FIRST JOURNEY. 



71 



" Hie jacet Arturus, Rex quondam Rexque futurus." 



" Here Arthur lies, who formerly 

 Was king— and king again to be." 



Don Quixote was always of opinion that this famous 

 king did not die, but that he was changed into a raven 

 by enchantment, and that the English are momentarily 

 expecting his return. Ee this as it may, it is certain 

 that when he reigned here, all was harmony and joy 

 The browsing herds passed from vale to vale, the swains 

 sang from the bluebell-teeming groves, and nymphs, 

 with eglantine and roses in their neatly-braided hair, 

 went hand in hand to the flowery mead, to weave gar- 

 lands for their lambkins. If by chance some rude un- 

 civil fellow dared to molest them, or attempted to throw 

 thorns in their path, there was sure to be a knight- 

 errant, not far off, ready to rush forward in their de- 

 > fence. But, alas ! in these degenerate da}^s it is not so. 

 Should a harmless cottage maid wander out of the 

 highway to pluck a primrose or two in the neighbour- 

 ing field, the haughty owner sternly bids her retire ; 

 and if a pitying swain hasten to escort her back, he is 

 perhaps seized by the gaunt house-dog ere he reach her ! 



iEneas's route on the other side of Styx could not 

 have been much worse than this, though, by his account, 

 when he got back to earth, it appears that he had fallen 

 in with " Bellua Lernse, horrendum stridens, naruruis- 

 que, armata Chimaera." 



Moreover, he had a sybil to guide his steps ; and as 

 such a conductress, now-a-days, could not be got for 

 love or money, it was judged most prudent to refrain 

 from sauntering through this land of freedom, and wait 

 with patience the return of health. At last this long- 

 looked-for, ever-welcome stranger, came. 



