The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-09-16

retired murmuring and disconsolate.

retired murmuring and discOnsolate.
The trumpets again sounded-th
J lists were opened. The arrogant neph
ew and his drawcansir uncles appeared
so completely cased in steel, that the,
J and their steeds were like moving mas
ses of iron. When they understood tn,
} stranger knight to be the same that ha(
rescued the Idutchess from her peril
they greeted him with most boisterou.
derisiOn. .@;.-st I'll glH .-!9-T#
30, no, sir knight of the dragon p
said they; "you who pretend to cham
pion for fair widows in the dark, come
on, and vindicate your deeds of dark
ness in the open day." Z 1our ,...i
The only reply of the cavalier was ia
put his lance In rest, and brace himself
for the encounter. Needless is it to re-
late 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 musthave
foreseen the event of contest, where
heaven had to decide on the guilt or in
nOcence of the most beautiful and i'm
| maculate Of widows? Ip1 IrrH ..dt.
The sagaciOus reader, deeply read in
this kind of judicial cOmbats, can imag-
inc the encounter Of the graceless neph-
ew and the stranger knight. He sees
their cOncussion, man to man, and
horse to horse, in mid career, and in
that Sir Graceless hurled to the ground
and slain. He will not wonder that
the assailants of the brawny uncles
were less successful in their rude en-
counter; but he will picture to himself
the stout stranger squirting to their res
cue in the very critical moment; he
will see him transhxing one with his
lance, and cleaving the other to the
chime with back stroke of his sword,
leaving the trio of accusers dead upon
the field, and establishing the immacu-
late fidelity of the dutchess, and her
title to the dukedom, beyond the shad.
ow Of q doubt.
The air rang with acclamations; moth
ing was heard but praises of the beauty
prOwess 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 bravest cavaliers I'm Spain, renOwn-
ed for his gallantry in the service of the
sex, who had long been absent in quest
Of similar adventures. rr;.''..
That worthy knight, however, was
severely wounded in the battle, and re-
mained for long time very ill of his
wounds. The lovely dutchess, CRATE
full for having twice owed her protec-
ton to his arm, attended him daily
during his illness. A tender passion
grew up between them, and she finally
rewarded his gallantry by giving him
her hand. -.
The king would fain have had the
knight establish his title to such high
advancement by farther deeds of arms;
but his courtiers declared that he had
already merited the lady, by thus vim
dicating her fame and fortune in a
deadly combat to outrance; and the
lady herself hinted that she was per-
fectJy satisfied of his prowess in arms,
from the proofs she received in his
achievement in the forest.
Their nuptials were celebrated with
great magnificence. The present hus-
band of the dutchess did not pray and |
fast like his predecessor, Philibert the |
wife-ridden; yethe found greater favor
in the eyes of heaven, for their union !
was blessed with numerous progeny;
the daughters chaste and beauteOus as
their mother; the sons all stout and |
valiant as their sire, and all renowned,
like him, for relieving disconsolate
damsels and desOlate widows.