{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart441.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart441.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart441.htm","text":"CHAPTER XII\nHow Sir Launcelot and Sir Lavaine departed out of the\nfield, and in what jeopardy Launcelot was.\nMERCY Jesu, said Sir Gawaine to Arthur, I marvel what\nknight that he is with the red sleeve. Sir, said King\nArthur, he will be known or he depart. And then the\nking blew unto lodging, and the prize was given by\nheralds unto the knight with the white shield that bare\nthe red sleeve. Then came the King with the Hundred\nKnights, the King of Northgalis, and the King of Northumberland,\nand Sir Galahad, the haut prince, and said\nunto Sir Launcelot: Fair knight, God thee bless, for\nmuch have ye done this day for us, therefore we pray you\nthat ye will come with us that ye may receive the honour\nand the prize as ye have worshipfully deserved it. My\nfair lords, said Sir Launcelot, wit you well if I have deserved\nthanks I have sore bought it, and that me repenteth, for\nI am like never to escape with my life; therefore, fair\nlords, I pray you that ye will suffer me to depart where\nme liketh, for I am sore hurt. I take none force of none\nhonour, for I had liefer to repose me than to be lord of\nall the world. And therewithal he groaned piteously, and\nrode a great wallop away-ward from them until he came\nunder a wood's side.\nAnd when he saw that he was from the field nigh a\nmile, that he was sure he might not be seen, then he said\nwith an high voice: O gentle knight, Sir Lavaine, help me\nthat this truncheon were out of my side, for it sticketh so\nsore that it nigh slayeth me. O mine own lord, said Sir\nLavaine, I would fain do that might please you, but I\ndread me sore an I pull out the truncheon that ye shall be\nin peril of death. I charge you, said Sir Launcelot, as ye\nlove me, draw it out. And therewithal he descended from\nhis horse, and right so did Sir Lavaine; and forthwithal\nSir Lavaine drew the truncheon out of his side, and he\ngave a great shriek and a marvellous grisly groan, and the\nblood brast out nigh a pint at once, that at the last he\nsank down upon his buttocks, and so swooned pale and\ndeadly. Alas, said Sir Lavaine, what shall I do? And\nthen he turned Sir Launcelot into the wind, but so he lay\nthere nigh half an hour as he had been dead.\nAnd so at the last Sir Launcelot cast up his eyes, and\nsaid: O Lavaine, help me that I were on my horse, for\nhere is fast by within this two mile a gentle hermit that\nsometime was a full noble knight and a great lord of\npossessions. And for great goodness he hath taken him\nto wilful poverty, and forsaken many lands, and his name\nis Sir Baudwin of Brittany, and he is a full noble surgeon\nand a good leech. Now let see, help me up that I were\nthere, for ever my heart giveth me that I shall never die\nof my cousin-germain's hands. And then with great pain\nSir Lavaine halp him upon his horse. And then they\nrode a great wallop together, and ever Sir Launcelot bled\nthat it ran down to the earth; and so by fortune they\ncame to that hermitage the which was under a wood, and\na great cliff on the other side, and a fair water running\nunder it. And then Sir Lavaine beat on the gate with\nthe butt of his spear, and cried fast: Let in for Jesu's\nsake.\nAnd there came a fair child to them, and asked them\nwhat they would. Fair son, said Sir Lavaine, go and pray\nthy lord, the hermit, for God's sake to let in here a knight\nthat is full sore wounded; and this day tell thy lord I saw\nhim do more deeds of arms than ever I heard say that any\nman did. So the child went in lightly, and then he brought\nthe hermit, the which was a passing good man. When Sir\nLavaine saw him he prayed him for God's sake of succour.\nWhat knight is he? said the hermit. Is he of the house\nof King Arthur, or not? I wot not, said Sir Lavaine,\nwhat is he, nor what is his name, but well I wot I saw him\ndo marvellously this day as of deeds of arms. On whose\nparty was he? said the hermit. Sir, said Sir Lavaine, he\nwas this day against King Arthur, and there he won the\nprize of all the knights of the Round Table. I have seen\nthe day, said the hermit, I would have loved him the\nworse because he was against my lord, King Arthur, for\nsometime I was one of the fellowship of the Round Table,\nbut I thank God now I am otherwise disposed. But\nwhere is he? let me see him. Then Sir Lavaine brought\nthe hermit to him.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XVIII CHAPTER XII","type":"page"}