Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 11639-h.htm or 11639-h.zip: (http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/1/1/6/3/11639/11639-h/11639-h.htm) or (http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/1/1/6/3/11639/11639-h.zip) FIGURES OF EARTH A Comedy of Appearances JAMES BRANCH CABELL Illustrated by Frank C. Papé 1921 "Cascun se mir el jove Manuel, Qu'era del mom lo plus valens dels pros." Contents AUTHOR'S NOTE A FOREWORD PART ONE: THE BOOK OF CREDIT CHAPTER I HOW MANUEL LEFT THE MIRE II NIAFER III ASCENT OF VRAIDEX IV IN THE DOUBTFUL PALACE V THE ETERNAL AMBUSCADE VI ECONOMICS OF MATH VII THE CROWN OF WISDOM VIII THE HALO OF HOLINESS IX THE FEATHER OF LOVE PART TWO: THE BOOK OF SPENDING X ALIANORA XI MAGIC OF THE APSARASAS XII ICE AND IRON XIII WHAT HELMAS DIRECTED XIV THEY DUEL ON MORVEN XV BANDAGES FOR THE VICTOR PART THREE: THE BOOK OF CAST ACCOUNTS XVI FREYDIS XVII MAGIC OF THE IMAGE-MAKERS XVIII MANUEL CHOOSES XIX THE HEAD OF MISERY XX THE MONTH OF YEARS XXI TOUCHING REPAYMENT XXII RETURN OF NIAFER XXIII MANUEL GETS HIS DESIRE XXIV THREE WOMEN PART FOUR: THE BOOK OF SURCHARGE XXV AFFAIRS IN POICTESME XXVI DEALS WITH THE STORK XXVII THEY COME TO SARGYLL XXVIII HOW MELICENT WAS WELCOMED XXIX SESPHRA OF THE DREAMS XXX FAREWELL TO FREYDIS XXXI STATECRAFT XXXII THE REDEMPTION OF POICTESME PART FIVE: THE BOOK OF SETTLEMENT XXXIII NOW MANUEL PROSPERS XXXIV FAREWELL TO ALIANORA XXXV THE TROUBLING WINDOW XXXVI EXCURSIONS FROM CONTENT XXXVII OPINIONS OF HINZELMANN XXXVIII FAREWELL TO SUSKIND XXXIX THE PASSING OF MANUEL XL COLOPHON: DA CAPO To SIX MOST GALLANT CHAMPIONS Is dedicated this history of a champion: less to repay than to acknowledge large debts to each of them, collectively at outset, as hereafter seriatim. [Illustration] [Illustration] Author's Note Figures of Earth is, with some superficial air of paradox, the one volume in the long Biography of Dom Manuel's life which deals with Dom Manuel himself. Most of the matter strictly appropriate to a Preface you may find, if you so elect, in the Foreword addressed to Sinclair Lewis. And, in fact, after writing two prefaces to this "Figures of Earth"--first, in this epistle to Lewis, and, secondly, in the remarks[1] affixed to the illustrated edition,--I had thought this volume could very well continue to survive as long as its deficiencies permit, without the confection of a third preface, until I began a little more carefully to consider this romance, in the seventh year of its existence. [Footnote 1: Omitted in this edition since it was not possible to include all of Frank C. Papé's magnificent illustrations.--THE PUBLISHER]