Transcribed from the 1896 Longmans, Green, and Co. edition by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org THE ROOTS OF THE MOUNTAINS WHEREIN IS TOLD SOMEWHAT OF THE LIVES OF THE MEN OF BURG- DALE THEIR FRIENDS THEIR NEIGHBOURS THEIR FOEMEN AND THEIR FELLOWS IN ARMS BY WILLIAM MORRIS Whiles carried o’er the iron road, We hurry by some fair abode; The garden bright amidst the hay, The yellow wain upon the way, The dining men, the wind that sweeps Light locks from off the sun-sweet heaps— The gable grey, the hoary roof, Here now—and now so far aloof. How sorely then we long to stay And midst its sweetness wear the day, And ’neath its changing shadows sit, And feel ourselves a part of it. Such rest, such stay, I strove to win With these same leaves that lie herein. LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. LONDON, NEW YORK, AND BOMBAY MDCCCXCVI * * * * * _First Edition printed November_, 1889. 250 _copies were printed on Large Paper_. _Second Edition_, _February_, 1893. _CONTENTS_. _Page_ _Chapter I_. _Of Burgstead and its Folk and its 1 Neighbours_ _II_. _Of Face-of-god and his Kindred_ 12 _III_. _They talk of divers matters in the Hall_ 18 _IV_. _Face-of-god fareth to the Wood again_ 25 _V_. _Face-of-god falls in with Menfolk on the 34 Mountain_ _VI_. _Of Face-of-god and those 39 Mountain-dwellers_ _VII_. _Face-of-god talketh with the Friend on the 50 Mountain_ _VIII_. _Face-of-god cometh home again to 57 Burgstead_ _IX_. _Those Brethren fare to the Yew-wood with 59 the Bride_ _X_. _New Tidings in the Dale_ 63 _XI_. _Men make Oath at Burgstead on the Holy 69 Boar_ _XII_. _Stone-face telleth concerning the 74 Wood-wights_ _XIII_. _They fare to the hunting of the elk_ 78 _XIV_. _Concerning Face-of-god and the Mountain_ 82 _XV_. _Murder amongst the Folk of the 87 Woodlanders_ _XVI_. _The Bride speaketh with Face-of-god_ 93 _XVII_. _The Token cometh from the Mountain_ 97 _XVIII_. _Face-of-god talketh with the Friend in 105 Shadowy Vale_