Here begynneth a shorte and abreue table on the Cronycles ...

¶How Engist and an .xi. thousande mē ca¦me in to this londe / to whom vortiger yaue a place that is callde Thongcastell.

[illustration]

ANd soone after this sorowe / tydinges came to vortyger that a grete nauy of straūgers were arryued in y^e coūtree of Cent / he wyst not whēs they were ne wherfore they were come in to this londe. ¶The kynge sent anone a messager thyder / that some of sholde come and speke wyth hym / for to wyte what folke they wert and what they axed / and in to what coūtree they wolde. ¶There were two brethern maysters and prynces of that stron∣ge company / that one was called Engist and that other Horne. Engist wente to the kynge and tolde hym the cause wherfore / they were come in to this londe and sayde. Syrewe ben of a countree that is called Saxonne / that is y^e londe of Germayne / wheryn ys so moche soro¦we / That of the people ben soo many that the londe maye not them susteynes. And the may∣sters and prynces that haue y^e londe to gouer∣ne and rule. They made to come before them men and wymmen that boldest ben amonge theym for to fyghte / and that beste maye tra∣uayll in to dyuerse londes. And soo they sholde them yeue horse and harnes / armour / and all thynge that they nedeth. And after they shall saye to them / that they go in to an other coun¦tree where that they mowelyue / as theyr And cetrees dyde them before. ¶And therfore syr kynge / yf ye haue ought to doo wyth our com∣pany: we ben comen in to youre londe: And wyth good wylle you wolde serue your londe kepe helpe and defende from your enmyes yf that ye nede. ¶whan vortyger herde these ty∣dynges: he sayde gladly he wolde theym wyth holde: vppon suche couenanuce: yf they my∣ghte delyuer hys londe of hys enmyes: he wol∣de yeue theym resonable lōdes where they shol¦de dwelle for euer more. ¶Engyst thanked hym goodly: and in thys maner he and his cō∣pany a .xi. thousande sholde dwelle wyth the kynge vortiger. And moche they dyde thrugh theyr boldenesse: they delyuered hys londe of his enmyes clene. ¶Tho prayed Engyst the kynge of so moche londe that he myghte ma∣ke to hym a Cyte and for hys meyne. ¶The kynge answered / it was not to doo wythoute the coancell of Brytons. ¶Engist prayed hym eftsones of as moche plyce as he myghte compace with a thonge of a skyn̄e wherupon he myghte make a. Mancer for hym to dwelle in. And the kynge hym graunted freely.

¶Tho toke Engist a bulles skynne / and kyt¦te it as sma••e as he myghte all in to oo thonge all a roūde. And ther with compaced he as mo¦che londe as he myght then̄e make vpon a fay¦re castell. And so whan this castell was made / he lett calle it Thongcastell for as moche as y^e place was marked with a thonge.