Le Morte Darthur / by Syr Thomas Malory ; the original edition of William Caxton now reprinted and edited with an introduction and glossary by H. Oskar Sommer ; with an essay on Malory's prose style by Andrew Lang

Book Five: the conqueste of kynge Arthur over Lucius

Chapter One

WHanne kyng Arthur had after longe werre rested / and helde a Ryal feeste and table rounde with his alyes of kynges / prynces / and noble knyghtes all of the round table / there came in to his halle he syttynge in his throne Ryal xij aūcyen men / berynge eche of them a braunche of Olyue in token that they cam as Embassatours and messagers fro the Emperour Lucyus / whiche was called at that tyme / Dictatour or procurour of the publyke wele of Rome / whiche sayde messagers after their entryng & comyng in to the presence of kynge Arthur dyd to hym theyr obeyssaūce in makyng to hym reuerence said to hym in this wyse / The hyghe & myghty Emperour Lucyus sendeth to the kyng of Bretayne gretyng / cōmaūdyng the to knouleche hym for thy lord / and to sende hym the truage due of this Royamme vnto thempyre / whiche thy fader and other to fore thy precessours haue paid as is of record / And thou as rebelle not knowynge hym as thy souerayne withholdest and reteynest contrary to the statutes and decrees maade by the noble and worthy Iulius Cezar conquerour of this royame / and fyrst Emperour of Rome / and yf thou refuse his demaunde and commaundement / knowe thou for certayne that he shal make stronge werre ageynst the / thy Royames & londes / and shall chastyse the and thy subgettys / that it shal be ensamble perpetuel vnto alle kynges and prynces / for to denye their truage vnto that noble empyre whiche domyneth vpon the vnyuersal world / Thenne whan they had shewed theffecte of their message / the kyng commaunded them to withdrawe them And said he shold take auyce of counceylle and gyue to them an ansuere / Thenne somme of the yonge knyghtes heryng this their message wold haue ronne on them to haue slayne them sayenge that it was a rebuke to alle the knyghtes there beyng present to suffre them to saye so to the kynge / And anone the

[leaf 81r] kynge commaunded that none of them vpon payne of dethe to myssaye them ne doo them ony harme / and commaūded a knyghte to brynge them to their lodgynge / and see that they haue alle that is necessary and requysyte for them / with the best chere / and that noo deyntee be spared / For the Romayns ben grete lordes / and though theyr message please me not ne my court yet I must remembre myn honour /

¶ After this the kyng lete calle alle his lordes and knyghtes of the round table to counceyl vpon this mater / and desyred them to saye theire aduys / thenne syr Cador of Cornewaile spacke fyrste and sayd Syre this message lyketh me wel / for we haue many dayes rested vs and haue ben ydle / and now I hope ye shalle make sharp warre on the Romayns where I doubte not we shal gete honour / I byleue wel sayd Arthur that this mater pleaseth the wel / but these ansuers may not be ansuerd / for the demaunde greueth me sore / For truly I wyl neuer paye truage to Rome / wherfore I pray yow to counceylle me / I haue vnderstande that Bellinus and Brenius kynges of Bretayne haue had tempyre in their handes many dayes / And also Constantyn the sone of Heleyne / whiche is an open euydence that we owe noo trybute to Rome / but of ryght we that ben descended of them haue ryght to clayme the tytle of thempyre /

¶ Capitulum Secundum

THenne ansuerd kynge Anguysshe of Scotland / Syr ye oughte of ryght to be aboue al other kynges / for vnto yow is none lyke ne pareylle in Crystendome / of knyȝt hode ne of dygnyte / & I counceylleyou [siccounceylle you] neuer to obey the Romayns / for whan they regned on vs / they destressyd oure elders / and putte this land to grete extorcions & taylles / wherfore I make here myn auowe to auenge me on them / and for to strengthe youre quarel I shal furnysshe xy [sic] M good men of warre and wage them on my costes / whiche shal awayte on yow with my self whan it shal please yow / and the kyng of lytel Bretayne graunted hym to the same xxx M / wherfor kynge Arthur thanked them / And thenne euery man

[leaf 81v] agreed to make warre / and to ayde after their power / that is to wete the lord of westwalis promysed to brynge xxx M men And syr Vwayne / syre Ider his sone with their cosyns promysed to brynge xxx M / thenne syre launcelot with alle other promysed in lyke wyse euery man a grete multytude /

¶ And whan kynge Arthur vnderstood theire courages and good wylles / he thanked them hertely / and after lete calle thembassatours to here theire ansuere / And in presence of alle his lordes and knyghtes he sayd to them in thys wyse / I wylle that ye retorne vnto your lord and procurour of the comyn wele for the Romayns / and saye ye to hym Of his demaunde and commaundement I sette nothyng / And that I knowe of no truage ne trybute that I owe to hym / ne to none erthely prynce / Crysten ne hethen / but I pretende to haue and occupye the soueraynte of thempyre / wherin I am entytled by the ryght of my predecessours somtyme kynges of this lond / and saye to hym that I am delybered and fully concluded to goo wyth myn armye with strengthe and power vnto Rome by the grace of god to take possession in thempyre / and subdue them that ben rebelle / wherfore I commaunde hym and alle them of Rome that incontynent they make to me their homage or to knouleche me for their Emperour and gouernour vpon payne that shal ensiewe / And thenne he commaunded his tresorer to gyue to them grete and large yeftes / and to paye alle theyr dispencys / and assygned syre Cador to conueye them oute of the land / and soo they took theire leue and departed / and tooke theyr shyppyng at Sandwyche / and passed forthe by flaundrys / Almayn / the montayns / and all ytalye vntyl they cam vnto Lucius / And after the reuerence made / they made relacyon of their ansuer lyke as ye to fore haue herd / whan themperour Lucyus had wel vnderstonde theyre credence / he was sore meued as he had ben al araged / & sayd / I had supposed that Arthur wold haue obeyed to my commaundement / and haue serued yow hym self / as hym wel bysemed or ony other kyng to doo / O syre sayd one of the senatours late be suche vayn wordes / for we late yow wete that I and my felawes were ful sore aferd to beholde his countenaunce / I fere me ye haue made a rodde for your self / for he entendeth to be lord of this empyre

