tiger what he had previously thought: "Hearken
now to me, knights, I will say to you forth-right of my mickle sorrow
that I for you have mourned. The king delivered me this land for to be
his steward. Ye are to me liefest of all men alive, but I have not
wealth to give my knights, for this king possesses all this land, and
he is young and also strong, and all I must yield to him that I take
of his land, and if I destroy his goods, I shall suffer the law, and
mine own wealth I have spent, because I would please you. And now I
must depart hence far to some king, serve him with peace, and gain
wealth with him; I may not for much shame have here this abode, but
forth I must go to foreign lands And if the day shall ever come that I
may acquire wealth, and I may so well thrive, that ye come in the land
where I am, I will well reward you with much worship. And have now all
good day, for to-night I will go away, it is a great doubt whether ye
see me evermore"--These knights knew not what the traitor thought
Vortiger was treacherous, for here he betrayed his lord, and the
knights held it for sooth, what the traitor said Vortiger ordered his
swains to saddle his steeds, and named twelve men to lead with
himself, to horse they went as if they would depart from the land.

The Peohtes saw that--the drunken knights--how Vortiger would depart,
herefore they had much care, they went to counsel, they went to
communing, all they lamented their life exceedingly, because Vortiger
was so dear to them And thus said the Peohtes, the drunken knights:
"What may we now in counsel? who shall us now advise? who shall us
feed, who shall us clothe, who shall be our lord at court? Now
Vortiger is gone, we all must depart,--we will not for anything have a
monk for king! But we will do well, forth-right go we to him, secretly
and still, and do all our will, into his chamber, and drink of his
beer When we have drunk, loudly revel we, and some shall go to the
door, and with swords stand therebefore, and some forth-right take the
king and his knights, and smite off the heads of them, and we
ourselves have the court, and cause soon our lord Vortiger to be
overtaken, and afterwards through all things raise him to be
king;--then may we live as to us is befest of all."

The knights proceeded to the king forth-right; they all went
throughout the hall into the king's chamber, where he sate by the fire
There was none that spake a word except Gille Callaet; thus