The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1898-06-24

| arms. and each has sworn to further
the other in love, and to throw no OBJ
stacle i'll the others way. Thou shalt
not love my lady. false Arctic. | saw
her and loved her first
Nay" answered Arctic, proudly
Ills thou who art false. Who loved
her first, indeed? When thou first
d,lst look upon this beauty. thou didst
not know whether she was woman or
goddess. Indeed, as goddess thou
didst pray to her. knew her at once
as woman, and as Il woman | loved
her Immediately. Dost not remember
that old clerhes save: Who shall give
a lover any law? However, there is
no need for us to quarrel, my comrade.
There is no likelihood that either YOU
or | will ever stand in this fair lady s
favor You and | are condemned to
prison perpetual. and there are many
brave kni ghts at the court Of Theseus
who. YOU may be sure, are not insensi-
bic to the charms OF this flrest of
maids. Surely thou canst recall the
old fable of the two dogs who quarrelled
over the bone, which the kite flew away
with"
Thus they argued long and often, but
nothing came of their daily disputes.
One day Duke Perithous, the bosom
friend of Theseus, came to Athens.
Friends so close and loving were the
two dukes that, the old books tell us,
when one died, the other sought his
fellow in Hades Duke Theseus had
long known and loved Arctic, and,
when he found him in prison, he inter
ceded with Theseus for the young The
ban. Theseus, who could not refuse
his friend. agreed to release Arctic, on
condition that he should leave the coun-
try Immediately. and, if he were ever
found in ThcScGs's domains, he should
lose his head
To Palamon, who had to remain in
prison, Arcite's lot seemed of all things
most enviable; if he were only free, he
thought, he would surely find way
to win the queen Of his heart; but Ar
cite received The news with heavy
heart. The prison now seemed to him
paradise; there he could at least gaze
upon beauty which dazzled him. To
be eNiled meant to lose sight of her
forever. He went foyth greving. In
this world how few are contented! 1t
is hard to decide whose fate was most
cruel, Arcte's or Palamons.
When Arctic returned to Thebes,
and took up his old life, in his old posi-
ton, his friends declared they could
scarce find in him trace of his former
self He had lost his gaietv; his face
had become pale and haggard He
seemed to wish for no companonship.
Day and night he was tormented by
thoughts of the faircst of women, whom
he WAS to see no more.
After dragging out a miserable exist
ence for about the space of two years,
the winged god, Mercury, appeared
one night to Arctic while lie slept.
Thy Woe is at an end, said the god
to Arctic. "To Athens shalt thou 90,
ere long"
The god shall be obeyed," cried the
knight, starting up from his sleep
"Though | die, will see my lady once
again.
Disguised as Il porter, and accom-
panied by his squire, who was his con-
tidential friend, and who was also dis
guiscd rs 4 porter, Arctic went to
Athens, won the good will Of Lady
Emilio chamberlain. and was engaged
by that worthy as page to Lady Emile.
Arctic was almost mad with jov:
surely the gods had bcfrended him at
last.
Time passed quickly to the happy
Arctic; and the chamberlain could not
sound his praise sufficiently. "Nevcr,'
he said, ''had there been at that court
a man 50 gentle, 50 virtuous, so brave,
rs this page who called himself Philo-
strate."
The duke became interested in the
new page, and tinally V made him squire
OF his chamber. Arctic was not alto
gether pleased at this promotion, be
cause he could not see quite so often
the beautiful face Of his lady; however,
he comtortcd himself with the thought
that this advancement probably
brought him one step nearer to his
Leart's desire
Meanwhile, what has become of Pala-
mon: For seven long years he lay in
prison Twcrc useless to attempt to
describe his intense suffering. He al
most went mad from grief At the
end Of seven years he escaped through
the efforts OF Il friend, who gave the
,jailor some druggcd wine.
Imme diat"ly after leaving the prison,
Palamon concealed himself in a grove,
intending to remain there until night,
when he would start for ThebcS. He
did not dare show himself then, as it
was almost dawn. At Thcbes he
would ral~" IN army and return to
Athens, lnI in some waN-hr did not
know VI just how it should be done
h would win the lady Emile, the in