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an instrument divine Whereon he may pursue his quest. How glitt er green his gleeful eyne {53}
When, where the mice and lice infest A filt hy hovel, lies a wench Bearing a baby at her breast, Drunk and
debauched, one solid stench, But carrying a silver lute. Boardeth her, nor doth baulk nor blench, And long
abideth brute by brute Amid the unsavoury denzens, Until his melodies uproot The oaks, lure lions from their
dens, Turn rivers back,and still the spleen Of serpents and of Saracens. Thus then equipped, he quits the
quean, And in a city fair and wide Calls up with music wild and keen The Questing Marvel to his side. Then do
the sportful city folk About his lonely stance abide: Making their holiday, they j oke The melancholy ass: they
throw Their clattering coppers in his poke. so day and night they come and go, But never comes t he Questing
Beast, Nor doth that laughing people know {54}
How agony s unleavening yeast Stirs Palamede. Anon they tire, And follow an Egyptian priest Who boasts him
master of the fire To draw down lightning, and invoke The gods upon a sandal pyre, And bring up devils in t he
smoke. Sir Palamede is all alone, Wrapped in his misery like a cloak, Despairing now to charm the Unknown.
So arms and horse he takes again. Sir Palamede hath overthrown The j esters. Now the country men, Stupidly
staring, see at noon Sir Palamede the Saracen A-riding like an harvest moon In silver arms, with glittering
lance, With plum?d helm, and wing?d shoon, Athwart the admiring land of France. {55}
;; 6,5 3$/$0('( hat reasoned out Beyond the shadow of a doubt That this his Questing Beast is one; For
were it Beasts, he must suppose An earlier Beast to father those. So all the tracks of herds t hat run Into the
forest he discards, And only turns his dark regards On single prints, on marks unique. Sir Palamede doth now
attain Unto a wide and grassy plain, Whereon he spies the thing to seek. Thereat he putteth spur to horse
And runneth him a random course, The Beast a-questing aye before. But praise to good Sir Palamede! Hath
gotten him a fairy steed Alike for venery and for war, So that in little drawing near The quarry, lifteth up his
spear To run him of his malice through. {56}
With that the Beast hopes no escape, Dissolveth all his lordly shape, Splitteth him sudden into two. Sir
Palamede in fury runs Unto the nearer beast, that shuns The shock, and splits, and splits again, Until the
baffled warrior sees A myriad myriad swarms of these A-questing over all the plain. The good knight reins his
charger in. "Now, by the faith of Paladin! The subt le quest at last I hen." Rides off the Camelot to plight The
faith of many a noble knight, Sir Palamede the Saracen. {57}
;;, 1RZ doth Sir Palamede advance The lord of many a sword and lance. in merrie England s summer sun
Their shields and arms a-glittering glance And laugh upon the mossy mead. Now winds the horn of Palamede,
As far upon the horizon He spies the Questing Beast a-feed. With loyal craft and honest guile They spread
their ranks for many a mile. for when the Beast hat heard the horn he practiseth his ancient wile, And many
a myriad beasts invade The stillness of that arm?d glade. Now every knight to rest hath borne His lance, and
given the accolade, And run upon a beast: but they Slip from the fatal point away And course about ,
confusing all That gallant concourse all the day, {58}
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 shatt er with unbridled force One on another: down they go
Swift in stupendous overthrow. Out sword! out lance! Curiass and helm Splinter beneath t he knightly blow.
they storm, they charge, t hey hack and hew, They rush and wheel the press athrough. The weight, the
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