+Þa{n}ne he hauede his bede seyd,

[Sidenote: He leaves his offering on the altar.]

His offrende on þe auter leyd,

His leue at ih{es}u c{ri}st he tok,

And at his suete moder ok, 1388

And at þe croiz, þat he biforn lay,

Siþe{n} yede sore grotinde awey.

[Headnote: HAVELOK ADDRESSES GRIM'S THREE SONS.]

[Sidenote: He finds Grim's sons ready to fish.]

[65]+Hwa{n} he com hom, he wore yare,

Grimes sones, forto fare 1392

In-to þe se, fishes to gete,

Þat hauelok mithe wel of ete.

But auelok þouthe al anoþer,

[Sidenote: Havelok calls Grim's three sons.]

First he ka[l]de þe heldeste broþer, 1396

Roberd þe rede, bi his name,

[Headnote: HE ASKS THEM TO GO WITH HIM TO DENMARK.]

Wiliam wenduth, and h[uwe r]aue{n},[66]

Grimes sones alle þre,

[Sidenote: [Fol. 211b, col. 2.]]

And sey[d]e, "liþes nou alle to me, 1400

Lou{er}dinges, ich wile you sheue,

A þing of me þat ye wel knewe.

[Sidenote: He says, "My father was king of Denmark.]

Mi fader was king of denshe lond,

Denemark was al in his hond 1404

Þe day þat he was quik and ded;

But þa{n}ne hauede he wicke red,

Þat he me, and denemark al,

[Sidenote: He left me and my sisters in charge of

a foul fiend, who slew my sisters, and bade Grim drown me.]

And mine sistres bi-tawte a þral: 1408

A deueles lime [he] hus bitawte,

And al his lond, and al hise authe.

For y saw that fule fend

Mine sistres slo with hise hend; 1412

First he shar a-two here þrotes,

And siþen [karf] hem al to grotes,

And siþen bad [he] in þe se

Grim, youre fader, dre{n}che{n} me. 1416

Deplike dede he him swere

On bok, þat he sholde me bere

Vnto þe se, an dre{n}chen ine,

And [he][66*] wolde take{n} on him þe sinne. 1420

[Sidenote: But Grim was wise.]

But grim was wis, and swiþe hende,

Wolde he nouth his soule shende;

Leuere was him to be for-sworen,

Þan dre{n}chen me, and ben for-lorn; 1424

But sone biga{n} he forto fle

[Sidenote: He fled from Denmark with me, and took care of me.]

Fro denemark, forto ber_w_en[67] me,

For yif[68] ich hauede þer ben fu{n}den,

Hauede ben slayn, or harde bunde{n}, 1428

And heye ben henged on a tre,

Hauede go for him gold ne fe.

For-þi fro denemark hider he fledde,

And me ful fayre and ful wel fedde, 1432

So þat vn-to þis [ilke] day,

Haue ich ben fed and fostred ay.

But nou ich am up to þat helde

Cume{n}, that ich may wepne welde, 1436

And y may grete di{n}tes yeue,

[Sidenote: And now, I must go to Denmark.]

Shal i neuere hwil ich lyue

Ben glad, til that ich denemark se;

[Sidenote: Go with me, and I will make you rich men."]

I preie you þat ye wende with me, 1440

And ich may mak you riche men,

Ilk of you shal haue castles ten,

And þe lond þat þor-til longes,

Borwes, tunes, wodes and wo{n}ges."[69] 1444

* * * * *

* * * * *

[Footnote 65: In the MS. the Capital letter is prefixed to the

next line.]

[Footnote 66: MS. haue{n}. Cf. ll. 1868, 2528. Only an

assonance, not a rime, seems intended.]

[Footnote 66*: Word added by editor: see Emendations.]

[Footnote 67: MS. ber[w]en, _the A.S. _w_ being used here._

Cf. l. 697.]

[Footnote 68: MS. yif.]

[Footnote 69: A folio has here been cut out of the MS.,

containing 180 lines. The missing portion must have been to

this effect. "To this they gladly assented; and Havelok,

accompanied by his wife Goldeborw and the sons of Grim, set

sail for Denmark. Disembarking, they travel till they reach

the castle of a great Danish earl, named Ubbe, who had

formerly been a close friend to king Birkabeyn. Havelok begs

that he will allow him to live in that part of the country,

and to gain a livelihood by trading."]

[Headnote: HAVELOK GIVES UBBE A GOLD RING.]

[Sidenote: [Fol. 212, col. 1.]]

"With swilk als ich byen shal:

Þer-of bi-seche you nou leue;

[Sidenote: Havelok asks Ubbe to give him leave to buy

and sell there.]

Wile ich speke with non oþer reue,

But with þe, þat iustise are, 1628

Þat y mithe seke{n}[70] mi ware

In gode borwes up and doun,

And faren ich wile fro tun to tun."

A gold ring drow he forth anon, 1632

An hundred pu{n}d was worth þe ston,

[Sidenote: He gives Ubbe a gold ring.]

And yaf it ubbe for to spede:--

He was ful wis þat first yaf mede,

And so was hauelok ful wis here, 1636

[Sidenote: Dearly he sells it, all the same.]

He solde his gold ring ful dere,

Was neuere non so dere sold,

For chapme{n}, neyþer yung ne old:

Þat sholen[71] ye forthward ful wel here{n}, 1640

Yif þat ye wile þe storie heren.

[Footnote 70: _Qu._ sellen.]

[Footnote 71: MS. shoren.]

[Headnote: UBBE INVITES HAVELOK TO A FEAST.]

[Sidenote: Ubbe takes the ring, admires Havelok's make

and strength, and thinks he ought to be a knight,

not a pedlar.]

+Hwa{n} ubbe hauede þe gold ring,

Hauede he youenet for no þing,

Nouth for þe borw euere-il del:-- 1644

Hauelok bi-hel he swiþe wel,

Hw he was wel of bones maked,

Brod in þe sholdres, ful wel schaped,

Þicke in þe brest, of bodi long; 1648

He semede wel to ben wel strong.

"Deus!" hwat ubbe, "qui ne were he knith?

I woth, þat he is swiþe with!

Bet{er}e semede him to bere 1652

Helm on heued, sheld and sp{er}e,

Þa{n}ne to beye and selle ware.

Allas! þat he shal þer-with fare.

Goddot! wile he trowe me, 1656

Chaffare shal he late be."

Neþeles he seyde sone:

[Sidenote: "Havelok, bring your wife, and come

and eat with me."]

"Hauelok, haue [þou] þi bone,

And y ful wel rede þ[e] 1660

Þat þou come, and ete with me

To-day, þou, and þi fayre wif,

Þat þou louest also þi lif.

And haue þou of hire no drede, 1664

Shal hire no man shame bede.

Bi þe fey that y owe to þe,

Þerof shal i me serf-borw be."

[Headnote: UBBE TAKES A GREAT FANCY TO HAVELOK.]

+Hauelok herde þat he bad, 1668

And thow was he ful sore drad,

[Sidenote: [Fol. 212, col. 2.]]

With him to ete, for hise wif;

[Sidenote: Havelok fears ill may come of it.]

For him wore leuere þat his lif

Him wore reft, þan she i{n} blame 1672

Felle, or lauthe ani shame.

Hwa{n}ne he hauede his wille _w_at,[72]

Þe stede, þat he onne sat,

[Sidenote: But Ubbe rides away, saying, "Mind that you come."]

Smot ubbe with spures faste, 1676

And forth awey, but at þe laste,

Or he fro him ferde,

Seyde he, þat his folk herde:

"Loke þat ye come{n} beþe, 1680

For ich it wile, and ich it rede."

[Footnote 72: MS. _either_ þat _or_ [w]at.]

[Headnote: UBBE SENDS HAVELOK TO BERNARD.]

[Sidenote: Havelok dares not refuse.]

+Hauelok ne durste, þe he were adrad,

Nouth with-sitte{n} þat ubbe bad;

His wif he dide with him lede, 1684

Vn-to þe heye curt he y[e]de.[73]

[Sidenote: Robert the Red leads Goldborough.]

Roberd hire ledde, þat was red,

Þat hau[ed]e þarned[73*] for hire þe ded

Or ani hauede hire misseyd, 1688

Or hand with iuele onne leyd.

[Sidenote: William Wendut is on the other side of her.]

Willam wendut was þat oþer

Þat hire ledde, roberdes broþer,

Þat was with at alle nedes: 1692

Wel is him þat god ma{n} fedes!

Þan he were{n} come{n} to þe halle,

Biforen ubbe, and hise me{n} alle,

[Sidenote: Ubbe starts up to welcome them.]

Vbbe stirte hem ageyn, 1696

And mani a knith, and mani a sweyn,

Hem for to se, and forto shewe;

Þo stod hauelok als a lowe

[Sidenote: Havelok is a head taller than any of them.]

Aboven [þo] þat þer-i{n}ne wore, 1700

Rith al bi þe heued more

Þa{n}ne ani þat þer-inne stod:

Þo was ubbe bliþe of mod,

Þat he saw him so fayr and he{n}de, 1704

Fro him ne mithe his herte we{n}de,

Ne fro him, ne fro his wif;

He louede hem sone so his lif.

[Sidenote: Ubbe loves Havelok better than any one else.]

Were{n} non i{n} denemark, þat him þouthe, 1708

Þat he so mikel loue mouthe;

More he louede hauelok one,

Þan al denemark, bi mine wone!

Loke nou, hw god helpen kan 1712

O mani wise wif and man.

[Footnote 73: MS. yde.]

[Footnote 73* (from Emendations):

"_þarned_ is an error of the scribe for _þoled_; see the

Glossary."]

+Hwan it was come{n} time to ete,

[Sidenote: [Fol. 212b, col. 1.]]

Hise wif dede ubbe sone in fete,

And til hire seyde, al on game{n}: 1716

[Sidenote: Ubbe's wife is to eat with Havelok,

and Goldborough with Ubbe.]

"Dame, þou and hauelok shule{n} ete same{n},

And goldeboru shal ete wit me,

Þat is so fayr so flour on tre;

In al denemark nis[74, 74*] wimma{n} 1720

So fayr so sche, bi seint iohan!"

Þa{n}ne [he] were set, and bord leyd,

And þe beneysun was seyd,

[Sidenote: There were cranes, swans, venison, fish, and wines.]

