King of Britain all his councillors, that were skilfullest in
judgment; and thus said Arthur anon to his noble men: "Hearken now
towards me, my dear friends; ye have twice attacked the Romanish men,
and twice they are overcome, and slain, and captured, because they all
with wrong covet our land. And my heart saith to me, through our high
Lord, that yet they shall be overcome, both slain and captured. Ye
have overcome Norwegians; ye have overcome Danes, Scotland and Ireland
ye have all won to your hand; Normandy and France ye have conquered
with fight. Three and thirty kingdoms I hold in mine own hand, that ye
have won for me under the sun! And these are the worst men of all men
alive; heathen people! To God they are loathsome; our Lord they
desert, and to Mahoun they draw. And Luces, the emperor, of God's self
hath no care, who hath for companions heathen hounds, God's enemies;
we shall them destroy, and lay them to ground, and ourselves be safe,
with the Lord's will, that ruleth all deeds!" Then answered the earls
there: "All we are ready, to live and to lie with our dear king!"

When this army was all prepared, then was it daylight; and Luces at
Langres moved, and all his Rome-folk; he commanded his men to blow his
golden trumpets, get ready his host, for forth he would march from
Lengres to Aust, as his way right lay. And forth gan ride the Romanish
people, until they came a mile near to Arthur.

Then heard the Rome-folk hard tidings; they saw all the dales, and all
the downs, and all the hills covered with helms; high standards,
warriors them held, sixty thousand waving with the wind; shields
glitter, burnies shine; gold-coloured vests, men most stern; steeds
leap--the earth stirred! The emperor saw the king fare, where he was
by the wood-shaw; then said he Luces, the lord of Rome, and spake with
his men with loud voice: "What are these outlaws, that have preceded
us in this way? Take we our weapons, and march we to them; they shall
be slain, and some alive flayed, they all shall be dead, with torment
destroyed!" Even with the words they seized their weapons. When they
were arrayed with their good weapons, then spake soon Luces, the lord
of Rome: "Quickly advance we to them; we all shall do well!" There
were come with him five and twenty kings, heathen folk all, that held
of Rome, earls and eke dukes, of the eastern world. "Lordings," quoth
Luces then, "Mahoun be gracious to you! Ye are powerful kings, and
obey un