A Dream of England (or The Chronicles of Britannia)

A dream of England, beauteous fair, of all those who lived and died there

Part the Third:
The treachery of Hengist & the return of Ambrosius and Pendragon

Hengist and his people from the land were gone!
Vortimer, the new king, was loved by the throng
of the entire country, though it must be said
there was one close to home who wished him dead:
Rowena, his stepmother, tried many times
to kill him, but his guards thwarted her crimes.
She, at last, found someone who, for a price,
would poison king Vortimer and end his life.
When Vortigern learned his son was dead and gone
he came out of hiding and reclaimed the throne.
Rowena’s messengers she sent to implore
Hengist, her father, to sail back once more.
Vortigern was fearful and said, “If you try
to land on our shores you and your men will die.”
But Hengist’s treachery and cunning had grown:
“I come to fight for you, to regain your throne,
I did not know king Vortimer was dead”,
were the deceitful words Hengist’s messengers said.
“The Saxons want peace!” Vortigern said to all
the people who, by now, were tired of war.
So, on Salisbury Plain, a feast day was proclaimed
for Saxon and Briton on a fine day in May.
Now caught off guard and coming unarmed,
not knowing the Saxons meant to do them harm,
laughter turned to screaming as Hengist cried out,
“Draw your daggers! Kill every man, woman and child!”
The treachery clear now – Hengist had lied.
Vortigern fled to Wales, in a castle to hide,
while Hengist took possession of land and of throne
and killed all the people and burned all their homes.
Though the king turned coward there was hope to come
when word reached the two of Constantine’s brave sons:
Ambrosius and Pendragon set sail from France,
now grown men and warriors and Britain’s new chance.
When the brothers landed the Britons took heart
and came out of hiding, a new army to start,
but first they marched to Wales to seek out the king
(they hadn’t forgotten he’d murdered their kin);
they cut down the trees, gathered branches and leaves,
and placed them round the castle from morn until eve.
When Vortigern awoke he first heard the crackle
of newly lit fire that burned round the castle.
He cried out for mercy but soon his cries died
as in brightness dark king Vortigern burned alive.
“We showed him the mercy he showed to our brother”,
Ambrosius and Pendragon called out to each other.
Then to the Saxons their attention they turned
to avenge the dead Britons whose houses they’d burned.
In one mighty battle the land was reclaimed
and Hengist was captured and shackled in chains;
Ambrosius was noble where Hengist was sly,
above all Ambrosius hated a lie
and would have spared Hengist’s life, for he was brave,
but the thousands of Britons who lay in their graves
caused the earl of Gloucester in their name to cry,
“For the suffering he caused this man must surely die!”
And the people agreed, “We must see this man dead!”
So the earl of Gloucester cut off Hengist’s head.
Though they were defeated the Saxons remained
(and soon you’ll hear how powerful they became).
Ambrosius was now chosen to be king
and, upon taking office, the very first thing
he did was to rebuild, to put right the wrongs
and restore to the Britons what to them had belonged.

TO BE CONTINUED…

NEXT ON “A DREAM OF ENGLAND”:
How the Giants’ Dance came to Britain