id them all come soon to Rome, from every land,
who loved them aught, and all that willeth with fight obtain land or
goods. Folk there came soon to the burgh of Rome, so mickle as there
never ere any man assembled! They said that they would march over
Muntgiu, and fight with Arthur, wheresoever they him found, and Arthur
slay or hang, and his host all destroy, and possess for the emperor
Arthur's realm.

The first king that there came, he was a man exceeding keen, Epistrod,
king of Greece; Ethion, Duke of Boeotia, came with a great force;
Irtac, King of Turkey; Pandras, King of Egypt; of Crete the King
Ypolite; of Syria the King Evander; of Phrygia the Duke Teucer; of
Babylon, Maptisas; of Spain the Caiser Meodras; of Media the King
Boccus; of Libia the King Sextorius; of Bitunia, Pollidices; of Ituria
the King Xerxes; Ofustesar, King of Africa; was there no king his
like; with him came many an African; of Ethiopia he brought the
black-men. The Rome-people themselves marched them together, that were
at nearest, of Rome the noblest; Marcus, Lucas, and Catel, Cocta,
Gaiut, and Metel; these were the six, who the Senate all ruled.

When this folk was assembled, from lands of many kind, then caused the
emperor all the host to be numbered. Then were there told right, to
fight most bold, four hundred thousand knights in the heap
(assemblage), with weapons and with horses, as behoveth to knights.
Never was he born, in every any burgh, that might tell the folk, that
there went on foot! Before harvest-day forth they gan to march, ever
right the way that toward Muntgiu lay.

Let us now leave this host a while, and speak we of Arthur, noblest of
kings, when that he had besought his good thanes, and each had gone
home where he had land. And soon again came the knights in assemblage,
with weapons well provided, through all their might, of Scotland, of
Ireland, of Gutland, of Iceland, of Norway, of Denmark, of Orkney, of
Man; of these same lands are a hundred thousand brave thanes, all well
weaponed in their country's wise. They were not all knights, nor in
this wise arrayed, but they were the keenest men that any man knew,
with great battle-axes, and with long saexes. Of Normandy, of Anjou,
of Britain, of Poitou, of Flanders, of Boulogne, of Lorraine, of
Lovaine, came a hundred thousand to the king's host, knights with the
best, completely provided with weapons. There came the twelve
companions that France should obey; twelve thou