Biforn he{m} com þe beste mete 1724

Þat king or cayser wolde ete;

Kranes, swa{n}nes, ueneysun,

Lax, lampreys, and god sturgun,

Pyme{n}t to drinke, and god clare, 1728

Win hwit and red, ful god plente.

Was þer-inne no page so lite,

Þat euere wolde ale bite.

Of þe mete forto tel, 1732

[Sidenote: No need to tell it all.]

Ne of þe metes[75] bidde[75*] i nout dwelle;

Þat is þe storie for to lenge,

It wolde anuye þis fayre genge.

[Sidenote: When the feast is over, Ubbe thinks he must

let them have an escort.]

But hwan he haueden þe kiwing[76] de[y]led,[76*] 1736

And fele siþes hauede{n} wosseyled,

And with gode drinkes sete{n} longe,

And it was time for to gonge,

Il man to þer he cam fro, 1740

Þouthe ubbe, "yf I late hem go,

Þus one foure, with-uten mo,

So mote ich brouke finger or to,

For þis wi{m}ma{n} bes mike wo! 1744

For hire shal me{n} hire louerd slo."

He tok sone knithes ten,

And wel sixti oþer men,

Wit gode bowes, and with gleiues, 1748

And sende him unto þe greyues,

[Sidenote: He sends them to Bernard Brown, and bids him

take care of them till next day.]

Þe beste ma{n} of al þe toun,

Þat was named b{er}nard brun;

And bad him, als he louede his lif, 1752

Hauelok wel y[e]men,[77] and his wif,

And wel do wayten al þe nith,

Til þe oþer day, þat it were lith.

Bernard was trewe, and swiþe with, 1756

In al þe borw ne was no knith

Þat betere couþe on stede riden,

Helm on heued, ne swerd bi side.

[Sidenote: [Fol. 212b, col. 2.]]

[Sidenote: Bernard provides a rich supper for Havelok.]

Hauelok he gladlike under-stod, 1760

With mike loue, and herte god,

And dide greyþe a super riche,

Also he was no with chinche,

To his bihoue euer-il del, 1764

Þat he mithe supe swiþe wel.

[Footnote 74: MS. is.]

[Footnote 74* (from Emendations):

"Perhaps we should rather read--_is womman_ [_non_]."]

[Footnote 75: _Qu._ win.]

[Footnote 75* (from Emendations):

"_Bidde_ must mean _offer_, rather than _bid_ (as in the

Glossary); unless it be miswritten for _bide_ = tarry."]

[Footnote 76: Uncertain in MS. See note.]

[Footnote 76*: Changed by editor from "deled": see

Emendations.]

[Footnote 77: MS. ymen.]

[Headnote: A GANG OF THIEVES BESET BERNARD'S HOUSE.]

[Sidenote: At suppertime sixty-one thieves come to the house,

and bid Bernard open the door.]

+Also he seten, and sholde soupe,

So comes a ladde in a ioupe,

And with him sixti oþer stronge, 1768

With swerdes drawen, and kniues lo{n}ge,

Ilkan i{n} hande a ful god gleiue,

And seyde, "undo, b{er}nard þe greyue!

Vndo swiþe, and latus[78] in, 1772

[Headnote: THREE OF THE THIEVES ATTACK HAVELOK.]

Or þu art ded, bi seint austin!"

[Sidenote: Bernard starts up, arms himself, and tells them

to go away.]

Bernard stirt up, þat was ful big,

And caste a brinie up-on his rig,

And grop an ax,[79] þat was ful god, 1776

Lep to þe dore, so he wore wod,

And seyde, "hwat are ye, þat are þer-oute,

Þat þus bigi{n}ne{n} forto stroute?

Goth he{n}ne swiþe, fule þeues, 1780

For, bi þe louerd, þat ma{n} on leues,

Shol ich casten þe dore open,

Su{m}me of you shal ich drepen!

And þe oþre shal ich kesten 1784

In fet{er}es, and ful faste festen!"

[Sidenote: They defy him.]

"Hwat haue ye seid," quoth a ladde,

"Wenestu þat we ben adradde?

We shole at þis dore gonge 1788

Maugre þin, carl, or outh longe."

[Sidenote: They break the door open with a boulder.]

He gripe{n} sone a bulder ston,

And let it fleye, ful god won,

Agen þe dore, þat it to-rof: 1792

Auelok it saw, and þider drof,

[Sidenote: Havelok seizes the bar of the door, and says,

"Come here to me."]

And þe barre sone vt-drow,

Þat was unride, and gret ynow,

And caste þe dore open wide, 1796

And seide, "her shal y now abide:

Comes swiþe vn-to me![80]

Datheyt hwo you he{n}ne fle!"

"No," quodh on, "þat shaltou coupe," 1800

And bigan til him to loupe,

[Sidenote: Three men attack Havelok.]

In his hond is swerd ut-drawe,

Hauelok he wende þore haue slawe;

And with [him] comen oþer two, 1804

[Sidenote: [Fol. 213, col. 1.]]

Þat him wolde of liue haue do.

[Headnote: HAVELOK SLAYS SEVEN OF THE THIEVES.]

Hauelok lifte up þe dore-tre,

[Sidenote: He kills them all.]

And at a dint he slow he{m} þre;

Was non of hem þat his h{er}nes 1808

Ne lay þer-ute ageyn þe sternes.

[Sidenote: A fourth he knocks down with a blow on the head.]

Þe ferþe þat he siþen mette,

Wit þe barre so he him grette,

Bifor þe heued, þat þe rith eye 1812

Vt of þe hole made he fleye,

And siþe clapte him on þe crune,

So þat he stan-ded fel þor dune.

[Sidenote: A fifth he hits between the shoulders.]

Þe fifte þat he ouer-tok, 1816

Gaf he a ful sor dint[e] ok,

Bitwen þe sholdres, þer he stod,

Þat he spen his herte blod.

[Sidenote: A sixth he smites on the neck.]

Þe sixte wende for to fle, 1820

And he clapte him with þe tre

Rith in þe fule necke so,

Þat he smot hise necke on to.

Þa{n}ne þe sixe weren doun feld, 1824

[Sidenote: A seventh aims at Havelok's eye.]

Þe seuenþe brayd ut his swerd,

And wolde hauelok Riht i{n} the eye;

And haue{lok} le[t þe][81] barre fleye,

[Sidenote: Havelok kills him.]

And smot him sone ageyn þe brest, 1828

Þat hauede he neu{er}e sch[r]ifte of p{re}st;

For he was ded on lesse hwile,

Þan me{n} mouthe re{n}ne a mile.

[Sidenote: The rest divide into two parties,

and rush at him like dogs at a bear.]

Alle þe oþere were{n} ful kene, 1832

A red þei taken hem bi-twene,

þat he sholde him bi-halue,

And brise{n} so, þat wit no salue

Ne sholde him helen leche non: 1836

Þey drowen ut swerdes, ful god won,

And shoten on him, so don on bere

Dogges, þat wolden him to-tere,

Þa{n}ne men doth þe bere beyte: 1840

Þe laddes were kaske and teyte,

And vn-bi-yeden him ilkon,

Su{m} smot with tre, and su{m} wit ston;

Su{m}me putte{n} with gleyue, i{n} bac and side, 1844

[Sidenote: They wound Havelok in twenty places.]

And yeue{n} wundes longe and wide;

In twenti stedes, and wel mo,

Fro þe croune til the to.

Hwan he saw þat, he was wod, 1848

And was it ferlik hw he stod,

[Sidenote: [Fol. 213, col. 2.]]

For the blod ran of his sides

So water þat fro þe welle glides;

But þa{n}ne bigan he for to mowe 1852

With the barre, and let hem shewe,

Hw he cowþe sore smite,

[Sidenote: He at last succeeds in killing twenty of them.]

For was þer non, long ne lite,

Þat he Mouthe ouer-take, 1856

Þat he ne garte his croune krake;

So þat on a litel stund,

Felde he twenti to þe grund.

[Footnote 78: _Sic_ in MS.]

[Footnote 79: MS. ar; _but see_ l. 1894.]

[Footnote 80: MS. vnto me datheit,--evidently the repetition

of the first word in the succeeding line.]

[Footnote 81: _Qu._ Hauelok let the. MS. "haue le."]

[Headnote: THE THIEVES SHOOT AT HIM FROM A DISTANCE.]

[Sidenote: They throw stones at him.]

+Þo bigan gret dine to rise, 1860

For þe laddes on ilke wise

Him asaylede{n} wit grete dintes,

Fro fer he stoden, him with flintes

And gleyues schote{n} him fro ferne, 1864

For drepen him he wolden yerne;

But durste{n} he newhe{n} him no more,

Þa{n}ne he bor or leu{n} wore.

[Headnote: HUGH AND THE REST COME TO THE RESCUE.]

[Sidenote: Hugh Raven hears the noise, and comes to help.]

+Huwe raue{n} þat dine herde, 1868

And þowthe wel, þat me{n} mis-ferde

With his louerd, for his wif,

And grop an ore, and a long knif,

And þider drof al so an hert, 1872

And cham þer on a litel stert,

And saw how þe laddes wode

Hauelok his louerd umbistode,

And bete{n} on him so doth þe smith 1876

With þe hamer on þe stith.

+"Allas!" hwat hwe, "þat y was bore{n}!

Þat eu{er}e et ich bred of koren!

Þat ich here þis sorwe se! 1880

[Sidenote: Hugh calls out to Robert and William.]

Roberd! willam! hware ar ye?

Gripeth eþer unker a god tre,

And late we nouth þise doges fle,

Til ure louerd wreke [we]; 1884

Cometh swiþe, and folwes me!

Ich haue in honde a ful god ore:

Datheit wo ne smite sore!"

[Sidenote: Robert comes to the rescue, and William too,

and Bernard.]

"Ya! leue, ya!" quod roberd sone, 1888

"We haue{n} ful god lith of þe mone."

Roberd grop a staf, strong and gret,

Þat mouthe ful wel bere a net,

And willam wendut grop a tre 1892

Mikel grettere þan his þe,[82]

And b{er}nard held his ax ful faste;

[Sidenote: [Fol. 213b, col. 1.]]

I seye, was he nouth þe laste;

And lopen forth so he weren wode 1896

To þe laddes, þer he stode,

And yaf hem wundes swiþe grete;

[Sidenote: They fight with the thieves.]

