Chapter Eight: Mercury’s Winged Cap
[1] that shining suburb of the Sun: C. S. Lewis, “The Birth of Language,” in Poems, 10.
[2] Take some real mercury in a saucer . . . That is what “Mercurial” means: C. S. Lewis, The Discarded Image, 108.
[3] Under the moonlight the sand . . . smooth water or a great silver tray: C. S. Lewis, The Horse and His Boy, 128.
[4] Suddenly the sun rose . . . strewn with diamonds: Ibid., 129.
[5] meeting selves, same but sundered: C. S. Lewis, “The Planets,” in Poems, 12.
[6] like two drops of quicksilver: C. S. Lewis, That Hideous Strength, 275.
[7] twin-born progeny: C. S. Lewis, “After Aristotle,” in Poems, 80.
[8] horse-boy . . . a true horseman’s seat: Lewis, Horse, 54, 156.
[9] At least [Shasta] ran in the right direction . . . a child, a mere foal: Ibid., 151.
[10] box . . . could ever equal Corin as a boxer . . . without a time-keeper for thirty-three rounds . . . Corin Thunder-Fist: Ibid., 215, 224.
[11] neck to neck and knee to knee . . . side by side: Ibid., 28–29.
[12] so used to quarrelling . . . go on doing it more conveniently: Ibid., 224.
[13] everyone seemed to be going either to the left or right . . . either left or right . . . the road divided into two . . . if I stay at the crossroads I’m sure to be caught: Ibid., 83, 105, 159.
[14] There’s not a moment to lose: Ibid., 127.
[15] not really been going as fast—not quite as fast—as he could: Ibid., 142.
[16] swift horses: Ibid., 41.
[17] swiftest of the galleys: Ibid., 109.
[18] be swift: Ibid., 119.
[19] far too swift: Ibid., 139.
[20] swift of foot: Ibid., 164.
[21] speed: Ibid., 171.
[22] run now, without a moment’s rest . . . run, run: always run: Ibid., 145–146.
[23] a little heather running up before him . . . he had only to run: Ibid., 153.
[24] with little wings on each side: Ibid., 58.
[25] , or Mercurial hat: C. S. Lewis, Spenser’s Images of Life, 7.
[26] I had rather the feeling that . . . he wouldn’t interfere: Pauline Baynes, Letter to Walter Hooper, August 15, 1967, quoted in C. S. Lewis, Collected Letters, Vol. 2, 1020.
[27] lord of language: Lewis, “Planets,” 12.
[28] talking to one another very slowly about things that sounded dull: Lewis, Horse, 4.
[29] loquacity . . . idle words: Ibid., 9, 8.
[30] slaves’ and fools’ talk . . . Southern jargon: Ibid., 14.
[31] Application to business . . . toward the rock of indigence: Ibid., 4–5.
[32] As a costly jewel retains its value . . . the vile persons of our subjects: Ibid., 111.
[33] Nothing is more suitable . . . than to endure minor inconveniences with constancy: Ibid., 117.
[34] Easily in but not easily out, as the lobster said in the lobster pot!: Ibid., 67.
[35] Maybe Apes will grow honest: Ibid., 214.
[36] Come, live with me and you’ll know me: Ibid., 65.
[37] Nests before eggs: Ibid., 73–74.
[38] for the only poetry they knew . . . a rocket seemed to go up inside their heads: Ibid., 221.
[39] skyrockets of metaphor and allusion: Lewis, Hideous Strength, 318.
[40] I wish you could talk, old fellow . . . dumb and witless like their horses: Lewis, Horse, 11, 12.
[41] Don’t you think it was bad luck to meet so many lions? . . . I was the lion . . . wakeful at midnight, to receive you: Ibid., 164–165.
[42] merry multitude of meeting selves: Lewis, “Planets,” 12.
[43] “Who are you?” asked Shasta . . . it seemed to come from all round you as if the leaves rustled with it: Lewis, Horse, 165.
[44] “Who are you?” he said . . . One who has waited long for you to speak: Ibid., 163.
[45] gaped with open mouth and said nothing . . . after one glance at the Lion’s face . . . he knew he needn’t say anything: Ibid., 164, 166.
[46] Strange to say, they felt no inclination to talk . . . there paced to and fro, each alone, thinking: Ibid., 202.
[47] prayer without words is the best: C. S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm, 11.
[48] thou fair Silence: C. S. Lewis, “The Apologist’s Evening Prayer,” in Poems, 129.
[49] a language more adequate: C. S. Lewis, Letter to Arthur Greeves, October 18, 1931, in Collected Letters, Vol. 1, 977.