CHAPTER VIII

_King Arthur conquers Rome, and is crowned Emperor_

And now again the second time there came ambassadors from Lucius Tiberius,

Emperor of Rome, demanding, under pain of war, tribute and homage from

King Arthur, and the restoration of all Gaul, which he had conquered from

the tribune Flollo.

When they had delivered their message, the king bade them withdraw while

he consulted with his knights and barons what reply to send. Then some of

the younger knights would have slain the ambassadors, saying that their

speech was a rebuke to all who heard the king insulted by it. But when

King Arthur heard that, he ordered none to touch them upon pain of death;

and sending officers, he had them taken to a noble lodging, and there

entertained with the best cheer. "And," said he, "let no dainty be spared,

for the Romans are great lords; and though their message please me not,

yet must I remember mine honour."

Then the lords and knights of the Round Table were called on to declare

their counsel--what should be done upon this matter; and Sir Cador of

Cornwall speaking first, said, "Sir, this message is the best news I have

heard for a long time, for we have been now idle and at rest for many

days, and I trust that thou wilt make sharp war upon the Romans, wherein,

I doubt not, we shall all gain honour."

"I believe well," said Arthur, "that thou art pleased, Sir Cador; but that

is scarce an answer to the Emperor of Rome, and his demand doth grieve me

sorely, for truly I will never pay him tribute; wherefore, lords, I pray

ye counsel me. Now, I have understood that Belinus and Brennius, knights

of Britain, held the Roman Empire in their hands for many days, and also

Constantine, the son of Helen, which is open evidence, not only that we

owe Rome no tribute, but that I, being descended from them, may, of right,

myself claim the empire."

Then said King Anguish of Scotland, "Sir, thou oughtest of right to be

above all other kings, for in all Christendom is there not thine equal;

and I counsel thee never to obey the Romans. For when they reigned here

they grievously distressed us, and put the land to great and heavy

burdens; and here, for my part, I swear to avenge me on them when I may,

and will furnish thee with twenty thousand men-at-arms, whom I will pay

and keep, and who shall wait on thee with me, when it shall please thee."

Then the King of Little Britain rose and promised King Arthur thirty

thousand men; and likewise many other kings, and dukes, and barons,

promised aid--as the lord of West Wales thirty thousand men, Sir Ewaine

and his cousin thirty thousand men, and so forth; Sir Lancelot also, and

every other knight of the Round Table, promised each man a great host.

So the king, passing joyful at their courage and good will, thanked them

all heartily, and sent for the ambassadors again, to hear his answer. "I

will," said he, "that ye now go back straightway unto the Emperor your

master and tell him that I give no heed to his words, for I have conquered

all my kingdoms by the will of God and by my own right arm, and I am

strong enough to keep them, without paying tribute to any earthly

creature. But, on the other hand, I claim both tribute and submission from

himself, and also claim the sovereignty of all his empire, whereto I am

entitled by the right of my own ancestors--sometime kings of this land.

And say to him that I will shortly come to Rome, and by God's grace will

take possession of my empire and subdue all rebels. Wherefore, lastly, I

command him and all the lords of Rome that they forthwith pay me their

homage, under pain of my chastisement and wrath."

Then he commanded his treasurers to give the ambassadors great gifts, and

defray all their charges, and appointed Sir Cador to convey them

worshipfully out of the land.

So when they returned to Rome and came before Lucius, he was sore angry at

their words, and said, "I thought this Arthur would have instantly obeyed

my orders and have served me as humbly as any other king; but because of

his fortune in Gaul, he hath grown insolent."

"Ah, lord," said one of the ambassadors, "refrain from such vain words,

for truly I and all with me were fearful at his royal majesty and angry

countenance. I fear me thou hast made a rod for thee more sharp than thou

hast counted on. He meaneth to be master of this empire; and is another

kind of man than thou supposest, and holdeth the most noble court of all

the world. We saw him on the new year's day, served at his table by nine

kings, and the noblest company of other princes, lords, and knights that

ever was in all the world; and in his person he is the most manly-seeming

man that liveth, and looketh like to conquer all the earth."

Then Lucius sent messengers to all the subject countries of Rome, and

brought together a mighty army, and assembled sixteen kings, and many

dukes, princes, lords, and admirals, and a wondrous great multitude of

people. Fifty giants also, born of fiends, were set around him for a

body-guard. With all that host he straightway went from Rome, and passed

beyond the mountains into Gaul, and burned the towns and ravaged all the

country of that province, in rage for its submission to King Arthur. Then

he moved on towards Little Britain.

