SIR LAUNCELOT OF THE LAKE
When King Arthur, after long wars, rested and held a royal feast with
his allies and noble knights of the Round Table, there came into his
hall, he sitting on his throne royal, twelve ambassadors from Rome, and
said to him: "The high and mighty emperor Lucius sendeth to the king of
Britain greeting, commanding thee to acknowledge him for thy lord and
to send the tribute due from this realm unto the empire according to
the statutes and decrees made by the noble and worthy Julius Caesar,
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, so that it shall be warning perpetual unto all kings
and princes not to deny their tribute unto the noble empire which
dominateth the universal world."
Some of the young knights hearing this message would have run on the
ambassadors to slay them, saying that it was a rebuke unto all the
knights there present to suffer them to say so to the King. But King
Arthur commanded that none should do them any harm, and anon let call
all his lords and knights of the Round Table to council upon the
matter. And all agreed to make sharp war on the Romans, and to aid
after their power.
So the messengers were allowed to depart, and they took ship at
Sandwich and passed forth by Flanders, Almaine, the mountains and all
Italy until they came unto Rome. There they said to Lucius, "Certainly
he is a lord to be feared, for his estate is the royalest that ever we
saw, and in his person he is the most manly man that liveth, and is
likely to conquer all the world, for unto his courage it is too little;
wherefore we advise you to keep well your marches and straits[1] in the
mountains."
Then Lucius made ready a great host and marched into Gaul, and Arthur
met him there with his army. The old chronicles tell of the great
battles that were fought and the brave deeds of knights and lords, how
Arthur himself with Excalibur cleft the head of Lucius, and at length
passed over the mountains into Lombardy and Tuscany, and so came into
Rome. On a day appointed, as the romance telleth, he was crowned
emperor by the Pope's hand with all the royalty that could be made.
After he had established all his lands from Rome unto France, and had
given lands and realms unto his servants and knights, to each after his
desert in such wise that none complained, rich nor poor, all his lords
and all the great men of estate assembled before him and said: "Blessed
be God, your war is finished and your conquest achieved, insomuch that
we know none so great nor mighty that dare make war against you;
wherefore we beseech you to return homeward and give us licence to go
home to our wives, from whom we have been long, and to rest us, for
your journey is finished with honour."
So they all came over sea, and landed at Sandwich, where Queen Guenever
came and met the King. And he was nobly received of all the commons in
every city and borough, and great gifts were presented to him at his
home-coming, to welcome him.
Of all the knights that, when Arthur came into England, had increased
in honour, Sir Launcelot of the Lake in especial excelled in deeds of
arms both for life and death. His parents, King Ban of Benwick and his
fair queen, Elaine, had first named him Galahad, and, as has already
been said, Merlin, before he disappeared under the stone, had foretold
that within twenty years he should be known over the whole world as a
great and worthy knight. It is no marvel, therefore, that Launcelot is
the first knight that the French book maketh mention of after King
Arthur came from Rome. He passed with Arthur into England, where he
was received gladly and was made a knight of the Round Table. Queen
Guenever had him in great favour above all other knights, and in return
he was loyal to her above all other ladies and damsels all his life,
and for love of her he did many deeds of arms, and saved her from the
fire through his noble chivalry. Therefore jealous people spoke evil
of Sir Launcelot and the Queen, because they were of less prowess and
honour than he, and thereby great mischief arose in Arthur's court.
From this came Arthur's overthrow in the end, and the downfall of his
noble realm.
But for long years Launcelot was the glory of knighthood, and he vied
with King Arthur himself in deeds of prowess and of chivalrous courtesy
in the tournament and on adventure.
[1] Strait: narrow pass.