Þer mithe men wel se boyes bete,

And ribbes in here sides breke, 1900

And hauelok on hem wel wreke.

He broken armes, he broken knes,

He broken shankes, he broke{n} thes.

He dide þe blode þere re{n}ne dune 1904

To þe fet rith fro the crune,

[Sidenote: No head was spared.]

For was þer spared heued non:

He leyden on heuedes, ful god won,

And made croune[s] breke and crake, 1908

Of þe broune, and of þe blake;

[Sidenote: He made their backs as soft as their bellies.]

He made{n} here backes al so bloute

Als h[{er}]e[83] wombes, and made he{m} rowte

Als he weren kradelbarnes: 1912

So dos þe child þat moder þarnes.

[Footnote 82: MS. þre, _the _r_ being caught from the word

above._ Cf. l. 1903.]

[Footnote 83: _Qu._ here. MS. he.]

[Headnote: ALL THE SIXTY THIEVES ARE SLAIN.]

+Daþeit _w_o[84] recke! for he it s{er}uede,

Hwat dide he þore were{n} he werewed;

So longe hauede{n} he but and bet 1916

With neues under hernes set,

[Sidenote: All sixty assailants are slain.]

Þat of þo sixti men and on

Ne wente þer awey liues non.

[Footnote 84: MS. "[w]e," clearly miswritten for "[w]o" or "wo."

See ll. 2047, 296, 300, &c.]

[Headnote: UBBE ASKS BERNARD WHAT HAS HAPPENED.]

[Sidenote: At morn, there they lay like dogs.]

+ON þe morwe{n}, h_w_an[85] it was day, 1920

Ilc on other wirwed lay,

Als it were dogges þat were{n} he{n}ged,

And su{m}me leye i{n} dikes slenget,

And su{m}me in gripes bi þe her 1924

Drawen ware, and lat{en} ther.

Sket cam tiding intil ubbe,

Þat hauelok hauede with a clubbe

Of hise slawen sixti and on 1928

Sergaunz, þe beste þat mithe{n} gon.

[Sidenote: Ubbe comes to see what is the matter.]

"Deus!" quoth ubbe, "hwat may þis be!

Bet{er}e his i nime[86] miself and se,

Þat þis baret on hwat is wold, 1932

Þa{n}ne i sende yunge or old.

For yif i sende him un-to,

I wene me{n} sholde him shame do,

And þat ne wolde ich for no þing: 1936

I loue him wel, bi heuene king!

Me wore leuere i wore lame,

Þa{n}ne men dide him ani shame,

[Sidenote: [Fol. 213b, col. 2.]]

Or tok, or onne handes leyde, 1940

Vn-ornelike,[87] or same seyde."

He lep up on a stede lith,

And with him mani a noble knith,

And ferde forth un-to þe tun, 1944

[Sidenote: He calls for Bernard Brown.]

And dide calle b{er}nard brun

Vt of his hus, wan he þer cam;

And b{er}nard sone ageyn [him] nam,

Al to-tused and al to-torn, 1948

Ner also naked so he was born,

And al to-brised, bac and þe:

[Sidenote: Ubbe asks who has beaten him about so?]

Quoth ubbe, "b{er}nard, hwat is þe?

Hwo haues þe þus ille maked, 1952

Þus to-riue{n}, and al mad naked?"

[Footnote 85: MS. "hhan," miswritten for "h[w]an," from which it

differs very slightly.]

[Footnote 86: MS. inime.]

[Footnote 87: MS. Vn ornel[s]ke; _but _[s]_ should certainly be

_i_._]

[Headnote: BERNARD RELATES HAVELOK'S PROWESS.]

[Sidenote: "Sixty thieves attacked me last night.]

+"Louerd,[88] m{er}ci," quot he sone,

"To-nicht also ros þe mone

Come{n} her mo þan sixti þeues, 1956

With lokene copes, and wide sleues,

Me forto robben, and to pine,

And for to drepe me and mine.

Mi dore he broken up ful sket, 1960

And wolde me binden hond and fet.

Wan þe godeme{n} þat sawe,

[Sidenote: Havelok and his friends drove them off.]

Hauelok, and he þat bi þe wowe

Leye, he stirte{n} up sone on-on, 1964

And su{m}me grop tre, and su{m} grop ston,

And driue he{m} ut, þei he were{n} crus,

So dogges ut of milne-hous.

Hauelok grop þe dore-tre, 1968

And [at] a dint he slow he{m} thre.

He is þe beste ma{n} at nede,

Þat eu{er}e mar shal ride stede!

Als helpe god, bi mine wone, 1972

[Sidenote: He is worth a thousand men.]

A þhousend of me{n} his he worth one!

Yif he ne were, ich were nou ded,

So haue ich don Mi soule red;

But it is hof him mikel sinne; 1976

He made{n} him swilke woundes þri{n}ne,

Þat of þe alþer-leste wounde

Were a stede brouht to grunde.

[Sidenote: He has some bad wounds, more than twenty.]

He haues a wunde i{n} the side, 1980

With a gleyue, ful un-ride,

And he haues on þoru his arum,

Þer-of is ful mikel haru{m},

[Sidenote: [Fol. 214, col. 1.]]

And he haues on þoru his þhe, 1984

Þe vn-rideste þat men may se,

And oþe[r] wundes haues he stro{n}ge,

Mo than twenti swiþe longe.

But siþen he hauede lauth þe sor 1988

Of þe wundes, was neuere bor

Þat so fauth so he fauth þa{n}ne;

Was non þat hauede þe hern-panne

So hard, þat he ne dede alto-cruhsse, 1992

And alto-shiuere, and alto-frusshe.

[Sidenote: He followed them like a dog does a hare.]

He folwede he{m} so hund dos hare,

Daþeyt on he wolde spare,

Þat [he] ne made he{m} euerilk on 1996

Ligge stille so doth þe ston:

And þer nis he nouth to frie,

For oþer sholde he make hem lye

Ded, or þei him hauede slawen, 2000

Or alto-hewen, or al-to-drawen.

[Footnote 88: MS. Iouerd.]

+Louerd, haui no more plith

Of þat ich was þus greþed to-nith.

Þus wolde þe theues me haue reft, 2004

But god-þank, he hauenet sure keft.

[Sidenote: But I fear Havelok is all but dead."]

But it is of him mikel scaþe:

I woth þat he bes ded ful raþe."

[Headnote: THE OTHERS CONFIRM BERNARD'S STORY.]

+Quoth ubbe, "b{er}nard, seyst þou soth?" 2008

"Ya, sire, that i ne[89] lepe oth.

Yif y, louerd, a word leye,

To-morwen do me hengen heye."

[Sidenote: The rest confirm Bernard's story.]

Þe burgeys þat þer-bi stode þore, 2012

Grundlike and grete oþes swore,

Litle and mikle, yunge and holde,

Þat was soth, þat b{er}nard tolde.

Soth was, þat he wolde{n} him bynde, 2016

And trusse al þat he mithen fynde

Of hise, in arke or in kiste,

Þat he mouthe i{n} seckes þriste.

[Sidenote: "The thieves wanted to steal all he had.]

"Louerd, he hauede{n} al awey born 2020

His þing, and him-self alto-torn,

But als god self barw him wel,

Þat he ne tinte no catel.

Hwo mithe so mani sto{n}de ageyn, 2024

Bi nither-tale, knith or swein?

He were{n} bi tale sixti and ten,

Starke laddes, stalworþi men,

[Sidenote: They were led on by one G[r]iffin Gall."]

And on, þe mayster of he{m} alle, 2028

Þat was þe name giffin[90] galle.

[Sidenote: [Fol. 214, col. 2.]]

Hwo mouthe agey[{n}][91] so mani sto{n}de,

But als þis ma{n} of f{er}ne londe

Haueth he{m} slawe{n} with a tre? 2032

Mikel ioie haue he!

God yeue him mikel god to welde,

Boþe in tun, and ek in felde!

We[l][92] is set he etes mete." 2036

[Sidenote: Ubbe sends for Havelok, to dub him knight.]

Quoth ubbe, "doth him swiþe fete,

Þat y mouthe his woundes se,

Yf that he mouthe{n} heled[93] be.

For yf he mouthe couere yet, 2040

And gange{n} wel up-on hise fet,

Mi-self shal dubbe him to knith,

For-þi þat he is so with.

And yif he liuede, þo foule theues, 2044

Þat were{n} of kaym kin and eues,

He sholden hange bi þe necke;

Of here ded daþeit wo recke,

Hwan he yeden þus on nithes 2048

To binde boþe burgme{n} and knithes.

For bynderes loue ich neuere mo,

Of hem ne yeue ich nouht a slo."

[Footnote 89: MS. ine.]

[Footnote 90: _Qu._ griffin.]

[Footnote 91: MS. agey.]

[Footnote 92: Cf. ll. 772, 907.]

[Footnote 93: MS. holed. See l. 2058.]

[Headnote: UBBE SENDS FOR HAVELOK AND TAKES HIM TO HIS CASTLE.]

[Sidenote: Havelok is brought before Ubbe.]

+Hauelok was bifore ubbe browth, 2052

Þat hauede for him ful mikel þouth,

And mikel sorwe in his herte

For hise wundes, þat we[r] so smerte.

+But hwa{n} his wundes were{n} shewed, 2056

[Sidenote: A leech says he can be healed.]

And a leche hauede knawed,

Þat he hem mouthe ful wel hele,

Wel make him gange, and ful wel mele,

And wel a palefrey bistride, 2060

And wel up-on a stede ride,

Þo let ubbe al his care

And al his sorwe ouer-fare;

[Sidenote: Ubbe invites him and Goldborough to his own castle.]

And seyde, "cu{m} now forth with me, 2064

And goldeboru, þi wif, with þe,

And þine seriaunz al þre,

For nou wile y youre warant be;

Wile y non of here frend 2068

Þat þu slowe with þin hend

Moucte wayte þe [to] slo,

Also þou gange to and fro.

I shal lene þe a bowr, 2072

Þat is up in þe heye tour,

Til þou mowe ful wel go,

[Sidenote: [Fol. 214b, col. 1.]]

And wel ben hol of al þi wo.

It ne shal no þing be{n} bitwene 2076

Þi bour and min, also y wene,

But a fayr firrene wowe;--

Speke y loude, or spek y lowe,

Þou shalt[94] ful wel heren me, 2080

And þan þu wilt, þou shalt me se.

