Transcribed from the 1913 Longmans, Green and Co. edition by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org THE STORY OF THE GLITTERING PLAIN WHICH HAS BEEN ALSO CALLED THE LAND OF LIVING MEN OR THE ACRE OF THE UNDYING WRITTEN BY WILLIAM MORRIS POCKET EDITION LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO. 39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON NEW YORK, BOMBAY, AND CALCUTTA 1913 BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE First printed in the _English Illustrated Magazine_, Vol. VII, 1890. First Edition in book form, 200 copies printed at the Kelmscott Press in the Golden Type, quarto, April 1891, Reeves and Turner, with six copies on vellum. Printed at the Kelmscott Press in the Troy Type, with wood-engravings from designs by Walter Crane, 250 copies and seven on vellum, January 1894. Printed September 1891, in imperial 16mo. Transferred to Longmans, Green and Co., June 1896. Reprinted February 1898 and August 1904. Included in Volume XIV of the _Collected Works of William Morris_, July 1912. Included in Longmans' Pocket Library, November 1913. CHAPTER I: OF THOSE THREE WHO CAME TO THE HOUSE OF THE RAVEN It has been told that there was once a young man of free kindred and whose name was Hallblithe: he was fair, strong, and not untried in battle; he was of the House of the Raven of old time. This man loved an exceeding fair damsel called the Hostage, who was of the House of the Rose, wherein it was right and due that the men of the Raven should wed. She loved him no less, and no man of the kindred gainsaid their love, and they were to be wedded on Midsummer Night. But one day of early spring, when the days were yet short and the nights long, Hallblithe sat before the porch of the house smoothing an ash stave for his spear, and he heard the sound of horse-hoofs drawing nigh, and he looked up and saw folk riding toward the house, and so presently they rode through the garth gate; and there was no man but he about the house, so he rose up and went to meet them, and he saw that they were but three in company: they had weapons with them, and their horses were of the best; but they were no fellowship for a man to be afraid of; for two of them were old and feeble, and the third was dark and sad, and drooping of aspect: it seemed as if they had ridden far and fast, for their spurs were bloody and their horses all a-sweat. Hallblithe hailed them kindly and said: "Ye are way-worn, and maybe ye have to ride further; so light down and come into the house, and take bite and sup, and hay and corn also for your horses; and then if ye needs must ride on your way, depart when ye are rested; or else if ye may, then abide here night-long, and go your ways to-morrow, and meantime that which is ours shall be yours, and all shall be free to you."