Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK V CHAPTER I

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 unto that noble <150>empire which
domineth upon the universal world.  Then when they had showed the
effect of their message, the king commanded them to withdraw
them, and said he should take advice of council and give to them
an answer.  Then some of the young knights, hearing this their
message, would have run on them to have slain them, saying that
it was a rebuke to all the knights there being present to suffer
them to say so to the king.  And anon the king commanded that
none of them, upon pain of death, to missay them nor do them any
harm, and commanded a knight to bring them to their lodging, and
see that they have all that is necessary and requisite for them,
with the best cheer, and that no dainty be spared, for the Romans
be great lords, and though their message please me not nor my
court, yet I must remember mine honour.

After this the king let call all his lords and knights of the
Round Table to counsel upon this matter, and desired them to say
their advice.  Then Sir Cador of Cornwall spake first and said,
Sir, this message liketh me well, for we have many days rested us
and have been idle, and now I hope ye shall make sharp war on the
Romans, where I doubt not we shall get honour.  I believe well,
said Arthur, that this matter pleaseth thee well, but these
answers may not be answered, for the demand grieveth me sore, for
truly I will never pay truage to Rome, wherefore I pray you to
counsel me.  I have understood that Belinus and Brenius, kings of
Britain, have had the empire in their hands many days, and also
Constantine the son of Heleine, which is an open evidence that we
owe no tribute to Rome but of right we that be descended of them
have right to claim the title of the empire.

<151>