The Topeka state journal., 1897-11-08
THE LAMBTON WORM.

amused himself on Sundays angling in
the river Wear.
One Sunday he felt something oxtraor.
dinary tugging at the end of his line, and
in the hope of hooking a large fish he eX-
erted his utmost skill and care. Yet it
required all his strength to bring the ex-
pected fish to land. But instead Of fish he
found that he had only caught worm, OF
most unseemIy and disgusting appearance,
and he hastily tore it from his hook and
flung it into well hard by.
He again threw his line into the stream.
when a stranger of venerable appearance,
passing by, asked, 'What sports' Tc
which he replied, ''Why, truly, think
have caught the demon, " and directed the
inquirer to look into the well.
The stranger saw the worm and re-
marked that he had never seen "the like
of it, before; that it was like an eft, but
that it had nine holes on each side of its
mouth, and that 1t ''tokened no good -
The worm remained unheeded in the
well, but soon grew so large that it be
came necessary to seek another abode. Il
usually lay in the day time coiled round
rock in the middle of the river and at
night frequented a neighboring hill, twin
ing itself around the base, and it con
tinued to increase in length until it could
clap itself three times around the hill.
The dreaded worm now became the terror
of the whole countryside, - devOuring
mitting every species of injury on the cat
tie of the afrighted peasantIy, and many
a knight sought in vain to destroy it.
At length after seven long years the gal
liant heir of Lambton returned from the
wars and found the broad lands OF his
ancestors waste and desolate. He heard
the wailings of the people-for their hearts
were filed with fear and alarm. He has
tened to the hall Of his ancestors and re-
ceived the embraces of his aged father
who, worn out with grief and sorrow, both
for the absence of his son, whom he had
long considered dead, and for the dreadful
waste inflicted on his fair domain by the
devastations of the worm, was rapidly de
scending to the grave.
The heir Of Lambton "took no rest
until he crossed the river to examine the
worm as it lay coiled around the base OF
the hill, and after hearing the fate of all
those who had fallen in the deadly strife,
being knight of tried vaIor and sound
discretion, he consulted a sibyI on the sur.
est means to destroy the monster. She told
him that he had himself been the cause OF
all the misery which afflicted the country,
which increased his grief and strengthened
his resolution; that he must have his best
suit of mail studded with spear blades and
take his stand on the rock in the middle OF
the river trusting to his own valor and
the might of his good sword, making
solemn VOW that, if successful, he would
slay the first living thing he met but If
he failed to do so, the lords of Lambton
for nine generations would never die in
their beds.
He made the vow in the chapel Of his
forefathers, and caused his arInor to be
studded with the blades of the sharpest
spears. He took his stand on the rock in
the middle of the river, and unsheathing
his trusty sword, which had never failed
him in time of need, he commended him
self to the protection and to the will Of
Providence.
At the accustomed hour the worm un-
coiled its lengthened folds, and leaving
the hill took its usual course toward Lamb
ton Hall and approached the rock where
the knight stood ready and eager for the
combat.
The strength of the worm diminished
with its incessant efforts to destroy the
knight, who, seizing a favorable oppor-
tunity, made such good use of his trusty
sword that he cut the monster in two. The
severed part was Immediately carried
away by the force of the current, and the
worm, being thus unable to reunite itself,
was after long and desperate conflict
finally destroyed by the gallantry and
courage of the knight of Lambton.
The afflicted household were devoutly
engaged in prayer during this mortal en-
counter, but on the happy issue of the
combat the knight, according to promise
blew blast on his bugle to assure his IA
ther of his safety and that he might let
loose his favorite hound, which, according
to preconcerted agreement, was to be the
sacrifice, but the aged parent, forgetting
everything but his parental feelings, rushed
forward to embrace his son.
When the knight beheld his father, he
was overwhelmed with grief He could
not raise his arm against his parent; yet,
vainly hoping that the VOW might be accom-
plished and the curse ayerted by destroy
ing the next living thing ne met he blew
another blast on his bugle, when his ia
vorite hound broke loose and bounded for
ward to receive his caresses The gallant
knight, with grief and reluctance, once
more drew his. sword still reeking with
the blood Of the monster, and plunged it
into the heart of his faithful companion.
But in vain-the prediction was fulfilled,
and the sibyI's curse pressed heavily on
the house Of Lambton s'for nine genera
tions-''
We must add to this how the prediction
was additionally confirmed.
Sir William Lambton, who was colonel
of a regiment of foot in the service OF
Charles l, was slain at the bloody battle of
Marston Moor, and his son William, his
eldest son by his second wife, inheriting
the loyalty and gallantry of his father,
received his death wound at Wakefield
at the head of a troop of dragons in 1913.
The fulhllment Of the curse was inherent
in the ninth of descent, as above stated,
and great anxiety prevailed during his
lifetime among the hereditary depOsitaries
of the traditions of the county to know if
the curse would hold good to the end %
He died in his chariot crossing the New
bridge, thus giving the last connecting
link to the chain of circumstantial tradi-
tiOn connected with the history Of the
''Worme of Lambton. New York News.
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