{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart340.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart340.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart340.htm","text":"CHAPTER I\nHow Sir Launcelot in his madness took a sword and fought\nwith a knight, and leapt in a bed.\nAND now leave we of a while of Sir Ector and of Sir\nPercivale, and speak we of Sir Launcelot that suffered and\nendured many sharp showers, that ever ran wild wood\nfrom place to place, and lived by fruit and such as he\nmight get, and drank water two year; and other clothing\nhad he but little but his shirt and his breech. Thus as\nSir Launcelot wandered here and there he came in a fair\nmeadow where he found a pavilion; and there by, upon\na tree, there hung a white shield, and two swords hung\nthereby, and two spears leaned there by a tree. And\nwhen Sir Launcelot saw the swords, anon he leapt to the\none sword, and took it in his hand, and drew it out. And\nthen he lashed at the shield, that all the meadow rang of\nthe dints, that he gave such a noise as ten knights had\nfoughten together.\nThen came forth a dwarf, and leapt unto Sir Launcelot,\nand would have had the sword out of his hand. And\nthen Sir Launcelot took him by the both shoulders and\nthrew him to the ground upon his neck, that he had\nalmost broken his neck; and therewithal the dwarf cried\nhelp. Then came forth a likely knight, and well\napparelled in scarlet furred with minever. And anon as\nhe saw Sir Launcelot he deemed that he should be out of\nhis wit. And then he said with fair speech: Good man,\nlay down that sword, for as meseemeth thou hadst more\nneed of sleep and of warm clothes than to wield that\nsword. As for that, said Sir Launcelot, come not too\nnigh, for an thou do, wit thou well I will slay thee.\nAnd when the knight of the pavilion saw that, he\nstert backward within the pavilion. And then the dwarf\narmed him lightly; and so the knight thought by force\nand might to take the sword from Sir Launcelot, and so\nhe came stepping out; and when Sir Launcelot saw him\ncome so all armed with his sword in his hand, then Sir\nLauncelot flew to him with such a might, and hit him\nupon the helm such a buffet, that the stroke troubled his\nbrains, and therewith the sword brake in three. And the\nknight fell to the earth as he had been dead, the blood\nbrasting out of his mouth, the nose, and the ears. And\nthen Sir Launcelot ran into the pavilion, and rushed even\ninto the warm bed; and there was a lady in that bed, and\nshe gat her smock, and ran out of the pavilion. And when\nshe saw her lord lie at the ground like to be dead, then\nshe cried and wept as she had been mad. Then with her\nnoise the knight awaked out of his swoon, and looked up\nweakly with his eyes; and then he asked her, where was\nthat mad man that had given him such a buffet: For\nsuch a buffet had I never of man's hand. Sir, said the\ndwarf, it is not worship to hurt him, for he is a man out\nof his wit; and doubt ye not he hath been a man of great\nworship, and for some heartly sorrow that he hath taken,\nhe is fallen mad; and me beseemeth, said the dwarf, he\nresembleth much unto Sir Launcelot, for him I saw at the\ngreat tournament beside Lonazep. Jesu defend, said\nthat knight, that ever that noble knight, Sir Launcelot,\nshould be in such a plight; but whatsomever he be, said\nthat knight, harm will I none do him: and this knight's\nname was Bliant. Then he said unto the dwarf: Go\nthou fast on horseback, unto my brother Sir Selivant, that\nis at the Castle Blank, and tell him of mine adventure,\nand bid him bring with him an horse litter, and then will\nwe bear this knight unto my castle.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XII CHAPTER I","type":"page"}