one of her valets; but the messenger
observing "it was a royal bird, who would only accept food from her own
hand," and desiring her to caress it, she soon perceived the letter, and
changed colour, but recovering herself, dismissed the messenger with a
present, turned out her own attendants, excepting one maid, and
proceeded to examine the mystery. It contained the warmest protestations
of her lover's unalterable attachment, expressed a hope that she might
be able to point out a secure place of meeting; and shewed her an easy
method of continuing the correspondence. "The swan, already tame, might,
by good feeding, be easily attached to her; after which, if debarred
from meat during three days, he would, when set at liberty, fly back to
his old master." After kissing the welcome letter till she had nearly
obliterated its contents she proceeded to put in practice his
injunctions; and having by stealth procured some parchment and ink, made
an equally tender reply, which, being tied round the swan's neck, was
rapidly and faithfully conveyed to Milun. During twenty years they kept
up, by this means, a regular correspondence, and their frequent
interviews were managed with a secresy which secured them against
detection. In the mean time their son, after receiving an excellent
education, had been dubbed a knight, and learned from his aunt the name
of his father, and the mystery of his birth. Inflamed with a noble
ambition, he resolved instantly to set off for foreign countries and to
surpass his sire in military glory. The next day he communicated the
project to his aunt, who gave him a number of instructions for his
future conduct; which, lest he should forget, she repeated more than
once, and accompanied her admonitions with such liberal presents as
would enable him to rival in splendour the richest of his competitors.
He repaired to Southampton; landed at Barbefluet (Barfleur); passed into
Britany; engaged, by his generosity, a numerous attendance of poor
knights, eclipsed the proudest of his rivals by superior liberality;
vanquished the stoutest; gained the prize in every tournament; and,
though he concealed his name, was quickly known through the country by
the appellation of "The Knight without a Peer." The fame of this
youthful warrior at length reached the care of his father. From the
first moment of his bestriding a horse, that father had never
encountered an equal; and as he trusted age had added to his address
more