_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 to withdraw thee: what doest 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 bad him hie him fast tofore, and he would follow
hastily after. King Arthur was warned privily, and sent his people to
Sessoyne, and took up the towns and castles from the Romans. Then the
king commanded Sir Cador to take the rereward, 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 king
Arthur distributed his host in divers parts, to the end that his
enemies should not escape. When the emperor was entered into the vale
of Sessoyne, 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 blow the bloody sounds, in such wise that the ground trembled
and shook. Then the battles approached, and shove and shouted on both
sides, and great strokes were smitten on both sides, many men
overthrown, hurt, and slain; and great valiances, prowesses, and feats
of war were that day shewed, which were over long to recount the noble
feats of every man, for they should contain a 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 where as the
Romans were thickest and most grieved his people; and anon he addressed
him on that part, and hewed 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
vantage, and anon at a disadvantage, 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 the 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 state 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 Sowdan of Surrey, the king of
Egypt and the king of Ethiope, which were two noble kings, with
seventeen other kings of divers regions, and also sixty senators of
Rome, all noble men, whom the noble king Arthur 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 that were
onlive, 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 be ware 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 me thinketh 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 ne tax of me ne of my lands.
Then with this charge and commandment the three senators aforesaid
departed with all the said dead bodies lying, 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 shewed 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,
seeing the noble kings, and great multitude of knights of the Round
Table, to whom none earthly prince may compare.