Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1836-11-29

N IRE ffrs ~ tNr prsaftul ~tdo@.
Mnss,ss we're sess. .gfaasoninr ihc nepbe~~nA
he too ssels. 20 Tel~ie. n nsia,aia ,heis Aecn
ssuo.. s.a . cay 90. ,ppoa,ej e. ne combat.
whoa ,k. day stnvea. oil Toledo ~s. IN comnp.
,.en q, an .sriy hoo,. The t,s,. Asd se-n pieg.t
% 10 the aso.l place. Jss. within the ~slls. al ths
foo, ef the rurged rvcts m sbich The city 10
built. srs on the, bcsutfui meadow Glang the Ts.
gus, tno-n b, the r,ue II the .ins's garden
the pupulsce had already s.Aemblsd. each ore "a.
ger 10 sees,s . f,aisb3e place.. The bticopiss
wsts coon hlled wiih The lA5ies u The cour. c'sd
10 their richest attire. and l'snts "fyouihfl snirhis
splendidly armed, end d~co'sied Snh their lsdies'
devices. ~sre usnsging their %surefhly caPsns'ncd
s,seds about the field. The king, 81 i,ngth. csnc
fo.,h IN s,.,e. accompanied BY The queen EGlonA.
The, took their seat, Ia , rs,sed bslcons. under =
esnopy of rich dsms.s aud, al sieht 81 them. tue
people ren, tho az Nth ~scclamaiion-.
The nephew and h. un,les no~ rode into the
Geld. armed osp- -p'e, aud folloSed by a tram Of
e~ssaliers 81 their own roysernR ossi. great swear
es and esrouss'.. svsnt s~sshbuc kiefs. that vent
sbou, With elsnking stmat and Jnging spurs.
When the people OF Toledo beheld the Wanting and
di.eonrteous sppe,rsnc. of the knights, they were
more snsiou. than ever for the success Il The gen
tie duchess bot. al The ZANE time, the sturdy and
asluart fame. Of these warriors. showed that
whoever Won the victory from thetn, must do 1t at
the eost Of many . bitter blow.
Az the nephew and his tio,ous crew rode in al
one side Of The field. the far widow appeared al the
o,he,, with ber suite Of grave gray.bosded euur-
tiers, her ancient duennas and danny demolselles,
end the liule dwarf ,oiing along under The weight
Of he, train. Every one made way for her as she
psssed and blessed her beautiful face, and prayed
for success 10 her cause. She took her seat in a
lower balcony, not far from the soyetelgn's and
her pale face, sci of by her mourning weeds, was
% the moon shining forth from among the clouds
Of night.
The ,rumre,s sounded for the combat. The
warriors we're iust entering the lists. when a strsn.
ger knight. armed in panoply. and followed by two
pages and an ESQUIRE, came g~slloping into the
Geld, aud riding up 10 the ROYAL balcony, claimed
the combat - a mst;e' OF right.
In me- cried he behold the cavalier who had
the happiness to rescue the be,utiful duchess from
the peril of the 1re,t, and The misfortune 10 bnng
on her this grievious calumny. IT was but recent
~, 10 the ecurse Of my etrsn,ry. that ,dinss Of her
xrongs have reached my ears. snd ! have urged
hither st oil spsed, 10 stand forth in her viniIca.
ton
No sooner did the duchess hear the accents Of
the k,ight, than she recognized his voice, and Join.
cd her pra yers with his that he might enter the
lis,s. The difficulty was which ofihe three cham
pions already appointed should yield his place each
insisting on tho honor Of The combat. The s,ran.
ger knight would have settled the point, by taking
the whole contest upon himself but this the 9th
or knights would not permit. 1t was al length
determined, ss peror-. ny lot, and The cavalier who
lost the chance, retired murmunng and disconso-
late.
The ,rumpets again sounded-,he lists were o.
rsned. The arrogant nephew and his two draw
oansir uuciss appeared SO completely oased IN steel
that they and their s'eeds were like moving mass
% Of iron. When they understood the stranger
10 DO the same that had rescued the duchess from
hcr peril, they greeted him with the most bolster
ous derislon.
o no, or knight Of the dragon" said they
you who pretend to champion fair widows 10 the
dark. como on, and yindica,e your deeds of dark
ne, in the open day.
Tho only reply Of The cavalier was to put lance
In rest, and brace himself for the encounter. Need
less is il to relate the particulars Of a battle, which
~as like 40 many hundred comhats that lave been
said and sung IN prose and verse. Who lie there
bot must have foreseen the event Of a contest, where
heaven had to decide on the guilt or innocence Of
the mos, beautiful and immaculate of wldows'
The s.gucious reader, deeply read in this kind
Of judicial combsts, can IN eine the encounter OF
the prceless nephew and the stranger knight
lie sees their conclusion. man 10 man. aud hOrse
10 horse, IN mid career. aud in that Sir Grseeless
horled 10 the ground and slain. lie will not won
der that the asss,lan,s Of The bra@ny uncles were
lees successful in their rude encounter but he will
picture 10 himself the t,ou, stranger spurfia2 TO
,heii rescue in tho very cn,iesl moment he VIII
see him trsn.fsing one with his lsroe, and cleaSipg
the other to the chime with = back stroke Of his
sword. ihus leaving the trio of aocusers dead upon
the field. and establishing the immaculate fidelity
of the duchess. and her title TO the d~ukedom, be-
yond the shadow Of doubt.
The air rang with seelamations nothing was
heard but The praises OF The beauty and virtue OF
the duchess. and Of the proves at the stranger
knight, bu, the public JOY was s,ll more incress-
ed when the champion raised his visor, and reveal
cd The eountensnce OF one Of the brsyesi cavaliers
IN Spain, renowned Cor he CALAMITY 10 The service
of,he ser. who had long been absent in cues, Of
similar adventures.
That worthy knight. however. WAS severely
wounded in battle, AID remained : long time u. of
his wounds. The lovely Duchess, grateful fr hsy-
ing twice owed net protection 10 HE arms, attended
hin daily during hs lines. 4 tender passion
gre~ up between them. and she fra.ly rewarded
HE gsltsnIry by piyiry him her hand.