All this when Athelstan learned, he summoned
to conference his captains and his counsellors;
he inquired of them what were best to do;
he told the whole council point by point what
he had ascertained about the doings of the Scots' king and his numbers.
All present were agreed on this, that Alfgeir was most to blame,
and thought it were but his due to lose his earldom.
But the plan resolved on was this,
that king Athelstan should go back to the south of England,
and then for himself hold a levy of troops,
coming northwards through the whole land;
for they saw that the only way for the needful
numbers to be levied in time was for
the king himself to gather the force.