Meanwhile, King Arthur having held a parliament at York, left the realm in

charge of Sir Badewine and Sir Constantine, and crossed the sea from

Sandwich to meet Lucius. And so soon as he was landed, he sent Sir Gawain,

Sir Bors, Sir Lionel, and Sir Bedivere to the Emperor, commanding him "to

move swiftly and in haste out of his land, and, if not, to make himself

ready for battle, and not continue ravaging the country and slaying

harmless people." Anon, those noble knights attired themselves and set

forth on horseback to where they saw, in a meadow, many silken tents of

divers colours, and the Emperor's pavilion in the midst, with a golden

eagle set above it.

Then Sir Gawain and Sir Bors rode forward, leaving the other two behind

in ambush, and gave King Arthur's message. To which the Emperor replied,

"Return, and tell your lord that I am come to conquer him and all his

land."

At this, Sir Gawain burned with anger, and cried out, "I had rather than

all France that I might fight with thee alone!"

"And I also," said Sir Bors.

Then a knight named Ganius, a near cousin of the Emperor, laughed out

aloud, and said, "Lo! how these Britons boast and are full of pride,

bragging as though they bare up all the world!"

At these words, Sir Gawain could refrain no longer, but drew forth his

sword and with one blow shore oft Ganius' head; then with Sir Bors, he

turned his horse and rode over waters and through woods, back to the

ambush, where Sir Lionel and Sir Bedivere were waiting. The Romans

followed fast behind them till the knights turned and stood, and then Sir

Bors smote the foremost of them through the body with a spear, and slew

him on the spot. Then came on Calibere, a huge Pavian, but Sir Bors

overthrew him also. And then the company of Sir Lionel and Sir Bedivere

brake from their ambush and fell on the Romans, and slew and hewed them

down, and forced them to return and flee, chasing them to their tents.

But as they neared the camp, a great host more rushed forth, and turned

the battle backwards, and in the turmoil, Sir Bors and Sir Berel fell into

the Romans' hands. When Sir Gawain saw that, he drew his good sword

Galotine, and swore to see King Arthur's face no more if those two knights

were not delivered; and then, with good Sir Idrus, made so sore an

onslaught that the Romans fled and left Sir Bors and Sir Berel to their

friends. So the Britons returned in triumph to King Arthur, having slain

more than ten thousand Romans, and lost no man of worship from amongst

themselves.

When the Emperor Lucius heard of that discomfiture he arose, with all his

army, to crush King Arthur, and met him in the vale of Soissons. Then

speaking to all his host, he said, "Sirs, I admonish you that this day ye

fight and acquit yourselves as men; and remembering how Rome is chief of

all the earth, and mistress of the universal world, suffer not these

barbarous and savage Britons to abide our onset." At that, the trumpets

blew so loud, that the ground trembled and shook.

Then did the rival hosts draw near each other with great shoutings; and

when they closed, no tongue can tell the fury of their smiting, and the

sore struggling, wounds, and slaughter. Then King Arthur, with his

mightiest knights, rode down into the thickest of the fight, and drew

Excalibur, and slew as lightning slays for swiftness and for force. And in

the midmost crowd he met a giant, Galapas by name, and struck off both his

legs at the knee-joints; then saying, "Now art thou a better size to deal

with!" smote his head off at a second blow: and the body killed six men in

falling down.

Anon, King Arthur spied where Lucius fought and worked great deeds of

prowess with his own hands. Forthwith he rode at him, and each attacked

the other passing fiercely; till at the last, Lucius struck King Arthur

with a fearful wound across the face, and Arthur, in return, lifting up

Excalibur on high, drove it with all his force upon the Emperor's head,

shivering his helmet, crashing his head in halves, and splitting his body

to the breast. And when the Romans saw their Emperor dead they fled in

hosts of thousands; and King Arthur and his knights, and all his army

followed them, and slew one hundred thousand men.

Then returning to the field, King Arthur rode to the place where Lucius

lay dead, and round him the kings of Egypt and Ethiopia, and seventeen

other kings, with sixty Roman senators, all noble men. All these he

ordered to be carefully embalmed with aromatic gums, and laid in leaden

coffins, covered with their shields and arms and banners. Then calling for

three senators who were taken prisoners, he said to them, "As the ransom

of your lives, I will that ye take these dead bodies and carry them to

Rome, and there present them for me, with these letters saying I will

myself be shortly there. And I suppose the Romans will beware how they

again ask tribute of me; for tell them, these dead bodies that I send them

are for the tribute they have dared to ask of me; and if they wish for

more, when I come I will pay them the rest."

So, with that charge, the three senators departed with the dead bodies,

and went to Rome; the body of the Emperor being carried in a chariot

blazoned with the arms of the empire, all alone, and the bodies of the

kings two and two in chariots following.

