The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-06-03

Uhat attended Arthurs accession. many having de-
med his right to Uthers throne owing to the mys
terry OF his birth. After gaining battle for Leo
dogran, OF Cameard he sues for the hand of that
hlng daughter, the fair Guinivere. Now must the
question of his lineage be settled, and the nvesti
CATION brings to light the myths regarding his
birth Wearied with these tales as related by Belli
cent, Leondogran falls asleep, and in his dreams
receives the necessary assurance that Arthur Is
truly king. Thus Guinivere is won; and, es-
corted by Sir Lancelot, she rides to Arthurs court
and the marriage takes place without further de-
lay This forms the beautiful climax of the first
Idyll
Far shone The fields of May thro' open door,
! he sacred altar blossompd white with May,
| he sun of May descended on their King
They gazed on all earths beauty in their Queen,
RolFd incense, and there passed along the hymns
A voice as of the waters. while the two
Sworc at the shrine of Christ deathless love,
Between this and the death of Arthur, there
arc ten poems relating various affairs of the Round
liable, that glorious band of knights "the flower of
men. whom the King had sworn into order
TO serve as models for the mighty world,
And be the fair beginning of a time
BY his sacred vows the knight was bound
10 break the heather and uphold the Christ,
10 ride abroad redressing human wrongs,
10 speak no SANDER, no, nor listen to it.
10 honor his word as if his Gods
VI all these stories of the Round Table, which
like threads Of silver run through the golden fabric
OF the poem, there several which seem to be
general favorites. Who does not enjoy Gareth and
Lynette, that charming romance of boyish ambition
towering into deeds of lnightly valor, the saucy
Lynette lending piquant umor to the tale, the
whole teeming with symbolism and sweet and
happy from first TO last
Enid and Elaine are beloved by all. the former
being the first to suffer the Ill effects of Guinivcres
evil course; the latter
Elaine the fair, Elaine the lovable,
Elaine the lily-maid of Astolat'
with a story that must move the commonest heart
The Holy Grail, that beautiful legend of the
Sacred Chalice used at the Last Supper, is espe-
cially dear to the Catholic reader; and Sir Galahad
whose strength the strength of ten, because
his heart pure, brings home one of the most
familiar lessons of religion.
In 'Guinivere" we come upon the exposure of
the Queens disloyalty, story, as E. c. Stedman
puts 1t, "surcharged with tragic pathos and high
dramatic power"
In the last of the Idylls, we find the King by
the cold sea side alone for Sir Bedivere. who
after thrce-repeated effort has thrown Excalibur
into the middle mere then he bears the wounded
King to the barge on which he sails back unto the
sea OF eternity, whence according to the myth, he
had been cast, naked babe upon the strand
Besides the stories in the Idylls, their study dis
covers maze of allegory much of which is quite
ingeniously invented by the critics, being uninten
lonal 1t Is declared, on the poets part. In the
general symbolism, Arthur is said to typify the
soul and Guinivere the body. Religion is repre-
sen*ed by the Lady of the Lake, who gives the King
her sword Excabur which he is to WELD against
the heather hordes that infest the kingdom, that
IS, the enemies of the soul. Faith. Hope anG Char
ity are the queens who are ever ready to help him
at his need. The mystifying Merlin stands for hui
man wisdom so weak against the alurements of
sensuosness portrayed by the willy Viven. Bleys
typiies knowledge while Gareth represents the
strength of manhood.
But if all could be told, how faint were words
to give any adequate idea of this great poem
Those who have read and reread it know what de-
lights are in its pages; those who, as yet, know it
not have vast enjoyment in store for them and
many noble life-lessons as well.
MARY DESMOND. '06