ver all Britain's
land, and through my counsel do all thy deeds, and if thou wilt pledge
me in hand, that I shall rule it all, I will through all things make
thee Britain's king." This monk sate well still, the speech went to
him at his will. Then answered the monk with much delight: "Well worth
thee, Vortiger, that thou art come here; if evermore cometh the day
that I may be king, all my counsel and all my land I will place in
thine hand, and all that thou wilt do, my men shall accept it. And
oaths I will swear to thee, that I will not deceive thee." Thus said
the monk; he mourned greatly how else it were, that he were monk; for
to him were black clothes wondrously odious. Vortiger was crafty and
wary--that he made known everywhere--he took a cape of a knight of
his, and on the monk he put it, and led him out of the place; he took
a swain anon, and the black clothes put on him, and held secret
discourse with the swain, as if it were the monk.

Monks passed upward, monks passed downward; they saw by the way the
swain with monk's clothes; the hood hanged down as if he hid his
crown; they all weened that it were their brother, who there sate so
sorry in the speech-house, in the daylight, among all the knights.
They came to their abbot, and greeted him in God's name: "Lord,
benedicite, we are come before thee, for strange it seemeth to us what
Vortiger thinketh in our speech-house, where he holdeth discourse,
throughout this day no monk may come therein, except Constance alone,
and the knights all clean. Sore we dread, that they him miscounsel."
Then answered the abbot; "Nay, but they counsel him good; they bid him
hold his hood (holy order), for now is his father dead." Vortiger
there abode the while Constance away rode. Vortiger up arose, from the
monastery departed, and all his knight out went forth-right.

The monks there ran thither anon, they weened to find Constance; when
they saw the clothes lie by the walls, then each to other lamented
their brother. The abbot leapt on horse, and after Vortiger rode, and
soon gan overtake the Earl Vortiger. Thus said the abbot to Vortiger
where he rode: "Say me, thou mad knight, why dost thou so great wrong?
Thou takest from us our brother,--leave him, and take the other. Take
Ambrosie the child, and make of him a king, and anger thou not Saint
Benedict, nor do thou to him any wrong!"

Vortiger heard this--he was crafty and very wary;--soon he came back,
and the abbot he took,