The Ladies of Grace Adieu: And Other Stories by Susanna Clarke Page A
Authors: Susanna Clarke
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come from? I'll come to you directly, my deare!"
"No," sayz I, "Go to bed. I shall sleepe in this little room tonight. 'Tis my fancy."
"I heare terrible fierce noyses," she sayz.
" 'Tis onlie some dogges that keepe me safe," sayz I, "Goodnight my deare. God blesse you. I am not a bitt afraid."
But all through the night the three dogges growled and twitched as if in their sleepe they hunted me on Lickerish Hill.
In the morning Sir John brought me flax and vittles. Then he went awaie againe. Outside my windowe a silvery mist like a Cloude cover'd Pipers Hall. Everything in the world {scilicet Trees, Hedges, Fountains, Monuments, Dwellings of Men, Cattle, Hens, Bees, Horses etc., etc.) waz grey and faint in the silver Aire. There waz a golden glory all around Lickerish Hill but the Sunne did not yet peepe above the brow of the hill. All the birds sang and all the grey roses hung downe their heads with heavie dew.
Four grey figures in long robes approached the Beech-tree that stood before the doore. One grey figure sneezed and complained of the freshnesse and sharpnesse of the Aire that, he sayd, was not wholesome for Men. Another grey figure regretted eating too much cheese and pickled herring the night before. And a third waz fearful that the Pharisees might steale him awaie.
Dr Foxton had gott a magickal hatt that (he thinkes) once belonged to the old, wicked magician, Simon Forman. He putt it on. The Sunne peep'd over Lickerish Hill. Mr Aubrey beganne to read the Spelle in a clear voice. It waz stufft as full of magic words as a puddinge is of plumms.
"I, John Aubrey, call thee, Queen Titania, in the name . . .
And I listened very carefully and repeated the words after him - but where he sayd "Queen Titania" I sayd "Pharisee Vulgaris."
". . . conjure and straightly charge and command thee by Tetragrammaton, Alpha and Omega and by all other high and reverent . . ."
The miste that cover'd Pipers Hall turned to rose and blew and silver. I heard a noyse in the orchard. But it waz onlie three birds that rose into the Aire.
" . . . meekely and mildely to my true and perfect sight and truly without fraud, Dissymulation or deceite, resolve and satisfye me in and of all manner of such questions and commands and demandes as I shall either aske, require . . ."
The miste that cover'd Pipers Hall turned to golde. I heard a noyse by the hen-houses. But it waz onlie a foxe that ranne home to the woods.
". . . quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, come, come, come. Fiat, Fiat, Fiat. Amen, Amen, Amen . . ." Mr Aubrey paused. "Etcetera," he sayz with a Flourishe.
The miste that cover'd Pipers Hall turned to little droppes of water. I heard a noyse beneathe the windowe but I could not tell what it waz.
There waz a long silence.
Then Dr Foxton sighed. " 'Tis well known that the Queen of the Fairies is not to be trusted. Shee is capricious," he sayz.
"Perhaps," sayz Mr Shepreth (meaning to be Satirical), "Shee did not like your hatt."
Suddenly the 3 dogges beganne to howle and runne and leape in a manner very strange to see as if they had fallen into a kinde of Extascie. It waz so violent and continued for so long that I hid my-selfe in a corner.
"Woman," sayz a Voice, "What are you a-crying for?"
"Oh!" sayz I. "Are you the Pharisee?"
A small black thinge. Hairie. Legges like jug-handles. Face not a bitt handsome. It had a long, blacke taile - at which I waz much surprized. Irishmen have tailes neare a quarter of a yard longe (as I thinke is commonly known) but I never hearde before that Pharisees have them.
"Are you a good Pharisee or a bad?" sayz I.
The Pharisee, a-twirling and a-twirling of his long, black taile, seemed to consider my inquiry. "Never you minde," it sayz at last. It cock't its head in the direction of the windowe. "There be four peevish old men a-standin' in your meadow, wi' queer old hatts on their heads, all jammerin' together."
