382
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,
