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The Collected Works of William Morris

With Introductions by his Daughter May Morris
Morris, William (1834-1896)

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VOLUME I THE DEFENCE OF GUENEVERE AND OTHER POEMS
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VOLUME II THE LIFE AND DEATH OF JASON
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VOLUME III, IV, V, VI THE EARTHLY PARADISE
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VOLUME VII THE STORY OF GRETTIR THE STRONG. THE STORY OF THE VOLSUNGS AND NIBLUNGS
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INTRODUCTION
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GRETTIS SAGA: THE STORY OF GRETTIR THE STRONG:
  
[A life scarce worth the living, a poor fame]
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THIS FIRST PART TELLS OF THE FOREFATHERS OF GRETTIR IN NORWAY, AND HOW THEY FLED AWAY BEFORE HARALD FAIRHAIR, AND SETTLED IN ICELAND; AND OF THEIR DEEDS IN ICELAND BEFORE GRETTIR WAS BORN.
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[subsection]
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HERE BEGINS THE STORY OF THE LIFE OF GRETTIR THE STRONG.
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CHAPTER XIV. OF GRETTIR AS A CHILD, AND HIS FROWARD WAYS WITH HIS FATHER.
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CHAPTER XVI. OF THE SLAYING OF SKEGGI.
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CHAPTER XVII. OF GRETTIR'S VOYAGE OUT.
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CHAPTER XVIII. OF GRETTIR AT HARAMSEY AND HIS DEALINGS WITH KARR THE OLD.
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CHAPTER XIX. OF YULE AT HARAMSEY, AND HOW GRETTIR DEALT WITH THE BEARSERKS.
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CHAPTER XXI. OF GRETTIR AND BIORN AND THE BEAR.
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CHAPTER XXII. OF THE SLAYING OF BIORN.
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CHAPTER XXIV. OF THE SLAYING OF GUNNAR, & GRETTIR'S STRIFE WITH EARL SVEIN.
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CHAPTER XXVII. THE SUIT FOR THE SLAYING OF THORGILS MAKSON.
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CHAPTER XXVIII. GRETTIR COMES OUT TO ICELAND AGAIN.
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CHAPTER XXXI. HOW GRETTIR MET BARDI, THE SON OF GUDMUND, AS HE CAME BACK FROM THE HEATH-SLAYINGS.
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CHAPTER XXXVII. OLAF THE SAINT, KING IN NORWAY; THE SLAYING OF THORBIORN TARDY; GRETTIR GOES TO NORWAY.
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CHAPTER XL. OF GRETTIR AND SNŒKOLL.
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CHAPTER XLVII. GRETTIR COMES OUT TO ICELAND AGAIN.
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CHAPTER XLVIII. THE SLAYING OF THORBIORN OXMAIN.
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CHAPTER LII. HOW GRETTIR WAS TAKEN BY THE ICEFIRTH CARLES.
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CHAPTER LIV. GRETTIR MEETS HALLMUND ON THE KEEL.
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CHAPTER LVII. HOW THORIR OF GARTH SET ON GRETTIR ON ERNEWATERHEATH.
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CHAPTER LIX. GISLI'S MEETING WITH GRETTIR.
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CHAPTER LXI. HOW GRETTIR LEFT FAIR-WOOD-FELL, & OF HIS ABIDING IN THORIR'S-DALE
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CHAPTER LXII. OF THE DEATH OF HALLMUND, GRETTIR'S FRIEND.
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CHAPTER LXIII. HOW GRETTIR BEGUILED THORIR OF GARTH WHEN HE WAS NIGH TAKING HIM.
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CHAPTER LXVI. OF THE DWELLER IN THE CAVE UNDER THE FORCE.
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CHAPTER LXXIV. OF GRETTIR'S WRESTLING: AND HOW THORBIORN ANGLE NOW BOUGHT THE MORE PART OF DRANGEY.
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CHAPTER LXXVII. GRETTIR AT THE HOMESTEAD OF REEKS.
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CHAPTER LXXXII. GRETTIR SINGS OF HIS GREAT DEEDS.
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CHAPTER LXXXVI. HOW THORBIORN ANGLE BROUGHT GRETTIR'S HEAD TO BIARG.
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CHAP. XC. HOW THE LADY SPES REDEEMED THORSTEIN FROM THE DUNGEON.
  
