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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
expand sectionIII, IV, V, VI. 
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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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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THREE NORTHERN LOVE STORIES AND OTHER TALES TRANSLATED FROM THE ICELANDIC BY EIRÍKR MAGNÚSSON AND WILLIAM MORRIS
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THE TALE OF BEOWULF SOMETIME KING OF THE FOLK OF THE WEDER GEATS. TRANSLATED BY WILLIAM MORRIS AND A. J. WYATT
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THE STORY OF BEOWULF
 I. 
I. AND FIRST OF THE KINDRED OF HROTHGAR.
 II. 
II. CONCERNING HROTHGAR, AND HOW HE BUILT THE HOUSE CALLED HART. ALSO GRENDEL IS TOLD OF.
 III. 
III. HOW GRENDEL FELL UPON HART AND WASTED IT.
 IV. 
IV. NOW COMES BEOWULF ECGTHEOW'S SON TO THE LAND OF THE DANES, AND THE WALL-WARDEN SPEAKETH WITH HIM.
 V. 
V. HERE BEOWULF MAKES ANSWER TO THE LAND-WARDEN, WHO SHOWETH HIM THE WAY TO THE KING'S ABODE.
 VI. 
VI. BEOWULF AND THE GEATS COME INTO HART.
 VII. 
VII. BEOWULF SPEAKETH WITH HROTHGAR, AND TELLETH HOW HE WILL MEET GRENDEL.
 VIII. 
VIII. HROTHGAR ANSWERETH BEOWULF AND BIDDETH HIM SIT TO THE FEAST.
 IX. 
IX. UNFERTH CONTENDETH IN WORDS WITH BEOWULF.
 X. 
X. BEOWULF MAKES AN END OF HIS TALE OF THE SWIMMING. WEALHTHEOW, HROTHGAR'S QUEEN, GREETS HIM; AND HROTHGAR DELIVERS TO HIM THE WARDING OF THE HALL.
 XI. 
XI. NOW IS BEOWULF LEFT IN THE HALL ALONE WITH HIS MEN.
 XII. 
XII. GRENDEL COMETH INTO HART: OF THE STRIFE BETWIXT HIM AND BEOWULF.
 XIII. 
XIII. BEOWULF HATH THE VICTORY: GRENDEL IS HURT DEADLY AND LEAVETH HAND AND ARM IN THE HALL.
 XIV. 
XIV. THE DANES REJOICE; THEY GO TO LOOK ON THE SLOT OF GRENDEL, & COME BACK TO HART, AND ON THE WAY MAKE MERRY WITH RACING AND THE TELLING OF TALES.
 XV. 
XV. KING HROTHGAR AND HIS THANES LOOK ON THE ARM OF GRENDEL. CONVERSE BETWIXT HROTHGAR AND BEOWULF CONCERNING THE BATTLE.
 XVI. 
XVI. HROTHGAR GIVETH GIFTS TO BEOWULF.
 XVII. 
XVII. THEY FEAST IN HART. THE GLEEMAN SINGS OF FINN AND HENGEST.
 XVIII. 
XVIII. THE ENDING OF THE TALE OF FINN.
 XIX. 
XIX. MORE GIFTS ARE GIVEN TO BEOWULF. THE BRISING COLLAR TOLD OF.
 XX. 
XX. GRENDEL'S DAM BREAKS INTO HART AND BEARS OFF AESCHERE.
 XXI. 
XXI. HROTHGAR LAMENTS THE SLAYING OF AESCHERE, AND TELLS OF GRENDEL'S MOTHER AND HER DEN.
 XXII. 
XXII. THEY FOLLOW GRENDEL'S DAM TO HER LAIR.
 XXIII. 
XXIII. BEOWULF REACHETH THE MERE-BOTTOM IN A DAY'S WHILE, AND CONTENDS WITH GRENDEL'S DAM.
 XXIV. 
XXIV. BEOWULF SLAYETH GRENDEL'S DAM, SMITETH OFF GRENDEL'S HEAD, AND COMETH BACK WITH HIS THANES TO HART.
 XXV. 
XXV. CONVERSE OF HROTHGAR WITH BEOWULF.
 XXVI. 
