' AFTER LONDON ' 259 



over the lake. That could satisfy his heart, and the June 

 morning sun ' filled him with hope.' He leaves home 

 without a word. Once on the water * his natural strength 

 of mind ' returns. His pensive eye sees in the strait 

 through which he passes the key to the lake. The 

 thought of Aurora leads him on in the hope of earning 

 recognition for his talents from a warring monarch — 

 Isembard of Aisi. Having landed, his poor appearance 

 brings him many vexations. Joining the army at last, 

 he suggests a new form of trigger for the crossbows ; he 

 resolves to point out the King's errors, and begins with the 

 words : ' Your Majesty, you are an incapable commander.' 

 The genial King sees the wisdom of his suggestion, and, 

 hearing of the new trigger, gives him clothes and a sword ; 

 but he is beaten out of camp for a proposal scoffed at by 

 the master of the artillery. He continues his voyage, and 

 reaches the lifeless water, the withered sedges, the falling 

 willow-leaves, the scummy surface, near the London 

 swamp. Irresistibly the wind carries him over the black 

 water. He lands on a plantless plain, hard, black, burnt, 

 and often hollow-sounding ; he grows drowsy amid 

 flickering vapours ; old houses dissolve in powder at his 

 touch ; he is among the skeletons of those who have come 

 to the poisonous land for treasure. Returning to his 

 canoe with one large diamond for Aurora, he is taken by a 

 steady wind once more to the sweet water, and hears the 

 voices of thrush and swallow. In a land of shepherds, 

 his unique adventures and skill with the bow gain him 

 kingly honours. His arrows destroy many in a fight with 

 gipsies, and put the rest to flight. The divination that 

 water is to be found in a certain place, his knowledge of 

 herbs, give him an embarrassing authority ; he is offered 

 kingship, and accepts it only during time of war. He 

 writes out the shepherd law. Yet he cannot forget 

 Aurora, and is ever on the look-out for a way of return by 

 land. He will bring Aurora here, and build a castle for 

 her. He gets leave to be away two months, and even 

 then slips off on a false pretext. It is a long journey 



17 — 2 



