The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Twilight of the Gods, and Other Tales
by Richard Garnett

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Title: The Twilight of the Gods, and Other Tales

Author: Richard Garnett

Release Date: November 16, 2003 [EBook #10095]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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[Illustration: An eagle pecking at the heart of a bearded man, chained to
a rock, with the inscription: "Cor ex est numquam ex cordis regina
volantum".]

THE TWILIGHT
OF THE GODS:
AND OTHER TALES

BY

RICHARD GARNETT

MDCCCCIII

TO

HORACE HOWARD FURNESS
AND
GEORG BRANDES.
DABO DUOBUS TESTIBUS MEIS

CONTENTS

The Twilight of the Gods
The Potion of Lao-Tsze
Abdallah the Adite
Ananda the Miracle Worker
The City of Philosophers
The Demon Pope
The Cupbearer
The Wisdom of the Indians
The Dumb Oracle
Duke Virgil
The Claw
Alexander the Ratcatcher
The Rewards of Industry
Madam Lucifer
The Talismans
The Elixir of Life
The Poet of Panopolis
The Purple Head
The Firefly
Pan's Wand
A Page from the Book of Folly
The Bell of Saint Euschemon
Bishop Addo and Bishop Gaddo
The Philosopher and the Butterflies
Truth and Her Companions
The Three Palaces
New Readings in Biography
The Poison Maid
NOTES

THE TWILIGHT OF THE GODS

Truth fails not, but her outward forms that bear
The longest date do melt like frosty rime.

I

The fourth Christian century was far past its meridian, when, high above
the summit of the supreme peak of Caucasus, a magnificent eagle came
sailing on broad fans into the blue, and his shadow skimmed the glittering
snow as it had done day by day for thousands of years. A human figure--or
it might be superhuman, for his mien seemed more than mortal--lifted from
the crag, to which he hung suspended by massy gyves and rivets, eyes
mournful with the presentiment of pain. The eagle's screech clanged on the
wind, as with outstretched neck he stooped earthward in ever narrowing
circles; his huge quills already creaked in his victim's ears, whose flesh
crept and shrank, and involuntary convulsions