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The Worm Ouroboros: A Romance

Chapter 39: BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE ON THE VERSES
By Eric Rücker Eddison
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About This Book

A high-heroic fantasy that follows a band of proud lords and warriors embroiled in prolonged, stylized warfare against rival sorcerous realms, mixing chivalric duels, sieges, sea expeditions, magical conjurings, and demonic visitations. The narrative shifts among elaborate councils, lone exploits, and set-piece battles as honor, daring, and loyalty propel repeated campaigns against an enemy stronghold and its rulers. An opening realist induction frames the tale, while archaic diction and classical allusion shape the tone. Recurrent themes of martial glory, fate, and cyclical struggle culminate in an ending that stresses the persistence of heroic temperament rather than neat resolution.

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE ON THE VERSES

CHAP.  
III.
 The Funeral dirge on King Gorice XI. William Dunbar (late 15th century) “Lament for the Makaris: quhen he wes seik.”
„
 Lampoon on Gro Epigram in memory of William Parrie, “a capital traitor,” executed for treason in 1584: quoted by Holinshed.
IV.
 Prophecy concerning the last three Kings of the house of Gorice in Carcë
——
VII.
 Song in praise of Prezmyra Thomas Carew (1598–1639).
„
 Corund’s Song of the Chine “An Antidote against Melancholy” (1661).
„
 Corsus’s “Whene’er I bib the wine down” Anacreonta xxv.; transl. from the Greek, E. R. E.
„
 Corsus’s other ditties From the “Roxburgh Ballads” (collected 1774).
IX.
 Mivarsh’s staves on Salapanta Herrick (1591–1674), “Hesperides.”
XV.
 Prezmyra’s song of Lovers Donne (1573–1631).
„
 Corinius’s love ditty: “What an Ass is he” “Merry Drollerie” (1691).
„
 Corinius’s song on his Mistress Ibid.
XVI.
 Laxus’s Serenade Anacreonta ii.; transl. from the Greek, E. R. E.
XVII.
 March of Corsus’s veterans
——
XXII.
 Mevrian’s ballad of the Ravens Old Ballad: “The Three Ravens.”
XXIV.
 Mevrian’s quotation on the asbeston stone Robert Greene (1560–92), “Alphonsus, King of Arragon.”
XXX.
 Gro’s serenade to Prezmyra Sir Henry Wotton (1568–1639), verses to Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia.
XXXI.
 Prophecy concerning conjuring
——
XXXIII.
 Lines quoted by Queen Sophonisba on the fall of Witchland Webster (beginning of 17th century); Malfi,” Act V. v.
„
 Queen Sophonisba’s Sonnet Shakespeare, Sonnet xviii.

The text here printed of Wotton’s poem is that of “Reliquiae Wottonianae,” 1st ed., 1651, edited by Izaak Walton; except that I read (with the earlier texts) l. 5 Moone, l. 8 Passions, l. 16 Princess, instead of Sun, Voyces, Mistris of the 1651 edition.

Shakespeare’s Sonnet is from the Quarto of 1609.

The passage from Njal’s Saga in the Induction is quoted from the late Sir George Dasent’s classic translation.

Printed in Great Britain by R. & R. Clark, Limited, Edinburgh.
Transcriber’s Notes:
  • Blank pages have been removed.
  • Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected.