feed, who shall us clothe, who shall be our lord at court? Now
Vortiger is gone, we all must depart,--we will not for anything have a
monk for king! But we will do well, forth-right go we to him, secretly
and still, and do all our will, into his chamber, and drink of his
beer When we have drunk, loudly revel we, and some shall go to the
door, and with swords stand therebefore, and some forth-right take the
king and his knights, and smite off the heads of them, and we
ourselves have the court, and cause soon our lord Vortiger to be
overtaken, and afterwards through all things raise him to be
king;—-then may we live as to us is befest of all."

The knights proceeded to the king forth-right; they all went
throughout the hall into the king's chamber, where he sate by the fire
There was none that spake a word except Gille Callæt; thus 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 Callæt--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