To tell the folk of Kaerleon, no man might it do!  There was Gillomar the king, of Irish men the darling; Malverus, King of Iceland; Doldanet, King of Gutland; Kinkalin of Frisland; and AEscil, King of Denmark.  There was Loth the keen, who was king by the North; and Gonwais, King of Orkney, of outlaws the darling.  Thither came the fierce man, the Earl of Boulogne, who was named Laeyer, and his people with him; of Flanders the Earl Howeldin; of Chartres the Earl Geryn.  This man brought with him all the French men; twelve earls most noble, who ruled over France.  Guitard, Earl of Poitiers; Kay, Earl of Angers; Bedver, Earl of Normandy—­the land then hight Neustne;—­of the Mans came the Earl Borel; of Britanny the Earl Howel.  Howel the earl was free man, and fair were his weeds.  And all the French folk were clothed fair, all well weaponed, and horses they had fat.  There were besides fifteen bishops.  Was there no knight nor any swain, nor good man that were thane, from the ports of Spain to the towns of Alemaine, that thither would not have come, if he were (had been) invited; all for Arthur’s dread, of noble race.  When all this folk was come; each king with his people, there men might behold, who were there beside, many a strange man, who was come to the burgh, and many kind of tidings (novelties) with Arthur the king There was many a marvellous cloth (garment); there was many a wrath knight; there were lodgings nobly prepared; there were the inns, built with strength; there were on the fields many thousand tents; there came lard and wheat, and oats without measure; may no man say it in his tale, of the wine and of the ale; there came hay, there came grass; there came all that was good!

When all this folk was assembled by the good king, when the Whitsunday came, as the Lord it sent, then came all the bishops before their king, and the archbishops three, before Arthur; and took the crown, that was to him by right, and set upon his head with great bliss; so they gan him lead, all with God’s counsel.  Saint Dubrich went before—­ he was to Christ chosen;—­the Archbishop of London walked on his right hand, and by his left side the same of York.  Fifteen bishops went before, of many lands chosen; they were all clothed with garments most rich, that were all embroidered with burning gold.  There walked four kings before the kaiser; they bare in their hands four swords of gold.  Thus hight the one, who was a most doughty man, that was Cador the king, Arthur’s darling; the second of Scotland, he bare sword in hand; and the King of North Wales and the King of South Wales.

And thus they gan lead the king to church; the bishops gan sing before the monarch, trumpets there blew; bells there rung; knights gan ride, women forth glide.  In certainty it is said, and sooth it is found, that no man ever ere saw here with earthly men half so great pomp, in ever any assembly, as was with Arthur, of noble race.