[leaf 82r] whiche sore is to be doubted yf he come / for he is al another mā than ye wene / and holdeth the most noble courte of the world alle other kynges ne prynces maye not compare vnto his noble mayntene / On newe yeres daye we sawe hym in his estate whiche was the ryallest that euer we sawe / for he was serued at his table with ix kynges / and the noblest felauship of other prynces lordes and knyghtes that ben in the world / and euery knyghte approued and lyke a lord and holdeth table roūd And in his persone the moost manly man that lyueth / and is lyke to conquere alle the world / for vnto his courage it is to lytel / wherfore I aduyse yow to kepe wel youre marches and straytes in the montayns / For certaynly he is a lord to be doubted / Wel sayd Lucius bifore Eester I suppose to passe the moūtayns and soo forth in to fraunce / and there byreue hym his londes with Ianeweyes and other myghty warryours of Tuskane and lombardye / And I shall sende for them all that ben subgettys and alyed to thēpyre of Rome to come to myn ayde / and forthwith sente old wyse knyghtes vnto these countrayes / folowynge / fyrste to ambage and arrage / to Alysaundrye / to ynde. to hermonye / where as the ryuer of Eufrates renneth in to Asye / to Auffryke / and Europe the large / to ertayne and Elamye to Arabye / Egypte and to damaske / to damyete and Cayer / to Capadoce / to tarce / Turkye / pounce / and pampoylle / to Surrye and gallacye / And alle these were subgette to Rome and many moo / as Grece / Cypres / Macydone Calabre / Cateland / portyngale with many thousandes of spaynardys / Thus alle these kynges / dukes / and admyrals assembled aboute Rome with xvj kynges attones with grete multytude of peple / whan themperour vnderstood their comyng / he made redy his Romayns / and alle the people bytwene hym & Flaundres

¶ Also he hadde goten wyth hym fyfty Geaunts whiche had ben engendred of fendys And they were ordeyned to garde his persone / and to breke the frounte of the bataylle of kynge Arthur / And thus departed fro Rome and came doune the montayns for to destroye the londes that Arthur had conquerd and cam vnto Coleyne / and byseged a Castel there by / and wanne it soone and stuffed hit with two honderd sarasyns or Infydeles

[leaf 82v] and after destroyed many fayr countrees / whiche Arthur had wonne of kyng Claudas / And thus Lucius cam with alle his hoost whiche were disperplyd lx myle in brede / and commaunded them to mete with hym in Burgoyne / for he purposed to destroye the Royame of lytyl Bretayne /

Capitulo tercio

NOw leue we of Lucius the emperour and speke we of kynge Arthur / that commaunded alle them of his retenue to be redy atte vtas of hyllary for to holde a parlement at yorke / And at that parlement was concluded to areste alle the nauye of the lond and to be redy within xv dayes at sandwyche / and there he shewed to his armye how he purposed to conquere thempyre whiche he ought to haue of ryght / And there he ordeyned two gouernours of his Royame that is to say Syre Bawdewyn of Bretayne for the counceille to the best and syr Constantyn sone to syre Cador of Cornewaylle / whiche after the dethe of Arthur was kyng of this Royamme / And in the presence of alle his lordes he resyned the rule of the royame and Gweneuer his quene to them / wherfore syre launcelot was wrothe / for he left syre Trystram with kynge marke for the loue of beal Isoulde / Thenne the quene Gweneuer made grete sorowe for the departynge of her lord and other / and swouned in suche wyse that the ladyes bare her in to her chambre Thus the kyng with his grete armye departed leuyng the quene and Royamme in the gouernaunce of syre Bawduyn and Constantyn / And whan he was on his hors / he sayd with an hyhe voys yf I dye in this iourney I wyl that syre Constantyn be myn heyer and kyng crowned of this royame as next of my blood / And after departed and entred in to the see atte Sandwyche with alle his armye with a greete multitude of shyppes / galeyes / Cogges / and dromoundes / sayllynge on the see /

[leaf 83r]

¶ Capitulum iiij

ANd as the kyng laye in his caban in shyp / he fyll in a slomerynge and dremed a merueyllous dreme / hym semed that a dredeful dragon dyd drowne moche of his peple / and he cam fleynge oute of the west / and his hede was enameled with asure / and his sholders shone as gold / his bely lyke maylles of a merueyllous hewe / his taylle ful of tatters / his feet ful of fyne sable / & his clawes lyke fyne gold And an hydous flamme of fyre flewe oute of his mouthe / lyke as the londe and water had flammed all of fyre / After hym semed there came oute of thoryent / a grymly bore al blak in a clowde / and his pawes as bygge as a post / he was rugged lokynge roughly / he was the foulest beest that euer man sawe / he rored and romed soo hydrously that it were merueill to here / Thenne the dredeful dragon auaunced hym and cam in the wynde lyke a fawcon gyuynge grete strokes on the bore / and the bore hytte hym ageyne with his grysly tuskes / that his brest was al blody / and that the hote blood made alle the see reed of his blood / Thenne the dragon flewe awey al on a heyȝte / and come doune with suche a swough and smote the bore on the rydge whiche was x foote large fro the hede to the taylle / and smote the bore all to powdre bothe flesshe and bonys / that it flutteryd al abrode on the see / And therwith the kynge awoke anone / and was sore abasshed of this dreme / And sente anone for a wyse philosopher / commaundynge to telle hym the sygnyfycacion of his dreme / Syre sayd the philosopher / the dragon that thow dremedest of / betokeneth thyn owne persone that sayllest here / & the colours of his wynges ben thy Royames that thow haste wonne / And his taylle whiche is al to tatterd sygnefyeth the noble knyghtes of the round table

¶ And the bore than the dragon slough comyng fro the clowdes / betokeneth some tyraunt that tormenteth the peple / or else thow arte lyke to fyghte with somme Geaunt thy self / beynge horryble and abhomynable whoos pere ye sawe neuer in your dayes / wherfore