XXVI. MORE CONVERSE OF HROTHGAR AND BEOWULF: THE GEATS MAKE THEM READY FOR DEPARTURE.
 XXVII. 
XXVII. BEOWULF BIDS HROTHGAR FAREWELL: THE GEATS FARE TO SHIP.
 XXVIII. 
XXVIII. BEOWULF COMES BACK TO HIS LAND. OF THE TALE OF THRYTHO.
 XXIX. 
XXIX. BEOWULF TELLS HYGELAC OF HROTHGAR: ALSO OF FREAWARU HIS DAUGHTER.
 XXX. 
XXX. BEOWULF FOREBODES ILL FROM THE WEDDING OF FREAWARU: HE TELLS OF GRENDEL AND HIS DAM.
 XXXI. 
XXXI. BEOWULF GIVES HROTHGAR'S GIFTS TO HYGELAC, AND BY HIM IS REWARDED. OF THE DEATH OF HYGELAC AND OF HEARDRED HIS SON, AND HOW BEOWULF IS KING OF THE GEATS: THE WORM IS FIRST TOLD OF.
 XXXII. 
XXXII. HOW THE WORM CAME TO THE HOWE, & HOW HE WAS ROBBED OF A CUP; AND HOW HE FELL ON THE FOLK.
 XXXIII. 
XXXIII. THE WORM BURNS BEOWULF'S HOUSE, AND BEOWULF GETS READY TO GO AGAINST HIM. BEOWULF'S EARLY DEEDS IN BATTLE WITH THE HETWARE TOLD OF.
 XXXIV. 
XXXIV. BEOWULF GOES AGAINST THE WORM. HE TELLS OF HEREBEALD AND HÆTHCYN.
 XXXV. 
XXXV. BEOWULF TELLS OF PAST FEUDS, AND BIDS FAREWELL TO HIS FELLOWS: HE FALLS ON THE WORM, AND THE BATTLE OF THEM BEGINS.
 XXXVI. 
XXXVI. WIGLAF SON OF WEOHSTAN GOES TO THE HELP OF BEOWULF: NÆGLING, BEOWULF'S SWORD, IS BROKEN ON THE WORM.
 XXXVII. 
XXXVII. THEY TWO SLAY THE WORM. BEOWULF IS WOUNDED DEADLY: HE BIDDETH WIGLAF BEAR OUT THE TREASURE.
 XXXVIII. 
XXXVIII. BEOWULF BEHOLDETH THE TREASURE AND PASSETH AWAY.
 XXXIX. 
XXXIX. WIGLAF CASTETH SHAME ON THOSE FLEERS.
 XL. 
XL. WIGLAF SENDETH TIDING TO THE HOST: THE WORDS OF THE MESSENGER.
 XLI. 
XLI. MORE WORDS OF THE MESSENGER. HOW HE FEARS THE SWEDES WHEN THEY WOT OF BEOWULF DEAD.
 XLII. 
XLII. THEY GO TO LOOK ON THE FIELD OF DEED.
 XLIII. 
XLIII. OF THE BURIAL 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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364

O FAR AWAY TO SEEK

O far away to seek, Close-hid for heart to find,
O hard to cast away, Impossible to bind!
A pain when sought and found, A pain when slipped away,
Yet by whatever name, Be nigh us, Love, today.
Sweet was the summer day, Before thou camest here,
But never sweet to me, And Death was drawing near!
Is it summer still? What meaneth the word Death,
What meaneth all the joy Thy mouth, Love, promiseth?
Wherefore must thou babble Of thy finding me alone?
What is this idle word, That thou may'st yet be gone?
Laugh, laugh, Love, as I laugh, When mine own love kisseth me
And saith no more of bliss Twixt lips and lips shall be.
O Love, thou hast slain time, How shall he live again?
We bless thy bitter wound, We bless thy sleepless pain—
Hope and fear slain each of each Doubt forgetting all he said
Death in some place forgotten Lingering, and half dead.
When my hand forgets her cunning I will loose thee, Love, and pray
—Ah and pray to what—For a never-ending day,
Where we may sit apart, Hapless, undying still,
With thoughts of the old story Our sundered hearts to fill.
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