f the
Table Round, for there were two sieges void, for two knights were slain
that twelvemonth, and great joy had King Arthur of Sir Pelleas and of
Sir Marhaus. But Pelleas loved never after Sir Gawaine, but as he spared
him for the love of King Arthur; but ofttimes at jousts and tournaments
Sir Pelleas quit Sir Gawaine, for so it rehearseth in the book of
French. So Sir Tristram many days after fought with Sir Marhaus in an
island, and there they did a great battle, but at the last Sir Tristram
slew him, so Sir Tristram was wounded that unnethe he might recover, and
lay at a nunnery half a year. And Sir Pelleas was a worshipful knight,
and was one of the four that achieved the Sangreal, and the Damosel of
the Lake made by her means that never he had ado with Sir Launcelot de
Lake, for where Sir Launcelot was at any jousts or any tournament, she
would not suffer him be there that day, but if it were on the side of
Sir Launcelot.

Explicit liber quartus. Incipit liber quintus.

BOOK V.

CHAPTER I. How twelve aged ambassadors of Rome came to King Arthur to
demand truage for Britain.

WHEN King Arthur had after long war rested, and held a royal feast and
Table Round with his allies of kings, princes, and noble knights all
of the Round Table, there came into his hall, he sitting in his throne
royal, twelve ancient men, bearing each of them a branch of olive, in
token that they came as ambassadors and messengers from the Emperor
Lucius, which was called at that time, Dictator or Procuror of the
Public Weal of Rome. Which said messengers, after their entering and
coming into the presence of King Arthur, did to him their obeisance
in making to him reverence, and said to him in this wise: The high
and mighty Emperor Lucius sendeth to the King of Britain greeting,
commanding thee to acknowledge him for thy lord, and to send him the
truage due of this realm unto the Empire, which thy father and other
to-fore thy precessors have paid as is of record, and thou as rebel not
knowing him as thy sovereign, withholdest and retainest contrary to
the statutes and decrees made by the noble and worthy Julius Cesar,
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, that it shall be ensample perpetual unto all kings and
princes, for to deny their truage