Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall, Second SeriesBottrell, William
General
Traditions and Hearthside Stories of West Cornwall, Second Series
Bottrell, William
Cornwall (England : County) -- Social life and customs; Legends -- England -- Cornwall (County)
There was no one nigh him; but, on glancing towards the carn,
he saw near it a beautiful white hare, which gazed lovingly on
him for a moment and then disappeared amongst the rocks.
On going to the spot, where the rocks had been severed, he
found a naked sword with sparkling jewels in its hilt, and the
blade shone like flame.
Arluth, having recovered from his surprise, took up the
sword, and, looking round, he saw Marec and Uter near him.
Surprised that it should be discovered in such a place, and at
what the seaman told him, Marec said, that as he had found[259]
the magic weapon, he was destined to achieve great things.
Arluth again thought of his father and shipmates, who, not
knowing if he were dead or alive would be in great trouble; he
begged his companions to let him hasten to Market-jew, and
their horses soon took them thither. On parting the sailor
said he hoped to see his friends again; they proposed to visit
him in the evening; saw him embark in a boat and pull off to
his ship. The good captain was overjoyed to see him after
having mourned for him as dead.
Arluth related how he had been rescued; drew the sword from
his belt and told the captain where he had found it, with what
he had seen and heard on the hill. The captain having examined
it, said, "The time is come for me to declare that the only
relationship I bear thee is through my regard and loyalty to the
murdered Queen, thy mother." He then related to Arluth how
the Queen had lost her kingdom and magic sword, through her
ill-requited love for Pengersec; and how he had saved him when an
infant. In conclusion the captain said, "Thou wilt now understand,
my son—let me still call thee so—how that the young
lord of Pengersec, who rescued thee last night, is thy brother.
Thy name, too—which was given thee by thy mother, as soon as
thou wast born—belongs to this country's tongue. The Queen,
having heard Lord Pengersec thus called by his Cornish
followers who attended him to her land, took that title to be one
of his names, and liked it best for thee."
The captain also told the wondering sailor that he would be
the acknowledged heir to their country, which had for many
years been rent with civil war between divers pretendants thereto,
among whom there was no one sufficiently powerful to secure
the throne, since the magic sword—on which their country's
safety in some way depended—had been lost, and reserved by
a protecting power for him.
"Now nothing more is wanting," said he, "to enable thee to
reclaim thy mother's dominions, and its people will gladly receive
thee to give peace to the distracted country."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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