Shall I compare thee to a Sommers day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough windes do shake the darling buds of Maie.

And Sommers lease hath all too short a date:

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines.

And often is his gold complexion dimn'd:

And every faire from faire some-time declines.

By chance or natures changing course untrim'd;

But thy eternall Sommer shall not fade

Nor loose possession of that faire thou ow'st;

Nor shall Death brag thou wandr'st in his shade.

When in eternall lines to time thou grow'st:

So long as men can breath, or eyes can see.

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

When she had done, Lord Juss rose up very nobly and kissed her hand, saying, "O Queen Sophonisba, fostering of the Gods, shame us not with praises that be too high for mortal men. For well thou knowest what thing alone might bring us content. And 'tis not to be thought that that which was seen at Moonmere Head last night was very truth indeed, but rather the dream of a night vision."

But Queen Sophonisba answered and said, "My Lord Juss, blaspheme not the bounty of the blessed Gods, lest They be angry and withdraw it, Who have granted unto you of Demonland from this day forth youth everlasting and unwaning strength and skill in arms, and-but hark!" she said, for a trumpet sounded at the gate, three strident blasts.

At the sound of that trumpet blown, the lords Goldry and Spitfire sprang from their seats, clapping hand to sword. Lord Juss stood like a stag at gaze. Lord Brandoch Daha sat still in his golden chair, scarce changing his pose of easeful grace. But all his frame seemed alight with action near to birth, as the active principle of light pulses and grows in the sky at sunrise. He looked at the Queen, his eyes filled with a wild surmise. A serving man, obedient to Juss's nod, hastened from the chamber.

No sound was there in that high presence chamber in Galing till in a minute's space the serving man returned with startled countenance, and, bowing before Lord Juss, said, "Lord, it is an Ambassador from Witchland and his train. He craveth present audience."

ARGUMENT: WITH DATES

[Dates Anno Carces Conditae. The action of the story covers exactly four years; from the 22nd April 399 to 22nd April 403 A.C.C.]

YEAR (A.C.C.)

171 Queen Sophonisba born in Morna Moruna.

187 Gorice III. eat up with mantichores beyond the Bhavinan.

188 Morna Moruna sacked by Gorice IV. Queen Sophonisba lodged by divine agency in Koshtra Belorn.

337 Gorice VII., conjuring in Carcë, slain by evil spirits.

341 Birth of Zeldornius.

344 Birth of Corsus in Tenemos.

353 Corund born in Carcë.

354 Birth of Zenambria, duchess to Corsus.

357 Birth of Helteranius.

360 Voile born at Darklairstead in Demonland.

361 Birth of Jalcanaius Fostus.

363 Birth of Vizz at Darklairstead.

364 Gro born in Goblinland at the court of Zajл Zaculo, the foster- brother of Gaslark the King. Gaslark born in Zajл Zaculo.

366 Laxus, high Admiral of Witchland and after king of Pixyland, born in Estremerine.

367 Birth of Gallandus in Buteny.

369 Zigg born at Many Bushes in Amadardale.

370 Juss born at Galing.

371 Goldry Bluszco born in Galing. Dekalajus, eldest of the sons of Corsus, born in Witchland.

372 Spitfire born in Galing. Brandoch Daha born in Krothering.

374 La Fireez born in Norvasp of Pixyland. Gorius, second of Corsus's sons, born in Witchland.

375 Corinius born in Carcë.

376 Prezmyra, sister to the Prince La Fireez, second wife to Corund, and after Queen of Impland, born in Norvasp.

379 Birth of Hacmon, eldest of the sons of Corund. Mevrian, sister to Lord Brandoch Daha, born in Krothering.

380 Heming born, second of Corund's sons.

381 Dormanes born, third of Corund's sons.

382 Birth of Viglus, Corund's fourth son, in Carcë. Recedor, King of Goblinland, privily poisoned by Corsus: Gaslark reigns in his stead in Zajл Zaculo. Sriva, daughter to Corsus and Zenambria, born in Carcë.

