Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XII CHAPTER II

CHAPTER II

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
Pit, 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.