" All full soon to the court (or to the
army) they came, durst there none remain, nor the fat nor the lean.
The king forth-right took all his knights, and marched him anon to the
town of Verulam; about Verolam's town came him Uther Pendragon; Octa
was within with all his men. Then was Verulam a most royal town, Saint
Alban was there slain, and deprived of life-day; the burgh was
subsequently destroyed, and much folk there was slain. Uther lay
without, and Octa within. Uther's army advanced to the wall, the
powerful thanes fiercely assaulted it, they might not of the wall one
stone detach, nor with any strength the wall injure.
Well blithe was then Hengest's son Octa, when he saw the Britons
recede from the walls, and go sorrowful again to their tents. Then
said Octa to his comrade Ebissa: "Here is come to Verulam Uther, the
lame man, and will with us here fight in his litter; he weened with
his crutch to thrust us down! But to-morrow when it is day, the people
shall arise, and open our castle-gate, and this realm we shall all
win; shall we never lie here for one lame man! Out we shall ride upon
our good steeds, and advance to Uther, and fell his folk; for all they
are fated (shall die) that hither are ridden; and take the lame man,
and lay in our bonds, and hold the wretch until that he dies; and so
men shall leach his limbs that are sore, and heal his bones with
bitter steel!" Thus spake him Octa with his comrade Ebissa; but all it
happened otherwise than they weened.
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