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sees that she delays, he bids Gawain go quickly to bring her and the
Queen. Gawain hastens and was not slow, and with him King Cadoalant
and the generous King of Galloway. Guivret the Little accompanies them,
followed by Yder the son of Nut. So many of the other nobles ran thither
to escort the two ladies that they would have sufficed to overcome a
host; for there were more than a thousand of them. The Queen had made
her best effort to adorn Enide. Into the palace they brought her
the courteous Gawain escorting her on one side, and on the other the
generous King of Galloway, who loved her dearly on account of Erec who
was his nephew. When they came to the palace, King Arthur came quickly
toward them, and courteously seated Enide beside Erec; for he wished to
do her great honour. Now he orders to be brought forth from his treasure
two massive crowns of fine gold. As soon as he had spoken and given the
command, without delay the crowns were brought before him, all sparkling
with carbuncles, of which there were four in each. The light of the moon
is nothing compared with the light which the least of the carbuncles
could shed. Because of the radiance which they shed, all those who were
in the palace were so dazzled that for a moment they could see nothing;
and even the King was amazed, and yet filled with satisfaction, when
he saw them to be so clear and bright. He had one of them held by two
damsels, and the other by two gentlemen. Then he bade the bishops and
priors and the abbots of the Church step forward and anoint the new
King, as the Christian practice is. Now all the prelates, young and old,
came forward; for at the court there were a great number of bishops and
abbots. The Bishop of Nantes himself, who was a very worthy and saintly
man, anointed the new King in a very holy and becoming manner, and
placed the crown upon his head. King Arthur had a sceptre brought which
was very fine. Listen to the description of the sceptre, which was
clearer than a pane of glass, all of one solid emerald, fully as large
as your fist. I dare to tell you in very truth that in all the world
there is no manner of fish, or of wild behest, or of man, or of flying
bird that was not worked and chiselled upon it with its proper figure.
The sceptre was handed to the King, who looked at it with amazement;
then he put it without delay into King Erec's right hand; and now he
was King as he ought to be. Then he crowned Enide in turn. Now the
be