does not touch him or wake him up; rather does
she mount her horse again, and going back to the others, tells them
tearfully of her adventure. I do not know if I ought to delay to tell
you of the grief she showed; but thus she spoke weeping to her mistress:
"My lady, I have found Yvain, who has proved himself to be the best
knight in the world, and the most virtuous. I cannot imagine what sin
has reduced the gentleman to such a plight. I think he must have had
some misfortune, which causes him thus to demean himself, for one may
lose his wits through grief. And any one can see that he is not in his
right mind, for it would surely never be like him to conduct himself
thus indecently unless he had lost his mind. Would that God had restored
to him the best sense he ever had, and would that he might then consent
to render assistance to your cause! For Count Alier, who is at war with
you, has made upon you a fierce attack. I should see the strife between
you two quickly settled in your favour if God favoured your fortunes
so that he should return to his senses and undertake to aid you in this
stress." To this the lady made reply: "Take care now! For surely, if he
does not escape, with God's help I think we can clear his head of all
the madness and insanity. But we must be on our way at once! For I
recall a certain ointment with which Morgan the Wise presented me,
saying there was no delirium of the head which it would not cure."
Thereupon, they go off at once toward the town, which was hard by, for
it was not any more than half a league of the kind they have in that
country; and, as compared with ours, two of their leagues make one and
four make two. And he remains sleeping all alone, while the lady goes
to fetch the ointment. The lady opens a case of hers, and, taking out a
box, gives it to the damsel, and charges her not to be too prodigal in
its use: she should rub only his temples with it, for there is no use of
applying it elsewhere; she should anoint only his temples with it, and
the remainder she should carefully keep, for there is nothing the matter
with him except in his brain. She sends him also a robe of spotted fur,
a coat, and a mantle of scarlet silk. The damsel takes them, and leads
in her right hand an excellent palfrey. And she added to these, of her
own store, a shirt, some soft hose, and some new drawers of proper cut.
With all these things she quickly set out, and found him still asleep
where she had left h