The Water of the Wondrous Isles by William Morris (love letters to the dead txt) 📗

  CONTENTS

The First Part: Of the House of Captivity

 

 

PAGE

Chap. I.

Catch at Utterhay

1

II.

Now shall be told of the House by the Waterside

8

III.

Of Skin-changing

10

IV.

Of the Waxing of the Stolen Child

12

V.

Of Birdalone, and how she is grown into Maidenhood

15

VI.

Herein is told of Birdalone’s Raiment

18

VII.

Birdalone hath an Adventure in the Wood

22

VIII.

Of Birdalone and the Witch-wife

30

IX.

Of Birdalone’s Swimming

33

X.

Birdalone comes on New Tidings

36

XI.

Of Birdalone’s Guilt and the Chastisement thereof

39

XII.

The Words of the Witch-wife to Birdalone

43

XIII.

Birdalone meeteth the Wood-woman again

46

XIV.

Of Birdalone’s Fishing

51

XV.

Birdalone weareth her Serpent-ring

54

XVI.

Birdalone meeteth Habundia again; and learneth her First Wisdom of her

59

XVII.

The Passing of the Year into Winter

62

XVIII.

Of Springtide and the Mind of Birdalone

65

XIX.

They bid Farewell, Birdalone and the Wood-mother

68

XX.

Of Birdalone and the Sending Boat

70

The Second Part: Of the Wondrous Isles

Chap. I.

The First Isle

75

II.

Birdalone falleth in with New Friends

77

III.

Birdalone is brought before the Witch-wife’s Sister

82

IV.

Of the Witch’s Prison in the Wailing-tower

85

V.

They feast in the Witch’s Prison

89

VI.

Atra tells of how they three came unto the Isle of Increase Unsought

97

VII.

The three Damsels take Birdalone out of the Witch’s Prison

109

VIII.

In what Wise Birdalone was clad, and how she went her Ways from the Isle of Increase Unsought

112

IX.

How Birdalone came to the Isle of the Young and the Old

117

X.

Birdalone comes to the Isle of the Queens

131

XI.

And now she comes to the Isle of the Kings

136

XII.

Of Birdalone, how she came unto the Isle of Nothing

141

The Third Part: Of the Castle of the Quest

  Chap. I.

Birdalone comes to the Castle of the Quest

146

II.

Of Birdalone, and how she rested the Night through in a Bower without the Castle of the Quest

152

III.

How Birdalone dight her for meeting the Champions of the Quest

157

IV.

And now she meets the Champions

160

V.

Birdalone has True Tokens from the Champions of the Quest

167

VI.

How the Champions would do Birdalone to be clad anew in the Castle of the Quest

177

VII.

Of Birdalone, how she told the Champions all her Tale

180

VIII.

In the Meanwhile of the Departing of the Champions, they would pleasure Birdalone with Feats of Arms and Games of Prowess

184

IX.

Birdalone cometh before the Champions in her New Array

186

X.

The Champions go their Ways in the Sending Boat

190

The Fourth Part: Of the Days of Abiding

 Chap. I.

Of Birdalone’s Grief; and of Leonard the Chaplain

194

II.

Birdalone learneth Lore of the Priest.  Ten Days of Waiting wear

197

III.

Now would Birdalone ride abroad

200

IV.

Of Birdalone’s Faring abroad

205

V.

Sir Aymeris showeth Birdalone the Mountains afar off

208

VI.

Birdalone heareth tell Tales of the Black Valley of the Greywethers

213

VII.

Birdalone beguileth the Priest to help her to Outgoing

216

VIII.

Birdalone fares on her Adventure

220

IX.

Birdalone comes to the Black Valley

224

X.

How Birdalone fell in with a Man in the Black Valley of the Greywethers

227

XI.

Birdalone is led up the Black Valley

231

XII.

How those Twain get them from out of the Black Valley of the Greywethers

235

XIII.

Now they rest for the Night in the Strait Pass

243

XIV.

The Black Knight tells the Truth of Himself

245

XV.

The Black Knight brings Birdalone to the Bower in the Dale

250

XVI.

Yet a Day and a Night they tarry in the Dale

255

The Fifth Part: The Tale of the Quest’s Ending

Chap. I.

Of Sir Leonard’s trouble and the Coming of the Quest

263

II.

Now ask they of Birdalone, and Sir Leonard speaks

268

III.

How they follow the Slot of Birdalone and the Black Knight

271

IV.

Of the Slaying of Friend and Foe

276

V.

They come home to the Castle of the Quest

283

VI.

Of the Talk betwixt Birdalone and Viridis

285

VII.

Birdalone telleth the Tale of her Wandering up the Valley of the Greywethers

289

VIII.

Atra and Birdalone talk together while the Lords sit at the Murder-council

305

IX.

Hugh tells the Story of the Quest’s Ending

309

X.

How it fared with the Three Ladies after the Escape of Birdalone

340

XI.

Birdalone and the Black Squire talk together in the Hall of the Castle

350

XII.

The Knights and their Fellows betake them to the Assaulting of the Red Hold

355

XIII.

Birdalone bethinks her to fulfil the Promise made unto Atra

358

XIV.

Birdalone leaves the Castle of the Quest

364

The Sixth Part: The Days of Absence

Chap. I.

