Tabula

¶How kynge Arthur yaue bataylle to the Emperour / in y^• whiche batayll the Emperour hymself was slayne.

ARthur & his people herde tydyn¦ges y^t the Emperour had assem¦bled a grete power / as well of sarrasyns as of paynems & crysten men. Wherof y^e nombre was .lxxx. thousande hors men w^t foot men. ¶Arthur & his people orde¦ned fast forth in theyr waye towarde the Emperour & passed Normandy & Fraūce vnto Burgoyne / & wolde haue gone vn¦to the hoste. For men tolde hym that the Emperours hoste wolde come to Lucie. ¶The Emperour & his hoste in the be¦gynnynge of August teweued from Ro¦me / & came forth ryght the waye to war¦de y^• hoste. ¶Tho came kynge Arthurs spyes & sayd / yf that Arthur wolde he sholde fynde the Emperour there faste by / but they sayd / that the Emperour had so grete power with hym of kynges of the londe of Paynems / & also crysten people that it were but foly to kynge Ar¦thur to mete with them For the spyes ••ol¦de / that the Emperour had fyue or sixe men ayenst one of his. ¶Kynge Arthur was bolde & hardy / and for no thynge hym nysmayed & sayd. Goo we boldely in goddes name ayenst the Romayns / that with them lede Sarrasyns & Pay∣nems / that no maner trust they haue in god / but oonly vpontheyr strength. Go we now & seke them sharpely in the na¦me of almyghty god / & slee we the Pay∣nems and Crysten men that ben ayenst vs w^t them / for to destroye Crysten men And god shall vs helpe them to ouerco∣me. For we haue the ryght opynyon & therfore haue we truste in god. And do we so that the enmyes that be to crysten¦dome & to god may be destroyed & ouer∣come / & that men may recorde the war∣thynesse of knyghthode. ¶Whan kyng Arthur hadde thus sayd / they cryed all with an hygh voys. ¶God that is fad{er} almyghty worshypped be thy name w^t out ende. Amen. And graunt vs grace well for to do / & to destroye our enmyes that ben ayenst crystendome. In the na∣me of the fader / the sone / and the holy ghost. Amen. And god yeue hyen neuer grace ne worshyp in the worlde / ne mer∣cy of hym to haue / that this daye shall faynte well for to smyte & egrely. And so they rode softly / & ordeyned his wyn∣ges well & wysely. ¶The Emperour herde tell that kynge Arthur & his folke were redy appareylled for to fyght with hym & how they were camynge. He 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ordeyne his wynges in the best wyse that he cowde. And more trusted vppon his strength than in god almyghty / & that was seen afterwarde. For whan the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hostes mette / the Emperour lost 〈◊〉〈◊〉

of his folke ayenst one of Arthur. And so many were slayne / what on that one party & on that other / that it was grete pyte to wyte & to beholde. ¶In this ba¦tayll were slayne thrugh kyng Arthurs fyne kynges of the Paynems & of other wonder moche people / & kynge Arthurs men fought so well / that the Romayns and paynems had no more strengthe to withstonde them / than .xx. shepe ayenst fyue wulues. ¶And so it befelle that in this batayll in the shoure / that was won¦der harde & longe durynge in that one sy¦de & in that other / the Emperour amon¦ge them there was slayne / but ther was noo man that wyste for very sothe who hym slewe.