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memory of Silvius the Martyr,456 wherein was a convent of nuns, and the other was dedicated to
Aaron the Martyr, which was a monastic house of canons. And in this place was also the third
most important arch-diocese in the realm. And there were, moreover, two hundred clerical schools
in the city, given to all kinds of learning. And such is Caerleon-on-Usk, the principal city in the
land, where Arthur held a great and marvellous feast. And he sent envoys to every land he had
conquered to summon all their kings, chiefs and ministers, such numbers of them that they could
not be counted, to come to Caerleon[-on-Usk] to share the feast. And he commanded that all
should receive honours according to their lineage, their dignity and their rank.
And from Albany came Aron, son of Kynvarch and lord of Prydyn. And Urien, son of
Kynvarch and lord of Moray. And Casswallon [surnamed] Longhand, lord of Gwynedd,457 and
Mayric, king of Dyfed. And Cador, earl of Cornwall,458 and the three archbishops of the land of
Britain, chief among whom was the archbishop of Caerleon-on-Usk, for he was the [pope s]
legate, a saintly man. And there was also Morvid, earl of Gloucester,459 and Mor, the earl of
Worcester.460 And Anarawd, lord of Shrewsbury,461 and Madoc of Warwick.462 And Owen of
Salisbury,463 and Gwrssalen of Dorchester,464 and Urien of Bath,465 and Bosso, earl of Oxford.466
And with these many others, whom I shall not name for weariness.
And from other lands there came Gillomaur, king of Ireland. And another Gillomaur, lord of
Islay,467 and Doldaf, king of Scotland. And Gwynnwas, lord of the Orkneys, and Loth, son of
450 LXI = Gassgwin.
451 LXI = Einssio. GoM (9:11) = Aquitania.
452 As in GoM (9:11). LXI = Gwidrad.
453 As in GoM (10:6). LXI = Bedwyr.
454 LXI = Kei.
455 LXI = Angiw.
456 LXI = ssiliws. GoM (9:12) = Julius the Martyr.
457 LXI = Kasswallawn Lawhir. GoM (9:12) = Cadwallo Laurh, king of the Venedoti, the men of
Gwynedd.
458 GoM (9:12) adds Soter to this list, the king of the Demetae or South Welsh.
459 As in GoM (9:12). LXI = Morydd Kaerloyw.
460 LXI = Kaer rangon, Worcester. GoM (9:12) = Mauron, earl of Worcester.
461 LXI = amwythic. GoM (9:12) translates this name as Salisbury, but see note 463.
462 LXI = kaer Wair. GoM (9:12) = Guerensis (of Warwick).
463 LXI = kaer Vallawc, which is explained in the text as being ssaltsbri. GoM, however, (see note
461) erroneously identifies Amwythic as Salisbury. GoM, being himself a native of Wales, would surely
have known the difference had his text been eligible and clear.
464 LXI = kaer Kynnvarch, i.e. Dorchester. GoM (9:12) = Caistor.
465 LXI = kaer Vaddon. GoM (9:12) = Urbgennius of Bath.
466 LXI = Rydychen.
467 LXI = Alawnt, a possible variant for Islay. Not mentioned in GoM.
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Kynvarch and king of Lochland. And Achel, king of the Danes. And from the land of Gaul came
Oldin, lord of the Ruteni,468 and Borellus, lord of Maine,469 Leodegar of Boulogne,470 and
Bedevere, earl of Normandy. And Kay, prince of Anjou, and Guitard, king of the Poitevins. And
the twelve peers [of Gaul], with Geraint of Chartres over them. And Howel, the son of Ambrosius
of Armorica, with many others whom time renders nameless.
And there never came to any feast before such an array of noblemen and noblewomen, fine
horses, hawks, hounds, precious jewels, golden dishes and rich attire of satin and purple as came
there that day. And there was not an ambitious man this side of Spain who did not attend the feast
and receive gifts without number - whatever he desired! And many came uninvited, just to gaze
upon it all.
And when all had gathered together, the three archbishops were ordained to clothe the king in
his regal attire and to place the crown upon his head. And as they entered the church, two of the
archbishops led Arthur in his kingly gown, and before him went four knights bearing unsheathed
swords, which was the dignity accorded only to an emperor. And the four knights were Aron, son
of Kynvarch [and] king of Albany, and Casswallon [surnamed] Longhand, lord of Gwynedd, and
Mayric, king of Dyfed, and Cador, earl of Cornwall. And on either side of these there sang the
convent choirs, singing anthems to the accompaniment of organs, the best and sweetest music that
ever was chanted.
And the queen went to the other church in her queenly attire, wearing her crown upon her head
and accompanied by bishops and nuns, with the four wives of the princes [who were waiting upon
the king], each bearing a white pigeon in her hand. And when she, the queen, had entered the
church, the monks opened the service with the sweetest anthems that ever were sung, and there
was much hurrying to and fro [by the onlookers] between the churches, that they might hear the
wondrous singing.
And after the Eucharist, they, the king and queen, went to the palace, and laying aside their
regal apparel they put on other garments and went to the hall to eat. And Guinevere sat with her
noble ladies apart from the rest, which was the queenly custom [in those days]. And when he had
allotted to all their several places according to their dignity, so Kay arose wearing a robe of yellow
ermine, with a thousand servants to help him who were likewise attired. And with him rose
Bedevere, Arthur s chief butler, with a thousand servants dressed in his livery, and they served
yellow mead in gold and silver cups without number. And neither the number nor the attire of the
queen s servants were less than those of the king.
And there was not a kingdom that could be likened to the land of Britain for wealth, ceremonial
or custom. And one law was followed by all the men of Arthur s court, and their wives had but
one manner of dress. Neither would dame nor damsel take as husband or sweetheart any who was
not a proven and a worthy knight. And for this [cause] were the men the more gallant and the
women the more chaste. And having dined, all went outside the city to see the jousting and other
sports, for every game that could be thought of was being played there. And the ladies watched
from the battlements of the city, from whence each of them showed which knight she favoured
most. And for this cause did each man perform the bravest deed he could. And whosoever
emerged victorious from the games, was awarded prizes for his labours, each at the cost of the
king s treasury.
And after three days and three nights of such festivities, it was enacted on the fourth day that
each who had given service would be rewarded for his deeds. And to some were given cities, and
to others were given castles, and to others any bishoprics that lay vacant. And then Dubricius,
archbishop of Caerleon-on-Usk, lay aside his archbishopric and declared himself a hermit, for he
had witnessed all the extravagance of the feast and of the multitude who attended it, and how all
was spent and done in but three short days. And he thought upon the end that awaits all worldly
vanities, and he sought things that never perish, reaching forward towards the kingdom of Heaven.
468 LXI = Rwytton, the Ruteni of southern Gaul.
469 LXI = Kenonia, i.e. Maine. GoM (9:12) = Borellus of Cenomania.
470 LXI = Bolwyn, i.e. Boulogne. GoM (9:12) = Leodegarius of Hoiland.
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And in his stead was David,471 the son of Samson, made archbishop, for he was a man of
saintly conversation - and an uncle of Arthur. And to replace Samson, archbishop of Eboracum,
there came Tailo,472 the bishop of Llandaff. And this was at the bidding of Howel, the son of
Ambrosius of Armorica, for Tailo [too was deemed] a saintly man.
And when all these things were accomplished, behold, there drew near twelve nobles of high
dignity, each of whom bore an olive branch in his hand as a token of their embassy. And they
saluted Arthur with much ceremony and gave him greetings from Lucius,473 emperor of Rome.
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