Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK V CHAPTER I

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 CHAPTER I
 
 How twelve aged ambassadors of Rome came to King Arthur
 to demand truage for Britain.
 
 WHEN King Arthur had after long war rested, and held a royal
 feast and Table Round with his allies of kings, princes, and
 noble knights all of the Round Table, there came into his hall,
 he sitting in his throne royal, twelve ancient men, bearing each
 of them a branch of olive, in token that they came as ambassadors
 and messengers from the Emperor Lucius, which was called at that
 time, Dictator or Procuror of the Public Weal of Rome.  Which
 said messengers, after their entering and coming into the
 presence of King Arthur, did to him their obeisance in making to
 him reverence, and said to him in this wise:  The high and mighty
 Emperor Lucius sendeth to the King of Britain greeting,
 commanding thee to acknowledge him for thy lord, and to send him
 the truage due of this realm unto the Empire, which thy father
 and other to-fore thy precessors have paid as is of record, and
 thou as rebel not knowing him as thy sovereign, withholdest and
 retainest contrary to the statutes and decrees made by the noble
 and worthy Julius Cesar, conqueror of this realm, and first
 Emperor of Rome.  And if thou refuse his demand and commandment
 know thou for certain that he shall make strong war against thee,
 thy realms and lands, and shall chastise thee and thy subjects,
 that it shall be ensample perpetual unto all kings and princes,
 for to deny their truage unto that noble <150>empire which
 domineth upon the universal world.  Then when they had showed the
 effect of their message, the king commanded them to withdraw
 them, and said he should take advice of council and give to them
 an answer.  Then some of the young knights, hearing this their
 message, would have run on them to have slain them, saying that
 it was a rebuke to all the knights there being present to suffer
 them to say so to the king.  And anon the king commanded that
 none of them, upon pain of death, to missay them nor do them any
 harm, and commanded a knight to bring them to their lodging, and
 see that they have all that is necessary and requisite for them,
 with the best cheer, and that no dainty be spared, for the Romans
 be great lords, and though their message please me not nor my
 court, yet I must remember mine honour.
 
 After this the king let call all his lords and knights of the
 Round Table to counsel upon this matter, and desired them to say
 their advice.  Then Sir Cador of Cornwall spake first and said,
 Sir, this message liketh me well, for we have many days rested us
 and have been idle, and now I hope ye shall make sharp war on the
 Romans, where I doubt not we shall get honour.  I believe well,
 said Arthur, that this matter pleaseth thee well, but these
 answers may not be answered, for the demand grieveth me sore, for
 truly I will never pay truage to Rome, wherefore I pray you to
 counsel me.  I have understood that Belinus and Brenius, kings of
 Britain, have had the empire in their hands many days, and also
 Constantine the son of Heleine, which is an open evidence that we
 owe no tribute to Rome but of right we that be descended of them
 have right to claim the title of the empire.
 
 
 
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