Fires glowed around him, and the great hall shone
With fitful glare that from their flames was thrown.
Diminutive and swart his subject slaves
Grim-visaged stood around,
Collected in all haste from central caves,
Where, delving underground,
Ever these baneful sprites are doomed to toil,
And win from rocky beds their iron spoil.
Met thus within the murky council cave,
The Gnomes and their great King