Guencelm the archbishop, who toward God was full good, took charge of the two children, for love of the king.  But alas! that their father might live no longer!—­for he had good laws the while that he lived; but he was king here but twelve years, and then was the king dead—­hearken now through what chance.  He had in his house a Peoht, fair knight and most brave; he fared with the king, and with all his thanes by no other wise but as it were his brother.  Then became he so potent, to all his companions unlike; then thought he to betray Constantin the powerful.  He came before the king, and fell on his knees, and thus lied the traitor before his lord:  “Lord king, come forthright, and speak with Cadal thy knight, and I will thee tell of strange speeches, such as thou never ere on earth heardest.”

Then arose the king Constantin, and went forth out with him.  But alas! that Constantin’s knights knew it not!  They proceeded so long forward that they came in an orchard.  Then said the traitor there:  “Lord, be we here.”  The traitor sat down, as if he would hold secret discourse, and he approached to the king, as a man doth in whispering.  He grasped a knife very long, and the king therewith he pierced into the heart; and he himself escaped—­there the king dead lay, and the traitor fled away.

The tidings came to court, how the king had fared; then was mickle sorrow spread to the folk.  Then were the Britons busy in thought, they knew not through anything what they might have for king, for the king’s two sons, little they were both.  Ambrosie could scarcely ride on horse, and Uther, his brother, yet still sucked his mother; and Constance the eldest was monk in Winchester; monk’s clothes he had on, as one of his companions.  Then came to London all this landfolk, to their husting, and to advise them of a king, what wise they might do, and how they might take on, and which one of these children they might have for king.  Then chose this people Aurelie Ambrosie, to have for king over them.

That heard Vortiger, a crafty man and most wary; among the earls he stood, and firmly withstood it, and he thus said—­sooth though it were not:  “I will advise you counsel with the best; abide a fortnight, and come we eft right here, and I will say to you sooth words, so that with your eyes ye shall see, and your while well bestow; this same time we shall abide, and to our land the while ride, and hold amity and hold peace, freely in land.”

All the folk did as Vortiger deemed; and he himself went as if he would go to his land, and turned right the way that into Winchester lay.  Vortiger had Welshland the half-part in his hand; forty knights good he had in his retinue.  He proceeded to Winchester, where he found Constance, and spake with the abbot who governed the monastery where Constance was monk, the king’s son of Britain.  He went into the monastery with mild speech; he said that he would speak with Constance.  The abbot granted it to