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H yt͵ be ffelle Whan Kyng͵ Arthur had wedded
quene Gwenyuere And fulfylled the rounde
taƀƚe And so aftir his mervelous knyghtis
And he had venquyshed the moste party of͵ his
enemyes ¶ And Than sone aftir com Sir Laun//
celot͵ de Lake vnto þᵉ courte And Sir Trystrams come
that͵ tyme also And than he rested and helde a ryal feste and table rounde with his alyes of kynges prynces and noble knyghtes all of the Rounde Table
Milestone: Arrival of Emperor Lucius messengers
¶ SoAnd than so hit͵ be felle that͵ there cam into his halle he syttynge in his throne ryal twelve auncient men berynge eche of them a braunche of olyve in tokyn that they cam as embassatours and messagers fro the Emperour Lucyus whiche was called at that tyme Procurour of the Publyke Wele of Rome whiche sayde messagers after theire comyng into the presence of Kynge Arthur dyd to hym theire obeysaunce in makyng to hym reverence and seyde to hym in this wyse: The hyghe and myghty Emperour Lucyus sendeth to the Kyng of Bretayne gretyng commaundyng the to knowlecche hym for thy lorde and to sende hym the truage due of this realme unto the empyre whiche thy fadir and other tofore thy precessours have payde as is of recorde and thou as rebell nat knowynge hym as thy soverayne withholdest contrary to the statutes and decrees made by the noble Julius Cezar conquerrour of this realme and fyrste Emperour of Rome þᵉ Emperoureof͵ Roome Lucius sente vnto Arthure messyngers cōmaun//
dynge hymʹ for to pay his trewage þᵗ his Auncettryes haue
payde be fore hym
Milestone: Fear of Messengers
¶ Whan kynge Arthure wyste what͵they mente he loked vp wᵗ his gray yȝen and angred at͵
þᵉ messyngers passyngʹ sore ¶ Than were this messyn///
gers a ferde and knelyd stylle and durste nat͵ a ryse
they were so a ferde of͵ his grymme countenaunce ¶ þan NoteThe macron of 'grymme' is on the top of letter 'r'.
one of͵ þᵉ knyghtɤ messyngers spake a lowde And seyde
crowned kynge mysse do no messyngers · ffor we be com
at͵ his cōmaundemente as servytures sholde ¶ Than
spake þᵉ conquerroᵘʳ þou recrayed & coward knyghte
why feryst͵ þᵘ my countenaunce · there be In this halle
& they were sore aggreved þᵘ durste nat͵ for a deuke//
dom of͵ londis loke In þeire facis ¶ Sir seyde one of͵ þᵉ Se//
natoures so cryste me helpe I was so a ferde whan I
loked In thy face that͵ myne herte wolde nat͵ serve for
to sey my message · But͵ sytthen hit͵ is my wylle for to sey
myne erande
Milestone: Messenger speaks
¶ The gretis welle Lucius the Emperoureof͵ Roome and cōmaundis þᵉ upponʹ payne þᵗ woƚƚ͵ falle
to sende hym þᵉ trewage of͵ this Realme that͵ thy fadir
Uther Pendragon payde and yf thou refuse his commaundemente knowe thou for certayne that he shall make strong warre agaynste the thy realmys and londes and shalloþer ellys he woƚƚ͵ be reve þᵉ aƚƚ͵
thy Realmys þᵗ þᵘ weldyst͵ and chastyse the and thy subjectes that it shall be ensample perpetuel unto alle kynges and prynces for to denye theire truage unto that noble empyre whiche domyneth upon the unyversal worlde
Milestone: none
Milestone: King Arthur seeks counsel
¶ Thow seyste weƚƚ͵ seydeArthure but͵ for aƚƚ͵ thy brym wordys I woƚƚ͵ nat͵ be to
ouer hasty · And þere fore þᵘ and thy felowys shaƚƚ͵ abyde here
