Lucifer and the powers of the air storm around the spire of Strasburg Cathedral as this verse drama opens. Prince Henry, struck by a wasting illness, is told that only the willing sacrifice of a pure maiden’s life can cure him, and the farmer’s daughter Elsie offers herself; their journey to Salerno passes through monasteries, miracle plays and the pageant of medieval Germany.
Longfellow’s richly coloured portrait of the Middle Ages, later set to music by Arthur Sullivan. Download the free EPUB.