Birdalone rides to Greenford and there takes Leave of Arnold and his Men

366

II.

Of Birdalone and her Fellowship, their Faring over the Downland

372

III.

They come to the City of the Five Crafts, and Birdalone meets with the Poor-wife

374

IV.

Of the Love of Gerard’s Sons and of Jacobus for Birdalone

385

V.

Of the death of Audrey, Mother to Birdalone.  She is warned in a Dream to seek the Black Squire, and is minded to depart the City of the Five Crafts, and seek again the Castle of the Quest

389

VI.

Of the Sundering of Birdalone from Gerard and his Sons

396

VII.

Birdalone cometh to Greenford, and hears of the Wasting of the Castle of the Quest

401

VIII.

Birdalone cometh to the Castle of the Quest, heareth the Tale thereof from Leonard, and departeth thence by the Sending Boat

406

IX.

Birdalone findeth the Isle of Nothing greatly bettered, and is kindly entreated there

413

X.

Of Birdalone’s Flitting from the Isle of Nothing

420

XI.

Coming to the Isle of Kings Birdalone findeth there a Score and Two of Fair Damsels who would fain have her Company

422

XII.

Birdalone cometh again to the Isle of Queens, and findeth a Perilous Adventure therein

427

XIII.

Coming to the Isle of the Young and the Old, Birdalone findeth it peopled with Children

438

XIV.

The Sending Boat disappeareth from the Isle of Increase Unsought, and Birdalone seeketh to escape thence by Swimming

442

XV.

Birdalone lacketh little of Drowning, but cometh latterly to the Green Eyot

446

XVI.

Birdalone findeth her Witch-mistress dead

449

XVII.

Birdalone layeth to Earth the Body of the Witch, and findeth the Sending Boat broken up

454

XVIII.

The Wood-mother cometh to Birdalone and heareth her Story

458

XIX.

Habundia hideth Birdalone’s Nakedness with Faery Raiment

463

XX.

Birdalone telleth Habundia of her Love for Arthur, and getteth from her Promise of Help therein

465

XXI.

How the Wood-wife entered the Cot, and a Wonder that befell thereon

468

XXII.

Birdalone wendeth the Wildwood in Fellowship with Habundia

472

XXIII.

The Wood-wife bringeth Birdalone to the Sight of Arthur in the Wildwood

475

XXIV.

The Wood-mother changeth her Form to that of a Woman stricken in Years

485

XXV.

The Wood-wife healeth and tendeth the Black Squire

489

XXVI.

The Black Squire telleth the Wood-wife of his Doings since Birdalone went from the Castle of the Quest

493

XXVII.

Sir Arthur cometh to the House under the Wood

500

XXVIII.

Fair Days in the House of Love

505

XXIX.

Those Twain will seek the Wisdom of the Wood-wife

505

XXX.

They have Speech with Habundia concerning the Green Knight and his Fellows

509

XXXI.

Habundia cometh with Tidings of those Dear Friends

512

XXXII.

Of the Fight in the Forest and the Rescue of those Friends from the Men of the Red Company

518

XXXIII.

Viridis telleth the Tale of their Seeking

525

The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning

Chap. I.

Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be

524

II.

Birdalone taketh Counsel with her Wood-mother concerning the Matter of Sir Hugh

537

III.

Of the Journeying through the Forest of Evilshaw unto the Town of Utterhay

541

IV.

Of the Abiding in Utterhay in Love and Contentment

550

p. 1THE FIRST PART: OF THE HOUSE OF CAPTIVITY. CHAPTER I.  CATCH AT UTTERHAY.

Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

The said town was hard on the borders of a wood, which men held to be mighty great, or maybe measureless; though few indeed had entered it, and they that had, brought back tales wild and confused thereof.

Therein was neither highway nor byway, nor wood-reeve nor way-warden; never came chapman thence into Utterhay; no man of Utterhay was so poor or so bold that he durst raise the hunt therein; no outlaw durst flee thereto; no man of God had such trust in the saints that he durst build him a cell in that wood.

For all men deemed it more than perilous; and some said that there walked the worst of the dead; othersome that the Goddesses of the Gentiles haunted there; others again that it was the faery rather, but they full of malice and guile.  But most commonly it was deemed that the devils swarmed amidst of its thickets, and that wheresoever a man sought to, who was once environed by it, ever it was the Gate of Hell whereto he came.  And the said wood was called Evilshaw.

Nevertheless the cheaping-town throve not ill; for whatso evil things haunted Evilshaw, never came they into Utterhay in such guise that men knew them, neither wotted they of any hurt that they had of the Devils of Evilshaw.

Now in the said cheaping-town, on a day, it was market and high noon, and in the market-place was much people thronging; and amidst of them went a woman, tall, and strong of aspect, of some thirty winters by seeming, black-haired, hook-nosed and hawk-eyed, not so fair to look on as masterful and proud.  She led a great grey ass betwixt two panniers, wherein she laded her marketings.  But now she had done her chaffer, and was looking about her as if to note the folk for her disport; but when she came across a child, whether it were borne in arms or led by its kinswomen, or were going alone, as were some, she seemed more heedful of it, and eyed it more closely than aught else.

So she strolled about till she was come to the outskirts of the throng, and there she happened on a babe of some two winters, which was crawling about on its hands and knees, with scarce a rag upon its little body.  She