After the battle, King Arthur entered Lorraine, Brabant, and Flanders, and

thence, subduing all the countries as he went, passed into Germany, and so

beyond the mountains into Lombardy and Tuscany. At length he came before a

city which refused to obey him, wherefore he sat down before it to besiege

it. And after a long time thus spent, King Arthur called Sir Florence,

and told him they began to lack food for his hosts--"And not far from

hence," said he, "are great forests full of cattle belonging to my

enemies. Go then, and bring by force all that thou canst find; and take

with thee Sir Gawain, my nephew, and Sir Clegis, Sir Claremond the Captain

of Cardiff, and a strong band."

Anon, those knights made ready, and rode over holts and hills, and through

forests and woods, till they came to a great meadow full of fair flowers

and grass, and there they rested themselves and their horses that night.

And at the dawn of the next day, Sir Gawain took his horse and rode away

from his fellows to seek some adventure. Soon he saw an armed knight

walking his horse by a wood's side, with his shield laced to his shoulder,

and no attendant with him save a page, bearing a mighty spear; and on his

shield were blazoned three gold griffins. When Sir Gawain spied him, he

put his spear in rest, and riding straight to him, asked who he was. "A

Tuscan," said he; "and they mayest prove me when thou wilt, for thou shalt

be my prisoner ere we part."

Then said Sir Gawain, "Thou vauntest thee greatly, and speakest proud

words; yet I counsel thee, for all thy boastings, look to thyself the best

thou canst."

At that they took their spears and ran at each other with all the might

they had, and smote each other through their shields into their shoulders;

and then drawing swords smote with great strokes, till the fire sprang out

of their helms. Then was Sir Gawain enraged, and with his good sword

Galotine struck his enerny through shield and hauberk, and splintered into

pieces all the precious stones of it, and made so huge a wound that men

might see both lungs and liver. At that the Tuscan, groaning loudly,

rushed on to Sir Gawain, and gave him a deep slanting stroke, and made a

mighty wound and cut a great vein asunder, so that he bled fast. Then he

cried out, "Bind thy wound quickly up, Sir knight, for thou be-bloodest

all thy horse and thy fair armour, and all the surgeons of the world shall

never staunch thy blood; for so shall it be to whomsoever is hurt with

this good sword."

Then answered Sir Gawain, "It grieveth me but little, and thy boastful

words give me no fear, for thou shalt suffer greater grief and sorrow ere

we part; but tell me quickly who can staunch this blood."

"That can I do," said the strange knight, "and will, if thou wilt aid and

succour me to become christened, and to believe on God, which now I do

require of thee upon thy manhood."

"I am content," said Sir Gawain; "and may God help me to grant all thy

wishes. But tell mefirst, what soughtest thou thus here alone, and of what

land art thou?"

"Sir," said the knight, "my name is Prianius, and my father is a great

prince, who hath rebelled against Rome. He is descended from Alexander and

Hector, and of our lineage also were Joshua and Maccabaeus. I am of right

the king of Alexandria, and Africa, and all the outer isles, yet I would

believe in the Lord thou worshippest, and for thy labour I will give thee

treasure enough. I was so proud in heart that I thought none my equal, but

now have I encountered with thee, who hast given me my fill of fighting;

wherefore, I pray thee, Sir knight, tell me of thyself."

"I am no knight," said Sir Gawain; "I have been brought up many years in

the wardrobe of the noble prince King Arthur, to mind his armour and

array."

"Ah," said Prianius, "if his varlets be so keen and fierce, his knights

must be passing good! Now, for the love of heaven, whether thou be knight

or knave, tell me thy name."

"By heaven!" said Gawain, "now will I tell thee the truth. My name is Sir

Gawain, and I am a knight of the Round Table."

"Now am I better pleased," said Prianius, "than if thou hadst given me all

the province of Paris the rich. I had rather have been torn by wild horses

than that any varlet should have won such victory over me as thou hast

done. But now, Sir knight, I warn thee that close by is the Duke of

Lorraine, with sixty thousand good men of war; and we had both best flee

at once, for he will find us else, and we be sorely wounded and never

likely to recover. And let my page be careful that he blow no horn, for

hard by are a hundred knights, my servants; and if they seize thee, no

ransom of gold or silver would acquit thee."

Then Sir Gawain rode over a river to save himself, and Sir Prianius after

him, and so they both fled till they came to his companions who were in

the meadow, where they spent the night. When Sir Whishard saw Sir Gawain

so hurt, he ran to him weeping, and asked him who it was had wounded him;

and Sir Gawain told him how he had fought with that man--pointing to

Prianius--who had salves to heal them both. "But I can tell ye other

tidings," said he--"that soon we must encounter many enemies, for a great

army is close to us in our front."

Then Prianius and Sir Gawain alighted and let their horses graze while

they unarmed, and when they took their armour and their clothing off, the

hot blood ran down freshly from their wounds till it was piteous to see.

