Theperiodinwhichthestoryof/TheWorld’sDesire/iscast，wasaperiodwhen，asMissBraddonremarksoftheageofthePlantagenets，“anythingmighthappen。“Recentdiscoveries，mainlybyDr。SchliemannandMr。FlindersPetrie，haveshownthattherereallywasmuchintercoursebetweenHeroicGreece，theGreeceoftheAchaeans，andtheEgyptoftheRamessids。Thisconnection，rumouredofinGreeklegends，isattestedbyEgyptianrelicsfoundinthegravesofMycenae，andbyveryancientLevantinepottery，foundincontemporarysitesinEgypt。HomerhimselfshowsusOdysseustellingafeigned，butobviouslynotimprobable，taleofanAchaeanraidonEgypt。MeanwhilethesojournoftheIsraelites，withtheirExodusfromthelandofbondage，thoughnotyetfoundtoberecordedontheEgyptianmonuments，wasprobablypartofthegreatcontemporarystiramongthepeoples。Theseevents，whichareonlyknownthroughHebrewtexts，musthavewornaverydifferentaspectintheeyesofEgyptians，andofpre-historicAchaeanobservers，hostileinfaithtotheChildrenofIsrael。ThetopichassincebeentreatedinfictionbyDr。Ebers，inhis/Joshua/。
Insuchatwilightage，fancyhasfreeplay，butitisacuriousfactthat，inthisromance，modernfancyhasaccidentallycoincidedwiththatofancientGreece。
Mostofthenovelwaswritten，andtheapparently“un-Greek“
marvelsattributedtoHelenhadbeenputonpaper，whenapartofFurtw？ngler’srecentgreatlexiconofMythologyappeared，withthearticleonHelen。Theauthorsof/TheWorld’sDesire/readitwithafeelingakintoamazement。TheirwildestinventionsabouttheDaughteroftheSwan，itseemed，hadparallelsintheobscurerlegendsofHellas。Thereactuallyisatradition，preservedbyEustathius，thatParisbeguiledHelenbymagicallyputtingontheaspectofMenelaus。ThereisamediaevalparallelinthestoryofUtherandYgerne，motherofArthur，andtheclassicalcaseofZeusandAmphitryonisfamiliar。Again，theblood-drippingrubyofHelen，inthetale，ismentionedbyServiusinhiscommentaryonVirgilitwaspointedouttooneoftheauthorsbyMr。Mackail。
ButwedidnotknowthattheStarofthestorywasactuallycalledthe“Star-stone“inancientGreekfable。ThemanyvoicesofHelenarealludedtobyHomerinthe/Odyssey/:shewasalsonamed/Echo/，inoldtradition。Toaddthatshecouldassumetheaspectofeveryman’sfirstlovewaseasy。Goetheintroducesthesamequalityinthefairwitchofhis/WalpurgisNacht/。ArespectableportraitofMeriamun’ssecretcounsellorexists，inpottery，intheBritishMuseum，though，asitchances，itwasnotdiscoveredbyusuntilafterthepublicationofthisromance。TheLaestrygonianoftheLastBattleisintroducedasapre-historicNorseman。Mr。Gladstone，wethink，wasperhapsthefirsttopointoutthattheLaestrygoniansofthe/Odyssey/，withtheirhomeonafiordintheLandoftheMidnightSun，wereprobablyderivedfromtravellers’talesoftheNorth，bornewiththeamberalongtheimmemorialSacredWay。TheMagicofMeriamunisinaccordancewithEgyptianideas；herresuscitationofthedeadwoman，Hataska，hasasingularparallelinReginaldScot’s/DiscoveryofWitchcraft/
1584，wherethespell“bythesilenceoftheNight“isnotwithoutpoetry。ThegeneralconceptionofHelenastheWorld’sDesire，IdealBeauty，hasbeendealtwithbyM。PauldeSt。
Victor，andMr。J。A。Symonds。Fortherest，somedetailsofbattle，andofwounds，whichmustseemvery“un-Greek“tocriticsignorantofGreekliterature，areborrowedfromHomer。
THEWORLD’SDESIRE
byH。RiderHaggardandAndrewLangComewithus，yewhoseheartsaresetOnthis，thePresenttoforget；
Comereadthethingswhereofyeknow/Theywerenot，andcouldnotbeso！/
Themurmurofthefallencreeds，Likewindsamongwind-shakenreedsAlongthebanksofholyNile，Shallechoinyourearsthewhile；
ThefablesoftheNorthandSouthShallmingleinamodernmouth；
ThefanciesoftheWestandEastShallflockandflitaboutthefeastLikedovesthatcooled，withwavingwing，ThebanquetsoftheCyprianking。
OldshapesofsongthatdonotdieShallhauntthehallsofmemory，AndthoughtheBowshallpreludeclearShrillasthesongofGunnar’sspear，ThereanswersobsfromluteandlyreThatmurmuredofTheWorld’sDesire。
TherelivesnomanbuthehathseenTheWorld’sDesire，thefairyqueen。
Nonebuthathseenhertohiscost，Notonebutloveswhathehaslost。
NoneistherebuthathheardhersingDivinelythroughhiswandering；
NotonebuthehasfollowedfarTheportentoftheBleedingStar；
Notonebuthehathchancedtowake，DreamedoftheStarandfoundtheSnake。
Yet，throughhisdreams，awanderingfire，Still，stillsheflits，THEWORLD’SDESIRE！