[leaf 83v] of this dredeful dreme doubte the no thynge / but as a Conqueror come forth thy self / Thenne after this soone they had syghte of londe and saylled tyl they arryued atte Barflete in Flaundres / and whanne they were there he fond many of his grete lordes redy / as they had ben commaunded to awayte vpon hym

¶ Capitulum v

THenne came to hym an husbond man of the countrey / and told hym how there was in the countre of Constantyn besyde Bretayne a grete gyaunt whiche hadde slayne murthered and deuoured moche peple of the countreye and had ben susteyned seuen yere with the children of the comyns of that land / in soo moche that alle the children ben alle slayne and destroyed / and now late he hath taken the duchesse of Bretayne as she rode by with her meyne / and hath ledde her to his lodgynge whiche is in a montayne for to rauysshe and lye by her to her lyues ende / and many people folowed her moo than v C / but alle they myghte not rescowe her / but they lefte he shrykyng and cryenge lamentably / wherfore I suppose than he hath slayn her in fulfyllynge his fowle lust of lechery / She was wyf vnto thy Cosyn syre Howel / whome we calle ful nyhe of thy blood / Now as thow a ryghtful kynge haue pyte on this lady / and reuenge vs al as thow arte a noble conquerour /

¶ Alas sayd kynge Arthur / this is a grete meschyef / I had leuer than the best Royame that I haue / that I hadde ben a forlonge way to fore hym for to haue rescowed that lady /

¶ Now felawe sayd kynge Arthur canst thou brynge me there as thys gyaunt haunteth / ye syre sayd the good man / loo yonder where as thow seest tho two grete fyres / there shalt thou fynde hym / and more tresour than I suppose is in al Fraunce / whanne the kynge hadde vnderstanden this pyteous caas / he retorned in to his tente /

¶ Thenne he callyd to hym syre kaye and syre Bedewere / & commaunded them secretely to make redy hors and harneis for hym self and them tweyne / For after euensonge he wold ryde on pylgremage with them two only vnto saynt Mychels

[leaf 84r] mounte / And thenne anone he maad hym redy / and armed hym at alle poyntes / and tooke his hors and his sheld / And soo they thre departed thens and rode forthe as faste as euer they myȝt tyl that they cam to the forlond of that mount And there they alyghted / and the kynge commaunded them to tarye there / for he wold hym self goo vp in to that mounte And soo he ascended up in to that hylle tyl he came to a grete fyre / and there he fonde a careful wydowe wryngynge her handes and makyng grete sorowe syttynge by a graue newe made / And thenne kynge Arthur salewed her / and demaunded of her wherfore she made suche lamentacion / to whome she ansuerd and sayd Syre knyghte speke softe / for yonder is a deuyll yf he here the speke / he wylle come and destroye the / I hold the vnhappy what dost thow here in this mountayne / For yf ye were suche fyfty as ye be / ye were not able to make resystence ageynst this deuyl / here lyeth a duchesse deede the whiche was the fayrest of alle the world wyf to syre Howel / duc of Bretayne / he hath murthred her in forcynge her / and has slytte her vnto the nauyl /

¶ Dame sayd the kynge / I came fro the noble Conqueroure kynge Arthur for the treate with that tyraunt for his lyege peple / Fy on suche treatys sayd she / he setteth not by the kynge ne by no man els / But and yf thou haue broughte Arthurs wyf dame Gweneuer / he shalle be gladder than thow haddest gyuen to hym half fraunce / Beware approche hym not to nygh / for he hath vaynquysshed xv kynges / and hath maade hym a cote ful of precious stones enbrowdred with theyre berdes / whiche they sente hym to haue his loue for sauacion of theyr peple at this laste Crystemasse / And yf thow wylt / speke with hym at yonder grete fyre at souper / wel sayd Arthur I wyll accomplysshe my message for al your ferdful wordes / and wente forth by the creast of that hylle / and sawe where he satte atte souper gnawynge on a lymme of a man / bekynge his brode lymmes by the fyre and brecheles / and thre fayr damoysels tornynge thre broches wheron were broched twelue yonge children late borne lyke yonge byrdes

¶ Whanne kynge Arthur beheld that pyteous syȝte / he had grete compassion on them so that his hert

[leaf 84v] bledde for sorowe / and hayled hym sayeng in this wyse he that alle the world weldeth gyue the shorte lyf & shameful dethe / And the deuyl haue thy soule / why hast thow murthred these yonge Innocent children / and murthred this duchesse / Therfore aryse and dresse the thow gloton / For this day shall thou dye of my hand / Thenne the gloton anone starte vp and tooke a grete clubbe in his hand / and smote at the kynge that his coronal fylle to the erthe / and the kynge hytte hym ageyn that he carf his bely and cutte of his genytours / that his guttes & his entraylles fylle doune to the ground / thenne the gyaunt threwe awey his clubbe / and caught the kynge in his armes that he crusshyd his rybbes / Thenne the thre maydens knelyd doune and callyd to Cryst for helpe and comforte of Arthur And thenne Arthur weltred and wrong / that he was other whyle vnder and another tyme aboue / And so weltryng and walowynge they rolled doune the hylle / tyl they came to the see marke / and euer as they soo weltred / Arthur smote hym with his daggar / and it fortuned they came to the place / where as the two knyghtes were and kepte Arthurs hors / thenne when they sawe the kynge fast in the gyaunts armes / they came and losed hym / And thenne the kynge commaunded syr kaye to smyte of the gyaunts hede / and to sette it vpon a truncheon of a spere / and bere it to syre howel / and telle hym that his enemy was slayne / and after late this hede be bounden to a barbycan that alle the peple may see and behold hit / and go ye two up to the montayn / and fetche me my sheld / my suerd and the clubbe of yron / And as for the tresour take ye it / for ye shalle fynde there good oute of nombre / So I haue the kertyl and the clubbe I desyre no more / This was the fyerst gyaunt that euer I mette with / sauf one in the mount of Arabe / whiche I ouercame / but this was gretter and fyerser / Thenne the knyghtes fette the clubbe and the kyrtyl / and some of the tresour they took to them self / and retorned ageyne to the host And anone this was knowen thurgh alle the countrey / wher for the peple came and thanked the kynge / And he sayd ageyne yeue the thanke to god / and departe the goodes among yow / And after that kynge Arthur sayd and commaunded his Cosyn howel that he shold ordeyne for a chirche to be bylded

