On the third day, it gan to dawn fair; then came toward the host all that were hooded, and three wise bishops, in book well learned; priests and monks, many without number; canons there came, many and good, with all the reliques that were noblest in the land, and yearned Arthur’s peace, and his compassion.  Thither came the women, that dwelt in the land; they carried in their arms their miserable children; they wept before Arthur wondrously much, and their fair hair threw to the earth; cut off their locks, and there down laid at the king’s feet, before all his people; set their nails to their face, so that afterwards it bled.  They were naked nigh (nearly) all clean; and sorrowfully they gan to call to Arthur the king, and together thus said, where they were in affliction:  “King, we are on earth most wretched of all folk; we yearn thy mercy, through the mild God!  Thou hast in this land our people slain, with hunger and with strife, and with many kind of harms; with weapon, with water, and with many mischiefs our children made fatherless and deprived of comfort.  Thou art a Christian man, and we are also; the Saxish men are heathen hounds.  They came to this land, and this folk here killed; if we obeyed them, that was because of our harm, for we had no man that might accord us with them.  They did us much woe, and thou dost to us also; the heathens us hate, and the Christians make us sorrowful;—­ whereto and what shall become of us!”—­quoth the women to the king.  “Give us yet the men alive, who lie over these rocks; and if thou givest grace to this multitude, thy honour will be the greater, now and evermore.  Lord Arthur our king, loosen our bonds!  Thou has taken (conquered) all this land, and all this folk is overcome; we are under thy foot; in thee is all the remedy.”

Arthur heard this, noblest of kings; this weeping and this lament, and immoderate sorrow; then took he to counsel, and had pity in heart; he found in his counsel to do what they him prayed, he gave them life, he gave them limb, and their land to hold.  He caused the trumpets to be blown, and the Scots to be summoned; and they came out of the rocks to the ships; on every side approached toward land.  They were greatly harmed by the sharp hunger; and oaths they swore, that they would not deceive; and they then gave hostages to the king, and all full soon became the king’s men.  And then they gan depart; the folk there separated, each man to the end, where he was dwelling, and Arthur there set peace, good with the best.

Then said Arthur:  “Where art thou, Howel, my relation, dearest of men to me?  Seest thou this great lake, where the Scots are harmed, seest thou these high trees, and seest thou these eagles fly?  In this fen is fish innumerable.  Seest thou these islands, that stand over this water?” Marvellous it seemed to Howel, of such a sight, and he wondered greatly by the water-flood, and thus there spake Howel, of noble race:  “Since I was born man of my mother’s bosom, saw I in no land