided gifts for my daughters,

who were beautiful and fair: to Melusine, the eldest, who was very wise and prudent, I give her a gift for life (according to the order of fairies), that, as long as her life lasted, she should be a serpent every Saturday; and, whoever would marry her, must not approach her on that day, but take good heed, wherever he was, and in every thing. He must not see what she then was, nor tell anybody of it. And, whoever followed this rule, to him would Melusine always come just like a mortal woman, as women naturally do. Then should she die naturally, and as others usually do. To Melior, the second daughter, who was so fair a creature, I give a fairy-gift, and 'tis well that I should tell you what. In a castle strong and massive, which is situate in Armenia, (in great Armenia, verily,) I bade her that, during her life, she should keep a sparrow-hawk there;