Властелин колец: Возвращение короля
Minas Tirith
Upitrose,eventothelevelofthetopmostcircle,andtherewascrownedbyabattlement;sothatthoseintheCitadelmight,likemarinersinamountainousship,lookfromitspeaksheerdownupontheGatesevenhundredfeetbelow.TheentrancetotheCitadelalsolookedeastward,butwasdelvedintheheartoftherock;thencealonglamp-litsloperanuptotheseventhgate.ThusmenreachedatlasttheHighCourt,andthePlaceoftheFountainbeforethefeetoftheWhiteTower:tallandshapely,fiftyfathomsfromitsbasetothepinnacle,wherethebanneroftheStewardsfloatedathousandfeetabovetheplain.
Astrongcitadelitwasindeed,andnottobetakenbyahostofenemies,iftherewereanywithinthatcouldholdweapons;unlesssomefoecouldcomebehindandscalethelowerskirtsofMindolluin,andsocomeuponthenarrowshoulderthatjoinedtheHillofGuardtothemountainmass.Butthatshoulder,whichrosetotheheightofthefifthwall,washedgedwithgreatrampartsrightuptotheprecipicethatoverhungitswesternend;andinthatspacestoodthehousesanddomedtombsofbygonekingsandlords,foreversilentbetweenthemountainandthetower.
Pippingazedingrowingwonderatthegreatstonecity,vasterandmoresplendidthananythingthathehaddreamedof;greaterandstrongerthanIsengard,andfarmorebeautiful.Yetitwasintruthfallingyearbyyearintodecay;andalreadyitlackedhalfthementhatcouldhavedweltateasethere.