"Oh!" sayz I, "They are disappointed in their Spelle which haz had No
"No," sayz I, "Go to bed. I shall sleepe in this little room tonight. 'Tis my fancy."
"I heare terrible fierce noyses," she sayz.
" 'Tis onlie some dogges that keepe me safe," sayz I, "Goodnight my deare. God blesse you. I am not a bitt afraid."
But all through the night the three dogges growled and twitched as if in their sleepe they hunted me on Lickerish Hill.
In the morning Sir John brought me flax and vittles. Then he went awaie againe. Outside my windowe a silvery mist like a Cloude cover'd Pipers Hall. Everything in the world {scilicet Trees, Hedges, Fountains, Monuments, Dwellings of Men, Cattle, Hens, Bees, Horses etc., etc.) waz grey and faint in the silver Aire. There waz a golden glory all around Lickerish Hill but the Sunne did not yet peepe above the brow of the hill. All the birds sang and all the grey roses hung downe their heads with heavie dew.
Four grey figures in long robes approached the Beech-tree that stood before the doore. One grey figure sneezed and complained of the freshnesse and sharpnesse of the Aire that, he sayd, was not wholesome for Men. Another grey figure regretted eating too much cheese and pickled herring the night before. And a third waz fearful that the Pharisees might steale him awaie.
Dr Foxton had gott a magickal hatt that (he thinkes) once belonged to the old, wicked magician, Simon Forman. He putt it on. The Sunne peep'd over Lickerish Hill. Mr Aubrey beganne to read the Spelle in a clear voice. It waz stufft as full of magic words as a puddinge is of plumms.
"I, John Aubrey, call thee, Queen Titania, in the name . . .
And I listened very carefully and repeated the words after him - but where he sayd "Queen Titania" I sayd "Pharisee Vulgaris."
". . . conjure and straightly charge and command thee by Tetragrammaton, Alpha and Omega and by all other high and reverent . . ."
The miste that cover'd Pipers Hall turned to rose and blew and silver. I heard a noyse in the orchard. But it waz onlie three birds that rose into the Aire.
" . . . meekely and mildely to my true and perfect sight and truly without fraud, Dissymulation or deceite, resolve and satisfye me in and of all manner of such questions and commands and demandes as I shall either aske, require . . ."
The miste that cover'd Pipers Hall turned to golde. I heard a noyse by the hen-houses. But it waz onlie a foxe that ranne home to the woods.
". . . quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly, come, come, come. Fiat, Fiat, Fiat. Amen, Amen, Amen . . ." Mr Aubrey paused. "Etcetera," he sayz with a Flourishe.
The miste that cover'd Pipers Hall turned to little droppes of water. I heard a noyse beneathe the windowe but I could not tell what it waz.
There waz a long silence.
Then Dr Foxton sighed. " 'Tis well known that the Queen of the Fairies is not to be trusted. Shee is capricious," he sayz.
"Perhaps," sayz Mr Shepreth (meaning to be Satirical), "Shee did not like your hatt."
Suddenly the 3 dogges beganne to howle and runne and leape in a manner very strange to see as if they had fallen into a kinde of Extascie. It waz so violent and continued for so long that I hid my-selfe in a corner.
"Woman," sayz a Voice, "What are you a-crying for?"
"Oh!" sayz I. "Are you the Pharisee?"
A small black thinge. Hairie. Legges like jug-handles. Face not a bitt handsome. It had a long, blacke taile - at which I waz much surprized. Irishmen have tailes neare a quarter of a yard longe (as I thinke is commonly known) but I never hearde before that Pharisees have them.
"Are you a good Pharisee or a bad?" sayz I.
The Pharisee, a-twirling and a-twirling of his long, black taile, seemed to consider my inquiry. "Never you minde," it sayz at last. It cock't its head in the direction of the windowe. "There be four peevish old men a-standin' in your meadow, wi' queer old hatts on their heads, all jammerin' together."
"Oh!" sayz I, "They are disappointed in their Spelle which haz had No
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