[Sidenote: He promises to protect Goldborough.]

A rof shal hile us boþe o-nith,

Þat none of mine, clerk ne knith,

Ne sholen þi wif no shame bede, 2084

No more þan min, so god me rede!"

[Footnote 94: MS. sahalt; _and the second a is expuncted by

mistake, instead of the first_.]

[Headnote: UBBE SEES THE MIRACULOUS LIGHT / WHICH ISSUES FROM HAVELOK'S

MOUTH.]

+HE dide un-to þe borw bringe

Sone anon, al with ioynge,

His wif, and his serganz þre, 2088

Þe beste men þat mouthe be.

[Sidenote: The first night, about midnight, Ubbe wakes

and sees a great light.]

Þe firste nith he lay þer-inne,

Hise wif, and his serganz þrinne,

Aboute þe middel of þe nith 2092

Wok ubbe, and saw a mikel lith

In þe bour þat hauelok lay,

Also brith so it were day.

[Sidenote: Ubbe says he must go and see what it means.]

+"Deus!" quoth ubbe, "hwat may þis be? 2096

Bet{er}e is i go miself, and se:

Hweþer he sitte{n} nou, and wesseyle{n},

Or of ani shotshipe to-deyle,

Þis tid nithes, also foles; 2100

Þan birþe men caste{n} hem i{n} poles,

Or in a grip, or in þe fen:

Nou ne sitten none but wicke men,

Glotuns, reu[e]res, or wicke þeues, 2104

Bi c{ri}st, þat alle folk onne leues!"

[Sidenote: He peeps in, and sees them all asleep.]

+He stod, and totede i{n} at a bord,

Her he spak anilepi word,

And saw hem slepen faste ilkon, 2108

And lye stille so þe ston;

And saw al þat mikel lith

Fro hauelok cam, þat was so brith.

[Sidenote: The light issues from Havelok's mouth.]

Of his mouth it com il del, 2112

Þat was he war ful swiþe wel.

"Deus!" quoth he, "hwat may þis mene!"

He calde boþe arwe me{n} and kene,

Knithes, and serganz swiþe sleie, 2116

Mo þan an hundred, with-ute{n} leye,

And bad hem alle come{n} and se,

Hwat þat selcuth mithe be.

[Headnote: THE LIGHT SHOWS THAT HAVELOK IS THE HEIR.]

[Sidenote: [Fol. 214b, col. 2.]]

+Als þe knithes were come{n} alle, 2120

Þer hauelok lay, ut of þe halle,

So stod ut of his mouth a glem,

Rith al swilk so þe sunne-bem;

[Sidenote: The light is like that of 107 candles.]

Þat al so lith wa[s] þare, bi heuene! 2124

So þer brenden serges seuene,

And an hundred serges ok:

Þat durste hi sweren on a bok.

He slepen faste alle fiue, 2128

So he weren brouth of liue;

[Sidenote: Havelok and Goldborough are fast asleep.]

And hauelok lay on his lift side,

In his armes his brithe bride.

Bi þe pappes he leyen naked: 2132

So faire two weren neuere maked

In a bed to lyen samen:--

Þe knithes þouth of hem god game{n},

Hem forto shewe, and loken to. 2136

Rith also he stode{n} alle so,

And his bac was toward he{m} we{n}d,

[Sidenote: They see a bright cross on his back,

denoting kingship.]

So were{n} he war of a croiz ful gent,

On his rith shuldre sw[iþ]e[95] brith, 2140

Brithter þan gold ageyn þe lith.

So þat he wiste heye and lowe,

Þat it was kunrik þat he sawe.

It sparkede, and ful brith shon, 2144

So doth þe gode charbucle ston,

[Sidenote: It was light enough to choose a penny by.]

Þat men Mouthe se by þe lith,

A peni chesen, so was it brith.

Þa{n}ne bihelden he him faste, 2148

So þat he knewe{n} at þe laste,

[Sidenote: They know he is Birkabeyn's son and heir.]

Þat he was birkabeynes sone,

Þat was here king, þat was he{m} wone

Wel to yeme, and wel were 2152

Ageynes uten-laddes here.

"For it was neuere yet a broþer

In al denemark so lich anoþer,

So þis man þat is so fayr 2156

Als birkabeyn, he is hise eyr."

[Footnote 95: MS. swe, _for_ swiþe. Cf. l. 1252.]

+He fellen sone at hise fet,

[Sidenote: They weep for joy.]

Was non of hem þat he ne gret,

Of ioie he weren alle so fawen, 2160

So he him haueden of erþe drawe{n}.

Hise fet he kisten an hundred syþes,

Þe tos, þe nayles, and þe lithes,

So þat he bigan to wakne,[96] 2164

[Sidenote: [Fol. 215, col. 1.]]

And wit he{m} ful sore to blakne,

For he wende he wolde{n} him slo,

[Sidenote: Havelok wakes.]

Or elles binde him, and do wo.

[Footnote 96: Here follows the catchword-- "And wit hem."]

[Headnote: UBBE SAYS HAVELOK SHALL BE KING.]

[Sidenote: Ubbe offers homage to him, and says he shall be

king of Denmark.]

+Quoth ubbe, "louerd, ne dred þe nowth, 2168

Me þinkes that I se þi þouth.

Dere sone, wel is me,

Þat y þe with eyn[e][97] se.

Man-red, louerd, bede y þe, 2172

Þi man auht i ful wel to be,

For þu art come{n} of birkabeyn,

Þat hauede mani knith and sweyn;

And so shalt þou, louerd, haue, 2176

Þou þu be yet a ful yung knaue.

Þou shalt be king of al denemark,

Was þer-inne neu{er}e non so stark.

To-morwen shaltu manrede take 2180

Of þe brune and of þe blake;

Of alle þat aren in þis tun,

Boþe of erl, and of barun,

And of dreng, and of thayn, 2184

And of knith, and of sweyn.

And so shaltu ben mad knith

Wit blisse, for þou art so with."

[Footnote 97: We find _eyne_ in ll. 680, 1273, &c.]

[Sidenote: Havelok is blithe, and thanks God.]

+Þo was hauelok swiþe bliþe, 2188

And þankede God ful fele siþe.

On þe morwen, wan it was lith,

And gon was þist{er}nesse of þe nith,

Vbbe dide up-on a stede 2192

A ladde lepe, and þider bede

[Sidenote: Ubbe summons all his lords.]

Erles, barouns, drenges, theynes,

Klerkes, knithes, bu[r]geys,[98] sweynes,

Þat he sholden comen a-non, 2196

Biforen him sone euerilkon,

Also he loue{n} here liues,

And here children, and here wiues.

[Footnote 98: MS. bugey[s].]

[Headnote: UBBE RELATES HAVELOK'S HISTORY.]

[Sidenote: All come to receive his orders.]

+Hise bode ne durste he non at-sitte, 2200

Þat he ne neme[99] for to wite

Sone, hwat wolde þe iustise:

And [he] bigan anon to rise,

And seyde sone, "liþes me, 2204

Alle samen, þeu and fre.

A þing ich wile you here shauwe,

Þat ye[100] alle ful wel knawe.

[Sidenote: Ubbe tells them about Birkabeyn, who commended

his children to Godard;]

Ye wite{n} wel, þat al þis lond 2208

Was i{n} birkabeynes hond,

[Sidenote: [Fol. 215, col. 2.]]

Þe day þat he was quic and ded;

And how þat he, bi youre red,

Bitauhte hise children þre 2212

Godard to yeme, and al his fe.

Hauelok his sone he him tauhte,

And hise two douhtres, and al his auhte,

Alle herden ye him swere 2216

On bok, and on messe-gere,

Þat he shulde yeme hem wel,

With-uten lac, with-uten tel.

[Footnote 99: MS. meme; _miswritten for_ neme; _see_ ll. 1207,

1931.]

[Footnote 100: MS. he.]

[Sidenote: and how Godard slew the two girls, but had pity

on the boy; but afterwards ordered Grim to drown him.]

+He let his oth al ouer-go, 2220

Euere wurþe him yuel and wo!

For[101] þe maydnes here lif

Refte he boþen, with a knif,

And him shulde ok haue slawe{n}, 2224

Þe knif was at his herte drawe{n},

But god him wolde wel haue saue,

He hauede reunesse of þe knaue,

So þat he with his hend 2228

Ne drop him nouth, þat sor[i] fend,

But sone dide he a fishere

Swiþe grete oþes swere,

Þat he sholde drenchen him 2232

In þe se, þat was ful brim.

[Footnote 101: _Qu._ Fro.]

[Sidenote: But Grim fled with him to England.]

+Hwan grim saw þat he was so fayr,

And wiste he was þe Rith eir,

Fro denemark ful sone he fledde 2236

In-til englond, and þer him fedde

Mani winter, þat til þis day

Haues he ben fed and fostred ay.

[Sidenote: Then Ubbe shows Havelok to them all,

and bids them swear fealty to him.]

Lokes, hware he sto{n}des her: 2240

In al þis werd ne haues he per;

Non so fayr, ne non so long,

Ne non so mikel, ne non so stro{n}g.

In þis middelerd nis no knith 2244

Half so strong, ne half so with.

Bes of him ful glad and bliþe,

And cometh alle hider swiþe,

Manrede youre louerd forto make, 2248

Boþe brune and þe blake.

I shal mi-self do first þe gamen,

And ye siþen alle samen."

[Headnote: UBBE DOES HOMAGE TO HAVELOK.]

[Sidenote: Ubbe swears fealty first.]

+Oknes ful fayre he him sette, 2252

Mouthe noþing him þer-fro lette,

And bi-cam is man Rith þare,

Þat alle sawe{n} þat þere ware.

[Sidenote: [Fol. 215b, col. 1.]]

[Sidenote: All the rest do the same.]

+After him stirt up laddes ten, 2256

And bi-come{n} hise men;[102]

And siþen euerilk a baroun,

Þat euere weren i{n} al that toun;

And siþen drenges, and siþe{n} thaynes, 2260

And siþen knithes, and siþe{n} sweynes;

So þat, or þat day was gon,

In al þe tun ne was nouth on

Þat it ne was his man bicomen: 2264

Manrede of alle hauede he nomen.

[Footnote 102: A word is added in the MS. after _men_,

apparently _beye_. Perhaps we should read: _hise heye men_.]

