Chapter III: Part 3

_Verbs._ The infinitives of verbs rarely have _y-_ prefixed; two examples are _y-lere_, 12, _y-se_, 334. Nor is the same prefix common before past participles; yet we find _i-gret_, 163, _i-groten_, 285, and _i-maked_, 5, as well as _maked_, 23. Infinitives end commonly in _-en_ or _-e_, as _riden_, 26, _y-lere_; also in _-n_, as _don_, 117, _leyn_, 718; and even in _-o_, as _flo_, 612, _slo_, 1364. The present singular, 3rd person, of the indicative, ends both in _-es_ or _-s_, and _-eth_ or _-th_, the former being the more usual. Examples are _longes_, 396, _leues_, 1781, _haldes_, 1382, _fedes_, 1693, _bes_, 1744, _comes_, 1767, _glides_, 1851, _þarnes_, 1913, _haues_, 1952, _etes_, 2036, _dos_, 1913; also _eteth_, 672, _haueth_, 804, _bikenneth_, 1269, _doth_, 1876, _liþ_, 673. The full form of the 2nd person is _-est_, as _louest_, 1663; but it is commonly cut down to _-es_, as _weldes_, 1359, _slepes_, 1283, _haues_, 688, _etes_, 907, _getes_, 908; cf. _dos_, 2390, _mis-gos_, 2707, _slos_, 2706. The same dropping of the _t_ is observable in the past tense, as in _reftes_, 2394, _feddes and claddes_, 2907. Still more curious is the ending in _t_ only, as in _þu bi-hetet_, 677, _þou mait_, 689; cf. ll. 852, 1348. In the subjunctive mood the _-st_ disappears as in Anglo-Saxon, and hence the forms _bute þou gonge_, 690, _þat þu fonge_, 856, &c.; cf. _bede_, 668. In the 3rd person, present tense, of the same mood, we have the _-e_ fully pronounced, as in _shildè_, 16, _yeuè_, 22, _leuè_, 334, _redè_, 687; and in l. 544, _wreken_ should undoubtedly be _wrekè_, since the _-en_ belongs to the plural, as in _moten_, 18. The plural of the indicative present ends in _-en_, as, _we hauen_, 2798, _ye witen_, 2208, _þei taken_, 1833; or, very rarely, in _-eth_, as _ye bringeth_, 2425, _he_ (they) _strangleth_, 2584. Sometimes the final _-n_ is lost, as in _we haue_, 2799, _ye do_, 2418, _he_ (they) _brenne_, 2583. There is even a trace of the plural in _-es_, as in _haues_, 2581. The _present_ tense has often a _future_ signification, as in _etes_, 907, _eteth_, 672, _getes_, 908.

_Past tense._ Of the third person singular and plural of the past tense the following are selected examples. WEAK VERBS: _hauede_, 770, _sparedè_, 898, _yemedè_, 975, _semedè_, 976, _sparkëdè_, 2144, _þankedè_, 2189; pl. _loueden_, 955, _leykeden_, 954, _woundeden_, 2429, _stareden_, 1037, _yemede_ (rather read _yemeden_), 2277, _makeden_, 554, _sprauleden_, 475; also _calde_, 2115, _gredde_, 2417, _herde_, 2410, _kepte_, 879, _fedde_, 786, _ledde_, 785, _spedde_, 756, _clapte_, 1814, _kiste_, 1279; pl. _herden_, _brenden_, 594, _kisten_, 2162, _ledden_, 1246; and, thirdly, of the class which change the vowel, _aute_, 743, _laute_, 744, _bitauhte_, 2212. Compare the past participles _osed_, 971, _mixed_, 2533, _parred_, 2439, _gadred_, 2577; _reft_, 1367, _wend_, 2138, _hyd_, 1059; _told_, 1036, _sold_, 1638, _wrouth_ = _wrout_, 1352. There are also at least two past participles in _-et_, as _slenget_, 1923, _grethet_, 2615, to which add _weddeth_, _beddeth_, 1127, In l. 2057, _knawed_ seems put for _knawen_, for the rime's sake.

