The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-04-05

not far from the door when the herald
read the challenge, which ran: "Oyez!
oyez! oyez! II any person, Of what de-
, gree soever, high or low, shall deny or
gainsay our sovereign lord King George
w., of the United Kingdom Of Great
Britain and Ireland, Defender OF the
Faith, son and heir to our sovereign lord
King George III, the last king deceased.
to be right heir to the imperial crown OF
the United Kingdom, or shall say that he
ought not to enjoy the same, then here
is his champion, who saith that the said
person lieth, and Is false traitor, being
ready in person to combat with him, and
in this quarrel to adventure life against
him, on what day soever shall be ap-
pointed"
AS soon as the last words had been
spoken, the champion flung down his
glove-which the herald handed back to
him after moment-and the party moved
majestically up the banquet hall and
halted once more, whe nthe same cere-
mony was repeated. Then they pranced
forward again and paused directly In
front Of the sovereign when the challenge
was read and the gauntlet thrown for
the third time. Whereupon the king filed
with wine rich goblet and drank his
champions health. The goblet was
passed to the knight, who raised his vizor
and finished the wine at gulp and then.
bowling low to the king, backed his horse
down the hall and rode out through the
doorway, carrying off the golden cup rs 9
perquisite.
Most champions have been able to make
their horses behave in accordance with
court etiquette, but their retainerS have
not always been SO fortunate. At the
coronation Of George W., tor instance, the
last one at which the champion appeared,
the charger Of the earl marshal, who rode
has do alTo 40 hO6,r 1of1 oh %
deliberately turning his back on the king.
and when he was ridden out he swished
his flowing tail about 80 vigorously that
the dignifed gentlemen pensioners. who
lined the gangway, were Obliged to dip
and duck in most undignined manner.
Only once has the champions challenge
| been taken UP. but then it was by an adj
yersary who was apparently SO willing to
take the consequences Of his raahness
that the sturdy champion thought It best
to look upon the affair as q joke. This
was at the coronation OF George III.
/ Hardly had the herald finished delivering
the def and the champion cast hia
1 gauntlet, when a white glove huttsred
down on the floor beside it. The cham
pion supposed 1t had been dropped acci-
dentally by one of the ladies present, and
laughingly asked who was his fair antag-
1 cnist, but afterwards 1t was discovered
that the glovs contained a few lines OF
/ writing which announced that the righttu
4 king-the young etender-denied, George
/ HIS right to the throne, and that II nls
champion would walk in st. James park
the following morning he would find soma
one there who would be delighted TO have
a few words with him. The champion
thought it more discreet not to put in an
1 appearance, but he sent a friend to re-
connoiter, and the emissary reported that
! he had seea doughty looking swordsman
pacing about apparently awaiting with
1 eagerness the arrival OF some one he could
practice upon.
s Hume. the historian, stated that It was
his firm belief that the young pretender
q himself was In one of the ladies' CALLER
4 les, dressed in female garb, and that II
was he who dropped the mysterious glove.
The fDymoke family has supplied kings
4 of England with champions ever stnce
& 1877. when scion of the house was chosen
for that office by Richard H. Most Of the
descendants have been only too eager to
q act in the same capacity. but one OF Them
!. who happened to be Lancastrtan. de-
clined to officiate at the coronation OF Ed
y ward W. The kings men descended upon
him, but he took refuge in q holy place.
He was lured from it by q promise OF
i pardon-and beheaded! His son. however.
made a doughty champion of Richard Ill,
i as we'll as Of Henry VII and OF the mncn
! married Henry WILL
When it came time for George ~. to be
, crowned, the head Of the Dymoke family
was clergyman, SO his son acted In his
stead. Sir Walter Scott reported that
3 ceremony Tor the Gentlemen's Magazine
and described the champion as 'fne-
, Hooking youth but bearing, perhaps, lite
!, tie too much the appearances OF maiden
knight to be the challenger Of the world
In the. kings behalf However. the
wizard admits that the young Dymoke
!. manhood and managed h3s horse splsn-
didly.