and will ever in our days." The yet spake Hengest,
fairest of all knights: "Lord, I will perform thy will, here and over
all, and do all my deeds after thy counsel. Now will I speedily send
after my wife, and after my daughter, who is to me very dear, and
after brave men, the best of my kin. And thou give me so much land, to
stand in mine own hand, as a bull's hide will each way overspread, far
from each castle, amidst a field. Then nor the poor nor the rich may
blame thee, that thou hast given any noble burgh to a heathen man."
And the king granted him as Hengest yearned.

Hengest took leave, and forth he gan pass, and after his wife he sent
messengers, to his own land, and he himself went over this land, to
seek a broad field whereon he might well spread his fair hide. He came
to a spot, in a fair field, he had obtained a hide to his need, of a
wild bull that was wondrously strong. He had a wise man, who well knew
of craft, who took this hide, and laid it on a board, and whet his
shears, as if he would shear. Of the hide he carved a thong, very
small and very long, the thong was not very broad, but as it were a
thread of twine; when the thong was all slit, it was wondrously long,
about therewith he encompassed a great deal of land. He began to dig a
ditch very mickle, there upon a stone wall, that was strong over all,
a burgh he areared, mickle and lofty. When the burgh was all ready,
then shaped he to it a name, he named it full truly Kaer-Carrai in
British, and English knights they called it Thongchester. Now and
evermore the name standeth there, and for no other adventure had the
burgh the name, until that Danish men came, and drove out the Britons;
the third name they set there, and Lanecastel (Lancaster) it named;
and for such events the town had these three names.

In the meantime arrived hither Hengest's wife with her ships; she had
for companions fifteen hundred riders; with her came, to wit, mickle
good ships; therein came much of Hengest's kin, and Rowenne, his
daughter, who was to him most dear. It was after a while, that that
time came, that the burgh was completed with the best of all. And
Hengest came to the king, and asked him to a banquet, and said that he
had prepared an inn against him (his coming) and bade that he should
come thereto, and he should be fairly received. And the king granted
him as Hengest it would.

It came to the time that the king gan forth proceed, with the dearest
men of all h