Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n
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A62136
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Great Britain's glory: being the history of King Arthur with the adventures of the Knights of the Round Table.
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J. S.
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1697
(1697)
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Wing S64; ESTC R219789
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16,822
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25
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King hed order to attend the Queen having a fair gale on the ninth of October landed where they first imbarqued and were received with universal joy whereupon the King coming to a Castle of his near 〈◊〉 feasted the Dainish Nobility in a mast spianded manner But whilst he remained there he had notice That Magor King of Ierland who by his Amiassaders had courted the fair Gemna and been refused was to revenge it on his Arrival landed with great Power in South Wales whereupan the King comforting his Queen who was greatly grieved that through her cause such suddenly Troubles should arise passed on with his victorious Army and gave him Battle near Merioneth and utterly discomfited him so that flying with his broken Army and being every-where assaises by the Country Peasants who had laid the way for him he scarcely escaped to his Ships with five thousand out of his thirty thousand so that King Arthur speedy as Cesar in his victories returned to his fair Queen with the Trophies of his conquered Enemies long before he was expected to have fought the Battle when sending four thousand Men under the leading of Sir Lancelot and divers of her good Knighes they landed on the Isle of Angle 〈◊〉 and drove thence the French that had for some time past during the troubles of this Kingdom setled themselves there The King's Victories daily increasing the Terror of his Name being spread wide it made the most redoubted Monarch tremble yet durst France then powerful at Sea invade our Coait and with fire and sword spoiled many Sea-towns carrying away great booty as also the People the Men they made cow in their Gallies and the Women to satiate their prodigious Lust when as the crys of his suffering sujects reaching his ear where he was delighting himself with his Queen he resolved once more to forsake the Camp of Venus and her soft Delighis to court Fame and Glory in the Camp of Mars whereupon having sent to Lotharioâ— for Restitution and receiving rather scorns than a satisfactory answer from that imperious King he made great proparations for the War and had at that time twelve Sale of Ships sent to his aid by his Brother of Denmark when being in a readiness with an Army of thirty four thousand he coasted the Country and puning into the bay of Marselies with his shot of Arrows that flew like Haile drove the defendants from the shore on which himself with his own Standard first leaped and stood like an inraged Lyon though a thousand that is flew round his Head and many 〈◊〉 from his glittering shield but long it was not e're the valiant Knights of the Order imsrating their Soveraign thrust their Ships to Land and putting their Soldiers in Battle-aray charged furiously upon the formost Battailian of the Enemy lead by the Duke 〈◊〉 Vallois so that being overset they retreated in great disorder and finding no place to be received broke the Ranks of their Friends when as the Duke De Nevers advanced with the right wing of Horse to their succour but was so gauled with the shot of Arrows that the Horses mischiefet more the Riders than the Britains In this Confusion the King drawing out six thousand of his choice Men charged upon the disordered Enemy with such courage that he pierced their main Battle making lanes of death where-ever he came cutting off Arms Heads and Legs insomuth that the Danish General Gironeus imitating him the French Soldiers routed in all parts left their Commanders and fled insomuch that the slaughter of the Nobility was great a Fare even incident to that Kingdom nor would they trust to the weak wall of Marselies but flying to Lyons and Paris left that part of the Country naked to be possessed of the Britains The terror of this overthrow alarming the French Court and finding that brought home to them which they had used to others abroad the People with Tears besought their King to appease the Conquerer in time and thereby prevent worse desolation who considering his tottering Kingdom was at stake sent four of his prime Lords to beg a Week's Cessation or Truce to which King Arthur whose 〈◊〉 was more at Glory and Renown than Advanvantage accorded during which time the King having raised a Mistion of Crowns sent them in divers Waggons with other rich Presents to purchase his Peace and the depatrure of his new come Guest yet prevailed they not e're he had made his Acknowledgment for the indignity put upon the King's Ambassadors and deliver the Town and 〈…〉 Marselies to be possessed as a Pledge of future Peace by the Britains for the spare of twenty Years to come and upon pain of forfeiting it for ever no Hostilities to be used by Lend nor Depravations by Sea These Articles accorded the Kinâ— hastened to his own Country with the grearest part of his Army leaving only 〈…〉 Solders in Marselies and having amply rewarded the 〈◊〉 dismissed them Vpon King 〈…〉 he found to his unspeakable joy his fair Queen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lovely Boy who by the Advice of Merlyn he namâ—d Constantius those Victories and great Exploits that Prophet forâ—… which after his Father's death he succeeding him in his Throne exactly came to pass and now the joy bring great throughout the British Dominisns all the Saxon Kings came to King Arthur's Court then removed to the then floursihing City of Hereford and made their Homage complementing him highly on his Marriage and the birth of his Son presenting the Queen and Royal Infant with great Presents as Iewels Gold and fragrant Spice of Arabia promising for them and their Heirs to be obedient to the British Stepter though before and after the Death of King Arthur they brake their Vaws though to their great disadvantage For the young Prince almost as successful in War as his Father grasped the Kingdoms of the Mercians and East-angles with so hard a hand that during his Life they could not wrest them from him but to our purpose King Arthur being the chief Favourite of Fortune and the eldest Son of Fame began to enlarge the splendor of his Court and increase the number of the Knights of the Round Table in whom consisted his chief Strength for scarce was there any one of them but durst encounter ten ordinary Men hand to hand and as he increased them so he enlarged their Pensions which drew the most Valiant of all Nations to serve him though none were admitted before they were tryed The habit they ordinarily wore when without their Armour was a Vest lined with Sables and on the back of it a red Cross and on their Thighs Cushes of highest proof their Stockings were in the manner of Bugkins and their Shoes of Camelsskin the Hair appearing outward on their Heads they wore Caps made of Seal-skins lined with Silk and Cotted and about their neck Silk of divers colours each of them in War carrying a double Faulchion a Battle-axe a Bow and Quiver a Launce being severally
