thy people, thyself and thy folk drive out of land.
And thus say thy men, where they sit together, because
the twain brothers are both royally born, of Androein’s
race, these noble Britons; and thus thy folk stilly
condemn thee. But I will advise thee of thy great
need, that thou procure knights that are good in fight;
and give to me a castle, or a royal burgh, that I
may be in, the while that I live. For I am for
thee hated—therefore I ween to be dead,
fare wherever I fare, I am never without care, unless
I be fast inclosed in a castle. If thou wilt
do this for me, I will it receive with love, and quickly
I will send after my wife, who is a Saxish woman, of
wisdom excellent, and after my daughter Rowenne, who
is most dear to me. When I have my wife, and
my kinsmen, and I am in thy land fully settled, the
better I will serve thee, if thou grantest me this.”
Then answered Vortiger—of each evil he
was ware—“Take quickly knights, and
send after thy wife, and after thy children, the young
and the old, and after thy kin, and receive them with
joy; when they to thee come, thou shalt have riches
to feed them nobly, and worthily to clothe them.
But I will not give to thee any castle or burgh, for
men would reproach me in my kingdom, for ye hold the
heathen law that stood in your elders’ days,
and we hold Christ’s law, and will ever in our
days.” The yet spake Hengest, fairest of
all knights: “Lord, I will perform thy will,
here and over all, and do all my deeds after thy counsel.
Now will I speedily send after my wife, and after
my daughter, who is to me very dear, and after brave
men, the best of my kin. And thou give me so much
land, to stand in mine own hand, as a bull’s
hide will each way overspread, far from each castle,
amidst a field. Then nor the poor nor the rich
may blame thee, that thou hast given any noble burgh
to a heathen man.” And the king granted
him as Hengest yearned.
Hengest took leave, and forth he gan pass, and after
his wife he sent messengers, to his own land, and
he himself went over this land, to seek a broad field
whereon he might well spread his fair hide. He
came to a spot, in a fair field, he had obtained a
hide to his need, of a wild bull that was wondrously
strong. He had a wise man, who well knew of craft,
who took this hide, and laid it on a board, and whet
his shears, as if he would shear. Of the hide
he carved a thong, very small and very long, the thong
was not very broad, but as it were a thread of twine;
when the thong was all slit, it was wondrously long,
about therewith he encompassed a great deal of land.
He began to dig a ditch very mickle, there upon a
stone wall, that was strong over all, a burgh he areared,
mickle and lofty. When the burgh was all ready,
then shaped he to it a name, he named it full truly
Kaer-Carrai in British, and English knights they called
it Thongchester. Now and evermore the name standeth
there, and for no other adventure had the burgh the
name, until that Danish men came, and drove out the
Britons; the third name they set there, and Lanecastel
(Lancaster) it named; and for such events the town
had these three names.