ave comfort and nourishment."

So they lifted Sir Launcelot with great gentleness, and they bare him
away from that place, and they brought him to the hut of that hermit
where he had been healed aforetime when he had received that grievous
wound in the tournament at Astolat.

* * * * *

So the hermit received Sir Launcelot and wist not who he was. For though
he beheld that here was a man of mighty girth and stature, yet was the
great champion so changed by his madness and by his continued fasting in
the forest that even his nearest friends might not know him.
Nevertheless, though the hermit knew him not, yet he had them lay that
forest madman upon a cot in his cell, and he searched that wound in the
madman's thigh and bathed it with tepid water, and anointed it with
balm and bound it up with bands of smooth white linen, so that that
wound was in all ways well searched and dressed.

[Sidenote: _The madman lyeth in the hermit's cell._]

And the hermit looked upon Sir Launcelot and beheld that he was all
gaunt and hollow with hunger and he said: "If this poor mad creature is
not fed, he will die in a little while." So when Sir Launcelot had
revived him from that swoon, the good old man fetched milk and white
bread and offered them to the sick man. But he would not touch that
food. For, though he was dying of hunger, yet he loathed that food
because of his madness.

So Sir Launcelot lay there wounded and famishing and the hermit wist not
what to do to make him eat. And he lay in that wise for three days and
ever the hermit watched him and tried to make him partake of food, and
ever the madman would fling away from the food that was offered him.

[Sidenote: _The madman escapeth from the cell of the hermit._]

Now upon the fourth day, the hermit being at his orisons in the chapel,
Sir Launcelot made assay to rise, and in spite of his weakness, he did
arise. And having thus arisen, he found strength in some wise for to
crawl out of the hut of the hermit, and the hermit at his prayers wist
not that the wounded man was gone. And after that Sir Launcelot crept
away into the forest and so hid himself, very cunningly, like to a wild
creature, so that, though the hermit searched for him ever so closely,
yet he was not able to find him. And the hermit said: "Alas for this!
For certes this poor madman will die of his wound and of starvation all
alone here in the forest, and no one can bring him s