a heathen man, out of Saxland come.  Monk’s clothes he took on, he shaved his crown upon; he took to him two companions, and forth he gan proceed, and went anon right into Winchester, as if it were a holy man—­the heathen devil!  He went to the burgh-gate, where the king lay in chamber, and greeted the door-keeper with God’s greeting; and bade him in haste go into the king, and say to him in sooth, that Uther his brother had sent him thither a good leech; the best leech that dwelt in any land, that ever any sick man out of sickness can bring.  Thus he lied, the odious man, to the monarch, for Uther was gone forth with his army, nor ever him saw Uther, nor thither him sent!  And the king weened that it were sooth, and believed him enow.  Who would ween that he were traitor!—­for on his bare body he wore a cuirass, thereupon he had a loathly hair-cloth, and then a cowl of a black cloth; he had blackened his body, as if smutted with coal!  He kneeled to the king, his speech was full mild:  “Hail be thou, Aurelie, noblest of all kings!  Hither me sent Uther, that is thine own brother; and I all for God’s love am here to thee come.  For I will heal, and all whole thee make, for Christ’s love, God’s son; I reck not any treasure, nor meed of land, nor of silver nor of gold, but to each sick person I do it for love of my Lord.”  The king heard this, it was to him most agreeable;—­but where is ever any man in this middle-earth, that would this ween, that he were traitor!  He took his glass vessel anon, and the king urined therein; a while after that, the glass vessel in hand he took, and viewed it forth-right before the king’s knights; and thus said anon Appas, the heathen man:  “If ye will me believe, ere to-morrow eve this king shall be all whole, healed at his will.”  Then were blithe all that were in chamber.  Appas went in a chamber, and the mischief meditated, and put thereto poison, that hight scamony, and came out forth-right among the chamber-knights, and to the knights he gan to distribute much canel, and gingiver and liquorice he gave them lovingly.  They all took the gift, and he deceived them all.  This traitor fell on his knees before the monarch, and thus said to him:  “Lord, now thou shalt receive this, of this drink a part, and that shall be thy cure.”  And the king up drank, and there the poison he drank.  Anon as he had drank, the leech laid him down.  Thus said Appas to the chamber-knights:  “Wrap now the king well, that he lie in sweating; for I say to you through all things, all whole shall your king be.  And I will go to my inn, and speak with my men, and at the midnight I will come again forth-right, with other leechcraft, that shall be to him healing.”  Forth went—­while the king lay in slumber—­the traitor Appas to his inn, and spake with his men; and with stilly counsel stole from the town.