Acrossthewidebacksofthewaves，beneaththemountains，andbetweentheislands，ashipcamestealingfromthedarkintothedusk，andfromtheduskintothedawn。Theshiphadbutonemast，onebroadbrownsailwithastarembroideredonitingold；herstemandsternwerebuilthigh，andcurvedlikeabird’sbeak；herprowwaspaintedscarlet，andshewasdrivenbyoarsaswellasbythewesternwind。
Amanstoodaloneonthehalf-deckatthebows，amanwholookedalwaysforward，throughthenight，andthetwilight，andtheclearmorning。Hewasofnogreatstature，butbroad-breastedandverywide-
shouldered，withmanysignsofstrength。Hehadblueeyes，anddarkcurledlocksfallingbeneatharedcapsuchassailorswear，andoverapurplecloak，fastenedwithabroochofgold。Therewerethreadsofsilverinhiscurls，andhisbeardwasfleckedwithwhite。Hiswholeheartwasfollowinghiseyes，watchingfirstfortheblazeoftheislandbeaconsoutofthedarkness，and，later，forthesmokerisingfromthefar-offhills。Buthewatchedinvain；therewasneitherlightnorsmokeonthegreypeakthatlayclearagainstafieldofyellowsky。
Therewasnosmoke，nofire，nosoundofvoices，norcryofbirds。Theislewasdeadlystill。
Astheynearedthecoast，andneitherheardnorsawasignoflife，theman’sfacefell。Thegladnesswentoutofhiseyes，hisfeaturesgrewolderwithanxietyanddoubt，andwithlongingfortidingsofhishome。
Nomaneverlovedhishomemorethanhe，forthiswasOdysseus，thesonofLaertes——whomsomecallUlysses——returnedfromhisunsungsecondwandering。Thewholeworldhasheardthetaleofhisfirstvoyage，howhewastossedfortenyearsontheseaafterthetakingofTroy，howhereachedhomeatlast，aloneanddisguisedasabeggar；
howhefoundviolenceinhishouse，howheslewhisfoesinhisownhall，andwonhiswifeagain。Buteveninhisowncountryhewasnotpermittedtorest，fortherewasacurseuponhimandalabourtobeaccomplished。Hemustwanderagaintillhereachedthelandofmenwhohadnevertastedsalt，noreverheardofthesaltsea。TherehemustsacrificetotheSea-God，andthen，atlast，sethisfacehomewards。
Nowhehadenduredthatcurse，hehadfulfilledtheprophecy，hehadangered，bymisadventure，theGoddesswhowashisfriend，andafteradventuresthathaveneveryetbeentold，hehadarrivedwithinabowshotofIthaca。
Hecamefromstrangecountries，fromtheGatesoftheSunandfromWhiteRock，fromthePassingPlaceofSoulsandthepeopleofDreams。
Buthefoundhisownislemorestillandstrangebyfar。TherealmofDreamswasnotsodumb，theGatesoftheSunwerenotsostill，astheshoresofthefamiliarislandbeneaththerisingdawn。
Thisstory，whereofthesubstancewassetoutlongagobyRei，theinstructedEgyptianpriest，tellswhathefoundthere，andthetaleofthelastadventuresofOdysseus，Laertes’son。
Theshipranonandwonthewell-knownhaven，shelteredfromwindbytwoheadlandsofsheercliff。Thereshesailedstraightin，tilltheleavesofthebroadolivetreeattheheadoftheinletweretangledinhercordage。ThentheWanderer，withoutoncelookingback，orsayingonewordoffarewelltohiscrew，caughtaboughoftheolivetreewithhishand，andswunghimselfashore。Herehekneeled，andkissedtheearth，and，coveringhisheadwithinhiscloak，heprayedthathemightfindhishouseatpeace，hiswifedearandtrue，andhissonworthyofhim。
Butnotonewordofhisprayerwastobegranted。TheGodsgiveandtake，butontheearththeGodscannotrestore。
Whenherosefromhiskneesheglancedbackacrossthewaters，buttherewasnownoshipinthehaven，noranysignofasailupontheseas。
Andstillthelandwassilent；noteventhewildbirdscriedawelcome。
Thesunwashardlyup，menwerescarceawake，theWanderersaidtohimself；andhesetastouthearttothesteeppathleadingupthehill，overthewolds，andacrosstheridgeofrockthatdividesthetwomassesoftheisland。Upheclimbed，purposing，asofold，toseekthehouseofhisfaithfulservant，theswineherd，andlearnfromhimthetidingsofhishome。Onthebrowofahillhestoppedtorest，andlookeddownonthehouseoftheservant。Butthestrongoakpalisadewasbroken，nosmokecamefromtheholeinthethatchedroof，and，asheapproached，thedogsdidnotrunbarking，assheep-dogsdo，atthestranger。Theverypathtothehousewasovergrown，anddumbwithgrass；evenadog’skeenearscouldscarcelyhaveheardafootstep。
Thedooroftheswineherd’shutwasopen，butallwasdarkwithin。Thespidershadwovenaglitteringwebacrosstheemptyblackness，asignthatformanydaysnomanhadentered。ThentheWanderershoutedtwice，andthrice，buttheonlyanswerwasanechofromthehill。Hewentin，hopingtofindfood，orperhapsasparkoffireshelteredunderthedryleaves。Butallwasvacantandcoldasdeath。
TheWanderercameforthintothewarmsunlight，sethisfacetothehillagain，andwentonhiswaytothecityofIthaca。