Le Morte Darthur: Sir Thomas Malory's Book of King Arthur and his Noble; Knights of the Round TableMalory, Thomas, Sir
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Le Morte Darthur: Sir Thomas Malory's Book of King Arthur and his Noble; Knights of the Round Table
Malory, Thomas, Sir
Arthurian romances
And when they of Milan heard that the same
city was won, they sent to king Arthur great sums of money, and
besought him as their lord to have pity on them, promising to be his
subjects for ever, and yield to him homage and fealty for the lands of
Pleasance and Pavia, Petersaint, and the port of Tremble, and to give
him yearly a million of gold all his lifetime. Then he rideth into
Tuscany, and winneth towns and castles, and wasted all in his way that
to him will not obey, and so to Spolute and Viterbe: and from thence he
rode into the vale of Vicecount among the vines. And from thence he
sent to the senators to wit whether they would know him for their lord.
But soon after on a Saturday came unto king Arthur all the senators
that were left on live, and the noblest cardinals that then dwelled in
Rome, and prayed him of peace, and proffered him full large, and
besought him as governor to give licence for six weeks, for to assemble
together all the Romans, and then to crown him emperor with crism, as
it belongeth to so high a state. I assent, said the king, like as ye
have devised, and at Christmas there to be crowned, and to hold my
Round Table with my knights as me liketh. And then the senators made
things ready for his enthronization. And at the day appointed, as the
romance telleth, he came into Rome, and was crowned emperor by the
Pope’s hand with all the royalty that could be made, and sojourned
there a time, and established all his lands from Rome unto France, and
gave lands and realms unto his servants and knights, to every each
after his desert, in such wise that none complained, rich nor poor. And
he gave to Sir Priamus the duchy of Loraine; and he thanked him, and
said that he would serve him the days of his life: and after made dukes
and earls, and made every man rich. Then after this all his knights and
lords and all the great men of estate assembled them afore 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 and worship. Then
said the king, Ye say truth, and for to tempt God it is no wisdom, and
therefore make you ready and return we into England. Then was there
trussing of harness and baggage, and great carriage. And after licence
given, he returned and commanded that no man in pain of death should
rob nor take victual, nor other thing by the way, but that he should
pay therefore. And thus he came over the sea, and landed at Sandwich,
against whom queen Guenever his wife came and met him: and he was nobly
received of all his commons in every city and burgh, and great gifts
presented to him at his home coming, to welcome him with.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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