Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-11-10

BY the virtuous OF all this belief, the
primitive nations made the Holy Grail
symbolic.
| This miraculous vessel, they believ-
Ell, had once been possessed by man.
but on account of wrong doing 1t had
| been taken from his keeping and
thereafter, only he who led perfect
| ~ pure and noble life, before his God
and neighbor, could ever hope to OBJ
| tain a sight of it. In later years, the
influence of Christianity soon became
evident. Henceforth it was said that
the Grail had been made from one
of the stones which fell from Luci-
| fer's crown as he was cast out of
heaven. Afterwards, this came into
the hands of Joseph of Aramathea,
who gave it to Christ to use at the last
supper, and then few days later.
when the Master was hanging upon
the cross, he caught in the Grail a
few drops of the blood coming forth
from his pierced side. Ever after the
vessel was endowed with supernatural
powers; but, when it afterwards came
into the hands of the Romans, ON &C.
count of the sin of one of their num-
| Der, it disappeared from their midst
And as the Holy Grail had been lost
! by sin, only he who was perfectly
! free from any stain could again be-
hold it.
Years before the conversion of the
German tribes to Christianity, their
mnstres sang of the brave deeds of
heroes who had gone in search of this
sacred symbol. Out of these songs
grew the story of Percival
Reared in the woods, by his mother,
with no other companions around, he
srew up without the knowledge of the
evils in the outside world, but one
day in his wanderings through the
| forest, he came upon a train of young
mobiles, and influenced by their gayety
| and splendor, he left his mother S
home and went forth into the world.
Put through all his adventures he kept
his heart pure and true to his moth
er's teachings. Following the example
OF the other knights, he set forth to
conquer the world, to win the love OF
women and perform deeds of valor
In his journey, he came upon cas-
tie. Within lay an old man, speech
less. At regular intervals bleed
ing spear and sacred vessel came be
fore the sufferer who with his at
tendants, looked significantly at Per
cival. For all knew that if pure
man asked concerning the holy relics
their king would be healed. But Perez
val, in his innocence, scOrned to ask
!, question concerning the mystery
and so he went forth again. Many
years he wandered, the picture of thu
[ ole king always seeming to haunt him
Finally he was told by an old monl
! that the great mystery he had seel
was the Holy Grail. Again he set GU
: hoping to find the castle and repai
. his error After many perilous ad
: ventures he found it again, but nov
t the spell was not so easily broken. II
fist had to weld together broker
: sword After this was done, the oil
o king recovered and hailed Percival a
e his deliverer and the chief defende
k Of the Holy Grail
l. Some one has said: In this nc
n BILE work, there lives a spirit of revel
e ence and moral earnestness in mari
r Ell contrast with the character of tn
other romances. The best qualitie
n Of the German mind, its hospitality t
Is tender sentiment. its love of trutl
y its individuality in religion are her
a. ahundantly present. The Grail is nc
4 regarded merely as talisman, but a
d visible manifestation of the eve
II living Christ, a reminder Of spiritu;
lie needs and privileges"
re 1t was by this German legend
to Percvals search for the Holy Ora
to that the great Wagner was inspired
he write his opera, 'Percival." The see
r. cry and music for the production
ly this are surprisingly beautiful. as tt
s. knight uncovers the sacred vessel a
IT. kneel, and the voices of the bO.
n singing in the dome of the great ha
are heard proclaiming: 80. heaven
in mercys marvel, redemption TO the r
lg deemer.'
lie In the words Of George McLes
IS. Harper, During the centuries aft
w its origin, it was the mission of Il
o. legend of the Holy Grail to be Il
We spirtualzing TRIBUTARY of broad
es stream of literature. the bright f,
,r- current of Arthurian romance.
IT. this trimming river it gave puri
ly and light 1t gave direction as wei
to and, for a time, at least, the genel
ed lions who sailed upon the bosom
he these waters moved as honor al
* true religion might approve. Duril
he the next three centuries this purii
of ing and edifying stream lay froze
nd But suddenly in our own time it h
es been irradiated and warmed to Il
ra- again and to the old genial motion