[Headnote: ALL SWEAR TO BE FAITHFUL TO HAVELOK.]

[Sidenote: Havelok makes them swear to be faithful

to him always.]

+Hwan he hauede of he{m} alle

Manrede taken, i{n} the halle,

Grundlike dide he hem swere, 2268

Þat he sholden him god feyth bere

Ageynes alle þat woren on liue;

Þer-yen ne wolde neuer on striue,

Þat he ne made{n} sone þat oth, 2272

Riche and poure, lef and loth.

Hwan þat was maked, sone he se{n}de,

[Sidenote: Ubbe sends for all the sheriffs and constables.]

Vbbe, writes fer and hende,

After alle þat castel yemede, 2276

Burwes, tunes, sibbe an fremde,

Þat þider sholde{n} come{n} swiþe

Til him, and heren tiþandes bliþe,

Þat he hem alle shulde telle: 2280

Of hem ne wolde neu{er}e on dwelle,

Þat he ne come sone plattinde,

Hwo hors ne hauede, com ga{n}ga{n}de.

So þat with-i{n}ne a fourtenith, 2284

In al denemark ne was no knith,

Ne conestable, ne shireue,

Þat com of adam and of eue,

[Sidenote: They all come.]

Þat he ne com biforn sire ubbe: 2288

He dredde{n} him so þhes[103] doth clubbe.

[Footnote 103: _Qu._ þes, _i.e._ thighs; or the spelling

_þhes_ may be intentional; see l. 1984. But Sir F. Madden

suggests _þeues_.]

[Sidenote: Ubbe shows Havelok to them all.]

+Hwan he hauede{n} alle þe ki{n}g gret,

And he weren alle dun set,

Þo seyde ubbe, "lokes here, 2292

Vre louerd swiþe dere,

Þat shal ben king of al þe lond,

And haue us alle under hond.

For he is birkabeynes sone, 2296

Þe king þat was vmbe stonde wone

For to yeme, and wel were,

Wit sharp[e][104] swerd, and lo{n}ge spere.

[Sidenote: [Fol. 215b, col. 2.]]

Lokes nou, hw he is fayr; 2300

Sikerlike he is hise eyr.

Falles alle to hise fet,

Bicomes hise men ful sket."

[Sidenote: All swear to obey Havelok.]

He weren for ubbe swiþe adrad, 2304

And dide sone al þat he bad,

And yet dede{n} he sumdel more,

O bok ful grundlike he swore,

Þat he sholde with him halde 2308

Boþe ageynes stille and bolde,

Þat euere wo[l]de his bodi dere:

Þat dide [he] hem o boke swere.

[Footnote 104: See l. 2645 for the final _e_.]

[Headnote: UBBE DUBS HAVELOK A KNIGHT.]

[Sidenote: Ubbe dubs Havelok a knight, and makes him king.]

+Hwan he hauede ma{n}rede and oth 2312

Taken of lef and of loth,

Vbbe dubbede him to knith,

With a swerd ful swiþe brith,

And þe folk of al þe lond 2316

Bitauhte him al in his hond,

Þe cunnriche eu{er}il del,

And made him king heylike and wel.

Hwan he was king, þer mouthe me{n} se 2320

Þe moste ioie þat mouhte be:

[Sidenote: Great joy and many sports.]

Buttinge with sharpe sp{er}es,

Skirming with taleuaces, þat me{n} beres,

Wrastling with laddes, putti{n}g of ston, 2324

Harping and piping, ful god won,

Leyk of mine, of hasard ok,

Romanz reding on þe bok;

Þer mouthe men here þe gestes singe, 2328

Þe gleymen on þe tabour dinge;

[Sidenote: There is baiting of bulls and boars,

and plenty of meat and wine.]

Þer mouhte men se þe boles beyte,

And þe bores, with hundes teyte;

Þo mouthe men se eueril gleu, 2332

Þer mouthe me{n} se hw grim greu;

Was neu{er}e yete ioie more

In al þis werd, þan þo was þore.

Þer was so mike[105] yeft of cloþes, 2336

Þat þou i swore you grete othes,

I ne wore nouth þer-offe croud:

Þat may i ful wel swere, bi god!

Þere was swiþe gode metes, 2340

And of wyn, þat men fer fetes,

Rith al so mik and gret plente,

So it were water of þe se.

Þe feste fourti dawes sat, 2344

[Sidenote: [Fol. 216, col. 1.]]

So riche was neu{er}e non so þat.

[Sidenote: The king makes Robert, William, and Hugh all barons.]

Þe king made Roberd þere knith,

Þat was ful strong, and ful with,

And willa{m}, wendut het, his broþer, 2348

And huwe raue{n}, þat was þat oþer,

And made hem barouns alle þre,

And yaf hem lond, and oþer fe,

So mikel, þat ilker twent[i] knihtes 2352

Hauede of genge, dayes and nithes.

[Footnote 105: See l. 2342.]

[Headnote: HAVELOK IS MADE KING OF DENMARK.]

+Hwan þat feste was al don,

[Sidenote: A thousand knights accompany the king.]

A thusand knihtes ful wel o bon

With-held þe king, with hi{m} to lede; 2356

Þat ilkan hauede ful god stede,

Helm, and sheld, and brinie brith,

And al þe wepne þat fel to knith.

[Sidenote: and five thousand sergeants.]

With he{m} fiue thusand gode 2360

Sergaunz, þat were{n} to fyht wode,

With-held he al of his genge:

Wile I na more þe storie lenge.

Yet hwan he hauede of al þe lond 2364

Þe casteles alle i{n} his hond,

And conestables don þer-inne,

[Sidenote: He swears to be avenged of Godard,

and to find and bind him.]

He swor, he ne sholde neuer bli{n}ne,

Til þat he were of godard wreke{n}, 2368

Þat ich haue of ofte speken.

Hal hundred knithes dede he calle,

And hise fif thusand sergaunz alle,

And dide swere{n} on the bok 2372

Sone, and on þe auter ok,

Þat he ne sholde neuere blinne,

Ne for loue, ne for sinne,

Til þat he haueden godard funde, 2376

And brouth biforn hi{m} faste bunde.

[Headnote: HAVELOK GOES TO SEEK OUT GODARD.]

+Þanne he hauede{n} swor þis oth,

Ne leten he nouth for lef ne loth,

Þat he ne foren swiþe rathe, 2380

[Sidenote: He goes to meet Godard.]

Þer he was unto þe paþe,

Þer he yet on hunti{n}g for,

With mikel genge, and swiþe stor.

Robert, þat was of al þe ferd 2384

Mayster, was girt wit a swerd,

And sat up-on a ful god stede,

Þat vnder him Rith wolde wede;

[Sidenote: Robert accosts Godard, and tells him to come

to the king, who will repay him.]

He was þe firste þat with godard 2388

Spak, and seyde, "hede[106] cauenard!

[Sidenote: [Fol. 216, col. 2.]]

Wat dos þu here at þis paþe?

Cu{m} to þe king, swiþe and raþe.

Þat sendes he þe word, and bedes, 2392

Þat þu þenke hwat þu him dedes,

Hwan þu reftes with a knif

Hise sistres here lif,

An siþen bede þu in þe se 2396

Drenchen him, þat herde he.

He is to þe swiþe grim:

Cu{m} nu swiþe un-to him,

Þat king is of þis kuneriche. 2400

Þu fule man! þu wicke swike!

And he shal yelde þe þi mede,

Bi c{ri}st þat wolde on rode blede!"

[Footnote 106: _Qu._ helde, _i.e._ old. Unless it means "heed!"]

+Hwan godard herde þat þer þrette, 2404

[Sidenote: Godard and Robert strike each other.]

With þe neue he robert sette

Biforn þe teth a dint ful strong.

And robert kipt ut a knif long,

And smot him þoru þe rith arum: 2408

Þer-of was ful litel harum.

[Headnote: GODARD'S MEN ARE BEATEN.]

+Hwan his folk þat sau and herde,

Hwou robert with here louerd ferde,

He haueden him wel ner browt of liue, 2412

Ne were{n} his two breþren and oþre fiue

Slowen of here laddes ten,

Of godardes alþer-beste men.

[Sidenote: Godard's men flee, but Godard rallies them.]

Hwan þe oþre sawe{n} þat, he fledde{n}, 2416

And godard swiþe loude gredde:

"Mine knithes, hwat do ye?

Sule ye þus-gate fro me fle?

Ich haue you fed, and yet shal fede, 2420

Helpe me nu in þis nede,

And late ye nouth mi bodi spille,

Ne hauelok don of me hise wille.

Yif ye id[107] do, ye do you shame, 2424

And bringeth you-self in mikel blame."

Hwan he þat herden, he wenten ageyn,

And slowen a knit and[108] a sweyn

Of þe kinges oune men, 2428

And woundede{n} abute{n} ten.

[Footnote 107: _Qu._ it.]

[Footnote 108: MS. and and.]

[Headnote: GODARD IS BOUND AND LED TO HAVELOK.]

[Sidenote: The king's men kill all Godard's men.]

+The kinges men hwan he þat sawe,

Scute{n} on hem, heye and lowe,

And euerilk fot of hem slowe, 2432

But godard one, þat he flowe,

So þe þef men dos henge,

[Sidenote: [Fol. 216b, col. 1.]]

Or hund men shole i{n} dike slenge.

He bunde{n} him ful swiþe faste, 2436

Hwil þe bondes wolden laste,

Þat he rorede als a bole,

Þat he wore parred in an hole,

With dogges forto bite and beite: 2440

Were þe bondes nouth to leite.

[Sidenote: They bind Godard, and cast him on an old mare,

to take him to Havelok.]

He bounde{n} hi{m} so[109] fele sore,

Þat he gan crien godes ore,

Þat he sholde of his hend plette, 2444

Wolde{n} he nouht þer-fore lette,

Þat he ne bounde{n} hond and fet:

Daþeit þat on þat þer-fore let!

But dunte{n} him so man doth bere, 2448

And keste him on a scabbed mere,

Hise nese went un-to þe crice:

So ledde{n} he þat fule swike,

Til he was biforn hauelok brouth, 2452

Þat he haue[de] ful wo wrowht,

Boþe with hungre[110] and with cold,

Or he were twel winter old,

And with mani heui swink, 2456

With poure mete, and feble drink,

And [with] swiþe wikke cloþes,

For al hise manie grete othes.

