n sometime, as the sun renews his course. As
he disappeared from the sight of Bedivere, the last of his knights,

"The new sun rose bringing the new year."

_Ibid._

Avilion means "apple-island." It was like the Hesperides of Greek
mythology, the western islands where grew the golden apples of
immortality.

In Cornwall after the sixth century, the sun-god became St.
Michael, and the eastern point where he appeared St. Michael's
seat.

"Where the great vision of the guarded mount
Looks toward Namancos, and Bayona's hold."

MILTON: _Lycidas._

As fruit to Pomona, so berries were devoted to fairies. They would
not let any one cut a blackthorn shoot on Hallowe'en. In Cornwall
sloes and blackberries were considered unfit to eat after the
fairies had passed by, because all the goodness was extracted. So
they were eaten to heart's content on October 31st, and avoided
thereafter. Hazels, because they were thought to contain wisdom and
knowledge, were also sacred.

Besides leaving berries for the "Little People," food was set out
for them on Hallowe'en, and on other occasions. They rewarded this
hospitality by doing an extraordinary amount of work.

"--how the drudging goblin sweat
To earn his cream-bowl duly set,
When in one night, ere glimpse of morn,
His shadowy flail hath threshed the corn
That ten day-laborers could not end.
Then lies him down the lubbar fiend,
And stretcht out all the chimney's length
Basks at the fire his hairy strength."

MILTON: _L'Allegro._

Such sprites did not scruple to pull away the chair as one was
about to sit down, to pinch, or even to steal children and leave
changelings in their places. The first hint of dawn drove them back
to their haunts.

"When larks 'gin sing,
Away we fling;
And babes new borne steal as we go,
And elfe in bed
We leave instead,
And wend us laughing, ho, ho, ho!"

JONSON: _Robin Goodfellow._

Soulless and without gratitude or memory spirits of the air may be,
like Ariel in _The Tempest_. He, like the fairy harpers of Ireland,
puts men to sleep with his music.

"_Sebastian._ What, art thou waking?

_Antonio._ Do you not hear me speak?

_Sebastian._ I do; and, surely,
It is a sleepy language; and thou speak'st
Out of thy s