Maxen was Emperor of Rome, and he was a comelier man, and a better and wiser man, than any Emperor who had been before him. One day he went hunting with his retinue, and he came to a valley, and to where there was a river that flowed toward Rome. He hunted through that valley until midday. Then sleep came upon Maxen the Emperor. His attendants set up their shields around him upon the shafts of their spears to protect him from the sun, and they placed a gold enameled shield under his head. And so Maxen the Emperor slept.
He dreamt, and in his dream he thought he was journeying along the valley of a river toward its source. Then he thought that he came to a mountain that was the highest in the world, a mountain that was as high as the sky. He crossed over the mountain, as high as it was, and he went through the fairest and most level regions that man ever yet beheld. Then he saw mighty rivers descending from the mountain to the sea, and toward the mouths of these rivers he proceeded. He came to the mouth of the largest river ever seen. He saw a fleet at the mouth of the river, and amongst the fleet he saw a ship that was larger and fairer than all the others. He saw a bridge of the bone of a whale from the ship to the land, and in his dream he went along the bridge, and came into the ship.
Then a sail was hoisted, and the ship was borne along the sea and into the far ocean. Then it seemed to him that he came to the fairest island in the whole world, and he traversed the island from sea to sea, even to its furthest shore.
Then he saw a mountain, and a river that flowed from it and fell into the sea. At the mouth of the river he beheld a castle, the fairest that man ever saw, and he went into the castle. And in it he saw a hall, the roof of which seemed to be all gold, and the walls of which seemed to be entirely of glittering precious gems, and the doors of which seemed to be all gold. Golden seats were in that hall, and silver tables.
And beside a pillar in the hall he saw a hoary-headed man, in a chair of ivory, with figures of two eagles of ruddy gold thereon. Bracelets of gold were upon the man’s arms, a golden torque was about his neck, and his hair was bound with a golden diadem. Before him was a chess-board of gold, and he was carving out chess-men.
In his dream the Emperor saw another who was there. This was a maiden who was seated in a chair of ruddy gold. A vest of white silk was upon her, with clasps of red gold at the breast; a surcoat of gold tissue was upon her, and on her head there was a frontlet of red gold, and rubies and gems were in that frontlet, alternating with pearls and imperial stones. She was the fairest sight that man ever beheld.
The maiden rose from her chair, and, in his dream, the Emperor put his arms around her. Then they two sat down together in the chair of gold. And it seemed to Maxen that he had his arms about the maiden’s neck, and his cheek by her cheek, when, lo! through the sounds in the camp around, through the chafing of the dogs at their leashing, and the clashing of the shields as they struck against one another, and the beating together of the shafts of the spears, and the neighing of the horses and their prancing, the Emperor awoke.
And when he awoke it seemed to him that the world was all empty, and that there was nothing in the world for him since he could look no more on the maiden he had seen in his sleep. Then his household spoke unto him, and said: “Lord, is it not past the time for thee to take thy food?” Thereupon the Emperor mounted his horse, the saddest man that mortal ever saw, and went forth toward Rome.
And still it seemed to Maxen that the world was empty for him. When his household went to drink wine and mead out of golden vessels, he went not with any of them. When they went to listen to songs and tales, he went not with them there; he slept, and as often as he slept he beheld in his dream the maiden he loved best. Except when he slept he saw nothing of her, for he knew not where in the world she was.
One day the page of his chamber spoke to him, and said: “Lord, all the people blame thee.” “Wherefore do they blame me?” asked the Emperor. “Because they can get neither message nor answer from thee as men should have from their Lord. And because of this they blame thee and speak evil of thee.” “Youth,” said the Emperor, “do thou bring unto me the wise men of Rome, and I will tell them wherefore I am sorrowful.”
So the wise men of Rome were brought before the Emperor, and he spake to them, telling them of the dream he was wont to have, and of the maiden whom he saw in his dream. Then the sages of Rome counseled him, telling him that he should send messengers for one year to the three parts of the world, to seek for the place that he saw in his dream and the maiden whom he saw in his dream.
Then messengers set out from Rome. They journeyed for the space of a year, wandering about the world, and seeking tidings concerning the place that the Emperor had seen in his dream. They came back at the end of a year, and they knew no more of the place that the Emperor had seen in his dream than they did the day they set forth. Then was Maxen even more sorrowful, for now he thought that he should never have tidings of her whom he loved best in the world.
Then the page of the chamber spoke to him, and said: “Lord, go forth to hunt by the way thou didst seem to go in thy dream, whether it were to the east, or to the west.” So the Emperor went forth to hunt, and he came to the bank of the river. “Behold,” said he, “this is where I was when I had the dream, and I went toward the source of the river westward.”
Then, from that place the Emperor sent forth thirteen messengers, and they journeyed on until there came before them a high mountain, which seemed to them to touch the sky. And when they were over the mountain, they beheld vast plains, and large rivers flowing through. “Behold,” said they, “the land which our master saw.”
They went along the mouths of the rivers, until they came to the mighty river which they saw flowing to the sea. They saw the largest fleet in the world, in the harbor of the river, and one ship that was larger than any of the others. “Behold again,” said they, “the fleet that our master saw.” They went aboard the great ship, and they crossed the sea, and they came to the Island of Britain, the Island of the Mighty. They crossed the Island from sea to sea, and they saw the castle at the mouth of the river. The portal of the castle was open, and into the castle they went, and they looked on the hall in the castle. Then said they: “Behold, the hall which he saw in his sleep.” They went into the hall, and they beheld the hoary-headed man beside the pillar, in the ivory chair, carving chess-men. And they beheld the maiden sitting on a chair of ruddy gold.
