Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XIII CHAPTER XVIII

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 CHAPTER XVIII
 
 How Sir Launcelot, half sleeping and half waking, saw a
 sick man borne in a litter, and how he was healed with
 the Sangreal.
 
 
 AND so he fell asleep; and half waking and sleeping he
 saw come by him two palfreys all fair and white, the
 which bare a litter, therein lying a sick knight.  And
 when he was nigh the cross he there abode still.  All this
 Sir Launcelot saw and beheld, for he slept not verily;
 and he heard him say:  O sweet Lord, when shall this
 sorrow leave me? and when shall the holy vessel come by
 me, wherethrough I shall be blessed?  For I have endured
 thus long, for little trespass.  A full great while
 complained the knight thus, and always Sir Launcelot heard
 it.  With that Sir Launcelot saw the candlestick with
 the six tapers come before the cross, and he saw nobody
 that brought it.  Also there came a table of silver, and
 the holy vessel of the Sangreal, which Launcelot had
 seen aforetime in King Pescheour's house.  And therewith
 the sick knight set him up, and held up both his
 hands, and said:  Fair sweet Lord, which is here within
 this holy vessel; take heed unto me that I may be whole
 of this malady.  And therewith on his hands and on
 his knees he went so nigh that he touched the holy
 vessel and kissed it, and anon he was whole; and then he
 said:  Lord God, I thank thee, for I am healed of this
 sickness.
 
 So when the holy vessel had been there a great
 while it went unto the chapel with the chandelier and
 the light, so that Launcelot wist not where it was
 become; for he was overtaken with sin that he had
 no power to rise again the holy vessel; wherefore after
 that many men said of him shame, but he took repentance
 after that.  Then the sick knight dressed him up
 and kissed the cross; anon his squire brought him his
 arms, and asked his lord how he did.  Certes, said he,
 I thank God right well, through the holy vessel I am
 healed.  But I have marvel of this sleeping knight that
 had no power to awake when this holy vessel was
 brought hither.  I dare right well say, said the squire,
 that he dwelleth in some deadly sin whereof he was
 never confessed.  By my faith, said the knight, whatsomever
 he be he is unhappy, for as I deem he is of the
 fellowship of the Round Table, the which is entered
 into the quest of the Sangreal.  Sir, said the squire,
 here I have brought you all your arms save your helm
 and your sword, and therefore by mine assent now may
 ye take this knight's helm and his sword: and so he
 did.  And when he was clean armed he took Sir
 Launcelot's horse, for he was better than his; and so
 departed they from the cross.