James Branch Cabell
The Silver Stallion
THE
SILVER STALLION
A Comedy of Redemption
BY
JAMES BRANCH CABELL
NEW YORK
ROBERT M. McBRIDE & COMPANY
COPYRIGHT, 1926, 1918,
BY JAMES BRANCH CABELL
FIRST PUBLISHED,
APRIL 1926
[First Impression]
“Now, the redemption which we as yet await (continued Imlac), will be that of Kalki, who will come as a Silver Stallion: all evils and every sort of folly will perish at the coming of this Kalki: true righteousness will be restored, and the minds of men will be made clear as crystal.”
To
CARL VAN DOREN
Could but one luring dream rest dead forever
As dreamers rest at last, with all dreams done,
Redeemers need not be, and faith need never
Lease, for the faithful, homes beyond the sun.
Victoriously that dream—above the sorrow
And subterfuge of living,—still lets fail
No heart to heed its soothing lure. . . . To-morrow
Dreams will be true, and faith and right prevail.
Out of the bright—and, no, not vacant!—heavens
Redeemers will be coming by and by,
En route to make our sixes and our sevens
Neat as a trivet or an apple-pie.
In this volume the text of Bulg has not been followed over-scrupulously: but it is hoped that, in a book intended for general circulation, none will deplore such excisions and euphemisms, nor even such slight additions, as seemed to make for coherence and clarity and decorum.
The curious arc referred to the pages of Poictesme en Chanson et Legende for a discussion of the sources of The Silver Stallion; and may decide for themselves whether or not Bulg has, in Codman’s phrase, “shown these legends to be spurious compositions of 17th century origin.” For myself, I here confess to finding the evidence educed, alike, a bit inadequate and, as far as goes my purpose, wholly immaterial. These chronicles, such as they are, present the only known record of the latter days of champions whose youthful exploits have long since been made familiar to English readers of Lcwistam’s Popular Tales of Poictesme: authentic or not, and irrespective of whether such legends cannot be quite definitely proved to have existed earlier than 1651, here is the sole account we have anywhere, or are now likely ever to receive, of the changes that followed in Poictesme after the passing of Manuel the Redeemer.
It is as such an account—which for my purpose was a desideratum,—that I have put The Silver Stallion into English.
Table of Contents
THE LORDS THAT POICTESME HAD IN DOM MANUEL’S TIME
BOOK ONE
THE LAST SIEGE OF THE FELLOWSHIP
Chapter I. A Child’s Talk
Chapter II. Economics of Horvendile
Chapter III. How Anavalt Lamented the Redeemer
Chapter IV. Fog Rises
BOOK TWO
THE MATHEMATICS OF GONFAL
Chapter V. Champion at Misadventure
Chapter VI. The Loans of Power
Chapter VII. Fatality the Second
Chapter VIII. How the Princes Bragged
Chapter IX. The Loans of Wisdom
Chapter X. Relative to Gonfal’s Head
Chapter XI. Economics of Morvyth
BOOK THREE
TOUPAN’S BRIGHT BEES
Chapter XII. The Mage Emeritus
Chapter XIII. Economics of Gisele
Chapter XIV. The Changing That Followed
Chapter XV. Disastrous Rage of Miramon
Chapter XVI. Concerns The Pleiades And A Razor
Chapter XVII. Epitome of Marriage
Chapter XVIII. Koshchei Is Vexed
Chapter XIX. Settlement: In Full
BOOK FOUR
COTH AT PORUTSA
Chapter XX. Idolatry of an Alderman
Chapter XXI. The Profits of Pepper Selling
Chapter XXII. Toveyo Dances
Chapter XXIII. Regrettable Conduct of a Corpse
Chapter XXIV. Economics of Yaotl
Chapter XXV. Last Obligation Upon Manuel
Chapter XXVI. The Realist In Defeat
BOOK FIVE
“MUNDUS VULT DECIPI”
Chapter XXVII. Poictesme Reformed
Chapter XXVIII. Fond Motto of a Patriot
Chapter XXIX. The Grumbler’s Progress
Chapter XXX. Havoc of Bad Habits
Chapter XXXI. Other Paternal Apothegms
Chapter XXXII. Time Gnaws At All
Chapter XXXIII. Economics of Coth
BOOK SIX
IN THE SYLVAN’S HOUSE
Chapter XXXIV. Something Goes Wrong: and Why
Chapter XXXV. Guivric’s Journey
Chapter XXXVI. The Appointed Enemy
Chapter XXXVII. Too Many Mouths
Chapter XXXVIII. The Appointed Lover
Chapter XXXIX. One Warden Left Uncircumvented
Chapter XL. Economics of Glaum-Without-Bones
Chapter XLI. The Gratifying Sequel
BOOK SEVEN
WHAT SARAIDE WANTED
Chapter XLII. Generalities At Ogde
Chapter XLIII. Prayer And The Lizard Maids
Chapter XLIV. Fine Cordiality of Sclaug
Chapter XLV. The Gander Also Generalizes
Chapter XLVI. Kerin Rises In The World
Chapter XLVII. Economics of Saraide
Chapter XLVIII. The Golden Shining
Chapter XLIX. They of Nointel
BOOK EIGHT
THE CANDID FOOTPRINT
Chapter L. Indiscretion of a Bailiff
Chapter LI. The Queer Bird
Chapter LII. Remorse of a Poor Devil
Chapter LIII. Continuation of Appalling Pieties
Chapter LIV. Magic That Was Rusty
Chapter LV. The Prince of Darkness
Chapter LVI. Economics of Ninzian
BOOK NINE
ABOVE PARADISE
Chapter LVII. Maugis Makes Trouble
Chapter LVIII. Showing That Even Angels May Err
Chapter LIX. The Conversion of Palnatoki
Chapter LX. In The Hall of the Chosen
Chapter LXI. Vanadis, Dear Lady of Reginlief
Chapter LXII. The Demiurgy of Donander Veratyr
Chapter LXIII. Economics of Sidvrar
Chapter LXIV. Through The Oval Window
Chapter LXV. The Reward of Faith
BOOK TEN
AT MANUEL’S TOMB
Chapter LXVI. Old Age of Niafer
Chapter LXVII. The Women Differ
Chapter LXVIII. Radegonde Is Practical
Chapter LXIX. Economics of Jurgen
Chapter LXX. All Ends Perplexedly
APPENDIX A. COMPENDIUM OF LEADING HISTORI CAL EVENTS
APPENDIX B. THE THIN QUEEN OF ELFHAME
APPENDIX C. THE DELTA OF RADEGONDE
NOTES
THE LORDS THAT POICTESME HAD IN DOM MANUEL’S TIME
These ten were of the Fellowship of the Silver Stallion:
Dom Manuel, Count of Poictesme, held Storisende and Bellegarde, the town of Beauvillage and the strong fort at Lisuarte, with all Amneran and Morven.
Messire Gonfal of Names, Margrave of Aradol, held Upper Naimousin.
Messire Donander of Evre, the Thane of Aigremont, held Lower Naimousin.
Messire Kerin of Nointel, Syndic and Castellan of Basardra, held West Val-Ardray
Messire Ninzian of Yair, the High Bailiff of Upper Ardra, held Val-Ardray in the East.
Messire Holden of Nerac, Earl Marshal of St. Tara, held Belpaysage.
Messire Anavalt of Fomor, the Portreeve and Warden of Manneville, held Belpaysage Le Bas.
Messire Coth of the Rocks, Alderman of St. Didol, held Haut Belpaysage.
Messire Guivric of Perdigon, Heitman of Asch, held Piemontais.