¶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 / wherfore I pray yow that he may be bap∣tysed / sor 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 du∣ke and knyghte of the table round ¶And thenne anon the kynge lete do crye assaulte to the cyte / and there was re∣rynge of laddres brekyng of wallys and the dyche fylled / Page  [unnumbered] that men with lytel payne myʒt 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 assa∣ulte for thenne shold many gyltles be slayne / thēne the kyng aualyd his vyser with a meke & noble coūtenaūce / & said ma∣dame ther shal none of my subgettys mysdoo you ne your ma∣ydens / 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 / & bysouʒt 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 / & ro¦de to fore the toune / where anon yssued out moche peple & scar¦musshed with the fore rydars / thēne brake out the busshement & wan the brydge & after the toun / & set vpon the wallis the kyn¦ges 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 knyʒt of his own coūtrey / & whan they of Melane herd that thylk cyte was wōne / they sent to kyng Arthur grete sōmes of money / & besouʒt 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 Page  [unnumbered] wold knowe hym for theyr lord / But soone after on a sater day came vnto kynge Arthur alle the senatours that were left on lyue / and the noblest Cardynals that then ne dwellyd in Rome / And prayd hym of pees / and profered hym ful large And byfought hym as gouernour to gyue lycence for vj we∣kes 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 cry∣stemas 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 em¦perour by the popes hand with all the ryalte that coude be ma¦de / And sudgerned there a tyme / and establysshed all his lon∣des 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 oure wyues / fro whome we haue ben longe / and to reste vs / for your Iourney is fynysshed with honour & wor¦ship / Thenne sayd the kyng / ye saye trouthe / and for to temp∣te god it is no wysedome / And therfore make you redy and retorne we in to Englond / Thenne there was trussyng of har∣neis 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 /