Le Morte Darthur
well apparelled in scarlet furred with meniver. And anon as he saw Sir
Launcelot, he deemed that he should be out of his wit: and then he said
with fair speech, Good man, lay down that sword, for, as me seemeth,
thou hast more need of sleep, and of warm clothes, than to wield that
sword. As for that, said Sir Launcelot, come not too nigh; for, and
thou do, wit thou well I will slay thee. And when the knight of the
pavilion saw that, he start backward within the pavilion. And then the
dwarf armed him lightly, and so the knight thought by force and might
to take the sword from Sir Launcelot, and so he came stepping out, and
when Sir Launcelot saw him come so all armed with his sword in his
hand, then Sir Launcelot flew to him with such a might, and hit him
upon the helm such a buffet that the stroke troubled his brains, and
therewith the sword brake in three. And the knight fell to the earth as
he had been dead, the blood blasting out of his mouth, the nose, and
the ears. And then Sir Launcelot ran into the pavilion, and rushed even
into the warm bed: and there was a lady in that bed, and she gat her
smock, and ran out of the pavilion. And when she saw her lord lie on
the ground like to be dead, then she cried and wept as she had been
mad. Then with her noise the knight awaked out of his swoon, and looked
up weakly with his eyes, and then he asked her where was that mad man
that had given him such a buffet? for such a buffet had I never of
man’s hand. Sir, said the dwarf, it is not worship to hurt him, for he
is a man out of his wit, and doubt ye not he hath been a man of great
worship, and for some heartly sorrow that he hath taken he is fallen
mad: and me seemeth, said the dwarf, he resembleth much unto Sir
Launcelot; for him I saw at the great tournament beside Lonazep. Jesu
defend, said that knight, that ever that noble knight Sir Launcelot
should be in such a plight. But whatsoever he be, said that knight,
harm will I none do him. And this knight’s name was Bliant. Then he
said unto the dwarf. Go thou fast on horseback unto my brother Sir
Selivant, that is at the Castle Blank, and tell him of mine adventure,
and bid him bring with him an horse-litter, and then will we bear this
knight unto my castle.
CHAP. II.
_How Sir Launcelot was carried in a horse-litter, and how Sir Launcelot
rescued Sir Bliant his host._
So the dwarf rode fast, and he came again and brought Sir Selivant with
him, and six men with an horse-litter. And so they took up the
feather-bed with Sir Launcelot, and so carried all away with them unto
the Castle Blank, and he never awaked till he was within the castle.
And then they bound his hands and his feet, and gave him good meats and
good drinks, and brought him again to his strength and his fairness,
but in his wit they could not bring him again, nor to know himself.
Thus was Sir Launcelot there more than a year and an half, honestly
arrayed, and fair fared withal. Then upon a day this lord of that
castle, Sir Bliant, took his arms on horseback with a spear to seek
adventures. And as he rode in a forest there met him two knights
adventurous. The one was Breuse Sance Pité, and his brother, Sir
Bertelot, and these two ran both at once upon Sir Bliant, and brake
their spears upon his body. And then they drew out swords, and made
great battle, and fought long together. But at the last Sir Bliant was
sore wounded, and felt himself faint, and then he fled on horseback
toward his castle. And they came hurling under the castle where as Sir
Launcelot lay in a window, and saw how two knights laid upon Sir Bliant
with their swords. And when Sir Launcelot saw that, yet as wood as he
was, he was sorry for his lord Sir Bliant. And then Sir Launcelot brake
his chains from his legs and off his arms, and in the breaking he hurt
his hands sore: and so Sir Launcelot ran out at a postern, and there he
met with the two knights that chased Sir Bliant, and there he pulled
down Sir Bertelot with his bare hands from his horse, and therewithal
he wrothe his sword out of his hands, and so he lept unto Sir Breuse,
and gave him such a buffet upon the head that he tumbled backward over
his horse croup. And when Sir Bertelot saw there his brother have such
a fall, he gat a spear in his hand, and would have run Sir Launcelot
through. That saw Sir Bliant, and strake off the hand of Sir Bertelot:
and then Sir Breuse and Sir Bertelot gat their horses and fled away.
When Sir Selivant came, and saw what Sir Launcelot had done for his
brother, then he thanked God, and so did his brother, that ever they
did him any good. But when Sir Bliant saw that Sir Launcelot was hurt
with the breaking of his irons, then was he heavy that ever he bound
him. Bind him no more, said Sir Selivant, for he is happy and gracious.
Then they made great joy of Sir Launcelot, and they bound him no more.
And so he abode there an half year and more. And on the morn early, Sir
Launcelot was ware where came a great boar with many hounds nigh him.
But the boar was so big there might no hounds tear him, and the hunters
came after blowing their horns, both on horseback and on foot: and then
Sir Launcelot was ware where one alight, and tied his horse to a tree,
and leaned his spear against the tree.
CHAP. III.
