For a while Eriol might say nought thereto, being tongue-tied by the beauty of that lady and the loveliness of that place of flowers; yet at length he muttered that he had known sea enough, but of this most gracious land he might never be sated. вay,в™said she, вn a day of autumn will come the winds and a driven gull, maybe, will wail overhead, and lo! you will be filled with desire, remembering the black coasts of your home.в™sup>2 вay, lady,в™said Eriol, and now he spoke with eager voice, вay, not so, for the spirit that flutes upon twilit lawns has filled my heart with music, and I thirst for a draught of limpГ!в™/u>

Then straightway did the smiling face of Meril grow grave, and bidding her maidens depart she prayed Eriol follow her to a space nigh to the house, and this was of cool grass but not very short. Fruit-trees grew there, and about the roots of one, an apple-tree of great girth and age, the soil was piled so that there was now a broad seat around its bole, soft and grass-covered. There sat Meril and she gazed upon Eriol and said: вnow you then what it is that you ask?в™and he said: в know nought save that I desire to know the soul of every song and of all music and to dwell always in fellowship and kinship with this wondrous people of the Eldar of the Isle, and to be free of unquenchable longing even till the Faring Forth, even till the Great End!в™/p>

But Meril said: вellowship is possible, maybe, but kinship not so, for Man is Man and Elda Elda, and what IlГvatar has made unalike may not become alike while the world remains. Even didst thou dwell here till the Great End and for the health of limpГ found no death, yet then must thou die and leave us, for Man must die once. And hearken, O Eriol, think not to escape unquenchable longing with a draught of limpГв”or only wouldst thou thus exchange desires, replacing thy old ones with new and deeper and more keen. Desire unsatisfied dwells in the hearts of both those races that are called the Children of IlГvatar, but with the Eldar most, for their hearts are filled with a vision of beauty in great glory.в™вet, O Queen,в™said Eriol thereto, вet me but taste of this drink and become an agelong fellow of your people: O queen of the EldaliГ, that I may be as the happy children of Mar Vanwa TyaliГva.в™вay, not yet can I do that,†said Meril, вor в™is a graver matter far to give this drink to one who has known life and days already in the lands of Men than for a child to drink who knows but little else; yet even these did we keep a long while ere we gave them the wine of song, teaching them first much lore and testing their hearts and souls. Therefore I bid you now bide still longer and learn all that you may in this our isle. Lo, what do you know of the world, or of the ancient days of Men, or of the roots which those things that now are have far back in time, or what of the EldaliГ and all their wisdom, that you should claim our cup of youth and poesy?в™/p>

вhe tongue of Tol EressГa do I know, and of the Valar have I heard, and the great worldв™ beginning, and the building of Valinor; to musics have I hearkened and to poesy and the laughter of the Elves, and all I have found true and good, and my heart knows and it saith to me that these shall I always henceforth love, and love aloneв™Ђthus answered Eriol, and his heart was sore for the refusal of the Queen.

вet nothing do you know of the coming of the Elves, of the fates wherein they move, nor their nature and the place that IlГvatar has given to them. Little do you reck of that great splendour of their home in Eldamar upon the hill of KГr, nor all the sorrow of our parting. What know you of our travail down all the dark ways of the world, and the anguish we have known because of Melko; of the sorrows we have suffered, and do yet, because of Men, of all the fears that darken our hopes because of Men? Know you the wastes of tears that lie between our life in Tol EressГa and that time of laughter that we knew in Valinor? O child of Men who wouldst be sharer of the fates of the EldaliГ, what of our high desires and all those things we look for still to beв”or lo! if you drink this drink all these must you know and love, having one heart with usв”ay, even at the Faring Forth, should Eldar and Men fall into war at the last, still must you stand by us against the children of your kith and kin, but until then never may you fare away home though longings gnaw youв”nd the desires that at whiles consume a full-grown man who drinketh limpГ are a fire of unimagined tortureв”new you these things, O Eriol, when you fared hither with your request?в™/p>

вay, I knew them not,в™said Eriol sadly, вhough often have I questioned folk thereof.в™/p>

вhen lo!в™said Meril, в will begin a tale, and tell you some of it ere the long afternoon grows dimв”ut then must you fare hence again in patienceв™and Eriol bowed his head.

вhen,в™said Meril, вow I will tell you of a time of peace the world once knew, and it is known as вњelkoв™ Chainsв³ Of the Earth I will tell you as the Eldar found it and of the manner of their awakening into it.

Behold, Valinor is built, and the Gods dwell in peace, for Melko is far in the world delving deep and fortifying himself in iron and cold, but Makar and MeГssГ ride upon the gales and rejoice in earthquakes and the overmastering furies of the ancient seas. Light and beautiful is Valinor, but there is a deep twilight upon the world, for the Gods have gathered so much of that light that had before flowed about the airs. Seldom now falls the shimmering rain as it was used, and there reigns a gloom lit with pale streaks or shot with red where Melko spouts to heaven from a fire-torn hill.

Then PalГrien Yavanna fared forth from her fruitful gardens to survey the wide lands of her domain, and wandered the dark continents sowing seed and brooding upon hill and dale. Alone in that agelong gloaming she sang songs of the utmost enchantment, and of such deep magic were they that they floated about the rocky places and their echoes lingered for years of time in hill and empty plain, and all the good magics of all later days are whispers of the memories of her echoing song.

Then things began to grow there, fungus and strange growths heaved in damp places and lichens and mosses crept stealthily across the rocks and ate their faces, and they crumbled and made dust, and the creeping plants died in the dust, and there was mould, and ferns and warted plants grew in it silently, and strange creatures thrust their heads from crannies and crept over the stones. But Yavanna wept, for this was not the fair vigour that she had thought of—and thereupon Oromл came to her leaping in the dusk, but Tuivбna would not leave the radiance of Kulullin nor Nessa the green swards of her dancing.

Then Oromл and Palъrien put forth all their might, and Oromл blew great blasts upon his horn as though he would awake the grey rocks to life and lustihead. Behold, at these blasts the great forest reared and moaned about the hills, and all the trees of dark leaf came to being, and the world was shaggy with a growth of pines and odorous with resinous trees, and firs and cedars hung their blue and olive draperies about the slopes, and yews began the centuries of their growth. Now was Oromл less gloomy and Palъrien was comforted, seeing the beauty of the first stars of Varda gleaming in the pale heavens through the shadows of the first trees’ boughs, and hearing the murmur of the dusky forests and the creaking of the branches when Manwл stirred the airs.

At that time did many strange spirits fare into the world, for there were pleasant places dark and quiet for them to dwell in. Some came from Mandos, aged spirits that journeyed from Ilъvatar with him who are older than the world and very gloomy and secret, and some from the fortresses of the North where Melko then dwelt in the deep dungeons of Utumna. Full of evil and unwholesome were they; luring and restlessness and horror they brought, turning the dark into an ill and fearful thing, which it was not before. But some few danced thither with gentle feet exuding evening scents, and these came from the gardens of Lуrien.