[conclusion]
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VÖLSUNGA SAGA: THE STORY OF THE VOLSUNGS AND NIBLUNGS, WITH CERTAIN SONGS FROM THE ELDER EDDA.
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CHAPTER VIII. THE DEATH OF KING SIGGEIR AND OF SIGNY.
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CHAP. XIV. REGIN'S TALE OF HIS BROTHERS, AND THE GOLD CALLED ANDVARI'S HOARD.
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CHAPTER XVII. OF SIGURD'S AVENGING OF SIGMUND HIS FATHER.
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CHAPTER XIX. OF THE SLAYING OF REGIN, SON OF HREIDMAR.
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CHAPTER XX. OF SIGURD'S MEETING WITH BRYNHILD ON THE MOUNTAIN.
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CHAPTER XXVII. THE WOOING OF BRYNHILD.
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CHAPTER XXVIII. HOW THE QUEENS HELD ANGRY CONVERSE TOGETHER AT THE BATHING.
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CHAP. XXIX. OF BRYNHILD'S GREAT GRIEF AND MOURNING.
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CHAPTER XXX. OF THE SLAYING OF SIGURD FAFNIR'S BANE.
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CHAPTER XXXI. OF THE LAMENTATION OF GUDRUN OVER SIGURD DEAD, AS IT IS TOLD IN THE ANCIENT SONGS.
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CHAP. XXXIII. GUDRUN WEDDED TO ATLI.
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CHAPTER XLIII. THE LATTER END OF ALL THE KIN OF THE GIUKINGS.
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CERTAIN SONGS FROM THE ELDER EDDA, WHICH DEAL WITH THE STORY OF THE VOLSUNGS
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VOLUME IX LOVE IS ENOUGH. POEMS BY THE WAY
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VOLUME X THREE NORTHERN LOVE STORIES. THE TALE OF BEOWULF
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VOLUME XII THE STORY OF SIGURD THE VOLSUNG AND THE FALL OF THE NIBLUNGS
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VOLUME XIV THE HOUSE OF THE WOLFINGS. THE STORY OF THE GLITTERING PLAIN
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VOLUME XV THE ROOTS OF THE MOUNTAINS
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VOLUME XVI NEWS FROM NOWHERE. A DREAM OF JOHN BALL. A KING'S LESSON
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VOLUME XVII THE WOOD BEYOND THE WORLD. CHILD CHRISTOPHER. OLD FRENCH ROMANCES
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VOLUME XXI THE SUNDERING FLOOD. UNFINISHED ROMANCES
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VOLUME XXIV SCENES FROM THE FALL OF TROY AND OTHER POEMS AND FRAGMENTS

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xiv

[FEBRUARY.]

[Lines not used in the final version.]

[_]

Discarded song from the beginning of “Bellerophon in Lycia.”

There twixt the languid leaves
And o'er blown blossom he awhile did go,
Striving to think, but still that eager face
Wild with its love, and grief and hope and fear
Must he behold; and that sweet voice must hear
Sad and heart-piercing: but nigh where he did pass
Neath sweeping lime-boughs lay a bank of grass
And underneath the shadows there was laid
Unwitting of him, a fair Lycian maid
Not heeding if in that hot windless tide
The loosened clasp should let the linen glide
From off her shoulder, careless that the crown
Of roses from her head had fallen down;
But lying there faint words as of a song
She murmured, and her fingers moved among
The strings of a small harp that lightly lay
Upon her breast, till as one thrusts away
A listless mood she raised herself at last
And pensive music on the hot air cast:
xv

A sweet garden by the sea
Did my true love give to me,
The All-father's paradise
Was not wrought in fairer wise;
Ah how lone, how lone it is.
There the birds sing songs for me
And the murmur of the sea
Do I hear day-long, night-long,
Nothing there may do me wrong;
Ah how lone, how lone it is.
There 'twixt blossomed trees and sea
He let build a house for me
Therein is there wealth of gold
Tales on walls and floor are told;
Ah how lone, how lone it is.
Many a slave he gat for me
On that beach along the sea,
From Mysian land and Argive land
Did the captive women stand;
Ah how lone, how lone it is.
Twixt lily-bed and white-crowned sea
Tales of love folk tell to me;
Songs they sing of happy dreams,
But the o'erword ever seems,
Ah how lone, how lone it is.
Sometimes do folk say to me
When the murmur of the sea
At dead ebb is far away,
“Forget him, he died yesterday.”
Ah how lone, how lone it is.
Or when west winds make the sea
Mad and loud, they say to me,
“Weeping makes thine eyes less fair,
Tomorrow morn shall he be here,”
Ah how lone, how lone it is.
xvj

When tomorrow comes to me
I shall not hear the unquiet sea,
When today is yesterday
No more shall I weep and say,
“Ah how lone, how lone it is.”
He stopped the while she sang, she saw him not
As 'neath the moveless boughs in that green spot
She sang, and when the last words of the song were spent
Unto her feet she gat and slowly went
Another way, as one made well nigh sad
Amidst of joyous life...
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