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Page 1 of 51912 · PDF PAGE 7
SIR PALAMEDES, THE SARACEN KNIGHT Beast. Standing up, that he may enjoy the reward, he findeth another answer to the riddle. Yet abideth in the quest. xxxviii. Sir Palamede is confronted by a stranger knight, whose arms are his own, as also his features, This knight mocketh Sir Palamede for an impudent pretender, and impersonator of the chosen knight. Sir Palamede in all humility alloweth that there is no proof possible, and offereth ordeal of battle, in which the stranger is slain, Sir Palamede heweth him into the smallest dust without pity, x…
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…,” quoth he, “no futile fires, Nor play upon an idle reed, Nor penance vain, nor fatuous prayers— The Gods are ours, and we are theirs.” Sir Palamedes plucks the pipe The satyr tends, and blows a trill So soft and warm, so red and ripe, That echo answers from the hill In eager and voluptuous strain, While grows upon the sounding plain A gallop, and a questing turned To one profound melodious bay. Sir Palamede with pleasure burned, And bowed him to the idol grey That on the altar sneered and leered With loose red lips behind his beard. Sir Palam…
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…iest Who boasts him master of the fire To draw down lightning, and invoke The gods upon a sandal pyre, And bring up devils in the 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 jesters. 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 pluméd helm, and wingéd shoon, Athwart the admiring land of France. 55
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…rides to war The indomitable Palamede. The Paynim fly ; his troops delight In murder of many a myriad men, Following exultant into fight Sir Palamede the Saracen. Now when a year and day are done Sir Palamedes is aware Of blue pavilions in the sun, And bannerets fluttering in the air. Forward he spurs; his armour gleams; Then on his haunches rears the steed; Above the lordly silk there streams The pennon of Sir Palamede! Aflame, a bridegroom to his spouse, He rides to meet with galliard grace Some scion of his holy house, Or germane to his roya…
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XIII Sir PALAMEDE is come anon Into a blue delicious bay. A mountain towers thereupon, Wherein some fiend of ages gone Is whelmed by God, yet from his breast Spits up the flame, and ashes grey. Hereby Sir Palamede his quest Pursues withouten let or rest. Seeing the evil mountain be, Remembering all his evil years, He knows the Questing Beast runs free— Author of Evil, then, is he! Whereat immediate resounds The noise he hath sought so long: appears There quest a thirty couple hounds Within its belly as it bounds. Lifting his eyes, he sees at la…
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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
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… off, a Gothic spire he spies, That like a gladiator towers Its spear-sharp splendour to the skies. The people cluster round, acclaim : “Sir Knight, good knight, thy quest is won. Here dwells the Beast in orient flame, Spring-sweet, and swifter than the sun!” Sir Palamede the Saracen Spurs to the shrine, afire to win The end; and all the urgent men Throng with him eloquently in. Sir Palamede his vizor drops; He lays his loyal lance in rest; He drives the rowels home—he stops! Faugh! but a black-mouthed money-chest! 63
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40 XV Sir PaLaMeEDE the Saracen Hath come to an umbrageous land Where nymphs abide, and Pagan men. The Gods are nigh, say they, at hand. How warma throb from Venus stirs The pulses of her worshippers ! Nor shall the Tuscan God be found Reluctant from the altar-stone : His perfume shall delight the ground, His presence to his folk be known In darkling grove and glimmering shrine— O ply the kiss and pour the wine! Sir Palamede is fairly come Into a place of glowing bowers, Where all the Voice of Time is dumb: Before an altar crowned with flowers …
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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
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44 Buzzing some streamlet through a wood. Sir Palamede grows mighty wroth, And mutters maledictions rude, Seeing his quarry far and loth And thieves despoiling all the bait. Now, careless of the knightly oath, The sun pours down his eastern gate. The chase is over: see ye then, Coursing afar, afoam at fate, Sir Palamede the Saracen !
