this land, that all the Christian folk should come
to his court. Vortimer, the young king, in London held his husting;
the king ordered each man that loved the Christendom, that they all
should hate the heathens, and bring the heads of them to Vortimer the
king, and have twelve pennies for reward, for his good deed. Vortimer
the young marched out of London, and Pascent, his brother, and
Catiger, the other; to them was come word, that Hengest lay at
Epiford, upon the water that men name Darwent. There came together
sixty thousand men; on one half was Vortimer, Pascent, and Catiger,
and all the folk that loved our Lord; on the other half were chiefs
with Vortiger the king, Hengest and his brother, and many thousand
others. Together they came, and combated with might; there fell to the
ground two and thirty hundred of Hengest's men; and Hors was wounded.
Catiger came there, and with his spear ran him through, and Hors
forth-right there wounded Catiger. And Hengest gan to flee with all
his followers, and Vortiger the king fled forth as the wind; they flew
forth into Kent, and Vortimer went after them; there upon the seashore
Hengest suffered pain; there they gan to halt, and fought very long;
five thousand there were slain, and deprived of lifeday, of Vortiger's
men, of the heathen race.

Hengest bethought him what he might do; he saw there beside a haven
very large, many good ships there stood in the sea-flood. They saw on
their right hand an island exceeding fair, it is called Thanet;
thitherward they were brisk; there the Saxish men sought the sea, and
anon gan pass into the island. And the Britons followed after them,
with many kind of crafts, and surrounded them on each side; with ships
and with boats they gan to smite and shoot. Oft was Hengest woe, and
never worse than then; unless he did other counsel he should there be
dead. He took a spear-shaft, that was long and very tough, and put on
the end a fair mantle, and called to the Britons, and bade them abide;
he would speak with them, and yearn the king's grace, and send
Vortiger with peace to the land, to make this agreement that he might
depart without more shame into Saxland.

The Britons went to the land, to Vortimer their king, and Hengest
spake with Vortiger, in most secret converse. Vortiger went on the
land, and bare a wand in his hand. The while that they spake of peace
the Saxons leapt into their ships, and drew up high their sails to the
top, and proceed