came forth from the hall with a vessel in her hand to fetch water for the queen's use ; (for Eadwin had taken her in the city of Worcester, as he was pursuing Cadwallo through the provinces of the Britons ;) who seeing her brother among the beggars, was afraid lest any one should know him and he should be taken by his enemies. She therefore briefly described to him the state of the court, and the magician he was in quest of, who chanced at that moment to be walking among the beggars. Having recognized his sister, Brien bade her come forth by stealth the following night unto him, to a certain old temple without the city, where he would wait for her ; then, returning to the beggars, he came to the place where Pellitus was arranging them. Straightway, raising his staff, he pierced the magician under his breast and killed him ; then throwing the staff on the ground, he concealed himself among the rest, and without having been suspected by any one, he reached the before-mentioned retreat. His sister could not go forth in the night, for the whole court was in confusion at the death of Pellitus, and the king had ordered guards to be stationed round it. But Brien, penetrating the thickets of the woods, reached Exeter, where he assembled the Britons and told them what he had done ; whereupon they fortified the town, and awaited with joy the arrival of Cadwallo. The rumour of these things having spread through all Britain, Penda, king of the Mercians, came to Exeter with an immense multitude of Saxons, and besieged Brien. Death of king Eadwin, and desolation of the province of the North umbrians. In the year of grace 634, Cadwallo king of the Britons, having heard of what had happened to Pellitus, landed in the island with ten thousand troops, and hastened to Exeter. A battle took place, and Penda, not prepared for such an attack, was immediately taken prisoner and his army routed. Whereupon, having no other way of escape, Penda swore fidelity to Cadwallo, and found hostages for his submission ; on which Cadwallo, assembling the Britons, with the king of the Mercians, proceeded to Northumbria, and began to ravage the country of king Eadwin. Which when it was told to Eadwin, he went to meet the Britons, and