The Well at the World's End: A Tale

  CHAPTER 28

  Now They Come to Goldburg

  That night they slept yet amongst the mountains, or rather in the firstof the hill country at their feet; but on the morrow they rode downinto the lowlands, and thereby lost all sight of Goldburg, and it wasyet afar off, so that they rode four days through lands well-tilled,but for the most part ill-housed, a country of little hills and hollowsand rising grounds, before they came in sight of it again heaving uphuge and bright under the sun. It was built partly on three hills, thebuttresses of a long ridge which turned a wide river, and on the ridgeitself, and partly on the flat shore of the river, on either side,hillward and plainward: but a great white wall girt it all about, whichwent right over the river as a bridge, and on the plain side it wasexceeding high, so that its battlements might be somewhat evened withthose of the hill-wall above. So that as they came up to the placethey saw little of the town because of the enormity of the wall; scarceaught save a spire or a tall towering roof here and there.

  So when they were come anigh the gate, they displayed their banners androde right up to it; and people thronged the walls to see their riding.One by one they passed through the wicket of the gate: which gateitself was verily huge beyond measure, all built of greatashlar-stones; and when they were within, it was like a hall somewhatlong and exceeding high, most fairly vaulted; midmost of the said hallthey rode through a noble arch on their right hand, and lo another hallexceeding long, but lower than the first, with many glazen windows setin its townward wall; and when they looked through these, they saw theriver running underneath; for this was naught but the lower bridge ofthe city and they learned afterwards and saw, that above the vault ofthis long bridge rose up the castle, chamber on chamber, till itsbattlements were level with the highest towers of the wall on the hilltop.

  Thus they passed the bridge, and turning to the left at its ending,came into the Water-Street of Goldburg, where the river, with widequays on either side thereof, ran betwixt the houses. As for these,beneath the dwellings went a fair arched passage like to the ambulatoryof an abbey; and every house all along this street was a palace for itsgoodliness. The houses were built of white stones and red and grey;with shapely pillars to the cloister, and all about carvings of imageryand knots of flowers; goodly were the windows and all glazed, as fairas might be. On the river were great barges, and other craft such aswere not sea-goers, river-ships that might get them through the bridgesand furnished with masts that might be lowered and shipped.

  Much people was gathered to see the chapmen enter, yet scarce so manyas might be looked for in so goodly a town; yea, and many of the folkwere clad foully, and were haggard of countenance, and cried on thechapmen for alms. Howbeit some were clad gaily and richly enough, andwere fair of favour as any that Ralph had seen since he left Upmeads:and amongst these goodly folk were women not a few, whose gear andbearing called to Ralph's mind the women of the Wheatwearers whom hehad seen erst in the Burg of the Four Friths, whereas they weresomewhat wantonly clad in scanty and thin raiment. And of these,though they were not all thralls, were many who were in servitude:for, as Clement did Ralph to wit, though the tillers of the soil, andthe herdsmen, in short the hewers of wood and drawers of water, weremen masterless, yet rich men might and did buy both men and women forservants in their houses, and for their pleasure and profit in diverswise.

  So they rode to their hostel in the market place, which lay a littleback from the river in an ingle of the ridge and one of its buttresses;and all round the said market were houses as fair as the first they hadseen: but above, on the hill-sides, save for the castle and palace ofthe Queen (for a woman ruled in Goldburg), were the houses but low,poorly built of post and pan, and thatched with straw, or reed, orshingle. But the great church was all along one side of the marketplace; and albeit this folk was somewhat wild and strange of faith forChristian men, yet was it dainty and delicate as might be, and itssteeples and bell-towers were high and well builded, and adornedexceeding richly.

  So they lighted down at their hostel, and never had Ralph seen suchanother, for the court within was very great and with a fair gardenfilled with flowers and orchard-trees, and amidst it was a fountain offresh water, built in the goodliest fashion of many-colouredmarble-stones. And the arched and pillared way about the said court wasas fair as the cloister of a mitred abbey; and the hall for the guestswas of like fashion, vaulted with marvellous cunning, and with a row ofpillars amidmost.

  There they abode in good entertainment; yet this noted Ralph, that asgoodly as was the fashion of the building of that house, yet thehangings and beds, and stools, and chairs, and other plenishing were noricher or better than might be seen in the hostelry of any good town.

  So they went bedward, and Ralph slept dreamlessly, as was mostly hiswont.