THE EARL’S QUEST 
I53 
 
Began to gather flesh, to breathe, to stir. 
Such was the path, yet hard should find the work 
Glamour, to weave her web of gossamer 
 
Over such eyesight as the Earl’s for murk. 
He had watched for larvæ by the midnight roads, 
The stake-transpiercèd corpse, the caves where lurk 
 
The demon spiders, and the shapeless toads 
Fed by their lovers duly on the draught 
That bloats and blisters, blackens and corrodes. 
 
These had he seed of old ; so now he laughed, 
Not without bitterness deep-lying, that erst 
He had esteemed such foolish devil’s craft 
 
Part of his quest, his qest when fair and first 
He flung the last, the strongest horseman back 
With such a buffet that no skill amerced 
 
Its debt but headlong in his charger’s track 
He must be hurled, rib-shattered by the shock ; 
And the loud populace exclaimed “ Alack ! ”, 
 
Their favourite foiled.  But oh !  the royal stock 
Of holy kings from Christ to Charlemagne 
Hailed him, anointed him, fair lock by lock, 
 
With oil that drew incalculable gain 
From those six olives in the midst whereof 
Christ prayed the last time, ere the fatal Wain