The Romans who make it back to Lucius beg him to drop his hopeless war against Arthur. Lucius scoffs and launches a new attack. In this battle, the Welsh king fulfills his vow to destroy the Viscount of Rome, Launcelot steals Lucius' banner, and all the other great knights — Cador, Kay, Gawain, Bors, Pellas, Marhault, and others — fight better than ever before "syn God made the worlde." Sir Kay and Sir Bedivere are wounded, almost mortally, and now Arthur fights more fiercely than ever. Meanwhile Gawain and Launcelot fight splendidly, side by side. Arthur now forbids any taking of prisoners: in vengeance for Sir Kay, whom he thinks to be dying, all the Romans and their allies are to be slaughtered. Afterward, Arthur buries his dead, and Kay and Bedivere recover. Arthur then sends the bodies of the Romans home as his "tribute." If this tribute is insufficient, he will give more of the same when he comes to Rome, he says.
Now Arthur moves southward, recapturing the lands taken by the Romans. While laying siege to a city in Tuscany, he sends Sir Florens, Gawain, and two other knights on a foraging expedition, with supportive forces. While the others graze their horses in a meadow, Gawain rides out to scout the countryside and meets a Saracen knight, with whom he fights. Each severely wounds the other before the Saracen submits. He tells Gawain that his name is Priamus and that because of his excessive pride his father sent him to this battle to humble him. When he asks Gawain's name, Gawain at first claims he is a mere yeoman, then admits the truth, and Priamus is thankful that he has lost to a man so worthy.
