he spake
with the king whom he there thought to betray: "Listen to me now,
monarch, I will nothing lie to thee We have been in court highly
honoured through thy steward, who hath governed all this land, he hath
us well fed, he hath us well clothed And in sooth I may say to thee,
with him we ate now to day, but sore it us grieveth, we had nought to
drink, and now we are in thy chamber give us drink of thy beer" Then
gave the king answer "That shall be your least care, for ye shall have
to drink the while that you think good" Men brought them drink, and
they gan to revel, thus said Gille Callaet--at the door he was full
active "Where be ye, knights? Bestir you forth right!" And they seized
the king, and smote off his head, and all his knights they slew
forth-right And took a messenger, and sent toward London, that he
should ride quickly after Vortiger, that he should come speedily, and
take the kingdom, for that he should know through all things, slain
was Constance the king. Vortiger heard that, who was traitor full
secret; thus he ordered the messenger back forth-right anon, and bade
them "well to keep all our worship that never one depart out of the
place, but all abide me, until that I arrive, and so I will divide
this land among us all."

Forth went the messenger, and Vortiger took anon and sent over London,
and ordered them quickly and full soon, that they all should come to
husting. When the burgh-men were come, who were most bold, then spake
Vortiger, who was traitor full secret,--much he gan to weep, and
sorrowfully to sigh, but it was in his head, and not in his heart.
Then asked him the burgh-men, who were most bold. "Lord Vortiger, what
is that thou mournest? Thou art no woman so sore to weep." Then
answered Vortiger, who was traitor full secret: "I will tell you
piteous speeches, of much calamity that is come to the land. I have
been in this realm your king's steward, and spoken with him, and loved
him as my life. But he would not at the end any counsel approve, he
loved the Peohtes, the foreign knights, and he would not do good to
us, nor anywhere fair receive, but to them he was gracious, ever in
their lives I might not of the king have remuneration (or wages), I
spent my wealth, the while that it lasted, and afterwards I took leave
to go to my land, and when I had my tribute, come again to court. When
the Peohtes saw that the king had no knights, nor ever any kind of man
that would aught for them do, the