But Prianius took from his page a vial filled from the four rivers that

flow out of Paradise, and anointed both their wounds with a certain balm,

and washed them with that water, and within an hour afterwards they were

both as sound and whole as ever they had been. Then, at the sound of a

trumpet, all the knights were assembled to council; and after much

talking, Prianius said, "Cease your words, for I warn you in yonder wood

ye shall find knights out of number, who will put out cattle for a decoy

to lead you on; and ye are not seven hundred!"

"Nevertheless," said Sir Gawain, "let us at once encounter them, and see

what they can do; and may the best have the victory."

Then they saw suddenly an earl named Sir Ethelwold, and the Duke of

Duchmen come leaping out of ambush of the woods in front, with many a

thousand after them, and all rode straight down to the battle. And Sir

Gawain, full of ardour and courage, comforted his knights, saying, "They

all are ours." Then the seven hundred knights, in one close company, set

spurs to their horses and began to gallop, and fiercely met their enemies.

And then were men and horses slain and overthrown on every side, and in

and out amidst them all, the knights of the Round Table pressed and

thrust, and smote down to the earth all who withstood them, till at length

the whole of them turned back and fled.

"By heaven!" said Sir Gawain, "this gladdeneth well my heart, for now

behold them as they flee! they are full seventy thousand less in number

than they were an hour ago!"

Thus was the battle quickly ended, and a great host of high lords and

knights of Lombardy and Saracens left dead upon the field. Then Sir Gawain

and his company collected a great plenty of cattle, and of gold and

silver, and all kind of treasure, and returned to King Arthur, where he

still kept the siege.

"Now God be thanked," cried he; "but who is he that standeth yonder by

himself, and seemeth not a prisoner?"

"Sir," said Sir Gawain, "he is a good man with his weapons, and hath

matched me; but cometh hither to be made a Christian. Had it not been for

his warnings, we none of us should have been here this day. I pray thee,

therefore, let him be baptized, for there can be few nobler men, or better

knights."

So Prianius was christened, and made a duke and knight of the Round Table.

[Illustration: Prianius was christened, and made a duke and knight of the

Round Table.]

Presently afterwards, they made a last attack upon the city, and entered

by the walls on every side; and as the men were rushing to the pillage,

came the Duchess forth, with many ladies and damsels, and kneeled before

King Arthur; and besought him to receive their submission. To whom the

king made answer, with a noble countenance, "Madam, be well assured that

none shall harm ye, or your ladies; neither shall any that belong to thee

be hurt; but the Duke must abide my judgment." Then he commanded to stay

the assault and took the keys from the Duke's eldest son, who brought them

kneeling. Anon the Duke was sent a prisoner to Dover for his life, and

rents and taxes were assigned for dowry of the Duchess and her children.

Then went he on with all his hosts, winning all towns and castles, and

wasting them that refused obedience, till he came to Viterbo. From thence

he sent to Rome, to ask the senators whether they would receive him for

their lord and governor. In answer, came out to him all the Senate who

remained alive, and the Cardinals, with a majestic retinue and procession;

and laying great treasures at his feet, they prayed him to come in at once

to Rome, and there be peaceably crowned as Emperor. "At this next

Christmas," said King Arthur, "will I be crowned, and hold my Round Table

in your city."

Anon he entered Rome, in mighty pomp and state; and after him came all his

hosts, and his knights, and princes, and great lords, arrayed in gold and

jewels, such as never were beheld before. And then was he crowned Emperor

by the Pope's hands, with all the highest solemnity that could be made.

Then after his coronation, he abode in Rome for a season, settling his

lands and giving kingdoms to his knights and servants, to each one after

his deserving, and in such wise fashion that no man among them all

complained. Also he made many dukes and earls, and loaded all his

men-at-arms with riches and great treasures.

When all this was done, the lords and knights, and all the men of great

estate, came together before him, and said, "Noble Emperor! by the

blessing of Eternal God, thy mortal warfare is all finished, and thy

conquests all achieved; for now in all the world is none so great and

mighty as to dare make war with thee. Wherefore we beseech and heartily

pray thee of thy noble grace, to turn thee homeward, and to give us also

leave to see our wives and homes again, for now we have been from them a

long season, and all thy journey is completed with great honour and

worship."

"Ye say well," replied he, "and to tempt God is no wisdom; therefore make

ready in all haste, and turn we home to England."

So King Arthur returned with his knights and lords and armies, in great

triumph and joy, through all the countries he had conquered, and commanded

that no man, upon pain of death, should rob or do any violence by the way.

And crossing the sea, he came at length to Sandwich, where Queen Guinevere

received him, and made great joy at his arrival. And through all the realm

of Britain was there such rejoicing as no tongue can tell.