rought
twenty companions, and had with him his brother Guigomar, lord of the
Isle of Avalon. Of the latter we have heard it said that he was a friend
of Morgan the Fay, and such he was in very truth. Davit of Tintagel
came, who never suffered woe or grief. Guergesin, the Duke of Haut Bois,
came with a very rich equipment. There was no lack of counts and dukes,
but of kings there were still more. Garras of Cork, a doughty king, was
there with five hundred knights clad in mantles, hose, and tunics of
brocade and silk. Upon a Cappadocian steed came Aguisel, the Scottish
king, and brought with him his two sons, Cadret and Coi--two much
respected knights. Along with those whom I have named came King Ban of
Gomeret, and he had in his company only young men, beardless as yet on
chin and lip. A numerous and gay band he brought two hundred of them
in his suite; and there was none, whoever he be, but had a falcon or
tercel, a merlin or a sparrow-hawk, or some precious pigeon-hawk, golden
or mewed. Kerrin, the old King of Riel, brought no youth, but rather
three hundred companions of whom the youngest was seven score years old.
Because of their great age, their heads were all as white as snow, and
their beards reached down to their girdles. Arthur held them in great
respect. The lord of the dwarfs came next, Bilis, the king of Antipodes.
This king of whom I speak was a dwarf himself and own brother of Brien.
Bilis, on the one hand, was the smallest of all the dwarfs, while his
brother Brien was a half-foot or full palm taller than any other knight
in the kingdom. To display his wealth and power, Bilis brought with him
two kings who were also dwarfs and who were vassals of his, Grigoras and
Glecidalan. Every one looked at them as marvels. When they had arrived
at court, they were treated with great esteem. All three were honoured
and served at the court like kings, for they were very perfect
gentlemen. In brief, when King Arthur saw all his lords assembled, his
heart was glad. Then, to heighten the joy, he ordered a hundred squires
to be bathed whom he wished to dub knights. There was none of them
but had a parti-coloured robe of rich brocade of Alexandria, each one
choosing such as pleased his fancy. All had arms of a uniform pattern,
and horses swift and full of mettle, of which the worst was worth a
hundred livres.

(Vv. 2025-2068.) When Erec received his wife, he must needs call her by
her right name. For a wife is not espoused