383 Armelline, cousin-german to King Gaslark, after betrothed and wed to Goldry Bluszco, born in Carcë.

384 Cargo, youngest of the sons of Corund, born in Carcë.

388 Goblinland invaded by the Ghouls: the flight out of Zajл Zaculo: Tenemos burnt: the power of the Ghouls crushed by Corsus.

389 Zeldornius, Helteranius, and Jalcanaius Fostus sent by Gaslark with an armament into Impland, and there ensorcelled.

390 The Witches harry in Goblinland: their defeat by the help of Demonland on Lormeron field: the slaying of Gorice X. by Brandoch Daha: Corsus taken captive and shamed by the Demons: Gro, abandoning the Goblin cause, dwells in exile at the court of Witchland.

393 La Fireez, besieged by Fax Fay Faz at Lida Nanguna in Outer Impland, delivered by the Demons: Goldry Bluszco repulsed by Corsus before Harquem.

395 Corund weds in Norvasp with the Princess Prezmyra.

398 The Ghouls burst forth in unimagined ferocity: their harrying in Demonland and burning of Goldry's house at Drepaby.

399 Holy war of Witchland, Demonland, Goblinland, and other polite nations against the Ghouls: Laxus, with the countenance of his master Gorice XI. and by the counsel of Gro, deserts with all his fleet in the battle off Kartadza (eastern seaboard of Demonland): the Ghouls nevertheless overwhelmed by the Demons in Kartadza Sound, and their whole race exterminated: Gorice XI. demands homage of Demonland, wrastles with Goldry Bluszco, and is in that encounter slain. Gorice XII., renewing with happier fortune the artificial practices of Gorice VII. in Carcë, takes Goldry with a sending magical: Juss and Brandoch Daha, partly straught of their wits, unadvisedly go up with Gaslark against Carcë and are there clapped up: their delivery by the agency of La Fireez, and return to their own country: Juss's dream: the council in Krothering: the first expedition to Impland. The King's revenge on Pixyland executed by Corinius, and La Fireez dispossessed and driven into exile: Corund's great march over Akra Skabranth, sudden irruption into Outer Impland, and conquest of that country: shipwreck of the Demon fleet: carnage at Salapanta: march of the Demons into Upper Impland: amorous commerce of Brandoch Daha with the Lady of Ishnain Nemartra, who lays a weird upon him: Corund besieges and captures Eshgrar Ogo: Juss and Brandoch Daha escape across the Moruna and winter by the Bhavinan.

400 News of Eshgrar Ogo brought to Carcë: Corund honoured by the King therefor with the style of king of Impland. Juss and Brandoch Daha cross the Zia Pass: fight with the mantichore: ascent of Koshtra Pivrarcha, entrance into Koshtra Belorn, and entertainment by Queen Sophonisba: Juss's vision of Goldry bound on Zora: the Queen's furtherance of their designs: the hippogriff hatched beside the Lake of Ravary: the fatal folly of Mivarsh: Juss in despite of the Queen's admonitions assays Zora Rach on foot and comes within a little of losing his life. Prezmyra Queen of Impland and Laxus king of Pixyland crowned in Carcë, the King sends an expedition to put down Demonland, setting Corsus in chief command thereof: Laxus defeats Voile by sea off Lookinghaven, and Corsus, Vizz by land at Crossby Outsikes, Vizz slain on the field: cruel and despiteful policy of Corsus: dissensions betwixt him and Gallandus: great reversal of these disasters by Spitfire, Corsus's army cut in pieces by him on the Rapes of Brima and the survivors besieged in Owlswick: discontent of the army: Corsus with his own hands murthers Gallandus in Owlswick: tidings brought by Gro to Carcë: Corsus degraded by the King, who commissions Corinius as king of Demonland to retrieve the matter: battle of Thremnir's Heugh, with the overthrow of Spitfire's power: Corinius crowned in Owlswick: arrest of Corsus and his sons and their despatch home to Witchland.