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.
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