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PHANTASTES
A FAERIE ROMANCE FOR MEN AND WOMEN
BY
GEORGE MACDONALD
A new Edition, with thirty-three new Illustrations by Arthur
Hughes; edited by Greville MacDonald
"In good sooth, my masters, this is no door.
Yet is it a little window, that looketh upon a great world."
PREFACE
For offering this new edition of my father's Phantastes, my
reasons are three. The first is to rescue the work from an
edition illustrated without the author's sanction, and so
unsuitably that all lovers of the book must have experienced some
real grief in turning its pages. With the copyright I secured
also the whole of that edition and turned it into pulp.
My second reason is to pay a small tribute to my father by
way of personal gratitude for this, his first prose work, which
was published nearly fifty years ago. Though unknown to many
lovers of his greater writings, none of these has exceeded it in
imaginative insight and power of expression. To me it rings with
the dominant chord of his life's purpose and work.
My third reason is that wider knowledge and love of the book
should be made possible. To this end I have been most happy in
the help of my father's old friend, who has illustrated the
book. I know of no other living artist who is capable of
portraying the spirit of Phantastes; and every reader of this
edition will, I believe, feel that the illustrations are a part
of the romance, and will gain through them some perception of the
brotherhood between George MacDonald and Arthur Hughes.
GREVILLE MACDONALD.
September 1905.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
THE MEETING OF SIR GALAHAD AND SIX PERCIVALE
SUDDENLY THERE STOOD ON THE THRESHOLD A TINY WOMAN-FORM
THE BRANCHES AND LEAVES ON THE CURTAINS OF MY BED WERE IN MOTION
I SAW A COUNTRY MAIDEN COMING TOWARDS ME
TAILPIECE TO CHAPTER III
HEADPIECE TO CHAPTER IV
TWO LARGE SOFT ARMS WERE THROWN AROUND ME FROM BEHIND
I GAZED AFTER HER IN A KIND OF DESPAIR
I FOUND MYSELF IN A LITTLE CAVE
THE ASH SHUDDERED AND GROANED
TAILPIECE TO CHAPTER VI
I COULD HARDLY BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS A FAIRY LAND
I DID NOT BELIEVE IN FAIRY LAND
A RUNNER WITH GHOSTLY FEET
THE MAIDEN CAME ALONG, SINGING AND DANCING,HAPPY AS A CHILD
THE GOBLINS PERFORMED THE MOST ANTIC HOMAGE
THE FAIRY PALACE IN THE MOONLIGHT
TOO DAZZLING FOR EARTHLY EYES
IN THE WOODS AND ALONG THE RIVER BANKS DO THE MAIDENS GO LOOKING
FOR CHILDREN
SHE LAY WITH CLOSED EYES, WHENCE TWO TEARS WERE FAST WELLING
HEADPIECE TO CHAPTER XIV
I SPRANG TO HER, AND LAID MY HAND ON THE HARP
A WHITE FIGURE GLEAMED PAST ME, WRINGING HER HANDS
THEY ALL RUSHED UPON ME, AND HELD ME TIGHT
A WINTRY SEA, BARE, AND WASTE, AND GRAY
SHOW ME THE CHILD THOU CALLEST MINE
THE TIME PASSED AWAY IN WORK AND SONG
HEADPIECE TO CHAPTER XXI
WE REACHED THE PALACE OF THE KING
I SAW, LEANING AGAINST THE TREE, A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN
FASTENED TO THE SADDLE, WAS THE BODY OF A GREAT DRAGON
I WAS DEAD, AND RIGHT CONTENT
A VALLEY LAY BENEATH ME
PHANTASTES
A FAERIE ROMANCE
"Phantastes from `their fount all shapes deriving,
In new habiliments can quickly dight."
FLETCHER'S Purple Island
{Below is raw OCR it has not been proofed as i cannot read it!}
"Es lassen sich Erzahlungen ohne Zusammenhang, jedoch mit
Association, wie Traume dengkeennohgneedizhusamdimenhang; jedoeh
mit und voll schoner Worte sind, aber auch ohne allen Sinn und
Zusammenhang, hochstens einzelne Strophen verstandlich, wie
Bruchstucke aus den verjschledenartigsten Dingen, Diese svahre
Poesie kann Wlrkung, wie Musik haben. Darum ist die Natur so
rein poetisch wle die Stube eines Zauberers, eines Physikers,
eine Kinderstube elne Polterund Vorrathskammer
"Ein Mahrchen ist wie ein Traumbild ohne Zusammenhang. Ein
Ensemble wunderbarer Dinge und Begebenheiten, z. B. eine
dMusNkalische Pbantasie, die harmonischen Folgen einer
Aeolsharfe, die Natur slebst.
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