Bab Bab 343 · How Sir Launcelot fought against a boar and slew him, and

. 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 leapt 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 arse 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

further 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 the 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 him meat to his hands.