King Vortigern the usurper sat upon his throne in London when suddenly upon a certain day ran in a breathless messenger and cried aloud "Arise Lord King for the enemy is come; even Ambrosius and Uther upon whose throne thou sittest and full twenty thousand with them and they have sworn by a great oath Lord to slay thee ere this year be done; and even now they march towards thee as the north wind of winter for bitterness and haste."