Oracles

I54 THE EARL’S QUEST Stood in the sky reversed, and utmost Love Entered the sadness of Gethsemane. So did the king ; so did the priest above Place his old hands upon the Earl’s, decree The splendid and the solemn accolade That he should go forth to the world and be Knight-errant ; so did then the fairest maid Of all that noble company keep hid The love that melted her ; she took the blade Blessed by a mage, who slew the harmless kid With solemn rite and water poured athwart In stars and sigils,—fire leapt out amid, And blazed upon the blade ; and stark cold swart Demons came hurtling to enforce the spell, Until the exorcism duly wrought Fixed in the living steel so terrible A force nor man nor devil might assail, Nay—might approach the wary warrior well, So long as he was clothed in silver mail Of purity, and iron-helmeted With ignorance of fear : so through the hail Of flowers, of cries, of looks, of white and red, Fear, hatred, envy, love—nay, self-conceit Of girls that preened itself and masqued instead