New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-06
THE LAMBTON WORM
A CURIOUS ENGLISH TRADITION.


From The Genealogical Magazine.
The park and manor house of Lambton. be-
longing to the family Of that name the head Of
which is the Earl Of Durham. lie on the bank OF
the river Wear TO the north Of Lumley. Early
IN the fourteenth century the heir young John
Lambton. was leading dss)lute life. Among
his delinquencies was the custom Of fishing on
Sunday. and on one Of these occasions. finding
that his usual good fortune had deserted him
he gave way TO temper, and invoked curses upon
the river. the land. the fish. himself. his luck,
and all that concerned him. Then he invoked
the powers Of evil to give him aid and success
in one last cast Of the rod. \ great strain came
upon the line. and. after tremendous EFFORT, ne
landed an immense and hdeOus- looking worm.
resembling eft. This. in disgust. he threw
into a well close by. whore il grew with such
marvellous rapdity soon To fill IL up with It's
body and limbs. and consequently IL was aDle
10 scramble out. Then il made for a large rock
in the centre of the river. and colling It's IAN
around il, made ID its headquarters ny Day
while at night it eucircled a hill at little
distance from the river on the opposite bank
These are called respectively WormWeu ana
Wormhill 10 this day, and the latter s about
mile from Lambton Hall. From these. its coisns
Of vantage. il would raid the country round
making forays among the farmsieads sucking
the COWS. worrying the cattle. eating the IanDS
and smaller fry frightening men. women ana
children. and causing them 20 flee IN terror ior
their lives. Thus it laid waste all the country
vide. and soon reached the caste itSeH. "heIe
Ivet the old lord in solitary and gloomy gran
deur. the hopeful heir having joined the Crusa-
Iers and set out for Palestine
Advised by his steward. the Lord OF l-afnpton
rlaced troughs ~ milk in the way by which the
worm must approach. 10 prOpitiate H. But III
time the milk Of the region gave out. ana the
worm to signify its anger rooted up Trees ana
took 10 DESTROYING very living thing. me knlsht
Grant Of thu period sought 20 make away with
this terrible monster. but one ana All perlSneu
who made the attempt; the worm would enNeIop
them i'm its tremendous folds and crush then
10 death or should the knight succeed IN deal
ing what would be thought a fatal blow or
thrust the worm had the power Of r"unitinS the
severed parts and becoming whole again.
Al length. after seven years absence John
Lambton returned home, now a Knight on
Rhodes Acting on tn" advice OF a VehtraDie
sibyl whom ne consulted. he caused ms ar
nor 10 be studded with lance-points. engaged to
go to the river at early morning. armed only
with his sword. and. taking his stand upon the
summit OF the worm rock. await tho coming OF
the monster; further. he made VOW that, II
successful in his ENTERPRISE he would Stay the
first living being that he might chance 10 meet
on his return from the encounter. ana mat.
should he fail to perform his oath precisely as
prescribed il was decrced that no Lord OF Lamb
ion for nine successive generations should die
4 natural death or i'm his bed The result or the
combat between the knight and the DRAGON was
decisive in favor Of the former who slew ms
enemy by embraining 1t and piercing IL win the
spearheads in many places. ana theh' having
en-, the body in twain. let fall the lower por-
ton into the stream first. the upper portion
being held upon the spear points until the POSI-
biity Of reuniting had passed But when IN an
swer To the blast on his horn announcing victory
he old lord came out 10 greet him, the oath
had 10 be- broken since hlial piety would not
allow of its fulhlment. During the period OF
the curse no Lord OF Lambton did die natural
death the last Of the nine generations. Henry
I hamilton NJ = for Durham in 1861. died while
crnssiny the new bridge over the Wear in his
earriage: his predecessors had all undergone TX
ban