Soon he found there the king of the land, his heart was very sore, he greeted the King Gillomar with God’s greeting:  “Hail be thou, Gillomar, chief of men!  I am to thee come; I was Vortiger’s son; my father was Britain’s king, he loved thee through all things.  And if thou wouldest now be my companion, as we shall agree, and my father well avenge, and well avenge thy folk that Uther here killed, and thy marvellous work, that he hence drew.  And eke I heard say, where I voyaged in the sea, that the King Aurelie is become sick, and lieth in Winchester, in bed full fast.  Thou mayest believe me enow, for this is verily sooth.”  Thus Pascent and Gillomar made their compact there; oaths they swore, many and innumerable, that they would set all this land in their two (joint) hands; the oaths were sworn, but eft they were broken!  The king gathered a host wide over his land; to the sea they are gone, Gillomar and Pascent; into the ships they went, and forth let them glide.  Forth they proceeded quickly, so that they came to Meneve, that was in that time a town exceeding fair, that men now truly call Saint David’s.  There they took haven with great bliss; the ships went on the strand, the knights went on the land.  Then said Pascent—­toward Gillomar he went—­“Say me, King Gillomar, now we are come here; now I set to thee in hand half-part this kingdom; for there is from Winchester come to me a knight’s son, and saith to me such advice, that Aurelie will be dead, the sickness is under his ribs, so that he may not live.  Here we shall well avenge our kindred, and win his territories, as to us shall be best of all.”

To the king came the word, into Winchester, that Pascent and Gillomar were come here with an army.  The king called Uther, who was his dear brother:—­“Uther, summon forces over all this land, and march to our enemies, and drive them from land; either thou them disperse, either thou them fell.  And I would eke fare, if I were not so sick; but if I may be sound I will come after thee soon.”  Uther did all as the king said to him there.  And Pascent at Saint David’s wrought thereby much sorrow; and to the king Gillomar much sorrow he did there; Britain they through-ran, harried and burnt.  And Uther in this land assembled his host, and it was long time ere he might march aright.  And Pascent set in his own hand all West Welsh land.

It was on a day, his people were blithe, there arrived Appas—­the fiends him conveyed!  To Pascent he quoth thus:  “Come hither to us.  I will thee tell of a joyful tiding.  I was at Winchester, with thine adversaries, where the king lieth sick, and sorrowful in heart.  But what shall be my meed, if I thither ride, and I so gratify thee, that I kill him?” Then answered Pascent, and toward Appas he went:  “I promise thee to-day a hundred pounds, for I may, if thou me so gratifiest, that thou kill him.”  Troth they plight this treachery to contrive.  Appas went to his chamber, and this mischief meditated; he was