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…nk the happiness Of the one knight we lack ” (quoth he) ; “ For surely in some sore distress May be Sir Palamede.” Then they Rose as one man in glad liesse To honour that great health. ‘“God’s way Is not as man’s” (quoth Lancelot). “Yet, may God send him back this day, His quest achieved, to Camelot!” “ Amen!” they cried, and raised the bow! ; When—the wind rose, a blast as hot 109
I Sir PaLaMEDE the Saracen Rode by the marge of many a sea: He had slain a thousand evil men And set a thousand ladies free. Armed to the teeth, the glittering knight Galloped along the sounding shore, His silver arms one lake of light, Their clash one symphony of war. How still the blue enamoured sea Lay in the blaze of Syria’s noon! The eternal roll eternally Beat out its monotonic tune. Sir Palamede the Saracen A dreadful vision here espied, A sight abhorred of gods and men, Between the limits of the tide. The dead man’s tongue was torn away…
Who is the naked man that spurs A charger into Camelot, His face like Christ's? What glory stirs The air around him, do ye wot ? Sir Arthur arms him, makes array Of seven times ten thousand men, And bids them follow and obey Sir Palamede the Saracen. 17
Us marsh-lights to forget the sun? There is one man of mortal men Worthy to win this benison, Sir Palamede the Saracen.” Then went the applauding murmur round : Sir Lancelot girt him there and then To ride to that enchanted ground Where amid timeless snows the den Of Palamedes might be found. 21
XI Sir PALAMEDE the Saracen Hath hied him to an holy man, Sith he alone of mortal men Can help him, if a mortal can. (So tell him all the Scythian folk.) Wherefore he makes a caravan, And finds him. When his prayers invoke The holy knowledge, saith the sage: “This Beast is he of whom there spoke The prophets of the Golden Age: “Mark ! all that mind is, he is not.’” Sir Palamede in bitter rage Sterte up: “Is this the fool, ’Od wot, To see the like of whom I came From castellated Camelot ?” The sage with eyes of burning flame Cried: “Is it not a …
…ng savage head Lurks at him through the forest shades. This was a naked Indian, Who led within the city gate The fooled and disappointed man, Already broken by his fate. Here were the brazen towers, and here The sculptured rocks, the marble shrine Where to a tall black stone they rear The altars due to the divine. The God they deem in sensual joy Absorbed, and silken dalliance: To please his leisure hours a boy Compels an elephant to dance. So majesty to ridicule Is turned. To other climes and men Makes off that strong, persistent fool Sir Pala…
…ts forlorn a desperate deed. At dead of night, a moonless night, A night of winter storm, they sail In dancing dragons to the fight With man and sea, with ghoul and gale. Whom God shall spare, ride, ride! (so springs The iron order). Let him fly On honour’s steed with honour’s wings To warn the king, lest honour die! Then to the fury of the blast Their fury adds a dreadful sting : The fatal die is surely cast. To save the king—to save the king ! Hail! horror of the midnight surge ! The storms of death, the lashing gust, The doubtful gleam of sw…
…Clad it with all the arms of fear. Moreover, though he sought to scan Some feature, though he listened long, No shape of God or fiend or man, No whisper, groan, shriek, scream, or song Gave him to know it. Now it chanced One day Sir Palamedes rode Through a great wood whose leafage danced In the thin sunlight as it flowed From heaven. He halted in a glade, Bade his horse crop the tender grass; Put off his armour, softly laid Himself to sleep till noon should pass. 93
…in the saint. For now! what hath he left? He feeds On limpets and wild roots. What odds? There is no need a mortal needs Who hath loosed man’s hope to grasp at God's! How his head swims! At night what stirs Above the faint wash of the tide, And rare sea-birds whose winging whirrs About the cliffs? Now good betide!
…he 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) upo…
14 Sir Palamede the Saracen Rides like a centaur mad with war; He sabres many a million men, And tramples many a million more! Before him lies the untravelled land Where never a human soul is known, A desert by a wizard banned, A soulless wilderness of stone. Nor grass, nor corn, delight the vales ; Nor beast, nor bird, span space. Immense, Black rain, grey mist, white wrath of gales, Fill the dread armoury of sense. Nor shines the sun; nor moon, nor star Their subtle light at all display ; Nor day, nor night, dispute the scaur: All’s one intol…
…n-kissed heights! The snows that crown The quartz ravines! The clouds that veil The awful slopes! Dear God! look down And see this petty man move on, Relentless as Thine own renown, Careless of praise or orison, Simply determined. Wilt Thou launch (This knight's presumptuous head upon) The devastating avalanche? He knows too much, and cares too little! His wound is more than Death can staunch. He can avoid, though by one tittle, Thy surest shaft! And now the knight, Breasting the crags, may laugh and whittle Away the demon-club whose might Thre…
…ulph me, though God mock me well, I follow as I sware; I follow, Though it be unattainable. Nay, more! Because I may not win, Is’t worth man’s work to enter in! The Infinite with mighty passion Hath caught my spirit in a gin. Come! since I may not imitate The Beast, at least I work and wait. We shall discover soon or late Which is the master—I or Fate!” 85
…dour clutched, Like all the rest, begins to crumble. Where is the Beast? His bliss exceeded All that bards sing of or priests mumble; No man, no God, hath known what he did. Only this baulked him—that he lacked Exactly the one thing he needed. 107
… the Saracen. Then, rising from the hideous meal, He plunges to the land of men With nerves renewed and limbs of steel. Who is the naked man that rides Yon tameless stallion on the plain, His face like Hell's? What fury guides The maniac beast without a rein?
To breathe fond prayers ; and (marry !) if Man’s soul were measured by his sighs He need not linger to attain. Nay! while the Beast squats there, above Him, smiling on him; as he vows Wonderful deeds and fruitless flowers, He grows so maudlin in his love That even the knaves of his own house Mock at him in their merry hours. “God’s death!” raged Palamede, not wroth But irritated, “laugh ye so? Am I a jape for scullions ?” His curse came in a flaky froth. He seized a club, with blow on blow Breaking the knave’s unreverent sconce! “Thou mock the …