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.

At the midnight then sent the chamber-knights six of their men to
Appas's inn; they weened to find him, and bring him to the king. Then
was he flown, and the fiends him carried! The men came back where the
king dwelt, and made known in the chamber of Appas's departure. Then
might men see sorrow enow be! Knights fell down, and yearned their
deaths; there was mickle lamentation and heart-groaning, there was
many a piteous speech, there was yell of men! They leapt to the bed,
and beheld the king; the yet he lay in slumber, and in great sweat.
The knights with weeping awakened the king, and they called to him
with mild voice: "Lord, how is it with thee? how is thy harm? For now
is our leech departed without leave, gone out of court, and left us as
wretches." The king gave them answer: "I am all over swollen, and
there is no other hap, now anon I shall be dead. And I bid
forth-right, ye who are my knights, that ye greet Uther, who is my own
brother, and bid him hold my land in his sway. God himself through all
things let him be a good king! And bid him be keen, and always deem
right, as a father to the poor folk, to the destitute for comfort;
--then may he hold the land in power. And now to-day, when I be dead,
take ye all one counsel, and cause me to be brought right to
Stonehenge, where lie much of my kindred, by the Saxons killed. And
send for bishops, and book-learned men; my gold and sil