e. On New Year's Day we saw
him in his estate, which was the royalest that ever we saw, for he was
served at his table with nine kings, and the noblest fellowship of
other princes, lords, and knights that be in the world, and every knight
approved and like a lord, and holdeth Table Round: and in his person the
most manly man that liveth, and is like to conquer all the world, for
unto his courage it is too little: wherefore I advise you to keep well
your marches and straits in the mountains; for certainly he is a lord
to be doubted. Well, said Lucius, before Easter I suppose to pass the
mountains, and so forth into France, and there bereave him his lands
with Genoese and other mighty warriors of Tuscany and Lombardy. And I
shall send for them all that be subjects and allied to the empire of
Rome to come to mine aid. And forthwith sent old wise knights unto
these countries following: first to Ambage and Arrage, to Alexandria, to
India, to Armenia, whereas the river of Euphrates runneth into Asia, to
Africa, and Europe the Large, to Ertayne and Elamye, to Araby, Egypt,
and to Damascus, to Damietta and Cayer, to Cappadocia, to Tarsus,
Turkey, Pontus and Pamphylia, to Syria and Galatia. And all these were
subject to Rome and many more, as Greece, Cyprus, Macedonia, Calabria,
Cateland, Portugal, with many thousands of Spaniards. Thus all these
kings, dukes, and admirals, assembled about Rome, with sixteen kings at
once, with great multitude of people. When the emperor understood their
coming he made ready his Romans and all the people between him and
Flanders.

Also he had gotten with him fifty giants which had been engendered of
fiends; and they were ordained to guard his person, and to break the
front of the battle of King Arthur. And thus departed from Rome,
and came down the mountains for to destroy the lands that Arthur had
conquered, and came unto Cologne, and besieged a castle thereby, and won
it soon, and stuffed it with two hundred Saracens or Infidels, and after
destroyed many fair countries which Arthur had won of King Claudas. And
thus Lucius came with all his host, which were disperplyd sixty mile
in breadth, and commanded them to meet with him in Burgoyne, for he
purposed to destroy the realm of Little Britain.

CHAPTER III. How King Arthur held a parliament at York, and how he
ordained the realm should be governed in his absence.

NOW leave we of Lucius the Emperor and speak we of King Arthur, that
comma