, 1872-11-10

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pproye himself q knight by deeds OF arms. but
8 kept inglorously tied to the Queens apron =
triue Gareth chafes at this the more because :
lo has two brothers already enrolled " in that =
air order Of the Table Round" aud entreats his =
mother to let him go to Arthur's Court. She re- :
uses, upon one or another prete1t, for time, :
;elling him there is even doubt as to AIthur's
light to the crown, many supposng him to De
i not proven the rightful King With citation !;
If his kingly deeds:
y Not proven who swept the dust Of rufn'd Rome, +
From off the threshold Of the realm and cruAh'd
The Idolaters, and made the people free7 ,
Who should be King save him who makes us free -
Bcllicent at last, to stop further entreaty, con-
scnts that Gareth shall 60 to Arthur, but only to
assume menial position in the household, little
dreaming that he will so degrade himself
81 Prince thou shalt 20 disguised to Arthurs hall,
Aud hire thyself to serve for meats and drinks
Among the scullions and the kitchen-knaves,
Aud those TINT hand the dish across the bar.
Nor shalt thou tell thy name to any one.
And thou ahalt serve . tweyemonth and day."
It is indeed @ hard condition to impose upon
the high-spirited boy.
Silent awhile WAS Gareth, then replied:
'The thrau in person may be free in soul.
And shal1 see the jousts. Thy son am I.
And Rince thou art my mother, must obey
therefore yield me freely to thy WILL
For hence will I, disguised and hire myself
To serve with scullions aud with hitehen-knaves; M
Nor tell my namo to any--no, not the King"
Gareth, then, taking with him two compan-
tllers Of the soil. They reach Camelot which
has flashed upon them from afar through the
mist, and disappeared and flashed again, IN
til they believed it an enchanted city, and en-
wars of Arthur, they come upor q seer who de-
tects their disguise, but let's them pass. The
description of Camelot which wo remember IN
a hundred felicitous touches as the " dim rich |
city, heretofore, is glorious with WellI8et Worab
and lovely images, such as belong to Tennyaon
alone. At length, reaching the palace, Gareth
Is consigned totho care Of Sir Kay the senesohal,
and spends month among the pots and pans,
when his mother releases him from the promise
Of ecullionery. The youth then in heart OF hope
approaches the King and begs the opportunity
tor distinction in knightly prowess.
III have staggered thy strong aawain in tilt
Err pase yea be s,id att: }o9s1 y, th1 6.p name
b hidd'n, and give me the first quest, spring
@''Ao A1'''' NA"''D '~ Here tho Kings calm eye
Fell on, and checked, aud made him dush, and bow
I.owly to liss his baud, who answered him,
! HSon tho good mother let me know thee here,
| And sent her wish that would yield thee thine,
Make thee my knight my knights are sworn IN Vows
OF utter hardihood, utter gentleness,
And loving utter faithessuces In love,
And utterrnost obedience to the King
Then aareth, lightly springing from his knees,
ANY King, for hardihood can promise thee
| For uttermost obedience make demand
or whom ye gave to- the SeneschaI
| No mellow master Of the meats and drsnksl
| And az for love, God wot, love not yet,
| But love shAll, God wiling
The King accedes, but on condition that
Lancelot shall know Of it, and then he charges
Lancelot without Gareth's knowledge, that, as
the youth is yet uutried in feats Of atms ne shaA
| follow him aud rescue him from any serious
danger that may impend The Lady Lyonoi1e y1;.a IL
and Ger younger sister, Lynette, comes to beg
that Lancelot ehall be sent by Arthur to release
her. These bandits guard four passes OF the
river that runs in loops around Castle Perllous,
and, in Lynettes language:
"Three Of these,
| Proud IN their fantasy, cali themselves the Day,
Morning star, and Noon snn, and Evening Star,
Thn fourth. who always rideth ar1n'd in black,
A huge man beast of bound1ess eaTa8ery,
He names himself th9 Night, and oftener Oeatn'
And wears helmet mounted with skull,
And bears skeleton figured On hia arms.
TO show that who my s,ay or sssps sioSt inS urea
And ali these four be fools, but mighty men,
And therefore como for Lancelot"
Instead Of Lancelot Arthur sends ,Gareth,
who is continually snubbed by Lynette, as a
: the proud mission, and one by one vangnlenee
these q time O. day bandits in turn. The first
ho encounters ia I" Morning STAR" whose arm
| ing 1T the hands Of his feminine attendants ~
thus deecribed or pictured in tlnts 80 exquisite
that in producing it, Tennyson,, like the ange
! in Dr.. Holmes little poem, must have taken "s
sapphire pen and writ in rainbow dew
Then At his cali, ~ daughters Of the Dawn,
Arm Ann me from out tho silEeu curtainfo1ds
8 Barefooted and barebeaded three fair Etrl'
= | In gilt and rosy r2iment came ther iees
In dory grasses glistend: and the hair
All over glanced with dewdFop Or With gem
Like npark!es in the stone Ayansu1ine: n .,t.,a
These ar1n'd him III blue arma, anu gave snleio
: | Blue also, and thereon tie morning star.
/ | And Gareth silent gazed upon tho Knight .
@ | Who stood mouont, Gro his horse WAS ofougot,
aioryn9: :: .nd in tbs stream beneath him, shone,
q 1mrinaled With Heavens a,ure % 1 wsveFns4y'
:. The gay pavilion and the naked 1eo,
= His arms the rosy raiment, and the st7f.
Having disposed Of the three guards OF tn
\ paBscs, Gareth meets Lancelot, who rides sncoJ
u and in tilt with him is unhorBed Of course, b..
r. aftesward cleayee tho helm Of tho biaek M hn'gn
- out thero comes the face Of = blooming boy
= = fresh az q flower new born" crying
T. "slay me not: my three brethren bade mo do It,
| To make horror nll about the house,
= | And stay tho world from Lady Lyonofs: -
They neyor dreamed tho passcs would be past"
=. This is, Of course, the happy eud OF Il
~ loaguor OF Lady Lyonors, aud BY dogroea II Il
- disdalnrul Lynette is lod to look on Gafeth wit
~ more favorable eyes, which good fortune q
i thus celebrates IN song:
- - q Morning Star that smilest In the blue,
-, ~ o atar, Tny morning dream hath proven true,
40 40 smile svoctly, thou my loved hath smed On me.
:" o eun, that wakoncat all 10 bliss or pain,
Neon, that layeat all to sleep again,
$50 slune swcet1y: twice my love hath smiled on me.
40 dcwy flowers TINT open to the sun,
odewy flowers that close when day 10 done,
8: Blow sweetly: twice my love hath smiled Oh mo.
Ms
ls- O trefoll, sparkling on tho rainy plain,
H. o rainbow, with three colors after raln,
ha sh,ne aweetly: thrice my love hath smiled on me-
ui Despite this tender lyric, however, it is loft
doubt whether Gareth married the Lady OF "a
er tie Perilous or her sister:
he And he TINT told the tale in older timex
re- | Says that Sir Gareth wedded Lyonors,
at But he, that told 1t later, says Lynetse
&c, The reader, rccolloctng the aids OF Lyme
ois and the petulance she showed on the journ
Ids will wish Tor Garesh that ne shou4o take the
an dy aud leave Lynette 10 lead apes in futt
on state Of existence.
it This poem is marked by all the best oharaot
r. istcs of its author, but it is singulary free fr
to nycrsions and perplexities Of preterites, such