Chương Chương 97 · How a senator told to Lucius of their discomfiture, and

. How a senator told to Lucius of their discomfiture, and

also of the great battle between Arthur and Lucius.

Now leave we King Arthur and his noble knights which had won the field,

and had brought their prisoners to Paris, and speak we of a senator

which escaped from the battle, and came to Lucius the emperor, and said

to him, Sir emperor, I advise thee for to withdraw thee; what dost thou

here? thou shalt win nothing in these marches but great strokes out of

all measure, for this day one of Arthur’s knights was worth in the

battle an hundred of ours. Fie on thee, said Lucius, thou speakest

cowardly; for thy words grieve me more than all the loss that I had

this day. And anon he sent forth a king, which hight Sir Leomie, with a

great army, and bade him hie him fast to-fore, and he would follow

hastily after. King Arthur was warned privily, and sent his people to

Sessoine, and took up the towns and castles from the Romans. Then the

king commanded Sir Cador to take the rearward, and to take with him

certain knights of the Round Table, and Sir Launcelot, Sir Bors, Sir

Kay, Sir Marrok, with Sir Marhaus, shall await on our person. Thus the

King Arthur disperpled his host in divers parties, to the end that his

enemies should not escape.

When the emperor was entered into the vale of Sessoine, he might see

where King Arthur was embattled and his banner displayed; and he was

beset round about with his enemies, that needs he must fight or yield

him, for he might not flee, but said openly unto the Romans, Sirs, I

admonish you that this day ye fight and acquit you as men, and remember

how Rome domineth and is chief and head over all the earth and

universal world, and suffer not these Britons this day to abide against

us; and therewith he did command his trumpets to blow the bloody

sounds, in such wise that the ground trembled and dindled.

Then the battles approached and shoved and shouted on both sides, and

great strokes were smitten on both sides, many men overthrown, hurt,

and slain; and great valiances, prowesses and appertices of war were

that day showed, which were over long to recount the noble feats of

every man, for they should contain an whole volume. But in especial,

King Arthur rode in the battle exhorting his knights to do well, and

himself did as nobly with his hands as was possible a man to do; he

drew out Excalibur his sword, and awaited ever whereas the Romans were

thickest and most grieved his people, and anon he addressed him on that

part, and hew and slew down right, and rescued his people; and he slew

a great giant named Galapas, which was a man of an huge quantity and

height, he shorted him and smote off both his legs by the knees,

saying, Now art thou better of a size to deal with than thou were, and

after smote off his head. There Sir Gawaine fought nobly and slew three

admirals in that battle. And so did all the knights of the Round Table.

Thus the battle between King Arthur and Lucius the Emperor endured

long. Lucius had on his side many Saracens which were slain. And thus

the battle was great, and oftsides that one party was at a fordeal and

anon at an afterdeal, which endured so long till at the last King

Arthur espied where Lucius the Emperor fought, and did wonder with his

own hands. And anon he rode to him. And either smote other fiercely,

and at last Lucius smote Arthur thwart the visage, and gave him a large

wound. And when King Arthur felt himself hurt, anon he smote him again

with Excalibur that it cleft his head, from the summit of his head, and

stinted not till it came to his breast. And then the emperor fell down

dead and there ended his life.

And when it was known that the emperor was slain, anon all the Romans

with all their host put them to flight, and King Arthur with all his

knights followed the chase, and slew down right all them that they

might attain. And thus was the victory given to King Arthur, and the

triumph; and there were slain on the part of Lucius more than an

hundred thousand. And after King Arthur did do ransack the dead bodies,

and did do bury them that were slain of his retinue, every man

according to the estate and degree that he was of. And them that were

hurt he let the surgeons do search their hurts and wounds, and

commanded to spare no salves nor medicines till they were whole.

Then the king rode straight to the place where the Emperor Lucius lay

dead, and with him he found slain the Soudan of Syria, the King of

Egypt and of Ethiopia, which were two noble kings, with seventeen other

kings of divers regions, and also sixty senators of Rome, all noble

men, whom the king did do balm and gum with many good gums aromatic,

and after did do cere them in sixty fold of cered cloth of sendal, and

laid them in chests of lead, because they should not chafe nor savour,

and upon all these bodies their shields with their arms and banners

were set, to the end they should be known of what country they were.

And after he found three senators which were alive, to whom he said,

For to save your lives I will that ye take these dead bodies, and carry

them with you unto great Rome, and present them to the Potestate on my

behalf, shewing him my letters, and tell them that I in my person shall

hastily be at Rome. And I suppose the Romans shall beware how they

shall demand any tribute of me. And I command you to say when ye shall

come to Rome, to the Potestate and all the Council and Senate, that I

send to them these dead bodies for the tribute that they have demanded.

And if they be not content with these, I shall pay more at my coming,

for other tribute owe I none, nor none other will I pay. And methinketh

this sufficeth for Britain, Ireland and all Almaine with Germany. And

furthermore, I charge you to say to them, that I command them upon pain

of their heads never to demand tribute nor tax of me nor of my lands.

Then with this charge and commandment, the three senators aforesaid

departed with all the said dead bodies, laying the body of Lucius in a

car covered with the arms of the Empire all alone; and after alway two

bodies of kings in a chariot, and then the bodies of the senators after

them, and so went toward Rome, and showed their legation and message to

the Potestate and Senate, recounting the battle done in France, and how

the field was lost and much people and innumerable slain. Wherefore

they advised them in no wise to move no more war against that noble

conqueror Arthur, for his might and prowess is most to be doubted, seen

the noble kings and great multitude of knights of the Round Table, to

whom none earthly prince may compare.