[leaf 85r] on the same hylle in the worship of saynte Mychel /

¶ And on the morne the kynge remeuyd with his grete bataylle / and came in to Champayne and in a valeye / and there they pyght their tentys / and the kynge beynge set at his dyner / ther cam in two messagers / of whome that one was Marchal of fraūce and sayd to the kyng that themperour was entryd in to fraunce / and had destroyed a grete parte and was in Burgoyn and had destroyed and made grete slaughter of peple & brente townes and borowes / wherfor yf thou come not hastely / they must yelde vp their bodyes and goodes /

¶ Capitulum sextum

THenne the kynge dyd doo calle syre Gawayne / syre Borce / syr Lyonel and syre Bedewere / and commaunded them to goo strayte to syre Lucius / and saye ye to hym that hastely he remeue oute of my land / And yf he wil not / bydde hym make hym redy to bataylle and not distresse the poure peple / Thenne anone these noble knyghtes dressyd them to horsbak / And whanne they came to the grene wood / they sawe many pauelions sette in a medowe of sylke of dyuerse colours besyde a ryuer / And themperours pauelione was in the myddle with an egle displayed aboue / To the whiche tente our knyghtes rode toward / and ordeyned syr Gawayn and syre Bors to doo the message / And lefte in a busshement syre Lyonel / and syre Bedwere / And thenne syre Gawayn and syr Borce dyd their message / and commaunded Lucius in Arthurs name to auoyde his lond / or shortly to adresse hym to bataylle / To whome Lucius ansuerde and sayd ye shalle retorne to your lord and saye ye to hym that I shall subdue hym and alle his londes / Thenne syre Gawayn was wrothe and sayde I hadde leuer than alle Fraunce fyghte ageynst the / and soo hadde I saide syr Borce leuer than alle Bretayne or burgoyne

¶ Thenne a knyght named syre Gaynus nyghe cosyn to the Emperour sayde / loo how these Bretons ben ful of pryde and boost / and they bragge as though they bare up alle the worlde / Thenne syre Gawayne was sore greued

[leaf 85v] with these wordes / and pulled oute his swerd and smote of his hede / And therwith torned theyr horses and rode ouer waters and thurgh woodes tyl they came to theyre busshement / where as syr Lyonel and syr Bedeuer were houyng / The romayns folowed fast after on horsbak and on foote ouer a chāpayn vnto a wood / thenne syre Boors torned his hors / and sawe a knyghte come fast on / whome he smote thurgh the body with a spere that he fylle dede doune to the erthe / thenne cam Callyburne one of the strengest of pauye and smote doun many of Arthurs knyghtes / And whan syr Bors sawe hym do soo moche harme he adressyd toward hym & smote hym thurȝ the brest that he fylle doune dede to the erthe / Thenne syr Feldenak thought to reuenge the dethe of gaynus vpon syre Gawayn / but syre gawayn was ware therof and smote hym on the hede / whiche stroke stynted not tyl it came to his breste / And thenne he retorned and came to his felawes in the busshement / And there was a recountre / for the busshement brake on the Romayns / and slewe and hewe doune the Romayns and forced the Romayns to flee and retorne / whome the noble knyghtes chaced vnto theyr tentes / Thenne the Romayns gadred more peple / and also foote men cam on / and ther was a newe bataille and soo moche peple that syr Bors and syr Berel were taken / but whan syre gawayn sawe that / he tooke with hym syre Idrus the good knyght and sayd he wold neuer see kynge Arthur but yf he rescued them / and pulled out galatyn his good swerd / and folowed them that ledde tho ij knyghtes awaye / and he smote hym that lad syre Bors / and took syr Bors fro hym and delyuerd hym to his felawes / And syre Idrus in lyke wyse rescowed syre Berel / thenne beganne the bataill to be grete that oure knyȝtes were in grete Ieopardy / wherfore syre Gawayn sente to kyng Arthur for socour and that he hye hym for I am sore wounded / and that oure prysoners may paye good oute of nombre / And the messager came to the kyng and told hym his message / And anon the kynge dyd doo assemble his armye / but anone or he departed the prysoners were comen / and syre gawayn and his felawes gate the felde and put the Romayns to flyght / and after retorned and came with their felauship in suche wyse / that

[leaf 86r] no man of worship was loste of them / sauf that syr Gawayn was sore hurte / Thenne the kynge dyd do ransake his woundes and comforted hym / And thus was the begynnyng of the fyrst iourney of the brytons and Romayns / and ther were slayne of the Romayns moo than ten thousand / and grete ioye and myrthe was made that nyghte in the hoost of kynge Arthur / And on the morne he sente alle the prysoners in to parys vnder the garde of syre launcelot with many knyghtes & of syr Cador

¶ Capitulum vij

NOw torne we to the Emperour of Rome whiche aspyed that these prysoners shold be sente to Parys / and anone he sente to leye in a busshement certayne knyghtes and prynces with syxty thousand men for to rescowe his knyghtes and lordes that were prysoners / And so on the morne as Launcelot and syre Cador chyuetayns and gouernours of all them that conueyed the prysoners as they sholde passe thurgh a wode syr Laūcelot sente certayne knyghtes tespye yf ony were in the woodes to lette them / And whanne the said knyghtes cam in to the wood / anone they aspyed and sawe the grete enbusshement / and retorned and told syr Laūcelot that ther lay in a wayte for them thre score thousand Romayns / And thenne syr Launcelot with suche knyghtes as he hadde and men of warre to the nombre of x M put them in araye and met wyth them and foughte with them manly / and slewe and dretenchid many of the Romayns / and slewe many knyghtes & admyrals of the party of the Romayns and sarasyns / ther was slayne the kynge of lylye and thre grete lordes Aladuke / herawde and heryngdale / but syr Launcelot fought soo nobly that no man myght endure a stroke of his hande / but where he came he shewed his prowesse and myght / for he slewe doune ryght on euery syde / And the Romayns and sarasyns fledde from hym as the sheep fro the wulf or fro the lyon / and putt them alle that abode alyue to flyght / And so longe they fouȝte that tydynges came to kynge Arthur / And anone he graythed hym and came to the bataille / and sawe his knyghtes how they had

