One afternoon, we began to observe an appearance of roads in the wood.
Branches had been cut down, and openings made, where footsteps had worn
no path below. These indications increased as we passed on, till, at
length, we came into a long, narrow avenue, formed by felling the trees
in its line, as the remaining roots evidenced. At some little distance,
on both hands, we observed signs of similar avenues, which appeared to
converge with ours, towards one spot. Along these we indistinctly saw
several forms moving, which seemed, with ourselves, to approach the
common centre. Our path brought us, at last, up to a wall of yew-trees,
growing close together, and intertwining their branches so, that nothing
could be seen beyond it. An opening was cut in it like a door, and all
the wall was trimmed smooth and perpendicular. The knight dismounted,
and waited till I had provided for his horse's comfort; upon which we
entered the place together.
It was a great space, bare of trees, and enclosed by four walls of yew,
similar to that through which we had entered. These trees grew to a very
great height, and did not divide from each other till close to the top,
where their summits formed a row of conical battlements all around the
walls. The space contained was a parallelogram of great length. Along
each of the two longer sides of the interior, were ranged three ranks
of men, in white robes, standing silent and solemn, each with a sword by
his side, although the rest of his costume and bearing was more priestly
than soldierly. For some distance inwards, the space between these
opposite rows was filled with a company of men and women and children,
in holiday attire. The looks of all were directed inwards, towards the
further end. Far beyond the crowd, in a long avenue, seeming to narrow
in the distance, went the long rows of the white-robed men. On what the
attention of the multitude was fixed, we could not tell, for the sun had
set before we arrived, and it was growing dark within. It grew darker
and darker. The multitude waited in silence. The stars began to shine
down into the enclosure, and they grew brighter and larger every moment.
A wind arose, and swayed the pinnacles of the tree-tops; and made a
strange sound, half like music, half like moaning, through the close
branches and leaves of the tree-walls. A young girl who stood beside me,
clothed in the same dress as the priests, bowed her head, and grew pale
with awe.
The knight whispered to me, "How solemn it is! Surely they wait to hear
the voice of a prophet. There is something good near!"