The thirteen messengers bent down upon their knees. “Empress of Rome, all hail,” they said. The maiden said: “What mockery is this ye do to me?” “We mock thee not, Lady; but the Emperor of Rome hath seen thee in his sleep, and he has neither life nor spirit left because of thee. Thou shalt have of us therefore the choice, Lady, whether thou wilt go with us and be made Empress of Rome, or that Maxen the Emperor come hither and take thee for his wife?” The maiden said: “I will not deny what ye say, neither will I believe it too well. If the Emperor love me, let him come here to seek me.”
By day and night the messengers hied them back to Rome. And when they came to Rome and into the palace, they saluted the Emperor, and they said unto him: “We will be thy guides, Lord, over sea and over land, to the place where is the woman whom thou best lovest, for we know her name, and her kindred, and her race.”
And immediately the Emperor set forth with soldiers and with the thirteen messengers for his guides. Toward the Island of Britain they went, over the sea and the ocean. The Emperor knew the land when he saw it. And when he beheld the castle he said: “Look yonder, there is the castle wherein I saw the maiden whom I best love.” And he went forward into the castle, and there he saw Eudav, the son of Caradog, sitting on a chair of ivory carving chess-men. And the maiden whom he beheld in his sleep, he saw sitting on a chair of gold. “Empress of Rome,” said he, “all hail!” And the Emperor threw his arms around her neck. Then Helen, the daughter of Eudav, became the bride of Maxen, the Emperor of Rome.
He stayed at Eudav’s castle, and he conquered the Island from Beli, the son of Manogan, and his sons, and drove them to the sea. And he gave the Island of Britain to Helen for her father, from the Channel to the Irish Sea. And he had three castles made for her in the places that she herself chose. And she chose to have the highest castle made at Arvon. After that two other castles were made for her, one the castle of Caerleon, and the other the castle of Caermarthen.
Seven years did Maxen the Emperor tarry in the Island of the Mighty. Now, at that time the men of Rome had a custom, that whatsoever Emperor should remain in other lands more than seven years should remain to his own overthrow, and should never be permitted to return to Rome again.
So the men of Rome made a new Emperor. And this one wrote a letter of threat to Maxen in Britain. There was nought in the letter but only this: “If thou comest, and if thou ever comest to Rome.” Then sent Maxen a letter to the man who styled himself Emperor in Rome. There was nought in the letter but only this: “If I come to Rome, and if I come.”
Thereupon Maxen set forth toward Rome with his soldiers. He conquered all lands that were on his way, and he came before the city and he was sure that he could take Rome from the one who styled himself Emperor.
But for a year he stayed before the city, and he was no nearer taking it than on the first day. And then there came to join him Helen’s brothers from the Island of Britain. A small army was with them, but better warriors were in that small army than twice as many Romans. Helen went to see the armies that were encamped, and she knew the standards of her brothers. And she brought them, Kynan and Adeon, the sons of Eudav, to Maxen. And the Emperor was glad because of their coming, and he embraced them.
Then Helen’s brothers watched Maxen’s Roman army attack the city. And after they had watched the attack Kynan said to his brother: “We will try to attack the city more expertly than this.” So they measured by night the height of the wall, and they sent their carpenters to the wood, and they had ladders made for every four men of their army. Now every day, at midday, the Emperor in the camp and the Emperor in the city went to eat, and they ceased to fight on both sides till all had finished eating. In the morning the men of Britain were wont to take their food. Now, while the two Emperors were at meat, Kynan and Adeon and their army came to the city, and placed ladders against the wall, and forthwith they came in through the city.
The new Emperor had no time to arm himself when they fell upon him, and slew him, and many others with him. And three days and three nights were they subduing the men that were in the city. While some of the men of Britain fought, others kept the walls, lest any of the host of Maxen should come therein, until they had subjected the whole of Rome to their will.
Maxen the Emperor said to Helen: “I marvel, Lady, that thy brothers with their army have been able to do so little for me.” “Lord,” answered Helen, “the wisest youths in the world are my brothers. Go thou to them and ask them to take the city for thee.” So the Emperor and Helen went forward. And then they saw that the gates of the city of Rome were opened, and they were told that none had taken the city, and that none could give it to Maxen, but the men of the Island of Britain.
Then Maxen sat on his throne with Helen beside him, and all the men of Rome submitted themselves unto them. Then the Emperor said to Kynan and Adeon: “Lords, I have now possession of the whole of my empire. And the army that is here I give unto ye to vanquish whatever region ye may desire in the world.”
So Kynan and Adeon set forth and they conquered lands, and castles, and cities. And thus they continued until the young men that had come with them were grown gray-headed, from the length of time they were upon this conquest. Then Kynan said unto Adeon, his brother: “Whether wilt thou rather tarry in this far land, or go back to the land whence thou didst come forth?” Adeon chose to go back to his own land, and many went with him. And Mabon, the son of Modron, was one who was with Kynan in that time far back, and who remembers what it was that brought the men of Britain out from their own land, and brought certain of them back again.