[leaf 86v] vaynquysshed the bataylle / he enbraced them knyght by knyȝte in his armes and said ye be worthy to welde all your honour and worship / there was neuer kynge sauf my self that had so noble knyghtes / Syre sayd Cador there was none of vs failled other / but of the prowesse and manhode of syre Launcelot were more than wonder to telle / and also of his cosyns whiche dyd that daye many noble feates of werre / And also syre Cador tolde who of his knyghtes were slayne / as syr beriel & other syr Morys and syr Maurel two good knyghtes / thenne the kynge wepte and dryed his eyen with a keuerchyef / & sayd your courage had nere hand destroyed yow / For though ye had retorned ageyne / ye had lost no worship / For I calle hit foly / knyghtes to abyde whan they be ouermatched / Nay sayd Launcelot and the other / For ones shamed maye neuer be recouerd

¶ Capitulum viij

NOw leue we kynge Arthur and his noble knyghtes whiche had wonne the felde / and had brought theyre prysoners to parys / and speke we of a senatour whiche escaped fro the bataille / and came to Lucius themperour & sayd to hym / Syre emperour I aduyse the for to withdrawe the / what dost thow here / thow shalt wynne noo thynge in these marches but grete strokes oute of al mesure / For this day one of Arthurs knyghtes was worth in the batayll an honderd of ours Fy on the sayd Lucius thow spekest cowardly / for thy wordes greue me more than alle the losse that I had this day / and anone he sende forth a kynge whiche hyghte syr leomye with a grete armye / and badde hym hye hym fast to fore / and he wold folowe hastely after / kynge Arthur was warned pryuely / & sente his peple to Sessoyne / and toke vp the townes & castels fro the Romayns / Thenne the kyng commaunded syr Cador to take the rereward / & to take with hym certayne knyghtes of the round table / and syre Launcelot / syre Bors / syr kay / syre Marrok with syre Marhaus shalle awayte on our persone / Thus the kynge Arthur disperplyd his hoost in dyuerse partyes / to thende that his enemyes shold not escape / whanne the

[leaf 87r] Emperour was entryd in to the vale of Sessoyne / he myghte see where kynge Arthur was enbatailled and his baner dysplayed / and he was bysette round aboute with his enemyes / that nedes he must fyghte or yelde hym / for he myght not flee / But sayd openly vnto the Romayns / syrs I admoneste you that this day ye fyghte and acquyte yow as men / and remembre how Rome domyneth and is chyef and hede ouer alle the erthe and vnyuersal world / and suffre not these bretons thys day to abyde ageynste vs / & ther with he dyd commaunde hys trōpettes to blowe the blody sownes in suche wyse that the ground trembled and dyndled / Thenne the batails approuched and shoue and showted on bothe sydes and grete strokes were smyten on bothe sydes / many men ouerthrowen / hurte / & slayn and grete valyaunces / prowesses and appertyces of werre were that day shewed / whiche were ouer long to recounte the noble feates of euery man / For they shold conteyne an hole volume / But in especyal kynge Arthur rode in the bataille exhortynge his knyghtes to doo wel / and hym self dyd as nobly with his handes as was possyble a man to doo / he drewe oute Excalibur his swerd / and awayted euer where as the romayns were thyckest and moost greued his peple / and anone he adressyd hym on that parte and hewe and slewe doune ryȝt and rescued his peple / and he slewe a grete gyaunt named galapas / whiche was a man of an huge quantyte and heyghte he shorted hym and smote of bothe his legges by the knees / sayenge Now arte thow better of a syse to dele with / than thou were / and after smote of his hede / there syre gawayn foughte nobly and slewe thre admyrales in that bataill / And so dyd alle the knyghtes of the round table / Thus the bataill bitwene kynge Arthur and Lucius themperour endured longe / Lucius had on his syde many sarasyns / whiche were slayn / and thus the bataille was grete / and oftsydes that one party was at a fordele and anone at an afterdele / whiche endured so longe tyl at the last kyng Arthur aspyed / where Lucius themperour fought / and dyd wonder with his owne handes / And anon he rode to hym / And eyther smote other fyersly / and atte last Lucyus smote Arthur thwart the vysage/ and gaf hym a large wound / And whanne kyng Arthur felte hym self hurte / anon

[leaf 87v] he smote hym ageyne with Excalibur that it clefte his hede fro the somette of his hede / and stynted not tyl it cam to his breste And thenne themperour fylle doune dede / and there ended his lyf / And whan it was knowen that themperour was slayne anone alle the Romayns with all their hoost put them to flyght / and kynge Arthur with alle his knyghtes folowed the chaas / and slewe doune ryght alle them that they myghte atteyne / And thus was the vyctory gyuen to kynge Arthur & the tryumphe / and there were slayne on the party of Lucius moo than an hondred thousand / And after kyng Arthur dyd doo ransake the dede bodyes / and dyd doo burye them that were slayne of his retenue euery man accordynge to thestate & degree that he was of / And them that were hurte he lete the surgyens doo serche their hurtes and woundes / and commaunded to spare no salues ne medecynes tyl they were hole / Thenne the kyng rode strayte to the place where themperour lucius lay dede / and with hym he fond slayne the Sowdan of Surrey / the kynge of Egypte and of Ethyope / whiche were two noble kynges with xvij other kynges of dyuerse regyons / and also syxty senatours of Rome al noble men / whome the kynge dyd do bawme and gomme with many good gommes aromatyk / and after dyd do cere them in syxty fold of cered clothe of Sendale / and leyd them in chestys of leed / by cause they shold not chauffe ne sauoure / and vpon alle these bodyes their sheldes with theire armes and baners were sette / to thende they shold be knowen of what country they were / and after he fonde thre Senatours whiche were on lyue to whome he sayd / for to saue your lyues I wylle that ye take these dede bodyes / and carye them with yow vnto grete Rome / and presente them to the potestate on my behalue shewynge hym my letters / and telle them that I in my persone shal hastely be atte Rome / And I suppose the Romayns shalle beware how they shal demaunde ony trybute of me / And I commaunde yow to saye whan ye shal come to Rome to the potestate and all the counceylle and Senate / that I sende to them these dede bodyes for the trybute that they haue demaunded / And yf they be not content with these / I shal paye more at my comynge / for other trybute owe I none / ne none other wylle I paye / And me

