Le Morte Darthur
ride with them to the king’s court. And so within twelve days they came
to Camelot; and the king was passing glad of their coming, and so was
all the court. Then the king made them to swear upon a book to tell him
all their adventures that had befallen them that twelvemonth, and so
they did. And there was Sir Marhaus well known; for there were knights
that he had matched aforetime, and he was named one of the best knights
living. Against the feast of Pentecost came the damsel of the lake, and
brought with her Sir Pelleas. And at that high feast there was great
justing of knights, and of all the knights that were at that justs Sir
Pelleas had the prize, and Sir Marhaus was named the next; but Sir
Pelleas was so strong that there might but few knights sit him a buffet
with a spear. And at that next feast Sir Pelleas and Sir Marhaus were
made knights of the Table Round, for there were two sieges void, for
two knights were slain that twelvemonth; and great joy had king Arthur
of Sir Pelleas and of Sir Marhaus. But Pelleas loved never after Sir
Gawaine, but as he spared him for the love of king Arthur. But ofttimes
at justs and tournaments Sir Pelleas quit Sir Gawaine, for so it
rehearseth in the book of French. So Sir Tristram many days after
fought with Sir Marhaus in an island, and there they did a great
battle, but at the last Sir Tristram slew him. So Sir Tristram was
wounded that hardly he might recover, and lay at a nunnery half a year.
And Sir Pelleas was a worshipful knight, and was one of the four that
achieved the Sangreal. And the damsel of the lake made by her means
that never he had ado with Sir Launcelot de Lake, for where Sir
Launcelot was at any justs or any tournament she would not suffer him
to be there that day, but if it were on the side of Sir Launcelot.
Explicit liber quartus. Incipit liber quintus.
The Fifth Book.
CHAP. I.
_How twelve aged ambassadors of Rome came to king Arthur to demand
truage for Britain._
When king Arthur had after long war rested, and held a royal feast and
Table Round with his allies of kings, princes, and noble knights all of
the Round Table, there came into his hall, he sitting in his throne
royal, twelve ancient men, bearing each of them a branch of olive in
token that they came as ambassadors and messagers from the emperor
Lucius, which was called at that time Dictator or Procuror of the
Public Weal of Rome. Which said messagers, after their entering and
coming into the presence of king Arthur, did to him their obeisance in
making to him reverence, and said to him in this wise: The high and
mighty emperor Lucius sendeth to the king of Britain greeting,
commanding thee to acknowledge him for thy lord, and to send him the
truage due of this realm unto the empire, which thy father and other
tofore thy predecessors have paid as is of record, and thou as rebel
not knowing him as thy sovereign, withholdest and retainest contrary to
the statutes and decrees made by the noble and worthy Julius Cesar,
conqueror of this realm, and first emperor of Rome. And if thou refuse
his demand and commandment, know thou for certain that he shall make
strong war against thee, thy realms and lands, and shall chastise thee
and thy subjects, that it shall be ensample perpetual unto all kings
and princes for to deny their truage unto that noble empire which
domineth upon the universal world. Then when they had shewed the effect
of their message, the king commanded them to withdraw them, and said he
should take advice of council, and give to them an answer. Then some of
the young knights hearing this their message would have run on them to
have slain them, saying that it was a rebuke unto all the knights there
being present to suffer them to say so to the king. And anon the king
commanded that none of them upon pain of death to missay them, nor do
them any harm, and commanded a knight to bring them to their lodging,
and see that they have all that is necessary and requisite for them
with the best cheer, and that no dainty be spared, for the Romans be
great lords, and though their message please me not, nor my court, yet
I must remember mine honour. After this the king let call all his lords
and knights of the Round Table to council upon this matter, and desired
them to say their advice. Then Sir Cador of Cornwall spake first, and
said, Sir, this message liketh me well, for we have many days rested us
and have been idle, and now I hope ye shall make sharp war on the
Romans, where I doubt not we shall get honour. I believe well, said
Arthur, that this matter pleaseth thee well, but these answers may not
be answered, for the demand grieveth me sore; for truly I will never
pay no truage to Rome, wherefore I pray you to counsel me. I have
understood that Belinus and Brenius, kings of Britain, have had the
empire in their hands many days, and also Constantine the son of queen
Heleine, which is an open evidence that we owe no tribute to Rome, but
of right we that be descended of them have right to claim the title of
the empire.
CHAP. II.
_How the kings and lords promised to king Arthur aid and help against
the Romans._
Then answered king Anguish of Scotland, Sir, ye ought of right to be
above all other kings, for unto you is none like nor pareil in all
Christendom, of knighthood ne of dignity, and I counsel you never to
obey the Romans, for when they reigned on us they distressed our
elders, and put this land to great extortions and tallages, wherefore I
make here mine avow to avenge me on them; and for to strengthen your
quarrel I shall furnish twenty thousand good men of war, and wage them
on my costs, which shall await on you with myself, when it shall please
you. And the king of Little Britain granted him to the same thirty
thousand; wherefore king Arthur thanked them. And then every man agreed
to make war, and to aid after their power; that is to wit, the lord of
West Wales promised to bring thirty thousand men, and Sir Uwaine, Sir
Ider his son, with their cousins, promised to bring thirty thousand.
