The Well at the World's End, Volume 1

William Morris

Longmans, Green, and Company, 1896 - English fiction - 279 pages

The epic fantasy novel that defined the genre, now in one volume As the youngest son of a king, Ralph of Upmeads is expected to forsake adventure for the safety of home. But the call of the Well at the World's End is too powerful to resist, and Ralph disobeys his parents in order to seek out his true destiny in its magical waters. The journey is long and arduous as the well lies on the far side of a distant mountain range and the lands beyond Upmeads are full of treacherous characters. With the help of a beautiful maiden and an ancient hermit, Ralph completes his quest and raises the cup of immortality and wisdom to his lips. The question is, what will he do with his newfound powers? Widely recognized as the forerunner to modern fantasy, The Well at the World's End is a magnificent tale of romance and adventure and a major influence on the works of J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis.

Contents

• THE ROAD UNTO LOVE CHAPTER I The Sundering of the Ways: 1
• Ralph goeth back home to the High House: 7
• Ralph cometh to the CheapingTown: 9
• Ralph rideth the Downs: 20
• Ralph cometh to HighamontheWay VI Ralph goeth his ways from the Abbey of St Mary at Higham: 36
• The Maiden of Bourton Abbas: 42
• Ralph cometh to the Wood Perilous: 48
• Adventure therein Another Adventure in the Wood Perilous X A Meeting and a Parting in the Wood Perilous: 52
• Now must Ralph ride for: 63
• Ralph entereth into the Burg of the Fourth PAGE I 7: 70
• The Streets of the Burg of the Four Friths: 79
• What Ralph heard of the Matters of the Burg of the Four Friths: 85
• How Ralph departed from the Burg of the Four Friths: 93
• Ralph rideth the Wood Perilous again: 100
• Ralph cometh to the House of Abundance: 103
• Of Ralph in the Castle of Abundance On an am 22 3 200: 108
• Ralph readeth in a Book concerning the Well at the Worlds End: 121
• Ralph meeteth a Man in the Wood: 122
• Ralph weareth away Three Days uneasily: 129
• An Adventure in the Wood: 134
• The Leechcraft of the Lady: 143
• Supper and Slumber in the Woodland Hall: 148
• THE ROAD UNTO TROUBLE: 157
• Ralph meets with Love in the Wilderness II They Break their Fast in the Wildwood: 159
• 129: 165
• The Lady telleth Ralph of the Past Days of her Life: 169
• The Lady tells somewhat of her Doings after she left the Wilderness: 190
• The Lady tells of the Strife and Trouble that befell after her coming to the Country of the Kings: 197
• The Lady maketh an End of Her Tale: 210
• VIX They go on their Way once more: 217
• Of the DesertHouse and the Chamber of Love in the Wilderness: 222
• Ralph cometh out of the Wilderness: 231
• Ralph falleth in with Friends and rideth to Whitwall 222 231: 234
• Richard talketh with Ralph concerning the Well at the Worlds End Concerning Swevenham: 237
• 247: 244
• Ralph dreams a Dream or sees a Vision: 247
• Of the Tales of Swevenham: 250
• Ralph departeth from Whitwall with the Fellowship of Clement Chapman: 259
• Master Clement tells Ralph concerning the Lands whereunto they were riding XX They come to the MidMountain Guest House: 261
• Ralph hath Hope of Tidings concerning the Well at the Worlds: 306
• The beginning of the Road to Utterbol: 310
• Ralph happens on Evil Days: 318
• Ralph is brought on the Road towards Utter: 328
• The Lord of Utterbol will wot: 332
• They ride toward Utterness from: 373

Popular passages

Page 127 - ... such women, old and young, weigh in thy mind beside the word I tell thee of what I have seen and know concerning this most excellent of ladies ? I trow not. And for my part I tell thee, that though she is verily as fair as Venus (God save us) yet is she as chaste as Agnes, as wise as Katherine, and as humble and meek as Dorothy. She bestoweth her goods plentifully to the church, and is merciful to poor men therewith ; and so far as occasion may serve her she is constant at the Holy Office ; neither...‎

Page 13 - What is that water? " said Ralph, "and how may I find it?" "I know not rightly," she said, "but if a body might come by it, I hear say that it saveth from weariness and wounding and sickness; and it winneth love from all, and maybe life everlasting.‎

Page 376 - Ralph, left alone, was sorely moved with hope and fear, and a longing that grew in him to see the damsel. For though he was firmly set on departure, and on seeking the sage aforesaid, yet his heart was drawn this way and that : and it came into his mind how the damsel would fare when the evil Lord came home to Utterbol ; and he could not choose but make stories of her meeting of the tyrant, and her fear and grief and shame, and the despair of her heart.‎

Page 191 - ... the Well at the World's End is no evil but only the Quenching of Sorrow, and Clearing of the Eyes that they may behold.‎

Page 295 - Clement that though the tillers and toilers of Goldburg were not for the most part mere thralls and chattels, as in the lands beyond the mountains behind them, yet were they little more thriving for that cause ; whereas they belonged not to a master, who must at worst feed them, and to no manor, whose acres they might till for their livelihood, and on whose pastures they might feed their cattle ; nor had they any to help or sustain them against the oppressor and the...‎

Page 296 - ... had the work of their hands good cheap; and they forsooth heeded them less than their draught beasts whom they must needs buy with money, and whose bellies they must needs fill; whereas these poor wretches were slaves without a price, and if one died another took his place on the chance that thereby he might escape present death by hunger , for there was a great many of them...‎

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Well at the World's End, Volume 1; The Well at the World's End, William Morris
• Author: William Morris
• Publisher: Longmans, Green, and Company, 1896
• Original from: Harvard University
• Digitized: Mar 22, 2006
• Length: 279 pages