the story of the glittering plain-第1章

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The　Story　of　the　Glittering　Plain

　or　

The　Land　of　Living　Men




by　William　Morris









CHAPTER　I：　　OF　THOSE　THREE　WHO　CAME　TO　THE　HOUSE　OF　THE　RAVEN







It　has　been　told　that　there　was　once　a　young　man　of　free　kindred　and

whose　name　was　Hallblithe：　　he　was　fair；　strong；　and　not　untried　in

battle；　he　was　of　the　House　of　the　Raven　of　old　time。



This　man　loved　an　exceeding　fair　damsel　called　the　Hostage；　who　was

of　the　House　of　the　Rose；　wherein　it　was　right　and　due　that　the　men

of　the　Raven　should　wed。



She　loved　him　no　less；　and　no　man　of　the　kindred　gainsaid　their　love；

and　they　were　to　be　wedded　on　Midsummer　Night。



But　one　day　of　early　spring；　when　the　days　were　yet　short　and　the

nights　long；　Hallblithe　sat　before　the　porch　of　the　house　smoothing

an　ash　stave　for　his　spear；　and　he　heard　the　sound　of　horse…hoofs

drawing　nigh；　and　he　looked　up　and　saw　folk　riding　toward　the　house；

and　so　presently　they　rode　through　the　garth　gate；　and　there　was　no

man　but　he　about　the　house；　so　he　rose　up　and　went　to　meet　them；　and

he　saw　that　they　were　but　three　in　company：　　they　had　weapons　with

them；　and　their　horses　were　of　the　best；　but　they　were　no　fellowship

for　a　man　to　be　afraid　of；　for　two　of　them　were　old　and　feeble；　and

the　third　was　dark　and　sad；　and　drooping　of　aspect：　　it　seemed　as　if

they　had　ridden　far　and　fast；　for　their　spurs　were　bloody　and　their

horses　all　a…sweat。



Hallblithe　hailed　them　kindly　and　said：　　〃Ye　are　way…worn；　and　maybe

ye　have　to　ride　further；　so　light　down　and　come　into　the　house；　and

take　bite　and　sup；　and　hay　and　corn　also　for　your　horses；　and　then　if

ye　needs　must　ride　on　your　way；　depart　when　ye　are　rested；　or　else　if

ye　may；　then　abide　here　night…long；　and　go　your　ways　to…morrow；　and

meantime　that　which　is　ours　shall　be　yours；　and　all　shall　be　free　to

you。〃



Then　spake　the　oldest　of　the　elders　in　a　high　piping　voice　and　said：

〃Young　man；　we　thank　thee；　but　though　the　days　of　the　springtide　are

waxing；　the　hours　of　our　lives　are　waning；　nor　may　we　abide　unless

thou　canst　truly　tell　us　that　this　is　the　Land　of　the　Glittering

Plain：　　and　if　that　be　so；　then　delay　not；　lead　us　to　thy　lord；　and

perhaps　he　will　make　us　content。〃



Spake　he　who　was　somewhat　less　stricken　in　years　than　the　first：

〃Thanks　have　thou！　but　we　need　something　more　than　meat　and　drink；　to

wit　the　Land　of　Living　Men。　　And　Oh！　but　the　time　presses。〃



Spake　the　sad　and　sorry　carle：　　〃We　seek　the　Land　where　the　days　are

many：　　so　many　that　he　who　hath　forgotten　how　to　laugh；　may　learn　the

craft　again；　and　forget　the　days　of　Sorrow。〃



Then　they　all　three　cried　aloud　and　said：



〃Is　this　the　Land？　　Is　this　the　Land？〃



But　Hallblithe　wondered；　and　he　laughed　and　said：　　〃Wayfarers；　look

under　the　sun　down　the　plain　which　lieth　betwixt　the　mountains　and

the　sea；　and　ye　shall　behold　the　meadows　all　gleaming　with　the　spring

lilies；　yet　do　we　not　call　this　the　Glittering　Plain；　but　Cleveland

by　the　Sea。　　Here　men　die　when　their　hour　comes；　nor　know　I　if　the

days　of　their　life　be　long　enough　for　the　forgetting　of　sorrow；　for　I

am　young　and　not　yet　a　yokefellow　of　sorrow；　but　this　I　know；　that

they　are　long　enough　for　the　doing　of　deeds　that　shall　not　die。　　And

as　for　Lord；　I　know　not　this　word；　for　here　dwell　we；　the　sons　of　the

Raven；　in　good　fellowship；　with　our　wives　that　we　have　wedded；　and

our　mothers　who　have　borne　us；　and　our　sisters　who　serve　us。　　Again　I

bid　you　light　down　off　your　horses；　and　eat　and　drink；　and　be　merry；

and　depart　when　ye　will；　to　seek　what　land　ye　will。〃



They　scarce　looked　on　him；　but　cried　out　together　mournfully：



〃This　is　not　the　Land！　　This　is　not　the　Land！〃



No　more　than　that　they　said；　but　turned　about　their　horses　and　rode

out　through　the　garth　gate；　and　went　clattering　up　the　road　that　led

to　the　pass　of　the　mountains。　　But　Hallblithe　hearkened　wondering；

