Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1855-05-02

her beautiful face, and prayed for success
to her cause. She took her seat in a
lower balcony, not far from the sovereigns;
and her pale face, set off by her mourning
weeds, was as the moon shining forth from
among the couds of night.
The trumpet sounded for the combat.
The warriors were Just entering the lists,
when stranger knight, armed in panoply,
and followed by two pages and an esquire,
came galloping into the field, and, riding
up to the royal balcony, claimed the com
bat as matter of right.
ain me-" cried he, 'behold the cavalier
who had the happiness to rescue the beau
tiful duchess from The peril of the forest,
and the misfortune to bring on her this
grievous calumny. 1t was but recently,
in the course of my errantry, that tidings
of her wrongs have reached my ears, and
have urged hither at all speed, to stand
forth in her vindication."
No sooner did the duchess hear the ac-
cents of the knight, than she recognised
his voice, and joined her prayers with his
that he might enter the lists. The diff
Guilty was, to determine which of the three
champions already appointed should yield
his place, each insisting on the honor of
the combat. The stranger knight would
have settled the point, by taking the whole
contest upon himself; but this the other
knights would not permit. 1t was at
length determined, as before, by lot, and
the cavalier who lost the chance retired
murmuring and disconsolate.
The trumpets again sounded-the lists
were opened. The arrogant nephew and
his two drawcansir uncles appeared so
completely cased in steel, that they and
their steeds were like moving masses of
iron. When they understood the stranger
knight to be the same that had rescued
the duchess from her peril, they greeted
him with the most boisterous derision.
80 no! sir Knight of the Dragon" said
they, ''you who pretend 10 champion fair
widows in the dark, come on and vindi-
cate your deeds of darkness in the open
day."
The only reply of the cavalier was to
put lance in rest, and brace himself for
the encounter. Needless is it to relate
the particulars of a battle, which was like
so many hundred combats that have been
said and sung in prose and verse. Who
is there but must have foreseen the event
of contest, where Heaven had to decide
on the guilt or innocence of the most
beautiful and immaculate of widows
The sagacious reader, deeply read in
this kind of judicial combats, can imagine
the encounter of the graceless nephew
and the stranger knight. He sees their
conclusion, man to man, and horse to
horse, in mad career, and sir Graceless
hurled 10 the ground, and slain. He will
not wonder that the assaults of the braw-
ny uncles were less successful in their |
rude encounter; but he will picture to
himself the stout stranger spurring to
their rescue, in the very critical moment
he will see him transfxing one with his
lance, and cleaving the other to the chin
with back stroke of his sword, thus
leaving the trio of ac> users dead upon
the field, and establishing the Immaculate
fidelity of the duchess, and her title to the
dukedom, beyond the shadow of doubt.
The air rang with acclamations; no.
thing was heard but praises of the beauty
and virtue ofthe duchess, and of the prow-
ess of the stranger knight; but the public
Joy was still more increased when the
champion raised his visor, and revealed
the countenance of one of the brayest
cavaliers of Spain, renowned for his gal
lantry in the service of her sex, and who
had been round the world in quest of SIM
liar adventures.
That worthy knight, however, was Sc
verely wounded, and remained for long
time ill of his wounds. The lovely duch-
ess. grateful for having twice owed her
protection to his arm, attended him daily
during his illness; and finally rewarded
his gallantry with her hand.
The king would fain have had the knight
his title 10 such high advance.
ment by farther deeds of arms; but his
courtiers declared that he already merited
the lady, by thus vindicating her fame
and fortune in deadly combat to Outrance;
and the lady herself hinted that she was :
perfectly satisfied of his prowess in arms,
from the proofs she had received in his
in the forest. {
Their nuplials were celebrated with
great magnifcence. The present hus-
band of the duchess did not pray and fast
like his predecessor, Philibert, the wife,
ridden I; yet he found greater favor in the =
eyes of Heaven, for their union was bles-
'ed with a numerous progeny-the daugh- :
ers chaste and beauteous as their mother; !
he sons stout and valiant as their sire,
and renowned like him, for relieving dis
consulate damsels and desolaie widows.
IT has been humanely given to Mem
oers Of Congress to admire their own I
speeches, or else they never could speech f