Nu beyes he his holde blame: 2460

[Sidenote: "_Old sin makes new shame._"]

'Old sinne makes newe shame:'

Wan he was [brouht] so shamelike

Biforn[111] þe king, þe fule swike,

[Sidenote: The king summons Ubbe and the rest.]

Þe king dede ubbe swiþe calle 2464

Hise erles, and hise barouns alle,

Dreng and thein, burgeis and knith,

[Headnote: HE IS CONDEMNED TO BE HUNG.]

And bad he sholde{n} demen him rith:

For he kneu, þe swike dam, 2468

Euerildel god was him gram.

He sette{n} hem dun bi þe wawe,

Riche and pouere, heye and lowe,

[Sidenote: They sit in judgment.]

Þe helde men, and ek þe grom, 2472

And made þer þe rithe dom,

And seyde{n} unto þe king anon,

Þat stille sat [al] so þe ston:

[Sidenote: "He is to be flayed, drawn, and hung."]

"We deme, þat he be al quic slawen,[112] 2476

And siþen to þe galwes drawe[{n}],

At þis foule mere tayl;

Þoru is fet a ful stro{n}g nayl;

[Sidenote: [Fol. 216b, col. 2.]]

And þore ben henged wit two feteres, 2480

And þare be writen þise leteres:

'Þis is þe swike þat wende wel,

Þe king haue reft þe lond il del,

And hise sistres with a knif 2484

Boþe refte here lif.'

Þis writ shal henge bi him þare;

Þe dom is demd, seye we na more."

[Footnote 109: MS. fo.]

[Footnote 110: MS. hungred.]

[Footnote 111: MS. Brouht biforn; _but the word _brouht_

clearly belongs to the preceding line, in which, however, it

is omitted._]

[Footnote 112: We should perhaps read _flawen_, as required by

the sense. _See_ ll. 2495, 2502.]

[Headnote: GODARD IS FLAYED ALIVE AND HUNG.]

[Sidenote: Godard is shriven.]

+Hwan þe dom was demd and giue, 2488

And he was wit þe p{re}stes shriue,

And it ne mouhte ben non oþer,

Ne for fader, ne for broþer,

Þat he sholde þarne lif; 2492

[Sidenote: A lad flays him.]

Sket cam a ladde with a knif,

And bigan Rith at þe to

For to ritte, and for to flo,

And he bigan for to rore, 2496

So it were grim or gore,

Þat men mithe þeþen a mile

[Sidenote: He roars.]

Here him rore, þat fule file.

Þe ladde ne let no with for-þi, 2500

Þey he criede 'm{er}ci! m{er}ci!'

Þat [he] ne flow [him] eueril del

With knif mad of grunde{n} stel.

[Sidenote: He is bound on an old mare, drawn over

rough ground, and hung.]

Þei garte bringe þe mere sone, 2504

Skabbed[113] and ful iuele o bone,

And bunde{n} him rith at hire tayl

With a rop of an old seyl,

And drowe{n} him un-to þe galwes, 2508

Nouth bi þe gate, But ouer þe falwes;

And henge [him] þore Bi þe hals:

Daþeit hwo recke! he was fals.

[Footnote 113: MS. Skabbeb.]

[Headnote: GODRICH RAISES AN ARMY AGAINST HAVELOK.]

+Þa{n}ne he was ded, þat sathanas, 2512

Sket was seysed al þat his was

In þe kinges hand il del,

Lond and lith, and oþer catel,

[Sidenote: Havelok makes Ubbe his steward.]

And þe king ful sone it yaf 2516

Vbbe i{n} þe hond, wit a fayr staf,

And seyde, "her ich sayse þe

In al þe lo{n}d, in al þe fe."

[Sidenote: He founds a priory of black monks for Grim's soul,

in the town of Grimsby.]

Þo swor hauelok he sholde make, 2520

Al for grim, of monekes blake

A p{ri}orie to s{er}uen inne ay

Ih{es}u c{ri}st, til domesday,

For þe god he haueden him don, 2524

[Sidenote: [Fol. 217, col. 1.]]

Hwil he was pou{er}e and iuel[114] o bon.

And þer-of held he wel his oth,

For he it made, god it woth!

In þe tun þer grim was graue{n}, 2528

Þat of grim yet haues þe name.

Of grim bidde ich na more spelle.[115]--

[Sidenote: Godrich, earl of Cornwall, hears that Havelok

has invaded England.]

But wan godrich herde telle,

Of cornwayle þat was erl, 2532

(Þat fule traytour, that mixed cherl!)

Þat hauelok was king of denemark,

And ferde with him strong and stark,

Comen engelond with-inne, 2536

Engelond al for to winne,

And þat she, þat was so fayr,

Þat was of engelond rith eir,

Þat was comen up at grimesbi, 2540

He was ful sorful and sori,

[Sidenote: He says he will slay Havelok and his wife.]

And seyde, "Hwat shal me to raþe?

Goddoth! i shal do slou hem baþe.

I shal don hengen hem ful heye, 2544

So mote ich brouke mi Rith eie!

But yif he of mi lond[e][116] fle;

Hwat? wende{n} he to desherite me?"

[Sidenote: He raises a great army.]

He dide sone ferd ut bidde, 2548

Þat al þat euere mouhte o stede

Ride, or helm on heued bere,

Brini on bac, and sheld, and sp{er}e,

Or ani oþer wepne bere, 2552

Hand-ax, syþe, gisarm, or sp{er}e,

Or aunlaz,[117] and god long knif,

Þat als he louede leme or lif,

Þat þey sholde{n} comen him to, 2556

With ful god wepne ye ber so,

[Sidenote: The army is to meet at Lincoln on the 17th of March.]

To lincolne, þer he lay,

Of marz þe seue{n}tenþe day,

So þat he couþe he{m} god þank; 2560

And yif þat ani were so rang,

That he þa{n}ne ne come anon,

He swor bi crist, and [bi][118] seint Iohan,

That he sholde maken him þral, 2564

And al his of-spring forth with-al.

[Footnote 114: The MS. has "we," which the scribe several

times writes instead of "wel." But "wel" is a manifest

blunder, since "iuel" is meant. Cf. l. 2505.]

[Footnote 115: The author has here omitted to tell us that

Havelok, at the desire of his wife, invades England. See the

note.]

[Footnote 116: Cf. l. 2599.]

[Footnote 117: Printed "alinlaz" in the former edition. The

first stroke of the _u_ is longer than the second, and the

tail of the _x_ in the line above converts the second

downstroke of the _u_ into an apparent _i_.]

[Footnote 118: Cf. l. 1112.]

[Headnote: GODRICH EXCITES THE ENGLISH AGAINST HAVELOK.]

+Þe englishe þat herde þat,

Was non þat euere his bode sat,

For he him dredde swiþe sore, 2568

So Runci spore, and mikle more.

[Sidenote: [Fol. 217, col. 2.]]

At þe day he come sone

Þat he hem sette, ful wel o bone,

[Sidenote: All come to Lincoln on that day.]

To lincolne, with gode stedes, 2572

And al þe wepne þat knith ledes.

Hwa{n} he wore come, sket was þe erl yare,[119]

Ageynes denshe men to fare,

And seyde, "lyþes me[120] alle samen, 2576

Haue ich gadred you for no game{n},

But ich wile seyen you forþi;

[Sidenote: Godrich tells them what Havelok is doing at Grimsby.]

Lokes hware here at g{ri}mesbi,

Hise uten-laddes here comen, 2580

And haues nu þe p{ri}orie numen;

Al þat euere mithen he finde,

He bre{n}ne kirkes, and p{re}stes binde;

He strangleth mo{n}kes, and nu{n}nes boþe: 2584

Wat wile ye, frend, her-offe Rede?

Yif he regne þus-gate longe,

He Moun us alle ouer-gange,

He moun vs alle quic henge or slo, 2588

Or þral maken, and do ful wo,

Or elles reue us ure liues,

And ure children, and ure wiues.

[Sidenote: He excites them to attack Havelok.]

But dos nu als ich wile you lere, 2592

Als ye wile be with me dere;

Nimes nu swiþe forth and raþe,

And helpes me and yu-self baþe,

And slos up-o[n] þe dogges swiþe: 2596

For shal [i] neuere more be bliþe,

[Headnote: THE ENGLISH MARCH TO GRIMSBY.]

Ne hoseled ben, ne of p{re}st shriuen,

Til þat he ben of londe driuen.

Nime we swiþe, and do hem fle, 2600

And folwes alle faste me,

[Sidenote: He will lead them himself.]

For ich am he, of al þe ferd,

Þat first shal slo with drawe{n} swerd.

Daþeyt hwo ne stonde faste 2604

Bi me, hwil hise armes laste!"

[Sidenote: Earl Gunter and Earl Reyner of Chester support him.]

"Ye! lef, ye!"[121] couth þe erl gunter;

"Ya!" quoth þe erl of cestre, reyner.

And so dide alle þat þer stode, 2608

And stirte forth so he were wode.

Þo mouthe me{n} se þe brinies brihte

On backes keste, and late rithe,

Þe helmes heye on heued sette; 2612

To armes al so swiþe plette,

Þat þei wore on a litel stunde

[Sidenote: [Fol. 217b, col. 1.]]

Grethet, als me{n} mithe telle a pund,

And lopen on stedes sone anon, 2616

[Sidenote: They approach Grimsby.]

And toward g{ri}mesbi, ful god won,

He foren softe bi þe sti,

Til he come ney at grimesbi.

[Footnote 119: _Or_ þare; but see l. 2954.]

[Footnote 120: MS. mi. Cf. l. 2204.]

[Footnote 121: MS. _has _þe_, _[w]e_, or _ye_ in both places._

But see l. 1888.]

[Sidenote: Havelok meets them boldly, and kills

the foremost knight.]

+Hauelok, þat hauede spired wel 2620

Of here fare, eueril del,

With al his ferd cam hem a-geyn,

For-bar he noþer knith ne sweyn.

Þe firste knith þat he þer mette, 2624

With þe swerd so he him grette,

For his heued of he plette,

Wolde he nouth for sinne lette.

[Sidenote: Robert kills a second.]

Roberd saw þat dint so hende, 2628

Wolde he neuere þeþe[{n}] wende,

Til þat he hauede anoþer slawen,

With þe swerd he held ut-drawen.

