him, and he led him to the speech-house.  Thus spake Vortiger with the monk then there:  “Constance, hearken my counsel, for now is thy father dead.  There is Ambrosie thy brother, and Uther the other.  Now have the elders, the noblest in land, chosen Aurelie—­his surname is Ambrosie—­if they may through all things they will make him king; and Uther, thy brother, yet sucketh his mother.  But I have opposed them, and think to withsay, for I have been steward of all Britain’s land, and earl I am potent, unlike to my companions, and I have Welshland half part in my hand; more I have alone than the others all clean.  I am come to thee, for dearest of men thou art to me; if thou wilt swear to me oaths, I will take off thee these clothes, if thou wilt increase my land, and thy counsel place in my hand, and make me thy steward over all Britain’s land, and through my counsel do all thy deeds, and if thou wilt pledge me in hand, that I shall rule it all, I will through all things make thee Britain’s king.”  This monk sate well still, the speech went to him at his will.  Then answered the monk with much delight:  “Well worth thee, Vortiger, that thou art come here; if evermore cometh the day that I may be king, all my counsel and all my land I will place in thine hand, and all that thou wilt do, my men shall accept it.  And oaths I will swear to thee, that I will not deceive thee.”  Thus said the monk; he mourned greatly how else it were, that he were monk; for to him were black clothes wondrously odious.  Vortiger was crafty and wary—­that he made known everywhere—­he took a cape of a knight of his, and on the monk he put it, and led him out of the place; he took a swain anon, and the black clothes put on him, and held secret discourse with the swain, as if it were the monk.

Monks passed upward, monks passed downward; they saw by the way the swain with monk’s clothes; the hood hanged down as if he hid his crown; they all weened that it were their brother, who there sate so sorry in the speech-house, in the daylight, among all the knights.  They came to their abbot, and greeted him in God’s name:  “Lord, benedicite, we are come before thee, for strange it seemeth to us what Vortiger thinketh in our speech-house, where he holdeth discourse, throughout this day no monk may come therein, except Constance alone, and the knights all clean.  Sore we dread, that they him miscounsel.”  Then answered the abbot; “Nay, but they counsel him good; they bid him hold his hood (holy order), for now is his father dead.”  Vortiger there abode the while Constance away rode.  Vortiger up arose, from the monastery departed, and all his knight out went forth-right.

The monks there ran thither anon, they weened to find Constance; when they saw the clothes lie by the walls, then each to other lamented their brother.  The abbot leapt on horse, and after Vortiger rode, and soon gan overtake the Earl Vortiger.  Thus said the abbot to Vortiger where he rode:  “Say me, thou mad knight, why dost thou so great wrong?  Thou takest from us our brother,—­leave him, and take the other.  Take Ambrosie the child, and make of him a king, and anger thou not Saint Benedict, nor do thou to him any wrong!”