of the burgh, miserable thanes, twain and twain, twenty hundred!  Aurelie beheld this, noblest of kings, strange it seemed to him of the naked knights.  Together came the host that lay over the land; they saw Octa naked come, that was Hengest’s son.  He bare in his hand a long chain; he came to the king, and before his warriors he fell upon the ground, and the king’s feet sought; and these words then said Hengest’s son Octa:  “Mercy, my lord king, through God the mild; for the love of God Almighty have mercy of my knights!  For all our heathendom is become base, our laws and our people, for loathsome we are to the Lord.  For us has failed in hand Appolin, and Tervagant, Woden, and Mercurius, Jupiter, and Saturnus, Venus, and Didon, Frea, and Mamilon, and all our beliefs are now to us odious, but we will believe on thy dear Lord, for all it faileth us now in hand, that we worshipped.  We yearn thy favour, now and evermore; if thou wilt me grant peace, and if thou wilt me grant amity, we will draw to thee, and be thy faithful men; love thy people, and hold thy laws, if thou wilt not that, do thy will, whetherso (whatsoever) thou wilt do, or slay us or up hang us.”

And the king was mild-hearted, and held him still; he beheld on the right hand, he beheld on the left hand, which of his wise men first would speak.  They all were still, and kept silence with voice; was there no man so high, that durst a word utter; and ever lay Octa at the king’s feet so; all his knights lay behind him.  Then spake Aldadus, the good bishop, and said thus:  “Ever it was, and ever it shall be, and yet it behoveth us, when we yearn mercy, that we should have mercy; worthy is he of mercy, who worthily prayeth for it.  And thou thyself, lord king, thou art chief of the people, pardon thou Octa, and also his companions, if they will receive Christendom with good belief; for yet it may befall, in some country that they may fitly worship the Lord.  Now stands all this kingdom in thine own hand, give them a place, where it shall be agreeable to thee, and take of them hostages, such as thou wilt require; and let them be well held in iron bonds; the hostages be found meat and clothes, be found all that to them shall belief; and then mightest thou well hold this people in thy land, and let them till the land, and live by their tilth.  And if it subsequently shall befall, soon thereafter, that they fail in hand to hold troth, and weaken in work, and withstand thee, now I decree to thee the doom, what thou mayest then do.  Cause men to ride to them exceeding quickly, and cause them all to be destroyed, slain and eke up hung.  This I decree to thee; the Lord it hear!” Then answered the king, with quick voice:  “All I will so do as thou hast deemed.”  Thus spake the king then:  “Arise up, Octa; thou shalt quickly do well, receive Christendom.”  There was Octa baptised, and his companions also; and all his knights on the spot forth-right.  They took their hostages, and gave to the king, three-and-fifty children they delivered to the king.  And the king sent them beside Scotland; oaths they swore, that they would not deceive him.  The king gave them in hand sixty hides of land, thereon they dwelt well many winters.