[leaf 88r] thynketh this suffyseth for Bretayne / Irlond and al Almayne with germanye / And ferthermore I charge yow to saye to them / that I commaunde them vpon payne of theyre hedes neuer to demaunde trybute ne taxe of me ne of my londes Thenne with this charge and commaundement the thre Senatours afore sayd departed with alle the sayd dede bodyes leynge the body of Lucius in a carre couerd with tharmes of the Empyre al alone / And after alwey two bodyes of kynges in a charyot / and thenne the bodyes of Senatours after them and soo wente toward Rome / and shewed theyr legacyon & message to the potestate and Senate / recountyng the bataylle done in Fraunce / and how the feld was lost and moche people & Innumerable slayne / wherfore they aduysed them in no wyse to meue no more warre ageynste that noble conqueroure Arthur / For his myght and prowesse is most to be doubted seen the noble kynges and grete multytude of knyghtes of the round table / to whome none erthely prynce may compare /

¶ Capitulo nono

NOw torne we vnto kynge Arthur and his noble knyghtes whiche after the grete bataylle acheued ageynste the Romayns / entryd in to Lorayne braban and Flaundres and sythen retorned in to hault Almayn / and so ouer the mōtayns in to lombardye / and after in to Tuskane / wherin was a Cyte / whiche in no wyse wold yelde them self ne obeye / wherfore kynge Arthur biseged it / and lay longe aboute hit / and gaf many assaultes to the Cyte / And they within deffended them valyauntly / Thenne on a tyme the kynge called syr florence a knyght / and sayd to hym they lacked vytaylle / and not ferre from hens ben grete forestes and woodes / wherin ben many of myn enemyes with moche bestyayl / I wyl that thou make the redy and goo thyder in foreyeng / and take with the syr Gawayn my neuew / Syre wysshard / syre Clegys / Syre Cleremond and the Captayn of Cardef with other / & brynge with yow alle the beestes that ye there can gete / And anone these knyghtes made them redy / and rode ouer holtys & hyllys thurgh forestes and woodes / tyl they cam in to a fayr medow

[leaf 88v] ful of fayre floures and grasse / And there they rested them & theyr horses alle that nyghte / And in the spryngynge of the day in the next morne / syre Gawayn took his hors and stale away from his felauship to seke some aduentures / And anon he was ware of a man armed walkynge his hors easyly by a wodes syde / and his sheld laced to his sholdre syttynge on a stronge courser withoute ony man sauyng to a page berynge a myghty spere . The knyght bare in his sheld thre gryffons of gold in sable charbuncle the chyef of syluer / whan syre Gawayn aspyed this gay knyght / he fewtryd his spere and rode strayt to hym / and demaūded of hym from whens that he was that other ansuerd and sayd he was of Tuscane / and demaunded of syre gawayn / what profryst thow proude knyghte the so boldly / here getest thou no praye / thou mayst proue whā thou wylt / for thou shalt be my prysoner or thou departe /

¶ Thenne sayd gawayn / thou auauntest the gretely and spekest proude wordes / I coūceylle the for alle thy boost that thou make the redy / and take thy gere to the / to fore gretter grame falle to the

¶ Capitulum x

THenne they took theyr speres and ranne eche at other with alle the myghte they had / and smote eche other thurgh their sheldes in to theyr sholders / wherfore anone they pulled oute their swerdes / and smote grete strokes that the fyre sprange oute of their helmes / Thenne syre gawayne was al abashed and with galatyn his good swerd he smote thurgh shelde and thycke hauberke made of thyck maylles and al to russhed and brake the precious stones / and made hym a large wounde / that men myghte see bothe lyuer and long / Thenne groned that knyght / and adressyd hym to syr Gawayn / & with an awke stroke gaf hym a grete wound and kytte a vayne / whiche greued gawayn sore / and he bledde sore /

¶ Thenne the knyghte sayd to syre Gawayn / bynde thy wounde or thy blee chaunge / for thou bybledest al thy hors and thy fayre armes / For alle the Barbours of Bretayne shal not conne staunche thy blood / For who someuer is hurte with this blade he shalle

[leaf 89r] neuer be staunched of bledynge / Thenne ansuerd gawayn hit greueth me but lytyl / thy grete wordes shalle not feare me ne lasse my courage / but thow shalt suffre tene and sorow or we departe / but telle me in hast who maye staunche my bledynge / That may I doo sayd the knyght yf I wylle / And so wyll I yf thou wylt socoure an ayde me that I maye be crystned and byleue on god / And therof I requyre the of thy manhode / and it shalle be grete meryte for they soule I graunte said Gawayne so god helpe me taccomplysshe alle thy desyre / But fyrst telle me what thou soughtest here thus allone / and of what londe and legeaunce thou arte of / Syre he sayd my name is Pryamus / and a grete prynce is my fader / and he hath ben rebelle vnto Rome and ouer ryden many of theyr londes / My fader is lyneally descended of Alysaunder and of hector by ryght lygne / And duke Iosue and Machabeus were of oure lygnage / I am ryght enherytour of Alysaunder and auffryke and alle the oute yles / yet wyl I byleue on thy lord that thow byleuest on / And for thy laboure I shalle yeue the tresour ynough / I was soo elate and hauteyn in my hert that I thought no man my pere ne to me semblable / I was sente in to this werre with seuen score knyghtes / and now I haue encountred with the whiche hast gyuen to me of fyghtyng my fylle / wherfore syr knyghte I pray the to telle me what thow arte / I am no knyght sayd gawayn / I haue ben brought vp in the garderobe with the noble kynge Arthur many yeres for to take hede to his armour and his other araye / and to poynte his paltockes that longen to hym self / At yole last he made me yoman and gaf to me hors and harneys and an honderd pound in money / And yf fortune be my frend / I doubte not / but to be wel auaunced and holpen by my lyege lord / A sayd Pryamus / yf his knauys be so kene and fyers / his knyȝtes ben passynge good / Now for the kynges loue of heuen whether thou be a knaue or a knyghte telle thou me thy name / By god sayd syre Gawayn / Now wyl I saye the sothe / my name is syre gawayn and knowen I am in his courte and in his chambre / and one of the knyghtes of the round table / he dubbed me a duke with owne hand / Therfore grutche not yf this grace is to me fortuned / hit is the goodnesse of god

