Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1855-08-01
BY II. BUCHER SWOOPE

| tnen Ueggeu klng Arthur to allow some of the
| brave gentlemen who heard her to interest
themselves in her sorrow. She assured
the knight who consented to become he1
champion, that he would be conducted to the
place Of combat by her mule; and for the re-
ward of his bravery, she promised publicly to
| become his mistress.
All offered themselves, and contended for
the honor of the adventure; but the senesehal
Queux' spoke first, ard it was but right to ac-
| cept his services. He swore to bring back the
bride, if 1t were at the end of the world. But
before he started, he demanded kiss from
/ the maaeeR, as an earnest of his recompense-
.on account as the merchants say-and step
| ped forward to take it. She utterly refused
| any reward until he returned with the bride;
and promised him then not only what he ask
ed but greater guerdon beside. Queux was
| obliged to be conteuted with her word and,
| arming himself, he departed, letting the mule
choose its way, as she had advised him.
Oueux, althoug the foster brother of King
Arthur, and his standard bearer and senechal,
was great braggart, slanderous-tongued fell
beaten. He was ever ready to undertake that
which, as it proved, he had not the ability to
| perform; and was more than suspected Of being
! something of a coward. He had hardly enter
ed the forest when troops of half-starved lions,
! tigers, and leopards rushed, roaring terribly to
devour him. Then poor Queux repented sorely
of his indiscreet boasting; and would, with all
the heart he had left, have renounced all the
kisses in the world to be we'll out of his danger.
But when the ferocious animals recognised
the mule, they fell down before it to lick its
feet, and then turned back into the wood.
At the end Of the forest was valley so dark,
so deep, so black, that the bravest man could
not venture into it without a shudder. And it
| was vet far more horrible when the poor sene-
schal had passed into it, and when surrounded
by scrpents, scorpions, and dragons belching
| flames, he went on only by the lurId light OF
these Internal fires. Around him tempestS
howled, torrents roared with the voice of thun-
der, and mountains heaved up and down in
horrible confusion and though the air was
was colder, icier than that OF thousand wint-
ers together, the sweat rolled from his body
He passed safely through the dreadful place,
in spite of all its perils, the mule being his
| all-sufieient protector; and having gone for
| ward for some distance, he reached, at last,
river, wide and deep, over which there was no
bridge, and on whose dark waters he saw no
boat; only from side to side stretched single
par of iron. Queux, faint-hearted, and forget
full of the safety secured to him in former dan
ger by the animal on which he rode, seeing, as
he thought, no means of crossing the river,
gave up the adventure and turned back But,
unfortunately, he had to repass the valley and
| the forest. The serpents, lions, and monsters
rushed again upon him with seeming frenzy
of delight, and would have devoured him a
thousand times, could they have done it with
out touching the mule.
! When the knights and ladies saw him affair
| off from the castle, they began to laugh. The
| knights assembled in the courtyard, as if to
receive him with great honor: King Arthur
came himself, and proposed to conduct him to
receive the promised kiss; all, in word, la
dies and gentlemen. ridieuled him without
mercy: and the unhappy geneschal, not know
! ing how to answer them, and not daring TO
raise his eyes, disappeared and hid himself.
The maiden was yet more troubled than he.
! Abandoning herself to despair, she wept Bit
! terly and tore her hair. The brave knight,
! Guivain, was touched with her grief. He ap-
preached, and with modest confidence offered
her the service of his sword, and promised to
! dry her tears; but, like poor Queux, he would
have kiss in ad1ance. The dangers OF the
! advH.u1ure were now known, and the grief OF
the lovely lady increased tenfold, and beside,
This oueux, as the reader will gather from
what follows was the butt of King Arthurs court
He is almost always made by the romancers the
first to attempt offered adventure, IN which be
never succeeds and his failure in which acts
foil to the brilliant achievement of some mo-1 Tor
tunate and deserving and less bocstGnI knight
He appears in the Boz and Mantle which will b,
found in Perey's Reliuues. and in which his name
is transformea1 into Kay There comes to Carlisl,
''kiTid courteous child who had mantle whlci
no lady could wear, who, as wife, had .'once dom
r amiss" Queen Guenever first asSayed to wear l
) bv virtue of her rank, which, according to tn
| test was theonly virtue she possessed; Tor
s.When shee had taken the mantle
Shee stood as shee had beene madd;
1t was from the top to the toe
As sheeres had lit shread.
One while it was guile;
another while it was greene DC.
Consequently the lady, like the mantle, was dread
fully cut up and turned all sorts of colors Nothn
daunted and not waiting for any other trial
uKay called forth his layde,
f And bade her come neere;
9 Sales Madam and thou be gulltye
: pray thee hold the there
Forth came his layde
shortlye and anon;
e BoldIye to the mantle
> then is shee gone
L When shee had tano the mantle
II - horo ohnnt