_How Sir Launcelot was carried in a 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 an half, honestly
arrayed, and fair fared 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 him two knights
adventurous. The one was Breuse Sance 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 they came hurling under the castle where as Sir
Launcelot lay in a window, and 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
his 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 hands, and so he lept unto Sir Breuse,
and gave him such a buffet upon the head that he tumbled backward over
his horse 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 strake 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 on horseback and on foot: and then
Sir Launcelot was ware where one alight, and tied his horse to a tree,
and leaned his spear against the tree.