'A strange beast, the Unicorn, liveth, and it doth in such honour keep The heart of a spotless maiden that it oft at her knee will sleep. And the heart of that beast we took us, and we took us the red-fire stone 855 That lies 'neath its horn, if the king's wound might its healing virtue own. And we laid on the wound the carbuncle, and we put it the wound within, Yet still was the sore empoisoned nor aid from the stone might win!' 'And sore with the king we sorrowed--Then a magic herb we found, (Men say, from the blood of a dragon it springeth from out the ground,) 860 With the stars, and the wind, and the heaven, close-bound, doth it win its power, Lest perchance, by the flight of the dragon, when the stars bring the circling hour, And the moon draweth near to her changing, (for sorer then grows the pain,) The herb might our grief have aided--Yet its magic we sought in vain!' 'Then the knights of the Grail knelt lowly, and for help to the Grail they prayed, 865 And, behold! the mystic writing, and a promise it brought of aid, For a knight should come to the castle, and so soon as he asked the king Of the woe that so sorely pained him his question should healing bring. But let them beware, man or maiden, or child, should they warn the knight Of his task, he no healing bringeth, greater waxeth the sorrow's might. 870 And the writing it ran, 'Ye shall mark this, forewarning shall bring but ill, And in the first night of his coming must the healer his task fulfil, Or the question shall lose its virtue; but if at the chosen hour He shall speak, _his_ shall be the kingdom, and the evil hath lost its power. So the hand of the Highest sendeth to Anfortas the end of woe, 875 Yet _King_ shall he be no longer tho' healing and bliss he know.'