till　the　sound　of　their　horse…hoofs　died　away；　and　then　turned　back

to　his　work：　　and　it　was　then　two　hours　after　high…noon。







CHAPTER　II：　　EVIL　TIDINGS　COME　TO　HAND　AT　CLEVELAND







Not　long　had　he　worked　ere　he　heard　the　sound　of　horsehoofs　once

more；　and　he　looked　not　up；　but　said　to　himself；　〃It　is　but　the　lads

bringing　back　the　teams　from　the　acres；　and　riding　fast　and　driving

hard　for　joy　of　heart　and　in　wantonness　of　youth。〃



But　the　sound　grew　nearer　and　he　looked　up　and　saw　over　the　turf　wall

of　the　garth　the　flutter　of　white　raiment；　and　he　said：



〃Nay；　it　is　the　maidens　coming　back　from　the　seashore　and　the

gathering　of　wrack。〃



So　he　set　himself　the　harder　to　his　work；　and　laughed；　all　alone　as

he　was；　and　said：　　〃She　is　with　them：　　now　I　will　not　look　up　again

till　they　have　ridden　into　the　garth；　and　she　has　come　from　among

them；　and　leapt　off　her　horse；　and　cast　her　arms　about　my　neck　as　her

wont　is；　and　it　will　rejoice　her　then　to　mock　me　with　hard　words　and

kind　voice　and　longing　heart；　and　I　shall　long　for　her　and　kiss　her；

and　sweet　shall　the　coming　days　seem　to　us：　　and　the　daughters　of　our

folk　shall　look　on　and　be　kind　and　blithe　with　us。〃



Therewith　rode　the　maidens　into　the　garth；　but　he　heard　no　sound　of

laughter　or　merriment　amongst　them；　which　was　contrary　to　their　wont；

and　his　heart　fell；　and　it　was　as　if　instead　of　the　maidens'　laughter

the　voices　of　those　wayfarers　came　back　upon　the　wind　crying　out；　〃Is

this　the　Land？　　Is　this　the　Land？〃



Then　he　looked　up　hastily；　and　saw　the　maidens　drawing　near；　ten　of

the　House　of　the　Raven；　and　three　of　the　House　of　the　Rose；　and　he

beheld　them　that　their　faces　were　pale　and　woe…begone；　and　their

raiment　rent；　and　there　was　no　joy　in　them。　　Hallblithe　stood　aghast

while　one　who　had　gotten　off　her　horse　（and　she　was　the　daughter　of

his　own　mother）　ran　past　him　into　the　hall；　looking　not　at　him；　as　if

she　durst　not：　　and　another　rode　off　swiftly　to　the　horse…stalls。

But　the　others；　leaving　their　horses；　drew　round　about　him；　and　for　a

while　none　durst　utter　a　word；　and　he　stood　gazing　at　them；　with　the

spoke…shave　in　his　hand；　he　also　silent；　for　he　saw　that　the　Hostage

was　not　with　them；　and　he　knew　that　now　he　was　the　yokefellow　of

sorrow。



At　last　he　spoke　gently　and　in　a　kind　voice；　and　said：　　〃Tell　me；

sisters；　what　evil　hath　befallen　us；　even　if　it　be　the　death　of　a

dear　friend；　and　the　thing　that　may　not　be　amended。〃



Then　spoke　a　fair　woman　of　the　Rose；　whose　name　was　Brightling；　and

said：　　〃Hallblithe；　it　is　not　of　death　that　we　have　to　tell；　but　of

sundering；　which　may　yet　be　amended。　　We　were　on　the　sand　of　the　sea

nigh　the　Ship…stead　and　the　Rollers　of　the　Raven；　and　we　were

gathering　the　wrack　and　playing　together；　and　we　saw　a　round…ship

nigh　to　shore　lying　with　her　sheet　slack；　and　her　sail　beating　the

mast；　but　we　deemed　it　to　be　none　other　than　some　bark　of　the　Fish…

biters；　and　thought　no　harm　thereof；　but　went　on　running　and　playing

amidst　the　little　waves　that　fell　on　the　sand；　and　the　ripples　that

curled　around　our　feet。　　At　last　there　came　a　small　boat　from　the

side　of　the　round…ship；　and　rowed　in　toward　shore；　and　still　we

feared　not；　though　we　drew　a　little　aback　from　the　surf　and　let　fall

our　gown…hems。　　But　the　crew　of　that　boat　beached　her　close　to　where

we　stood；　and　came　hastily　wading　the　surf　towards　us；　and　we　saw

that　they　were　twelve　weaponed　men；　great；　and　grim；　and　all　clad　in

black　raiment。　　Then　indeed　were　we　afraid；　and　we　turned　about　and

fled　up　the　beach；　but　now　it　was　too　late；　for　the　tide　was　at　more

than　half　ebb　and　long　was　the　way　over　the　sand　to　the　place　where

we　had　left　our　horses　tied　among　the　tamarisk…bushes。　　Nevertheless

we　ran；　and　had　gotten　up　to　the　pebble…beach　before　they　ran　in

amongst　us：　　and　they　caught　us；　and　cast　us　down　on　to　the　hard

stones。



〃Then　they　made　us　sit　in　a　row　on　a　ridge　of　the　pebbles；　and　we

were　sore　afraid；　yet　more　for　defile