SIR PALAMEDES, THE SARACEN KNIGHT
Leading them ever to a vale
With hugeous cry and monster wail.
Then suddenly their voices fall,
And in the park’s resounding pale
Only the clamour of the chase
Is heard: oh! to the centre race
The unsuspicious knights: but he
The Questing Beast his former face
Of unity resumes : the course
Of warriors shocks with man and horse.
In mutual madness swift to see
They shatter with unbridled force
One on another : down they go
Swift in stupendous overthrow.
Out sword! out lance! Cuirass and helm
Splinter beneath the knightly blow.
They storm, they charge, they hack and hew,
They rush and wheel the press athrough,
The weight, the murder, overwhelm
One, two, and all. Nor silence knew
His empire till Sir Palamede
(The last) upon his fairy steed
Struck down his brother; then at once
Fell silence on the bloody mead,
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