[leaf 89v] that lente to me my strengthe / Now am I better pleasyd sayd Pryamus than thou haddest gyuen to me al the prouynce and parys the ryche / I had leuer to haue ben torn with wylde horses / than ony varlet had wonne suche loos / or ony page or pryker shold haue had prys on me / But now syre knyghte I warne the / that here by is a duke of Lorayne with his armye and the noblest men of Dolphyne and lordes of lombardye / with the garneson of godard / and sarasyns of Southland ynombred lx M of good men of armes / wherfor but yf we hye vs hens / it wylle harme vs bothe / for we ben sore hurte / neuer lyke to recouer / but take hede to my page that he no horne blowe / For yf he doo ther ben houynge fast by an C knyȝtes awaytynge on my persone / and yf they take the / ther shall no raunson of gold ne syluer acquyte the / Thenne syre gawayne rode ouer a water for to saue hym / And the knyghte folowed hym / and soo rode forthe tyl they came to his felawes / whiche were in the medowe / where they had ben al the nyghte Anone as syre wychard was ware of syre gawayn and sawe that he was hurte / he ranne to hym soroufully wepynge / and demaunded of hym who had soo hurte hym / and gawayn told how he had foughten with that man / and eche of them hadde hurte other / and how he had salues to hele them / but I can telle yow other tydynges / that soone we shal haue adoo with many enemyes / Thenne syre pryamus and syre gawayn alyghted / and lete theire horses grase in the medowe and vnarmed them / And thenne the blood ranne fresshly fro theyre woundes / And pryamus toke fro his page a vyolle ful of the four waters that came oute of paradys / and with certayne baume enoynted theyr woundes / and wesshe them with that water / & within an houre after / they were both as hole as euer they were / And thenne with a trompet were they alle assembled to counceylle / And there pryamus told vnto them / what lordes and knyghtes had sworne to rescowe hym / and that without faill they shold be assailled with many thousandes / wherfor he counceilled them to withdrawe them / Thenne syre gawayn sayd it were grete shame to them to auoyde withoute ony strokes / Wherfore I aduyse to take oure armes and to make vs redy to mete with these sarasyns and mysbyleuyng men / and wyth

[leaf 90r] the helpe of god we shal ouerthrowe them and haue a fayre day on them / And syre Florens shall abyde styll in thys felde to kepe the stale as a noble knyghte / and we shal not forsake yonder felawes / Now sayd Pyramus seasse your wordes / for I warne yow ye shal fynde in yonder woodes many peryllous knyghtes / they wylle put forthe beestes to calle yow on / they be out of nombre / and ye are not past vij C whiche ben ouer fewe to fyght with soo many / Neuertheles sayd syr gawayn we shal ones encountre them / and see what they can do and the beste shalle haue the vyctory

¶ Capitulo xj

THenne syre Florence callyd to hym syre florydas with an honderd knyghtes and droofe forth the herde of bestes / Thenne folowed hym vij honderd men of armes / and syr Feraunt of spayne on a fayr stede came spryngynge oute of the woodes / and came to syre Florence and axyd hym why he fledde / Thenne syre Florence took his spere / and rode ageynste hym / and smote hym in the forhede and brake his necke bone / Thenne all thother were meued / and thought to auenge the dethe of syr Feraunt / and smote in emonge them / and there was grete fyghte and many slayne and leyd doune to grounde / and syr Florence with his C knyghtes alwey kepte the stale and foughte manly /

¶ Thenne whan Pryamus the good knyght perceyued the grede fyght / he wente to syre Gawayn / and badde hym that he shold goo and socoure his felauship / whiche were sore bystad with their enemyes / Syr greue yow not sayd syre Gawayn / For theyr gree shall be theirs I shall not ones meue my hors to them ward / but yf I see mo than ther ben / For they ben stronge ynough to matche them / & with that he sawe an erle called syre Ethelwold and the duk of duchemen cam lepyng out of a wood with many thousādes & pryamus knyȝtes / & cam strayte vn to the bataylle / thēne sir gawayn comforted his knyghtes / and bad them not to be abasshed / for al shal be ours / thēne they began to wallope & mette with their enemyes / there were mē slayn & ouerthrowen on euery

[leaf 90v] syde / Thenne threstyd in amonge them the knyghtes of the table round / and smote doune to the erthe alle them that wythstode them / in soo moche that they made them to recuyelle & flee / By god sayd syre Gawayn this gladeth my herte / for now ben they lasse in nombre by xx M / Thenne entryd in to the bataylle Iubaunce a geaunt / and fought and slewe doune ryght and distressyd many of our knyghtes / emonge whome was slayne syre Gherard a knyght of walys / Thenne oure knyghtes toke herte to them / and slewe many sarasyns / And thenne came in syr Priamus with his penon / and rode with the knyghtes of the round table / and fought so manfully that many of their enemyes lost theyr lyues / And ther syr Pryamus slewe the Marquys of Moyses land / and syre gawayn with his felawes so quytte hem that they had the feld / but in that stoure was syr Chestelayne a chyld and ward of syre Gawayne slayne / wherfore was moche sorou made / and his deth wes soone auengyd / Thus was the bataille ended and many lordes of lombardye and sarasyns left dede in the feld /

