The warriors and chief men of Ireland were brought together in haste, and they took counsel.  “Lord,” said the neighbors unto Matholch, “there is no other counsel than this alone.  Thou shalt give the kingdom to Gwern, the son of Branwen his sister, as a compensation for the wrong and despite that have been done unto Branwen.  And he will make peace with thee.”  And in the council it was resolved that this message should be sent to Bendigeid Vran, lest the country should be destroyed.  And this peace was made.  And Matholch caused a great house to be built for Bendigeid Vran, and his host.  Thereupon came the hosts into the house.  The men of the island of Ireland entered the house on the one side, and the men of the Island of the Mighty on the other.  And as soon as they had sat down, there was concord between them; and the sovereignty was conferred upon the boy.  When the peace was concluded, Bendigeid Vran called the boy unto him, and from Bendigeid Vran the boy went unto Manawyddan; and he was beloved by all that beheld him.  And from Manawyddan the boy was called by Nissyen, the son of Euroswydd, and the boy went unto him lovingly.  “Wherefore,” said Evnissyen, “comes not my nephew, the son of my sister, unto me?  Though he were not king of Ireland, yet willingly would I fondle the boy.”  “Cheerfully let him go to thee,” said Bendigeid Vran; and the boy went unto him cheerfully.  “By my confession to Heaven,” said Evnissyen in his heart, “unthought of is the slaughter that I will this instant commit.”

Then he arose and took up the boy, and before any one in the house could seize hold of him he thrust the boy headlong into the blazing fire.  And when Branwen saw her son burning in the fire, she strove to leap into the fire also, from the place where she sat between her two brothers.  But Bendigeid Vran grasped her with one hand, and his shield with the other.  Then they all hurried about the house, and never was there made so great a tumult by any host in one house as was made by them, as each man armed himself.  And while they all sought their arms Bendigeid Vran supported Branwen between his shield and his shoulder.  And they fought.

Then the Irish kindled a fire under the caldron of renovation, and they cast the dead bodies into the caldron until it was full; and the next day they came forth fighting men, as good as before, except that they were not able to speak.  Then when Evnissyen saw the dead bodies of the men of the Island of the Mighty nowhere resuscitated, he said in his heart, “Alas! woe is me, that I should have been the cause of bringing the men of the Island of the Mighty into so great a strait.  Evil betide me if I find not a deliverance therefrom.”  And he cast himself among the dead bodies of the Irish; and two unshod Irishmen came to him, and, taking him to be one of the Irish, flung him into the caldron.  And he stretched himself out in the caldron, so that he rent the caldron into four pieces, and burst his own heart also.