_How Sir Launcelot fought against a boar and slew him, and how he was
hurt, and brought unto an hermitage._
So came Sir Launcelot, and found the horse bounden till a tree, and a
spear leaning against a tree, and a sword tied to the saddle bow. And
then Sir Launcelot lept into the saddle, and gat that spear in his
hand, and then he rode after the boar. And then Sir Launcelot was ware
where the boar set his back to a tree, fast by an hermitage. Then Sir
Launcelot ran at the boar with his spear. And therewith the boar turned
him nimbly, and rove out the lungs and the heart of the horse, so that
Launcelot fell to the earth, and or ever Sir Launcelot might get from
the horse, the boar rove him on the brawn of the thigh, up to the hough
bone. And then Sir Launcelot was wroth, and up he gat upon his feet,
and drew his sword, and he smote off the boar’s head at one stroke. And
therewithal came out the hermit, and saw him have such a wound: then
the hermit came to Sir Launcelot and bemoaned him, and would have had
him home unto his hermitage. But when Sir Launcelot heard him speak, he
was so wroth with his wound that he ran upon the hermit to have slain
him, and the hermit ran away, and when Sir Launcelot might not overget
him he threw his sword after him, for Sir Launcelot might go no farther
for bleeding. Then the hermit turned again, and asked Sir Launcelot how
he was hurt. Fellow, said Sir Launcelot, this boar hath bitten me sore.
Then come with me, said the hermit, and I shall heal you. Go thy way,
said Sir Launcelot, and deal not with me. Then the hermit ran his way,
and there he met with a good knight with many men. Sir, said the
hermit, here is fast by my place the goodliest man that ever I saw, and
he is sore wounded with a boar, and yet he hath slain the boar. But
well I wot, said the hermit, and he be not holpen, that goodly man
shall die of that wound, and that were great pity. Then that knight, at
the desire of the hermit, gat a cart, and in that cart that knight put
the boar and Sir Launcelot, for Sir Launcelot was so feeble that they
might right easily deal with him. And so Sir Launcelot was brought unto
the hermitage, and there the hermit healed him of his wound. But the
hermit might not find Sir Launcelot’s sustenance, and so he impaired
and waxed feeble, both of his body and of his wit, for the default of
his sustenance: he waxed more wooder than he was aforehand. And then,
upon a day. Sir Launcelot ran his way into the forest, and by adventure
he came to the city of Corbin where dame Elaine was, that bare Galahad,
Sir Launcelot’s son. And so when he was entered into the town, he ran
through the town to the castle, and then all the young men of that city
ran after Sir Launcelot, and there they threw turves at him, and gave
him many sad strokes. And ever as Sir Launcelot might overreach any of
them he threw them, so that they would never come in his hands no more,
for of some he brake the legs and arms, and so fled into the castle,
and then came out knights and squires and rescued Sir Launcelot. And
when they beheld him, and looked upon his person, they thought they saw
never so goodly a man. And when they saw so many wounds upon him, all
they deemed that he had been a man of worship. And then they ordained
him clothes to his body, and straw underneath him, and a little house.
And then every day they would throw him meat, and set him drink, but
there was but few would bring meat to his hands.
CHAP. IV.
_How Sir Launcelot was known by dame Elaine, and was borne into a
chamber, and after healed by the Sangreal._
So it befel, that king Pelles had a nephew, his name was Castor, and so
he desired of the king to be made knight, and so at the request of this
Castor, the king made him knight at the feast of Candlemas. And when
Sir Castor was made knight, that same day he gave many gowns. And then
Sir Castor sent for the fool, that was Sir Launcelot. And when he was
come afore Sir Castor, he gave Sir Launcelot a robe of scarlet and all
that belonged unto him. And when Sir Launcelot was so arrayed like a
knight, he was the seemliest man in all the court, and none so well
made. So when he saw his time he went into the garden, and there Sir
Launcelot laid him down by a well and slept. And so at afternoon, dame
Elaine and her maidens came into the garden to play them, and as they
roamed up and down, one of dame Elaine’s maidens espied where lay a
goodly man by the well sleeping, and anon shewed him to dame Elaine.
Peace, said dame Elaine, and say no word; and then she brought dame
Elaine where he lay. And when that she beheld him, anon she fell in
remembrance of him, and knew him verily for Sir Launcelot, and
therewithal she fell on weeping so heartily that she sank even to the
earth. And when she had thus wept a great while, then she arose and
called her maidens, and said she was sick. And so she went out of the
garden, and she went straight to her father, and there she took him
apart by herself, and then she said, Oh father, now have I need of your
help, and but if that ye help me, farewell my good days for ever. What
is that, daughter? said king Pelles. Sir, she said, thus is it: in your
garden I went for to sport, and there by the well I found Sir Launcelot
du Lake sleeping. I may not believe that, said king Pelles. Sir, she
said, truly he is there, and me seemeth he should be distract out of
his wit. Then hold you still, said the king, and let me deal. Then the
king called to him such as he most trusted, a four persons, and dame
Elaine his daughter. And when they came to the well and beheld Sir
Launcelot, anon dame Brisen knew him. Sir, said dame Brisen, we must be
wise how we deal with him, for this knight is out of his mind, and if
we awake him rudely, what he will do we all know not. But ye shall
abide, and I shall throw such an enchantment upon him that he shall not
awake within the space of an hour; and so she did. Then within a little
while after king Pelles commanded that all people should avoid, that
none should be in that way there as the king would come. And so when
this was done, these four men and these ladies laid hand on Sir
Launcelot. And so they bare him into a tower, and so into a chamber
where was the holy vessel of the Sancgreal, and by force Sir Launcelot
was laid by that holy vessel, and there came a holy man and uncovered
that vessel, and so by miracle, and by virtue of that holy vessel, Sir