Before long the Emperor entered the valley of Sessoigne, and found himself face to face with King Arthur’s men, drawn up in battle array.  Seeing that retreat was impossible—­for he was hemmed in by his enemies, and had either to fight his way through them or surrender—­he made an oration to his followers, praying them to quit themselves like men that day, and to remember that to allow the Britons to hold their ground would bring disgrace upon Rome, the mistress of the world.

Then, at the Emperor’s command, his trumpeters sounded their trumpets so defiantly that the very earth trembled and shook; and the two hosts joined battle, rushing at one another with mighty shouts.  Many knights fought nobly that day, but none more nobly than King Arthur.  Riding up and down the battle-field, he exhorted his knights to bear themselves bravely; and wherever the fray was thickest, and his people most sorely pressed, he dashed to the rescue and hewed down the Romans with his good sword Excalibur.  Among those he slew was a marvelous great giant called Galapus.  First of all, King Arthur smote off this giant’s legs by the knees, saying that made him a more convenient size to deal with, and then he smote off his head.  Such was the hugeness of the body of Galapus, that, as it fell, it crushed six Saracens to death.

But though King Arthur fought thus fiercely, and Sir Gawaine and all the other knights of the Round Table did nobly, the host of their enemies was so great that it seemed as if the battle would never come to an end, the Britons having the advantage at one moment and the Romans at another.

Now, among the Romans, no man fought more bravely than the Emperor Lucius.  King Arthur, spying the marvelous feats of arms he performed, rode up and challenged him to a single combat.  They exchanged many a mighty blow, and at last Lucius struck King Arthur across the face, and inflicted a grievous wound.  Feeling the smart of it, King Arthur dealt back such a stroke that his sword Excalibur clove the Emperor’s helmet in half, and splitting his skull, passed right down to his breast-bone.

Thus Lucius, the Emperor of the Romans, lost his life; and when it was known that he was slain, his whole army turned and fled, and King Arthur and his knights chased them, slaying all they could overtake.  Of the host that followed Lucius, more than a hundred thousand men fell that day.

King Arthur, after he had won the great battle in which the Emperor Lucius was slain, marched into Lorraine, and so on through Brabant and Flanders into Germany, and across the mountains into Lombardy, and thence into Tuscany, and at last came to Rome, and on Christmas Day he was crowned emperor by the Pope with great state and solemnity.  And he stayed in Rome a little while, setting in order the affairs of his possession, and distributing among his knights posts of honor and dignity, and also great estates, as rewards for their services.