[Sidenote: William disables a third.]

Willa{m} wendut his swerd vt-drow, 2632

And þe þredde so sore he slow,

Þat he made up-on the feld

His lift arm fleye, with the swerd.[122]

[Footnote 122: Cf. l. 1825. We should otherwise be tempted

to read _sheld_; especially as the _shield_ is more

appropriate to the _left_ arm.]

[Headnote: COMBAT BETWEEN UBBE AND GODRICH.]

[Sidenote: Hugh Raven seizes his sword, and cleaves

an earl's head in two.]

+Huwe raue{n} ne forgat nouth 2636

Þe swerd he hauede þider brouth,

He kipte it up, and smot ful sore

An erl, þat he saw priken þore,

Ful noblelike upon a stede, 2640

Þat with him wolde al quic wede.

He smot him on þe heued so,

Þat he þe heued clef a-two,

And þat bi þe shu[l]dre-blade 2644

Þe sharpe swerd let [he] wade,

Þorw the brest unto þe herte;

Þe dint bigan ful sore to smerte,

Þat þe erl fel dun a-non, 2648

Al so ded so ani ston.

[Sidenote: Ubbe attacks Godrich.]

Quoth ubbe, "nu dwelle ich to lo{n}ge,"

And leth his stede sone gonge

To godrich, with a god spere, 2652

Þat he saw a-noþer bere,

And smoth godrich, and G{odrich} him,

Hetelike with h{er}te grim,

[Sidenote: Both fall.]

So þat he boþe felle dune, 2656

To þe erþe first þe croune.

Þa{n}ne he wore{n} falle{n} dun boþen,

Grundlike here swerdes ut-drowe{n},

[Sidenote: [Fol. 217b, col. 2.]]

Þat were{n} swiþe sharp and gode, 2660

[Sidenote: They fight on foot.]

And fouhten so þei wore{n} wode,

Þat þe swot ran fro þe crune

[To the fet rith þere adune.][123]

[Headnote: GODRICH DISPLAYS GREAT PROWESS.]

Þer mouthe men se to knithes bete 2664

Ayþer on oþer dintes grete,

So þat with alþer-lest[e] dint

Were al to-shiuered a flint,

[Sidenote: The fight lasts from morn to night.]

So was bi-twene{n} he{m} a fiht, 2668

Fro þe morwen ner to þe niht,

So þat þei nouth ne bl[u]nne,[123*]

Til þat to sette bigan þe su{n}ne.

[Sidenote: Godrich wounds Ubbe sorely.]

Þo yaf godrich þorw þe side 2672

Vbbe a wunde ful un-ride,

So þat þorw þat ilke wounde

Hauede ben brouth to þe grunde,

And his heued al of-slawen, 2676

[Sidenote: Hugh Raven rescues him.]

Yif god ne were, and huwe rauen,

Þat drow him fro godrich awey,

And barw him so þat ilke day.

But er he were fro godrich drawe{n}, 2680

[Sidenote: A thousand knights slain.]

Þer were a þousind knihtes slawe{n}

Bi boþe halue, and mo y-nowe,

Þer þe ferdes to-gidere slowe.

Þer was swilk dreping of þe folk, 2684

[Sidenote: The pools are full of blood.]

Þat on þe feld was neu{er}e a polk

Þat it ne stod of blod so ful,

Þat þe strem ran i{n}til þe hul.

[Sidenote: Godrich attacks the Danes like lightning.]

Þo tarst[124] bigan godrich to go 2688

Vp-on þe danshe, and faste to slo,

And forth rith also leuin fares,

Þat neu{er}e kines best ne spares,

Þa{n}ne his [he] gon, for he garte alle 2692

Þe denshe men biforn him falle.

He felde browne, he felde blake,

Þat he mouthe ouer-take.

Was neuere non þat mouhte þaue 2696

Hise dintes, noyþer knith ne knaue,

[Sidenote: He mows them down like grass.]

Þat he felden so dos þe gres

[Headnote: COMBAT BETWEEN GODRICH AND HAVELOK.]

Bi-forn þe syþe þat ful sharp is.

Hwan hauelok saw his folk so brittene, 2700

And his ferd so swiþe littene,

He cam driuende up-on a stede,

And bigan til him to grede,

And seyde, "godrich, wat is þe 2704

Þat þou fare þus with me?

[Sidenote: [Fol. 218, col. 1.]]

And mine gode knihtes slos,

Siker-like þou mis-gos.

[Sidenote: Havelok reproves Godrich, and bids him perform

his oaths.]

Þou wost ful wel, yif þu wilt wite, 2708

Þat aþelwold þe dide site

On knes, and sweren on messe-bok,

On caliz, and on [pateyn][125] hok

Þat þou hise douhter sholdest yelde, 2712

Þan she were wi{n}na{n}[126] of elde,

Engelond eueril del:

Godrich þe erl, þou wost it wel.

Do nu wel with-uten fiht, 2716

Yeld hire þe lond, for þat is rith.

Wile ich forgiue þe þe lathe,

Al mi dede and al mi wrathe,

For y se þu art so with, 2720

And of þi bodi so god knith."

[Sidenote: Godrich refuses.]

"Þat ne wile ich neu{er}e mo,"

Quoth erl godrich, "for ich shal slo

Þe, and hire for-henge heye. 2724

I shal þrist ut þi rith eye

Þat þou lokes with on me,

But þu swiþe heþen fle."

He grop þe swerd ut sone anon, 2728

And hew on hauelok, ful god won,

[Sidenote: He cleaves Havelok's shield in two.]

So þat he clef his sheld on two:

Hwan hauelok saw þat shame do

His bodi þer bi-forn his ferd, 2732

He drow ut sone his gode swerd,

[Sidenote: Havelok smites him down.]

And smot him so up-on þe crune,

Þat godrich fel to þe erþe adune.

But godrich stirt up swiþe sket, 2736

Lay he nowth longe at hise fet,

[Sidenote: Godrich rises, and wounds Havelok in the shoulder.]

And smot him on þe sholdre so,

Þat he dide þare undo

Of his brinie ri{n}ges mo, 2740

Þan þat ich kan tellen fro;

And woundede hi{m} rith i{n} þe flesh,

Þat tendre was, and swiþe nesh,

So þat þe blod ran til his to: 2744

[Sidenote: Havelok is enraged, and cuts off his foe's hand.]

Þo was hauelok swiþe wo,

Þat he hauede of him drawen

Blod, and so sore him slawen.

Hertelike til him he wente, 2748

And godrich þer fulike shente;

For his swerd he hof up heye,

[Sidenote: [Fol. 218, col. 2.]]

And þe hand he dide of fleye,

Þat he smot him with so sore: 2752

Hw mithe he don him shame more?

[Footnote 123: Cf. l. 1904.]

[Footnote 123*: Changed by editor from "blinne": see

Emendations.]

[Footnote 124: So in MS. _Qu._ faste, as in next line.]

[Footnote 125: MS. _here repeats _messe_, by mistake. Read

_pateyn_._ Cf. l. 187.]

[Footnote 126: MS. w[-i]man, _i.e._ wi{n}man _or_ wi{m}man; _but

we are sure, from _l. 174_, that _wi{n}nan_ is meant._]

[Headnote: GODRICH IS BOUND AND FETTERED.]

+Hwan he hauede him so shamed,

His hand of plat, and yuele lamed,

He tok him sone bi þe necke 2756

Als a t{ra}ytour, daþeyt wo recke!

[Sidenote: He has him bound and fettered, and sends him

to the queen.]

And dide him binde and fet{er}e wel

With gode feteres al of stel,

And to þe quen he sende him, 2760

Þat birde wel to him ben grim;

And Bad she sholde don him gete,

And þat non ne sholde him bete,

Ne shame do, for he was knith, 2764

Til knithes hauede{n} demd him Rith.

[Sidenote: When the English find out that Goldborough

is the heiress, they submit to Havelok.]

Þan þe englishe men þat sawe,

Þat þei wisten, heye and lawe,

Þat Goldeboru, þat was so fayr, 2768

Was of engeland rith eyr,

And þat þe king hire hauede wedded,

And haueden ben samen bedded,

He comen alle to crie m{er}ci, 2772

Vnto þe king, at one cri,

And beden him sone manrede and oth,

Þat he ne sholde{n}, for lef ne loth,

Neuere more ageyn him go, 2776

Ne ride, for wel ne for wo.

[Headnote: THE ENGLISH SUBMIT TO GOLDBOROUGH.]

+Þe king ne wolde nouth for-sake,

Þat he ne shulde of hem take

Manrede þat he beden, and ok 2780

Hold oþes swere{n} on þe bok;

[Sidenote: Havelok wishes to show Goldborough to the English.]

But or bad he, þat þider were brouth

Þe quen, for hem, swilk was his þouth,

For to se, and forto shawe, 2784

Yif þat he hire wolde knawe.

Þoruth hem wite{n} wolde he,

Yif þat she aucte quen to be.

[Sidenote: Six earls fetch her in.]

+Sixe erles weren sone yare, 2788

After hire for to fare.

He nomen on-on, and come{n} sone,

And brouthe{n} hire, þat under mone

In al þe werd ne hauede per, 2792

Of hende-leik, fer ne ner.

Hwan she was come þider, alle

Þe englishe men bi-gu{n}ne to falle

[Sidenote: [Fol. 218b, col. 1.]]

O knes, and grete{n} swiþe sore, 2796

And seyden, "leuedi, k[r]istes ore,

[Sidenote: The English ask her pardon.]

And youres! we haue{n} misdo mikel,

Þat we ayen you haue be fikel,

For englond auhte forto ben youres, 2800

And we youre me{n} and youres.

Is non of us, yung ne old,

Þat we ne wot, þat aþelwold

Was king of þis kunerike, 2804

[Sidenote: They admit she is heiress.]

And ye his eyr, and þat þe swike

Haues it halden with mikel wro{n}ge:

God leue him sone to honge!"

[Headnote: GODRICH IS CONDEMNED TO BE BURNT.]

+Quot[127] hauelok, "hwan þat ye it wite. 2808

[Sidenote: Havelok says they must pass judgment on Godrich.]

Nu wile ich þat ye doun site,

And after godrich haues wrouht,

Þat haues in sorwe him-self brouth,

Lokes þat ye deme{n} him rith, 2812

For dom ne spared[128] clerk ne knith,

And siþen shal ich under-stonde

Of you, after lawe of londe,

Manrede, and holde oþes boþe, 2816

Yif ye it wilen, and ek rothe."

