gate buried him fair; and carried him no
whit as the king ordered. Thus lived Vortimer, and thus he ended
there.

Then the Britons fell into evil counsel; they took Vortiger anon, and
delivered him all this kingdom; there was a well rueful thing, now was
eft Vortiger king! Vortiger took his messengers, and sent to Saxland,
and greeted well Hengest, fairest of all knights, and bade him in
haste to come to this land, and with him should bring here a hundred
riders. "For that know thou through all things, that dead is Vortimer
the king, and safe thou mayest hither come, for dead is Vortimer my
son. It is no need for thee to bring with thee much folk, least our
Britons eft be angry, so that sorrow eft come between you."

Hengest assembled a host of many kind of land, so that he had to wit
seven hundred ships, and each ship he filled with three hundred
knights; in the Thames at London Hengest came to land. The tidings
came full soon to Vortiger the king, that Hengest was in haven with
seven hundred ships. Oft was Vortiger woe, but never worse than then,
and the Britons were sorry, and sorrowful in heart; they knew not in
the worlds-realm counsel that were to them pleasing. Hengest was of
evil ware--that he well showed there--he took soon his messengers, and
sent to the king, and greeted Vortiger the king with words most fair,
and said that he was come as a father should to his son; with peace
and with friendship he would dwell in amity; peace he would love, and
wrong he would shun; peace he would have, peace he would hold; and all
this nation he would love, and love Vortiger the king through all
things. But he had brought, in this land, out of Saxland, seven
hundred ships of heathen folk, "who are the bravest of all men that
dwell under the sun, and I will," quoth Hengest, "lead them all to the
king, at a set day, before all his people. And the king shall arise,
and choose of the knights two hundred knights, to lead to his fight,
who shall guard the king preciously through all things. And afterwards
the others shall depart to their land, with peace and with amity,
again to Saxland; and I will remain with the best of all men, that is
Vortiger the king, whom I love through all things." The tidings came
to the Britons how Hengest them promised; then were they fain for his
fair words, and set they peace and set amity to such a time that the
king on a day would see this folk. Hengest heard that, fairest of all
knights; then was