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… and rose upon his shield? The strange knight spurs to him. Disdain Curls the proud lip as he uplifts His vizor. ‘Come, an end! In vain, Sir Fox, thy thousand turns and shifts!” Sir Palamede was white with fear. Lord Christ! those features were his own; His own that voice so icy clear That cuts him, cuts him to the bone. “False knight! false knight!” the stranger cried. “ Thou bastard dog, Sir Palamede? Iam the good knight fain to ride Upon the Questing Beast at need. 99
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92 How weak Sir Palamedes grows! We hear no more of bouts and blows! His weapons are his ten good toes! He that was Arthur's peer, good knight Proven in many a foughten fight, Flees like a felon in the night! Ay! this thy quest is past the ken Of thee and of all mortal men, Sir Palamede the Saracen !
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…him stands and grins A motley hunchback. “Knave!” quoth he, “Hast seen the Beast? The quest that wins The loftiest prize of chivalry >?” Sir Knight,” he answers, “hast thou seen Aught of that Beast? How knowest thou, then, That it is ever or hath been, Sir Palamede the Saracen?” Sir Palamede was well awake. “Nay! I deliberate deep and long, Yet find no answer fit to make To thee. The weak beats down the strong; The fool’s cap shames the helm. But thou! I know thee for the shade that haunts My way, sets shame upon my brow, My purpose dims, my co…
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SIR PALAMEDES, THE SARACEN KNIGHT xxv, Upon the Pacific Ocean, he, thinking that It is not-Self, throweth himself into the sea. But the Beast setteth him ashore. xxvi. Rowed by Kanakas to Japan, he praiseth the stability of Fuji-Yama. But, an earthquake arising, the pilgrims are swallowed up. xxvii. Upon the Yang-tze-kiang he contemplateth immortal change. Yet, perceiving that the changes themselves constitute stability, he is again baulked, and biddeth his men bear him to Egypt. xxviii. In an Egyptian temple he hath performed the Bloody Sacrif…
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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 subtle quest at last I ken.” Rides off to Camelot to plight The faith of many a noble knight, Sir Palamede the Saracen. 57
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XVII Sir PaLaMeDE hath told the tale Of this misfortune to a sage, How all his ventures nought avail, And all his hopes dissolve in rage. “Now by thine holy beard,” quoth he, “ And by thy venerable age I charge thee this my riddle ree.” Then said that gentle eremite: “This task is easy unto me! Know then the Questing Beast aright! One is the Beast, the Questing one: And one with one is two, Sir Knight! Yet these are one in two, and none Disjoins their substance (mark me well !), Confounds their persons. Rightly run Their attributes: immeasurabl…
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22 VII BeHotp Sir Lancelot of the Lake Breasting the stony screes : behold How breath must fail and muscle ache Before he reach the icy fold That Palamede the Saracen Within its hermitage may hold. At last he cometh to a den Perched high upon the savage scaur, Remote from every haunt of men, From every haunt of life afar. There doth he find Sir Palamede Sitting as steadfast as a star. Scarcely he knew the knight indeed, For he was compassed in a beard White as the streams of snow that feed The lake of Gods and men revered That sitteth upon Cauc…
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…loweth he the forest ways, Remembering his knightly oath, And through the hot and dripping days Ploughs through the tangled undergrowth. Sir Palamede the Saracen Came on a forest pool at length, Remote from any mart of men, Where there disported in his strength The lone and lordly elephant. Sir Palamede his forehead beat. “O amorous! O militant! O lord of this arboreal seat!” Thus worshipped he, and stalking stole Into the Presence: he emerged. The scent awakes the uneasy soul Of that Majestic One: upsurged 29
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32 And thereto at the end is Hell. Believe! And why believe? Because It is a thing impossible.” Sir Palamede his pulses pause. “It is not possible” (quod he) “That Palamede is wroth, and draws His sword, decapitating thee. By parity of argument This deed of blood must surely be.” With that he suddenly besprent All Scythia with the sage’s blood, And laughing in his woe he went Unto a further field and flood, Aye guided by that wizard’s head, That like a windy moon did scud Before him, winking eyes of red And snapping jaws of white: but then What…
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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 …