第58章 BOOK V(5)

NOW turn we to the Emperor of Rome,which espied that these prisoners should be sent to Paris,and anon he sent to lie in a bushment certain knights and princes with sixty thousand men,for to rescue his knights and lords that were prisoners.And so on the morn as Launcelot and Sir Cador,chieftains and governors of all them that conveyed the prisoners,as they should pass through a wood,Sir Launcelot sent certain knights to espy if any were in the woods to let them.And when the said knights came into the wood,anon they espied and saw the great embushment,and returned and told Sir Launcelot that there lay in await for them three score thousand Romans.And then Sir Launcelot with such knights as he had,and men of war to the number of ten thousand,put them in array,and met with them and fought with them manly,and slew and detrenched many of the Romans,and slew many knights and admirals of the party of the Romans and Saracens;there was slain the king of Lyly and three great lords,Aladuke,Herawd,and Heringdale.But Sir Launcelot fought so nobly that no man might endure a stroke of his hand,but where he came he showed his prowess and might,for he slew down right on every side;and the Romans and Saracens fled from him as the sheep from the wolf or from the lion,and put them,all that abode alive,to flight.

And so long they fought that tidings came to King Arthur,and anon he graithed him and came to the battle,and saw his knights how they had vanquished the battle,he embraced them knight by knight in his arms,and said,Ye be worthy to wield all your honour and worship;there was never king save myself that had so noble knights.Sir,said Cador,there was none of us failed other,but of the prowess and manhood of Sir Launcelot were more than wonder to tell,and also of his cousins which did that day many noble feats of war.And also Sir Cador told who of his knights were slain,as Sir Berel,and other Sir Moris and Sir Maurel,two good knights.Then the king wept,and dried his eyes with a kerchief,and said,Your courage had near-hand destroyed you,for though ye had returned again,ye had lost no worship;for I call it folly,knights to abide when they be overmatched.

Nay,said Launcelot and the other,for once shamed may never be recovered.

CHAPTER VIII

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.