Then Sir Launcelot with all other promised in likewise every man a
great multitude. And when king Arthur understood their courages and
good wills he thanked them heartily, and after let call the ambassadors
to hear their answer. And in presence of all his lords and knights he
said to them in this wise: I will that ye return unto your lord and
Procuror of the Common Weal for the Romans, and say to him, Of his
demand and commandment I set nothing, and that I know of no truage, ne
tribute, that I owe to him, ne to none earthly prince, Christian ne
heathen; but I pretend to have and occupy the sovereignty of the
empire, wherein I am entitled by the right of my predecessors, sometime
kings of this land; and say to him that I am deliberated, and fully
concluded, to go with mine army with strength and power unto Rome by
the grace of God to take possession in the empire, and subdue them that
be rebel. Wherefore I command him, and all them of Rome, that
incontinent they make to me their homage, and to acknowledge me for
their emperor and governor, upon pain that shall ensue. And then he
commanded his treasurer to give them great and large gifts, and to pay
all their expenses, and assigned Sir Cador to convey them out of the
land. And so they took their leave and departed, and took their
shipping at Sandwich, and passed forth by Flanders, Almain, the
mountains, and all Italy, until they came unto Lucius. And after the
reverence made, they made relation of their answer, like as ye tofore
have heard. When the emperor Lucius had well understood their credence,
he was sore moved as he had been all enraged, and said: I had supposed
that Arthur would have obeyed to my commandment, and have served you
himself, as him well beseemed or any other king to do. O sir, said one
of the senators, let be such vain words, for we let you wit that I and
my fellows were full sore afeard to behold his countenance; I fear me
ye have made a rod for yourself, for he intendeth to be lord of this
empire, which sore is to be doubted if he come, for he is all another
man than ye ween, and holdeth the most noble court of the world; all
other kings ne princes may not compare unto his noble maintenance. On
new year’s day we saw him in his estate, which was the royalest that
ever we saw, for he was served at his table with nine kings and the
noblest fellowship of other princes, lords, and knights, that be in the
world, and every knight approved and like a lord, and holdeth Table
Round: and in his person the most manly man that liveth, and is like to
conquer all the world, for unto his courage it is too little: wherefore
I advise you to keep well your marches and straits in the mountains;
for certainly he is a lord to be doubted. Well, said Lucius, before
Easter I suppose to pass the mountains and so forth into France, and
there bereave him his lands with Genoese and other mighty warriors of
Tuscany and Lombardy. And I shall send for them all that be subjects
and allied to the empire of Rome to come to mine aid. And forthwith
sent old wise knights unto these countries following: first, to Ambage
and Arrage, to Alisandrie, to Inde, to Hermonie where as the river of
Euphrates runneth into Asia, to Affrike, and Europe the large, to
Ertaine and Elamie, to Arabie, Egypt, and to Damaske, to Damiete and
Cayer, to Capadoce, to Tarce, Turkey, Pounce, and Pampoille, to Surrie,
and Galacie. And all these were subject to Rome, and many more, as
Greece, Cyprus, Macedone, Calabre, Cateland, Portingale, with many
thousands of Spaniards. Thus all these kings, dukes, and admirals
assembled about Rome with sixteen kings at once, with great multitude
of people. When the emperor understood their coming, he made ready his
Romans and all the people between him and Flanders. Also he had gotten
with him fifty giants which had been born of fiends; and they were
ordained to guard his person, and to break the front of the battle of
king Arthur.
And thus he departed from Rome, and came down the mountains for to
destroy the lands that king Arthur had conquered, and came to Cologne,
and besieged a castle thereby, and won it soon, and stuffed it with two
hundred Saracens or infidels, and after destroyed many fair countries
which Arthur had won of king Claudas. And thus Lucius came with all his
host which were spread out threescore mile in breadth, and commanded
them to meet with him in Burgoyne, for he purposed to destroy the realm
of Little Britain.
CHAP. III.
_How king Arthur held a parliament at York, and how he ordained how the
realm should be governed in his absence._
Now leave we of Lucius the emperor, and speak we of king Arthur, that
commanded all them of his retinue to be ready at the utas of Hilary for
to hold a parliament at York. And at that parliament was concluded to
arrest all the navy of the land, and to be ready within fifteen days at
Sandwich; and there he shewed to his army how he purposed to conquer
the empire which he ought to have of right. And there he ordained two
governors of this realm, that is to say, Sir Bawdwin of Britain, for to
counsel to the best, and Sir Constantine, son to Sir Cador of Cornwall,
which after the death of Arthur was king of this realm. And in the
presence of all his lords he resigned the rule of the realm and
Guenever his queen unto them, wherefore Sir Launcelot was wroth, for he
left Sir Tristram with king Mark for the love of Beale Isould. Then the
queen Guenever made great sorrow for the departing of her lord and
other, and swooned in such wise that the ladies bare her into her