The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1855-04-18

| place before the walls of Toledo. in
presence of my assembled court"
rs soon rs the pleasure of the king
was known, there Was strife among
the cavaliers present, for the honor oi
the contest. 1t was decided by OF,
and the successful candidates were
objects of great envy, for every one
was ambitious of finding favor in the
| eyes of the beautiful widow.
Missives were sent, summoning the
nephew and his two uncles TO Toledo,
to mairtair their accusation, and day
was appointed for the combat. Whe,;
the day arrived; oil Toledo was in
commotiun ut an early hour. The
lists had been prepared in the usual
place. jnst without the walls, at the
foot of the rugged rocks OH which the
city is built, and ON that beautiful
meadow along the Tagus. knowm,by
the name of thc kings garden. The
p"pulacc had already assembled, each
"ne eager to- secure a favorable place;
the balconies We're filled with he la.
dies of the court, clad In their richest
attire, and bands OF youthful knight,
splcndidy armed and decorated with
their ladies' devices. were managing
their s,-pe,hly tnnpwrisonad s,ecds
about the field. The king at length
came forth in state, accompanied by
Ithe q'icrn E&iIonn. Th y took their
seats in Il raised balcony, under n
canopy Of rich damask; and, ut sight
of them: tic people rent the mir with
| acclamations.
/ The nephew and his two. mclcs
now rode into the field, armed cap-upic,
and followed by train If cavaliers oi
[ their own registering, cast, great sw ear
/ rrs aud carnuScrs, arrant swaShblck'
icrs, with ctanking armur and jingling
spurs. When t:1o prnpIe of Toledo
nrhcld thc vaunting aid di>cnur,cuns
appearance of these knights, they were
n:"rc anxi us than ever for tic success
Of the gentle duchess; but, ut the
same tintc; the ssur and sta!wart
warriors, sI.o%cd that wh ,cHcr wolr
The victory from them, must do it as
tic cost OF many Il bitter blow.
crew rode III ut one SIDE OF the field
hc lair widow appearcG ut the other,
with llrr suite Of grave gay tlu,lra
."urlI,IS. her ancient duenl;t.- ald
dainty drmuiScllcS, aud the !!,s!r
dwarf t"Iiing along undo. the weight
Of her train. Every one made way
lnr her rs she passed, and blessed Ii r
beautiful face, a,.h pray cd for sue csS
t. her cause. She took her sea-, in q
lower balcony, not far from the suvcr
rign>; aud her pale face, set of by her
mourning weeds, was as the moon
shining forth from am ny The clouds
OF .hi.
The lrEInpcts sounded Tor tie rp!n.
bat. The warriors were ust entering
the lists. Wien Il strange: knight, arm.
cl IN lHnopiv, Il Il l,i"wcd hv two
ra.c> ui au esquire, came uallopin.
int" the fed. ana: riding up to the
| r'IaI huIr"my, ,la,ncd Ec combat as
a matter Of right.
la me-, cried lie, "brholl the cav
ali'r wi" h Il the happiness to rescue
lie beautiful d,.chcSs from the rr.i
81 HE forest, an the mi,nllunc to
h'in. 81! her this gricv"us ca!uM,v.--
1t Was kht re- emily, IA the coarse 81
y rrIaii,ry. that lidings oi hrs
| wrongs have reached mine ctr~, mi!
| have urged hshsr st all speed, t.
stand iorlh in her vindicat;on."
No sn'ner did the duchess stca.
the accents "f the l.night, than she
recognised his voice, and joinrd her
prayer with his that he mi y!,t cn.cr
The lists. The difficulty was, to deter
mine which oi' the three eilar,rpions
already appointed should yield his
place, each insisting ., the honor Uf
he combat. The stranger knight
w"nh have Scst!et! the puinl, by lssl: in.
the Whole contest upon hinsclI; but
this the other kninhls would not per
mt. It WAS ut length determined, as
before, b. lot, and the cavalier who
lost The chance retired Murln7lring and
diSennsulMe.
The .runpets @S;.i, nns, oed-,he
lists were "pcne The arrogant
| nephew and his two drawcansip unccs
appeared 5" cnnileteIy ci.sed in Steel,
that they ard their s.erdS were i!9e
IN. wing maSscss Of iron. Whenslhcy
understood the stranger knight to be
the same that had rescued the duchess
from her peril, they greeted him with
HE most boistc,ous dcriSinn:
80 no sir Knight OF the Dtaynon, :"
said they, you who pretend to cham
riun fair widows in The dirk, come
on, and vindica'e your deeds of dard'
ness in the open day"
! the only reply OF the cavalier was,
| to put lance IN rest, and brace himself
Tor cncnnntcr. Needless is it to
relate ll:r paitic'A@rs Of II battle, which
was like so many hundred combats
that have been said and s,nl. in prose
ard verse. Who is there but must
have lorcscen the event of contest,
where Heaven had 20 decide on the
| quit or innocence of the most bcauti.