¶ Thenne syre florence and syre Gawayne herberowed surely theyr peple / and token grete plente of bestyal of gold & syluer and grete tresour and rychesse and retorned vnto kyng Arthur whiche lay styl at the syege / And whanne they came to the kynge / they presented theyr prysoners and recounted theyre aduentures / and how they had vaynquysshed theyre enemyes

¶ Capitulum xij

NOw thanked be god sayd the noble kynge Arthur / But what maner man is he that standeth by hym self hym semed no prysoner / Syre sayd Gawayne this is a good man of armes / he hath matched me / but he is yolden vnto god and to me for to bycome Crysten had not he haue be we shold neuer haue rotorned / wherfor I pray yow that he may be baptysed / for ther lyueth not a nobler man ne better knyght of his handes / thenne the kyng lete hym anon be crystned / and dyd doo calle hym his fyrste name Pryamus / and made hym a duke and knyghte of the table round

¶ And thenne anon the kynge lete do crye assaulte to the cyte / and there was rerynge of laddres brekyng of wallys and the dyche fylled /

[leaf 91r] that men with lytel payne myȝt entre in to the cyte / thēne cam out a duchesse / & Clarysyn the countesse with many ladyes & damoysels / and knelyng bifore kynge Arthur requyred hym for the loue of god to receyue the cyte / & not to take it by assaulte for thenne shold many gyltles be slayne / thēne the kyng aualyd his vyser with a meke & noble coūtenaūce / & said madame ther shal none of my subgettys mysdoo you ne your maydens / ne to none that to yow longen / but the duke shal abyde my Iugement / thenne anone the kyng commaunded to leue the assault / & anon the dukes oldest sone brought out the keyes / & knelyng delyuerd them to the kyng / & bysouȝt hym of grace / & the kyng seased the toun by assent of his lordes / & toke the duc & sent hym to douer there for to abyde prysoner terme of his lyf & assigned certayn rentes for the dower of the duchesse & for her children / Thenne he made lordes to rule tho londes & lawes as a lord ought to do in his owne countrey / & after he took his iourney toward Rome / & sent sir Florys & syr florydas to fore with v C men of armes / & they cam to the cyte of vrbyne & leid there a busshement there as them semed most best for them / & rode to fore the toune / where anon yssued oute moche peple & skarmusshed with the fore rydars / thēne brake out the busshement & wan the brydge & after the toun / & set vpon the wallis the kynges baner / thēne cam the kynge vpon an hille & sawe the Cyte & his baner on the wallys / by whiche he knewe that the Cyte was wonne / & anone he sente & commaunded that none of his lyege men shold defoule ne lygge by no lady / wyf / ne maide / & whan he cam in to the cyte / he passid to the castel / and comforted them that were in sorou / & ordeyned ther a captayn a knyȝt of his own coūtrey / & whan they of Melane herd that thylk cyte was wōne / they sent to kyng Arthur grete sōmes of money / & besouȝt hym as their lord to haue pyte of them / promysyng to be his subgettys for euer / & yelde to hym homage & fealte for the lādes of plesaūce & pauye / petersaynt & the port of tremble / & to gyue hym yerly a melyon of gold al his lyf tyme / thēne he rydeth in to Tuskane & wynneth tounes & castels & wasted al in his way that to hym wil not obeye / & so to spolute & viterbe & fro thens he rode in to the vale of vycecoūte emong the vynes And fro thens he sente to the senatours to wete / whether they

[leaf 91v] wold knowe hym for theyr lord / But soone after on a saterday came vnto kynge Arthur alle the senatours that were left on lyue / and the noblest Cardynals that thenne dwellyd in Rome / And prayd hym of pees / and profered hym ful large And bysought hym as gouernour to gyue lycence for vj wekes for to assemble alle the Romayns / And thenne to crowne hym Emperour with creme as it bylongeth to so hyhe astate / I assente sayd the kynge lyke as ye haue deuysed / and at crystemas there to be crowned / and to holde my round table with my knyghtes as me lyketh / And thenne the senatours maade redy for his Intronysacyon / And at the day appoynted as the Romaunce telleth he came in to Rome / and was crouned emperour by the popes hand with all the ryalte that coude be made / And sudgerned there a tyme / and establysshed all his londes from Rome in to Fraunce / and gaf londes and royammes vnto his seruauntes and knyghtes to eueryche after his desert in suche wyse that none complayned ryche ne poure / & he gafe to syre Pryamus the duchye of Lorayne / and he thanked hym and sayd he wold serue hym the dayes of his lyf / and after made dukes and erles / and made euery man ryche / Thenne after this alle his knyghtes and lordes assembled them afore hym / and sayd blessyd be god your warre is fynysshed and your conquest acheued / in soo moche that we knowe none soo grete ne myghty that dar make warre ageynst yow / wherfore we byseche you to retorne homeward / and gyue vs lycence to goo home to our wyues / fro whome we haue ben longe / and to reste vs / for your Iourney is fynysshed with honour & woship [sicworship] / Thenne sayd the kyng / ye saye trouthe / and for to tempte god it is no wysedome / And therfore make you redy and retorne we in to Englond / Thenne there was trussyng of harneis and bagage and grete caryage / And after lycence gyuen he retorned and commaunded that noo man in payne of dethe shold not robbe ne take vytaylle / ne other thynge by the way but that he shold paye therfore / And thus he came ouer the see and londed at sandwyche / ageynste whome Quene Gweneuer his wyf came and mette hym / and he was nobly receyued of alle his comyns in euery cyte and burgh / and grete yeftes presented to hym at his home comyng to welcome hym with /

[leaf 92r]

¶ Thus endeth the fyfthe booke of the conqueste that kynge Arthur hadde ageynste Lucius the Emperoure of Rome / and here foloweth the syxth book whiche is of syr Launcelot du lake