e I shall take my mighty warriors from Tuscany and
Lombardy, and all the subjects and allies I have shall be summoned to
my aid."

Then the Emperor picked out wise old knights and sent them east and
west throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe, to summon his allies from
Turkey, Syria, Portugal, and the other distant lands that were subject
to him; and in the meantime he assembled his forces from Rome,
and from the countries between Rome and Flanders, and he collected
together as his bodyguard fifty giants who were sons of evil spirits.
Putting himself at the head of this mighty host, Lucius departed from
Rome, and marching through Savoy, crossed the mountains, meaning to
lay waste the lands King Arthur had conquered. He besieged and took
a castle near Cologne, which he garrisoned with Saracens and
unbelievers. Then he passed on, plundering and pillaging the country,
till he entered Burgundy, where he halted to collect the whole of
his army before invading and laying utterly waste the land of Little
Britain.

In the meantime preparations were being made on the side of the
British. A parliament was held at York, and there it was resolved that
all the navy of the kingdom should be got ready and assembled
within fifteen days at Sandwich. Sir Baudewaine of Britain, and Sir
Constantine, the son of Sir Cador of Cornwall, were chosen by the King
to be his viceroys during his absence; and to them, in the presence
of all his lords, he confided the care of his kingdom, and he also
entrusted to them Queen Guinevere. She, when the time drew near for
the departure of her lord, wept and lamented so piteously that at last
she swooned, and was carried away to her chamber by the ladies that
attended upon her. Then King Arthur mounted his horse, and, putting
himself at the head of his troops, made proclamation in a loud voice
that should death befall him during this expedition, his wish was
that Sir Constantine, who was his heir by blood, should succeed to his
possessions and to his throne.

So King Arthur and his army came to Sandwich, where they found
awaiting them a great multitude of galleys and vessels of all sorts,
on which they embarked and set out to sea. That night, as the King lay
asleep in his cabin, he dreamed a marvelous dream. A dreadful dragon
appeared, flying out of the west. Its head was all enameled with azure
enamel. Its wings and its claws glistened like gold. Its feet were
black as jet. Its body was sheathed in scales