to
thine own hand, there is no king in land that may thee withstand, king
nor kaiser, in ever any combat; of all that thou beginnest, thou dost
thy will. Here am I to thee come, and brought thee my eldest son; here
I set thee in hand myself and my kingdom, and my dear son, and all my
people, my wife and my weeds, and all my possessions, on condition
that thou give me protection against thy fierce attacks. And be thou
my high king, and I will be thy underling, and send thee to hand five
hundred pounds of gold; these gifts I will thee find, every year."

Arthur granted him all that the king yearned, and afterwards he held
communing with his good thanes, and said that he would return again
into this land, and see Wenhaver, the comely queen of the country.
Trumpets he caused to be blown, and his army to assemble; and to ship
marched the thanes wondrous blithe. The wind still stood them at will;
weather as they would; blithe they were all therefore; up they came to
Grumesby. That heard soon the highest of this land, and to the queen
came tiding of Arthur the king, that he was come in safety, and his
folk in prosperity. Then were in Britain joys enow! Here was fiddling
and song, here was harping among, pipes and trumps sang there merrily.
Poets there sung of Arthur the king, and of the great honour, that he
had won. Folk came in concourse of many kind of land; wide and far the
folk was in prosperity. All that Arthur saw, all it submitted to him,
rich men and poor, as the hail that falleth; was there no Briton so
wretched, that he was not enriched!

Here man may tell of Arthur the king, how he afterwards dwelt here
twelve years, in peace and in amity, in all fairness. No man fought
with him, nor made he any strife; might never any man bethink of bliss
that were greater in any country than in this; might never man know
any so mickle joy, as was with Arthur, and with his folk here!

I may say how it happened, wondrous though it seem. It was on a
yule-day, that Arthur lay in London; then were come to him men of all
his kingdoms, of Britain, of Scotland, of Ireland, of Iceland, and of
all the lands that Arthur had in hand; and all the highest thanes,
with horses and with swains. There were come seven kings' sons, with
seven hundred knights; without the folk that obeyed Arthur. Each had
in heart proud thoughts, and esteemed that he were better than his
companion. The folk was of many a land; there was mickle envy; for the
one ac