_How Sir Launcelot fought against a boar and slew him, and how he was
hurt, and brought unto an hermitage._
So came Sir Launcelot, and found the horse bounden till a tree, and a
spear leaning against a tree, and a sword tied to the saddle bow. And
then Sir Launcelot lept into the saddle, and gat that spear in his
hand, and then he rode after the boar. And then Sir Launcelot was ware
where the boar set his back to a tree, fast by an hermitage. Then Sir
Launcelot ran at the boar with his spear. And therewith the boar turned
him nimbly, and rove out the lungs and the heart of the horse, so that
Launcelot fell to the earth, and or ever Sir Launcelot might get from
the horse, the boar rove him on the brawn of the thigh, up to the hough
bone. And then Sir Launcelot was wroth, and up he gat upon his feet,
and drew his sword, and he smote off the boar’s head at one stroke. And
therewithal came out the hermit, and saw him have such a wound: then
the hermit came to Sir Launcelot and bemoaned him, and would have had
him home unto his hermitage. But when Sir Launcelot heard him speak, he
was so wroth with his wound that he ran upon the hermit to have slain
him, and the hermit ran away, and when Sir Launcelot might not overget
him he threw his sword after him, for Sir Launcelot might go no farther
for bleeding. Then the hermit turned again, and asked Sir Launcelot how
he was hurt. Fellow, said Sir Launcelot, this boar hath bitten me sore.
Then come with me, said the hermit, and I shall heal you. Go thy way,
said Sir Launcelot, and deal not with me. Then the hermit ran his way,
and there he met with a good knight with many men. Sir, said the
hermit, here is fast by my place the goodliest man that ever I saw, and
he is sore wounded with a boar, and yet he hath slain the boar. But
well I wot, said the hermit, and he be not holpen, that goodly man
shall die of that wound, and that were great pity. Then that knight, at
the desire of the hermit, gat a cart, and in that cart that knight put
the boar and Sir Launcelot, for Sir Launcelot was so feeble that they
might right easily deal with him. And so Sir Launcelot was brought unto
the hermitage, and there the hermit healed him of his wound. But the
hermit might not find Sir Launcelot’s sustenance, and so he impaired
and waxed feeble, both of his body and of his wit, for the default of
his sustenance: he waxed more wooder than he was aforehand. And then,
upon a day. Sir Launcelot ran his way into the forest, and by adventure
he came to the city of Corbin where dame Elaine was, that bare Galahad,
Sir Launcelot’s son. And so when he was entered into the town, he ran
through the town to the castle, and then all the young men of that city
ran after Sir Launcelot, and there they threw turves at him, and gave
him many sad strokes. And ever as Sir Launcelot might overreach any of
them he threw them, so that they would never come in his hands no more,
for of some he brake the legs and arms, and so fled into the castle,
and then came out knights and squires and rescued Sir Launcelot. And
when they beheld him, and looked upon his person, they thought they saw
never so goodly a man. And when they saw so many wounds upon him, all
they deemed that he had been a man of worship. And then they ordained
him clothes to his body, and straw underneath him, and a little house.
And then every day they would throw him meat, and set him drink, but
there was but few would bring meat to his hands.