upon an hill, and saw the city
and his banner on the walls, by which he knew that the city was won. And
anon he sent and commanded that none of his liege men should defoul nor
lie by no lady, wife nor maid; and when he came into the city, he passed
to the castle, and comforted them that were in sorrow, and ordained
there a captain, a knight of his own country.

And when they of Milan heard that thilk city was won, they sent to King
Arthur great sums of money, and besought him as their lord to have pity
on them, promising to be his subjects for ever, and yield to him homage
and fealty for the lands of Pleasance and Pavia, Petersaint, and the
Port of Tremble, and to give him yearly a million of gold all his
lifetime. Then he rideth into Tuscany, and winneth towns and castles,
and wasted all in his way that to him will not obey, and so to Spolute
and Viterbe, and from thence he rode into the Vale of Vicecount among
the vines. And from thence he sent to the senators, to wit whether they
would know him for their lord. But soon after on a Saturday came unto
King Arthur all the senators that were left alive, and the noblest
cardinals that then dwelt in Rome, and prayed him of peace, and
proferred him full large, and besought him as governor to give licence
for six weeks for to assemble all the Romans, and then to crown him
emperor with chrism as it belongeth to so high estate. I assent, said
the king, like as ye have devised, and at Christmas there to be crowned,
and to hold my Round Table with my knights as me liketh. And then the
senators made ready for his enthronization. And at the day appointed, as
the romance telleth, he came into Rome, and was crowned emperor by the
pope's hand, with all the royalty that could be made, and sojourned
there a time, and established all his lands from Rome into France, and
gave lands and realms unto his servants and knights, to everych after
his desert, in such wise that none complained, rich nor poor. And he
gave to Sir Priamus the duchy of Lorraine; and he thanked him, and said
he would serve him the days of his life; and after made dukes and earls,
and made every man rich.

Then after this all his knights and lords assembled them afore him, and
said: Blessed be God, your war is finished and your conquest achieved,
in so much that we know none so great nor mighty that dare make war
against you: wherefore we beseech you to return homeward, and give us
licence to go home to our wives, fro