which grew an Oak and Laurel with Crowns Scepters Swords and Ensigns hanging on them and that they were guarded by many valiant Knights high in Prowess and terrible to the whole World which made him desirous to become their Associate nor did he sooner demand it but they joyfully received him and placing him in a Chair of Ivory and Gold made him their Chief and gave him a Banner with a Lyon rampant portrayed thereon and this Motto written viz. Ever Victorious upon which the sound of Trumpets noise of Drums clattering of Arms shouts and cries saluted his Ears And he supposed he beheld Armies in rout and slaughter scattered through the whole World and that the Couquerers laid the Trophies at his Feet and with an Vniversal Shout saluted him Great Monarch of the Western World At what time awakning he found it but a Dream yet revolving in his Mind the strangeness of the Fancy the next morning he related it to his Nobles who assured him of happy Presages and advised him to make inquiry into the Interpreration thereof whereupon sending for his Necromantick Counsellor he related it to him who promised within a day to give him the signification of his Dream which he did as followeth viz. That by the Table was signified his Kingdom by the Knights the Pillars and Strength thereof by Oak and Laurel Strength Victory and Durance the Crowns Scepters Swords and Ensigns the Spoiles of the Nations he should be possess's of and the Schene of War the Representations of the many dreadful Battles he should fight wherein he should ever remain victorious and the making him Chief giving him the Standard and placing him in a Chair Ivory and Gold denoted him deep in his Subjects Love and that no Treason should prosper against him This Interpretation highly pleased the King and raised his towring Imaginations to such a pitch that he resolved to spread the terror of his Arms throughout the World Wherefore he made great Preparation of all manner of Warlike Provision but above all of hardy and couragious Knights inviting them from all parts to his Court and for their better Incouragement caused a spacious Hall three hundred Foot in length and twenty in breadth to be built with Glass Turrets on the top ceiled with Fret-work and Gold wainscoted with Cedar and paved with Marble in the midst of which he placed a Round Table at which four hundred Knights might sit and caused it daily to be furnished with great store of choice Provision for the entertainment of such Men of War as would resort thither and shortly after constituted the Order of the Round Table allowing a Yearly Pension of a hundred Mark to such as were truly valiant and would intole themselves to attend his Service when Occasion required making himself the Head Soveraign of the Order so that by this means the valiant Men of the neighbouring Nations tendered their Service to him and were admitted into the noble Order but not before they had been proved in some Exploit CHAP. II. How King Arthur warred with the Kings of Mercia and the East Angles who invaded his Dominions slew a Monstrous Gyant and put their Armies to the Rout c. THe King being established in his Throne and having thus far proceeded caused a place to be made for Iusting where 〈◊〉 every Week his Knights exercised in Martial Order and Iusted with each other and to him that did hest the King would frequently send one rich Present or other himself being still a Spectator of those Exercises and at all great Feasts present amongst them at Dinner having a Chair like a Throne placed on that part of the Table that was towards the upper-end of the Hall but no Musick suffer'd except the Martial Sounds of Drums Trumphers and Clarions in which most of all our Heroick Prince delighted And now being furnished with mighty Men that might compate to David's Worthies if not exceed them in dreadful Foot 's of Arms he passionately desired to have an honourable Occasion to try his and their Valours which was not long wanting For the Mercian King of the Saxons and the King of the East Angles presuming upon their Strength broke into Cornwal part of King Arthur's Dominions and committed divers Outrages burning plundring ravishing and slaughtering in suth a dreadful manner that the People with such substance as they could convey fled every-where before them The News of which rouzed our Lyon-like Prince who taking with him his Guard of Knights and eight hundred common Soldiers the Flower of his Dominions by swift Marches passed on give War the meeting whose approach to the Enemy being treble the Number little regarded not doubting to give him the Overthrow trusting greatly to the force of one Cingeterox a monstrous Gyant nine Cubits high six in circumference and armed with a huge Battle are and Coat of Mael but the undaunted Prince whom Fear could not dismay having animated his Soldiers and set them in Battle-array attended by his Knights broke through the Ramparts killing such as guarded the Camp and setting upon the Infidels for so at that time they were cutting through the thickest of them made such a slaughter that all the way he passed was strewed with dead Bodies yet on he pressed through lanes of Death his Heroick Champions following as animated by the Martial Deeds of their Renowned Leader Nor did they less annoy the Enemy who by this time taking the Alarum in all parts come running to oppose them and began to make some slaughter of his Men especially where the Gyant fought which the King perceiving by the Cry that arose caused his Standard with the great Lion to advance that way bearing down all before him till he came to the place where he found Cingeterox and Ethwaldus the King bathing their Ares in the Blood of his Men of which they had slain three hundred when as King Arthur with a loud voice cried Turn this way Infidels spare the Weak and bend your force again the Stronger Vpon which the Gyant stairing on him with a dreadful voice replied Who art thou that comes to seek thy Death I am a Slodier said the King and one that am come to fetch thy Head by way of Reprizal for the Mischiefs thou hast done in my Country But you must get it first said the Gyant That shall not be long said the King and thereupon charged on the Monster so furiously with his Sword that e're he could welld his Battle oxe with a full stroke on his Helme which made the sire spring from thence he made him staggar three huge Paces and bend with his Knee to the Ground then the Gyant inraged made at him and struck at the King so that the blow dazled him and made his Eyes swim but spon recovering he that had never been so used before resolved revenge thereupon after a fust stroke wheeling his dreadful Sword about he struck the Monster en the Helmet with such force that cutting it through the