Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1903-03-21

| K come unto the lake. there he
beheld the miracle that Mer-
4. lin had told to him aforctmc.
For, 10. there in the midst of the OK
panse Of water was the appearance of
fair ana beautiful arm. rs OF n
woman. clad in all white Snmilc. And
| the arm was cncirc!cd with several
bracelets of wrought gold; and the
hand held II sword of marvellous work
manShlp aloit in the air above the sur
race OF the water: and neither the arm
nor the sword moved SO much as II
hair s-brcadth, but We're motionless like
to cnrven image upon the surface of
the lake. And behold! the sun OF that
strange land shone down upon the hilt
of the sword, and it was of pure gold
boset with jewels of several sorts,
so that the hit Of the sword and the
bracelets That cncirclcd the arm
gIistcncd in the midst OF the lake like
TO some triangular star of exceeding
splcmdor.
Md 50 Kin" Arthur sat upon his
WAr-.orsc ana gH2rd from Il distance
at the arm and the sword, and he
greatly marv"lcd thcrcat; vet he wlst
not how he might come ut that sword.
for the lake WIS wonderfully wide and
C"rp, wherefore hc knew not how he
might come th"rcllniO for to make it
his own. And as he sat pondcriny
within himself, he was suddenly aware
or strange lady, who approached
him through those tail flowers that
hloomed along the margin Of the lake
Anal when he perceived her coming
toward him he quickly dsmountcd
from his War-hOrS". aud. with .hc
hrldl".rein over his arm, lie went for
ward FOR To meet her AS he came
nigh 10 her he perceived that she WAS
Wonderfully beautiful. and that her
hair was like silk ana ms black as it
was poSSihl" to be. ANA so lon. that
it reached unto tn" ground as she
walked. And this strange lady WAS
ciad all in green, only that n fine cord
or crimson and gold was interviewer
into the plcatS OF her hair And around
her neck there hung very beautiful
necklace Of several strands of opal
stones and oulriNlGs set in cunnngly
wrought god: ana around her wrists
were bracelets OF the like sort. of
opal stones and cmUraluS set in gold.
And when King Arthur bcheld her
wonderful appearance, lie immclliat cly
knrlt before her upon one knee in the
midst of all those flowers. LADY,"
quoth he, Il 60 certainly perceive that
thou art no mortal dcmoiSclle. Also
that this place, because of its cXtraor-
binary beauty. can he no other than
some land OF iacric into which | have
entcrCd.'
king Arthur" replied the lady.
"thou saySt Soothly. for am indeed
faclic. Moreover. ! may tell thee that
my name is NymUc. and Chat am he
chiefeSt of those ladies Of the lake of
whom thou maySt have heard people
speak"
Lady" said King Arthur, "that
which thou tcllcSt me causes me to
wonder a very great deal. And in
deed, am afraid that in coming hithcr-
ward | have been doing amiss for TO
intruIc upon the solitude of your dwell
ing.placc."
"Nny. not so, King Arthur" quoth
the Lady Of the Lake: for, in truth,
thou art very wrlcom" hcreunto. Like.
wise. | may tell thee that thou couldst
not have entered this land had we
not been willing for thee to do so.
Moreover, | tell thee truly that have
n greater fricndlineSS for thee and
those noble KNIGHTS of thy court than
thou CanSt easily wot Of. But | do
bcSccch thee OF thy courtesy for to tell
land
lady" qroth the King. Il will tell
thee he entire truth. | fought of late
q battir with Il certain Sable Knight. in
the which WAS sorcly and grirvouSly
wounded, ANA wherein | burst my
spear and snapped my sword and lost
even my miS"ricordc. so that had not
single thing left me by way of Il
weapon. In this extremity Merlin,
here, told mo of EXralibur. ana of how
1t is continuously upheld by an arm
in III" midst Of this magical lake. SO
l came hithcr. and behold. | find it
even as he hath said Now. lady. an it
be possible, | Wuuld fnin achieve that
excellent sword, that hy means of it
| might fight my battle TO its entire
end"
TIA, my Lord King" said the Lady
of the Lake, that sword is no easy
thing to achieve; and. moreover,
may tell thee that several knights have
loSt their lives 10y attempting that
which thou hast mind to do. For, in
sooth, no man may win yondcr glavc
unless he he without fear and without
rcproach.'
ALAS, lady, Quoth King Arthur,
shat is indeed Il sad saving fer me.
HAPPY be brave cnow. yet in truth
there be many things whcrcwith | do
rcproach myself wi,hal Nc'thcless
would fuin attempt This thing. even IN
it be to my great enlargement.
Wherefore, | prithcr. tell me how
may best undertake that which
would pcrform;"
king Arthur" said the Lady of the
Lake, Il vii! do what | may for to aid
thee in thy wishes in this natter
Upon this she lifted n single emerald
that hung by II small chain OF gold at
her girlle, and, 10. the emerald was
cunningly carved into whistle. And
she set the whistle to her lips and blew
upon 1t passing Shrily. Then straight
way there appeared upon the water, Il
great way off. certain thing that
shonc very brightly. And this drew
near with great speed. and. rs it came
nigh, behold. it was boat all OF
carvCn brass. And the boat movcd
upon the water like swan, very
swiftly, so that long lines like to silver
threads stretched far away behind
across the face of the water. which
otherwise was like unto glass for
Smoothness. And when the brazen