_How Sir Launcelot armed him to assay if he might bear arms, and how
his wound burst out again._
Then Sir Bors told Sir Launcelot how there was sworn a great tournament
and justs betwixt king Arthur and the king of Northgalis, that should
be on Allhallowmass day, beside Winchester. Is that truth? said Sir
Launcelot, then shall ye abide with me still a little while, until that
I be whole, for I feel myself right big and strong. Blessed be God,
said Sir Bors. Then were they there nigh a month together; and ever
this maiden Elaine did ever her diligent labour, night and day, unto
Sir Launcelot, that there was never child nor wife more meeker to
father and husband, than was that fair maiden of Astolat. Wherefore Sir
Bors was greatly pleased with her. So upon a day, by the assent of Sir
Launcelot, Sir Bors and Sir Lavaine they made the hermit to seek in
woods for divers herbs. And so Sir Launcelot made fair Elaine to gather
herbs for him, to make him a bath. In the mean while, Sir Launcelot
made him to arm him at all pieces, and there he thought to assay his
armour and his spear, for his hurt or not. And so when he was upon his
horse, he stirred him fiercely, and the horse was passing lusty and
fresh, because he was not laboured a month before. And then Sir
Launcelot couched that spear in the rest: that courser lept mightily
when he felt the spurs; and he that was upon him, the which was the
noblest horse of the world, strained him mightily and stably, and kept
still the spear in the rest. And therewith Sir Launcelot strained
himself so straitly, with so great force, to get the horse forward,
that the bottom of the wound brast, both within and without, and
therewithal the blood came out so fiercely that he felt himself so
feeble that he might not sit upon his horse. And then Sir Launcelot
cried unto Sir Bors, Ah, Sir Bors, and Sir Lavaine, help, for I am come
to mine end. And therewith he fell down on the one side to the earth,
like a dead corpse. And then Sir Bors and Sir Lavaine came to him, with
sorrow making out of measure. And so by fortune the maiden Elaine heard
their mourning, and then she came thither. And when she found Sir
Launcelot there armed in that place, she cried and wept as she had been
wood, and then she kissed him, and did what she might to awake him. And
then she rebuked her brother and Sir Bors, and called them false
traitors, why they would take him out of his bed; then she cried, and
said she would appeal them of his death. With this came the holy
hermit, Sir Baudewin of Britanny; and when he found Sir Launcelot in
that plight he said but little, but wit ye well he was wroth; and then
he bade them, Let us have him in. And so they all bare him unto the
hermitage, and unarmed him, and laid him in his bed, and evermore his
wound bled piteously, but he stirred no limb of him. Then the knight
hermit put a thing in his nose, and a little deal of water in his
mouth, and then Sir Launcelot waked of his swoon, and then the hermit
stanched his bleeding. And when he might speak, he asked Sir Launcelot
why he put his life in jeopardy. Sir, said Sir Launcelot, because I
wend I had been strong, and also Sir Bors told me that there should be
at Allhallowmass a great justs betwixt king Arthur and the king of
Northgalis, and therefore I thought to assay it myself, whether I might
be there or not. Ah, Sir Launcelot, said the hermit, your heart and
your courage will never be done until your last day, but ye shall do
now by my counsel; let Sir Bors depart from you, and let him do at that
tournament what he may, and by the grace of God, said the knight
hermit, by that the tournament be done, and ye come hither again, Sir
Launcelot shall be as whole as ye, so that he will be governed by me.