Anon þer dune he hem sette,

For non þe dom ne durste lette,

[Sidenote: They say he is to be bound on an ass's back,

taken to Lincoln, bound to a stake, and burnt.]

And demden him to binde{n} faste 2820

Vp-on an asse swiþe un-wraste,

Andelong, nouht ouer-þwert,

His nose went unto þe stert;

And so to lincolne lede, 2824

Shamelike in wicke wede,

And hwan he cam un-to þe borw,

Shamelike ben led þer-þoru,

Bisouþe þe borw, un-to a grene, 2828

Þat þare is yet, als[o] y wene,

And þere be bunde{n} til a stake,

Aboute{n} him ful gret fir make,

And al to dust be brend Rith þere; 2832

And yet demde{n} he þer more,

Oþer swikes for to warne,

Þat hise childre{n} sulde þarne

Euere more þat eritage, 2836

Þat his was, for hise utrage.

[Footnote 127: MS. Guot. Cf. l. 1954.]

[Footnote 128: _Qu._ spares.]

+Hwan þe dom was demd and seyd,

[Sidenote: So he is laid on the ass, and burnt.]

Sket was þe swike on þe asse leyd,

And [led vn-]til[129] þat ilke grene, 2840

[Sidenote: [Fol. 218b, col. 2.]]

And brend til asken al bidene.

Þo was Goldeboru ful bliþe,

She þa{n}ked god fele syþe,

Þat þe fule swike was brend, 2844

Þat wende wel hire bodi haue shend,

[Sidenote: Goldborough rejoices.]

And seyde, "nu is time to take

Manrede of brune and of blake,

Þat ich se ride[{n}] and go: 2848

Nu ich am wreke[{n}][130] of mi fo."

[Footnote 129: MS. "And him til," which is nonsense. See

l. 2827.]

[Footnote 130: See l. 2992.]

[Sidenote: Havelok makes the English swear fealty.]

+Hauelok anon ma{n}rede tok

Of alle englishe, on þe bok,

And dide hem grete oþes swere, 2852

Þat he sholde{n} him god feyth bere

Ageyn alle þat wore{n} liues,

And þat sholde ben born of wiues.

[Headnote: THE EARL OF CHESTER MARRIES GUNILD.]

+Þa{n}ne he hauede[131] sikernesse 2856

Taken of more and of lesse,

Al at hise wille, so dide he calle

[Sidenote: He proposes that Earl Reyner of Chester shall

marry Gunild, Grim's daughter; and he will then always

be his friend.]

Þe erl of cestre, and hise men alle,

Þat was yung knith wit-ute{n} wif, 2860

And seyde, "sire erl, bi mi lif,

And þou wile mi {con}seyl tro,

Ful wel shal ich with þe do,

For ich shal yeue þe to wiue 2864

Þe fairest þing that is oliue.

[Headnote: HAVELOK REMEMBERS BERTRAM'S KINDNESS.]

Þat is gu{n}nild of grimesby,

Grimes douther, bi seint dauy!

Þat me forth broute, and wel fedde, 2868

And ut of denemark with me fledde,

Me for to burwe fro mi ded:

Sikerlike, þoru his red

Haue ich liued in-to þis day, 2872

Blissed worþe his soule ay!

I rede þat þu hire take,

And spuse, and curteyse make,

For she is fayr, and she is fre, 2876

And al so hende so she may be.

Þertekene she is wel with me,

Þat shal ich ful wel shewe þe,

For ich giue þe a giue, 2880

Þat euere more hwil ich liue,

For hire shal-tu be with me dere,

Þat wile ich þat þis folc al here."

Þe erl ne wolde nouth ageyn 2884

Þe king[e] be, for knith ne sweyn,

[Sidenote: [Fol. 219, col. 1.]]

Ne of þe spusing seyen nay,

But spusede [hire] þat ilke day.

Þat spusinge was god time maked, 2888

[Sidenote: They are married, and have five sons.]

For it ne were neuere clad ne naked,

In a þede samened two

Þat cam to-gidere, liuede so,

So þey dide[{n}] al here liue: 2892

He geten same{n} sones fiue,

Þat were þe beste me{n} at nede,

Þat mouthe ride{n} on ani stede.

Hwan gu{n}nild was to cestre brouth, 2896

[Sidenote: Havelok remembers Bertram, the earl's cook,

and makes him Earl of Cornwall.]

Hauelok þe gode ne for-gat nouth

Bertra{m}, þat was the erles kok,

Þat he ne dide calle{n} ok,

And seyde, "frend, so god me rede! 2900

Nu shaltu haue riche mede,

[Headnote: BERTRAM MARRIES GRIM'S SECOND DAUGHTER.]

For wissing, and þi gode dede,

Þat tu me dides in ful gret nede.

For þa{n}ne y yede in mi cuuel, 2904

And ich ne haue[de] bred, ne sowel,

Ne y ne hauede no catel,

Þou feddes and claddes me ful wel.

Haue nu for-þi of cornwayle 2908

Þe erldom ildel, with-uten fayle,

And al þe lond þat godrich held,

Boþe in towne, and ek in feld;

And þerto wile ich, þat þu spuse, 2912

And fayre bring hire un-til huse,

[Sidenote: He is to marry Levive, Grim's daughter,

who is as fair as a rose.]

Grimes douther, leuiue þe hende,

For þider shal she with þe wende.

Hire semes curteys forto be, 2916

For she is fayr so flour on tre;

Þe heu is swilk in hire ler

So [is] þe rose in roser,

Hwan it is fayr sprad ut newe 2920

Ageyn þe su{n}ne, brith and lewe."

And girde him sone with þe swerd

Of þe erldom, bi-forn his ferd,

And with his hond he made hi{m} knith, 2924

And yaf him armes, for þat was rith,

[Sidenote: They are married.]

And dide him þere sone wedde

Hire þat was ful swete in bedde.

[Footnote 131: MS. hauede{n}.]

[Sidenote: Havelok and Goldborough lived 100 years,

and had many children.]

+After þat he spused wore, 2928

Wolde þe erl nouth dwelle þore,

But sone na{m} until his lond,

[Sidenote: [Fol. 219, col. 2.]]

And seysed it al in his hond,

And liuede þer-i{n}ne, he and his wif, 2932

An hundred winter in god lif,[132]

And gaten mani childre{n} samen,

And liueden ay in blisse and game{n}.

Hwa{n} þe maydens were spused boþe, 2936

Hauelok anon bigan ful rathe

[Sidenote: The Danes are enriched.]

His denshe men to feste wel

Wit riche landes and catel,

So þat he weren alle riche: 2940

For he was large and nouth chinche.

[Footnote 132: Between this line and the next are inserted

in the MS. the words: _For he saw þat he_, which have been

subsequently struck out by the same hand, and the word _vacat_

affixed.]

[Headnote: HAVELOK IS CROWNED KING OF ENGLAND.]

+Þer-after sone, with his here,

[Sidenote: Havelok is crowned at London.]

For he to lundone, forto bere

Corune, so þat [alle] it sawe, 2944

Henglishe ant denshe, heye and lowe,

Hwou he it bar with mikel pride,

For his barnage þat was un-ride.

[Sidenote: The feast lasts 40 days.]

+Þe feste of his coruni[{n}]g[133] 2948

Laste[de] with gret ioying

Fourti dawes, and sumdel mo;

Þo bigu{n}nen þe denshe to go

Vn-to þe king, to aske leue, 2952

And he ne wolde hem nouth g{re}ue,

[Sidenote: The Danes return home.]

For he saw þat he woren yare

In-to denemark for to fare,

But gaf hem leue sone anon, 2956

And bitauhte hem seint Johan;

[Sidenote: Ubbe is to rule Denmark.]

And bad ubbe, his iustise,

Þat he sholde on ilke wise

Denemark yeme and gete so, 2960

Þat no pleynte come him to.

[Footnote 133: MS. corunig.]

[Sidenote: Havelok remained in England for sixty years.]

+Hwan he wore parted alle samen,

Hauelok bi-lefte wit ioie and game{n}

In engelond, and was þer-i{n}ne 2964

Sixti winter king with winne,

And Goldeboru quen, þat I wene:

So mikel loue was hem bitwene,

Þat al þe werd spak of hem two: 2968

He louede hire, and she him so,

[Sidenote: He and Goldborough were never apart.]

Þat neyþer oþe[r] mithe be

For[134] oþer, ne no ioie se,

But yf he were to-gidere[135] boþe; 2972

Neuere yete ne were{n} he wroþe,

For here loue was ay newe,

[Sidenote: [Fol. 219b, col. 1.]]

Neuere yete wordes ne grewe

Bitwene hem, hwar-of ne lathe 2976

Mithe rise, ne no wrathe.

[Footnote 134: _Qu._ Fro.]

[Footnote 135: MS. togidede.]

[Headnote: SUCH IS THE "GESTE" OF HAVELOK.]

[Sidenote: They had 15 children, all kings and queens.]

+He geten childre{n} hem bi-twene

Sones and douthres rith fiuetene,

Hwar-of þe sones were kinges alle, 2980

So wolde god it sholde bifalle;

And þe douhtres alle q{ue}nes:

Him sto{n}des wel þat god child strenes.

[Sidenote: Such is the _geste_ of Havelok and Goldborough.]

Nu haue ye herd þe gest al þoru 2984

Of hauelok and of goldeborw.

Hw he were{n} born, and hw fedde,

And hwou he wore{n} with wro{n}ge ledde

In here youþe, with trecherie, 2988

With tresoun, and with felounye,

And hwou þe swikes hauede{n} thit

Reuen hem þat was here rith,

And hwou he were{n} wreken wel, 2992

Haue ich sey you eu{er}ildel;

[Headnote: SAY A PATERNOSTER FOR THE AUTHOR.]

And forþi ich wolde biseken you,

Þat haue{n} herd þe rim[e] nu,

[Sidenote: Each of you say a _pater-noster_ for the author.]

Þat ilke of you, with gode wille, 2996

Seye a pat{er}-nost{er} stille,

For him þat haueth þe rym[e] maked,

And þer-fore fele nihtes waked;

Þat ih{es}u c{ri}st his soule bringe 3000

Bi-forn his fader at his endinge.

+Amen.+