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NOTES AND QUERIES. [9* s. x. NOV. 15, 1902.

although only recently elected, he wore that day the heraldic arms of the empire, the sable eagle on a field of gold. Hence comes (as I sought to explain in the Antiquary for August) the banner or dragon with field of gold and eagles of sable in 11. 2026-7, stating that Lucius, by his lieutenant's hand, Dresses up dredfully the dragone of golde* With egles alover enamelede of sable. Metz is never mentioned by Geoffrey of Monmouth. It has no association whatever with the mythical Lucius Iberius. But it had the closest connexion with the Emperor Charles IV., whose house of Luxembourg was hereditarily associated with Metz, who was himself its overlord, and who repeatedly held his highest functions of State there, it being in some senses one of his capitals, for in the second half of the fourteenth century an Emperor of the Romans had no abiding city or place of abode in Papal Rome. Charles held a great feast and ceremonial at Metz in 1354 (' Magnum Chronicon Belgicum,' sub 1354). One further entry from the 'Chronique des Quatre Valois,' under the year 1356, may suffice as proof of the rela- tionship between Metz and the imperial Court. Charles IV., returning from Rome in that year, was met by his nephew the Dauphin of France " au dehors de la cite de Mez en Lorraine. Puis vindrent 1'oncle et le nepveu en la dicte cite de Mez en Lorraine. Et le jour de Noel tint 1'empereur estat imperial et tint court planiere aux Fran^oiz" (' Chronique,' ed. Soc. Hist., p. 66). It follows that if circa 1364-5 a poet wished to turn poetically the tables most effectually upon an emperor, he could hardly have chosen a better manner of local colouring than by feigning an occupation of Metz especially an occupation on the road to Rome. Herein precisely stands the vigour of the lines telling of Arthur's lording it at Metz over Lorraine and legislating there : Thus in Lorayne he lenges as lorde in his awen, Settez lawes in the lande as hym leefe thoghte.

'M. A., '3092-3.

In the practical seat of empire, where Charles had promulgated the historic Golden Bull in 1356, Arthur was administering the realm of his imperial aggressor.

This leading principle taken in hand, Arthur's march towards Rome grows easily explicable, notwithstanding its absence from Geoffrey of Monmouth and the inability of the commentators hitherto to account for it. All that Geoffrey says is that Arthur in the winter after his victory tarried "in those parts," and took time to subdue the cities of the Allobroges, and that " on the coming of

summer, when he was purposing (affectaret) to seek Rome and had begun to ascend the nountains," news of Mordred's doings stopped him (' Geoffrey,' x. cap. 13). ' Morte Arthure,' quite otherwise, tells an elaborate story of Arthur's Romeward progress, with dramatic ^nterruptioas, ending in his return almost rrom beneath the shadow of the Eternal City. Leaving Metz, he journeys by way of Lucerne and " Mount Goddarde" into Lombardy ; he riolds court "within the kyde castell" of Jomo; we hear of Milan, "Pawnee," Ponte- tremolo, Pisa, and Pavia ; Tuscany is reached, and the army passes through Spoleto; finally, in Viterbo Arthur pitches nis camp and "victuals his barons" there (1. 3165). This juncture was romantically important, for Arthur's vow at Carlisle was to do this very thing :

In the vale of Viterbe vetaile my knyghttes, Suggourne there sex wokes and solace my selfeu, Send prekers to the price toun and plaunte there

my segge,

Bot if thay prof re me the pece be processe of tym.

'M. A. ,'353-6.

So now, in final implement of his vow, in the valley among the vines, Thare suggeournes this soverayne with solace in

herte. 'M. A., '3170.

While he is there a cardinal arrives, "prayes hym for the pese, and profyrs full large" (1. 3179). These proffers are to crown Arthur and invest him with the sceptre (11. 3185-6), in earnest of which hostages are delivered. That night he congratulates himself, " Rome es our awen" (1. 3207), we shall be "over- lynge " of all the earth.

We will by the Crosse dayes encroche theis londez, And at the Crystynmesse daye be crowned there-

aftyre, Ryngne in my ryalltes and holde my rownde table !

'M. A., '3212^1.

And he dreams a dream of Fortune and her wheel, on which eight of the Nine Worthies climb Alexander, Hector, Caesar, Judas Maccabaeus, Joshua, David, Charlemagne, and Godfrey of Bouillon. They climb and fall. None of them achieved the chair at the summit of the wheel, but in his dream Arthur saw Fortune place him there : Scho lifte me up lightly with her lene hondes, And sette me softely in the see, the septre me

rechede ;

Craftely with a kambe cho kembede rnyn hevede, That the krispane kroke to my crownne raughte ; Dressid one me a diademe that dighte was full faire, And syne profres me a pome pighte full of faire

stonys,

Enamelde with azoure, the ertli thereon depayntrae, Selkylde with the salte see appoiie sere halfes, In sygne that I sothely was soverayne in erthe. Than broght cho me a brande with full bryghte

hiltes,