บทที่ บทที่ 342 · How Sir Lancelot was carried in an horse litter, and how

. How Sir Lancelot was carried in an 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 a half, honestly

arrayed and fair faren 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 with him two knights adventurous, the one was Breuse Saunce

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 as they came hurling under

the castle whereas Sir Launcelot lay in a window, [he] 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 the 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 hand; and so

he leapt unto Sir Breuse, and gave him such a buffet upon the head that

he tumbled backward over his horse’s 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 struck

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 upon horseback and some upon

foot; and then Sir Launcelot was ware where one alighted and tied his

horse to a tree, and leaned his spear against the tree.