Eric Rücker Eddison

Name: The Worm Ouroboros — IV. Conjuring in the Iron Tower
Author: Eric Rücker Eddison

The Worm Ouroboros — IV. Conjuring in the Iron Tower (1922)

Summary

“The Worm Ouroboros — IV. Conjuring in the Iron Tower”, published in 1922, is a work by Eric Rücker Eddison. It explores elements such as Witchland, Carcë and grammarie.

Quotes from The Worm Ouroboros — IV. Conjuring in the Iron Tower (Eric Rücker Eddison)

Eric Rücker Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros — IV. Conjuring in the Iron Tower (1922)

“ The candle flames burned filmy as the glare waxed strong from without: an evil pallid light of bale and corruption, wherein the hands and faces of the King Gorice and his disciple showed death-pale, and their lips black as the dark skin of a grape where the bloom has been rubbed off from it. The King cried terribly, "The hour approacheth!" And he took a phial of crystal containing a decoction of wolf's jelly and salamander's blood, and dropped seven drops from the alembic into the phial and poured forth that liquor on the figure of the crab drawn on the floor. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Eric Rücker Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros — IV. Conjuring in the Iron Tower (1922)

“ East of the keep was the water-gate, and beside it a bridge and bridge-house across the river, strongly fortified with turrets and machicolations and commanded from on high by the battlements of the keep. Dismal and fearsome to view was this strong place of Carcë, most like to the embodied soul of dreadful night brooding on the waters of that sluggish river: by day a shadow in broad sunshine, the likeness of pitiless violence sitting in the place of power, darkening the desolation of the mournful fen; by night, a blackness more black than night herself. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Eric Rücker Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros — IV. Conjuring in the Iron Tower (1922)

“ But the room was filled with a tumult as of rushing waters, and a laughter above the tumult like to the laughter of souls condemned. And the King was reminded that he had left unspoken that word which should dismiss his sending. But to such weariness was he now come and so utterly was his strength gone out from him in the exercise of his spells, that his tongue clave to the roof of his mouth, so that he might not speak the word; and horribly he rolled up the whites of his eyes beckoning to Giro, the while his nerveless fingers sought to turn the heavy pages of the grammarie. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Eric Rücker Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros — IV. Conjuring in the Iron Tower (1922)

“ It was now gathering dusk, and weak twilight only entered through the deep embrasures of the windows that pierced the walls of the tower, looking to the four quarters of the heavens. A furnace glowing in the big hearth threw fitful gleams into the recesses of the chamber, lighting up strange shapes of glass and earthenware, flasks and retorts, balances, hour-glasses, crucibles and astrolabes, a monstrous three-necked alembic of phosphorescent glass supported on a bain-marie, and other instruments of doubtful and unlawful aspect. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Eric Rücker Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros — IV. Conjuring in the Iron Tower (1922)

“ Wondrous bright sparkled the gems of the iron crown of Witchland above the heavy brow and cheekbones and the fierce disdainful lip of the King, as he stood there in his majesty, and Gro with the guard of honour stood in the shadow of the gate. And the King said, "My lords Corund and Corsus and Corinius and Gallandus, and ye sons of Corsus and of Corund, and ye, other Witches, behold your King, the twelfth Gorice, crowned with this crown in Carcë to be King of Witchland and of Demonland. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Eric Rücker Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros — IV. Conjuring in the Iron Tower (1922)

“ Yet even as no blade is utterly tried until one try it in very battle, where if it snap woe and doom wait on the hand that wields it, so must thou in this midnight suffer a yet fiercer furnace-heat of terror, wherein if thou be reduced we are both lost eternally, and this Carcë and all Witchland blasted with us for ever in ruin and oblivion. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Eric Rücker Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros — IV. Conjuring in the Iron Tower (1922)

“ And the Lord Gro made answer unto him, "O King, as a child weaveth a daisy-chain, thus easily did you conjure up these shapes of terror. Not in such wise fareth he that calleth out of the deep the deadly terror indeed; but with toil and sweat and with straining of thought, will, heart, and sinew fareth he." ”

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Source: Wikisource

Eric Rücker Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros — IV. Conjuring in the Iron Tower (1922)

“ And I have held converse with birds and fishes in their degree, and that generation which creepeth on the earth is not held in scorn by me, but oft talk I in sweet companionship with the eft of the pond, and the glowworm, and the lady-bird, and the pismire, and their kind, making them my little gossips. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Eric Rücker Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros — IV. Conjuring in the Iron Tower (1922)

“ It increased in volume in the King's hand, and Gro perceived that each particular grain had legs. The grains grew before his eyes, and became the size of mustard seeds, and then of barleycorns, swiftly crawling each over other. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Eric Rücker Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros — IV. Conjuring in the Iron Tower (1922)

“ By main strength have they now shown mastery over us, as sadly witnesseth the overthrow of Gorice XI., 'gainst whom no mortal could stand up and wrastle and not die, till cursed Goldry, drunk with spleen and envy, slew him in the Foliot Isles. ”

Eric Rücker Eddison

Summary

Quotes from The Worm Ouroboros — IV. Conjuring in the Iron Tower (Eric Rücker Eddison)

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