STRONG VERBS: third person singular, past tense, _bar_, 815, _bad_, 1415, _yaf_, or _gaf_, _spak_; _kam_, 766 (spelt _cham_, 1873), _nam_, _kneu_, _hew_, 2729, _lep_, 1777, _let_, 2447 (spelt _leth_, 2651), _slep_, 1280, _wex_, 281: _drou_, 705, _for_, 2943, _low_, 903, _slow_, 1807, _hof_, 2750, _stod_, 986, _tok_; 751, _wok_, 2093; pl. _beden_, 2774, _youen_, or _gouen_; _comen_, 1017 (spelt _keme_, 1208), _nomen_, 2790 (spelt _neme_, 1207), _knewen_, 2149, _lopen_, 1896, _slepen_, 2128; _drowen_, 1837, _foren_, 2380, _lowen_, 1056, _slowen_, 2414, &c. And secondly, of the class which more usually change the vowel in the _plural_ of the preterite, we find the singular forms _bigan_, 1357, _barw_, 2022, _karf_, 471, _swank_, 788, _warp_, 1061, _shon_, 2144, _clef_, 2643, _sau_, 2409, _grop_, 1965, _drof_, 725, _shof_, 892; pl. _bigunnen_, 1011, _sowen_, 1055, _gripen_, 1790, _driue_, for _driuen_, 1966; also _bunden_, 2436, _scuten_, 2431 (spelt _schoten_, 1864, _shoten_, 1838), _leyen_, 2132, &c. Compare the past participles _boren_, 1878, _youen_ or _gouen_, _cumen_, 1436, _nomen_, 2265 (spelt _numen_, 2581), _laten_, 1925, _waxen_, 302, _drawen_, 1925, _slawen_, 2000, which two last become _drawe_, _slawe_ in ll. 1802, 1803.

We should also observe the past tenses _spen_, 1819, _stirt_, 812, _fauth_ for _faut_ or _fauht_, 1990, _citte_, 942, _bere_, 974, _kipte_, 1050, _flow_, 2502, _plat_, 2755; and the past participles _demd_ for _demed_, 2488, _giue_ for _giuen_, 2488, _henged_, 1429, _keft_, 2005.

_Imperative Mood._ Examples of the imperative mood singular, 2nd person, are _et_, _sit_, 925, _nim_, 1336, _yif_, 674; in the plural, the usual ending is _-es_, as in _liþes_, 2204, _comes_, 1798, _folwes_, 1885, _lokes_, 2292, _bes_, 2246, to which set belong _slos_, 2596, _dos_, 2592; but there are instances of the ending _-eth_ also, as in _cometh_, 1885, _yeueþ_, 911, to which add _doth_, 2037, _goth_, 1780. Indeed both forms occur in one line, as in _Cometh swiþe, and folwes me_ (1885). Instead of _-eth_ we even find _-et_, as in _herknet_, 1. These variations afford a good illustration of the unsettled state of the grammar in some parts of England at this period; we need not suppose the scribe to be at fault in all cases where there is a want of uniformity.

Of reflexive verbs, we meet with _me dremede_, 1284, _me met_, 1285, _me þinkes_, 2169, _him hungrede_, 654, _him semede_, 1652, _him stondes_, 2983, _him rewede_, 503. The present participles end most commonly in _-inde_, as _fastinde_, 865, _grotinde_ (? _gretinde_), 1390, _lauhwinde_, 946, _plattinde_, 2282, _starinde_, 508; but we also find _gangande_, 2283, _driuende_, 2702. Compare the nouns _tiþande_, 2279, _offrende_, 1386, which are Norse forms, _tíðindi_ (pl.) being the Icelandic for _tidings_, and _offrandi_ the present participle of _offra_, to offer. But the true Icelandic equivalent of the substantive _an offering_ is _offran_, and the old Swedish is _offer_; and hence we see at how very early a date the confusion between the noun-ending and the ending of the present participle arose; a confusion which has bewildered many generations of Englishmen. Yet this very poem in other places has _-ing_ as a noun-ending _only_, never (that I remember) for the present participle. Examples of it are _greting_, 166, _dreping_, i.e. slaughter, 2684, _buttinge_, _skirming_, _wrastling_, _putting_, _harping_, _piping_, _reding_; see ll. 2322-2327. Such words are frequently called _verbal nouns_, but the term is very likely to mislead. I have found that many suppose it to imply _present participles used as nouns_, instead of _nouns of verbal derivation_. If such nouns could be called by some new name, such as _nouns of action_, or by any other title that can be conventionally restricted to signify them, it would, I think, be a gain. Amongst the auxiliary verbs, may be noted the use of _cone_, 622, as the subjunctive form of _canst_; _we mone_, 840, as the subjunctive of _mowen_; cf. _ye mowen_, 11; but especially we should observe the use of the comparatively rare verbs _birþe_, it behoves, pt. t. _birde_, it behoved, and _þurte_, he need, the latter of which is fully explained in the Glossary to William of Palerne, s.v. _þort_.

The prefix _to-_ is employed in _both_ senses, as explained in the same Glossary, s.v. _To-_. In _to-brised_, _to-deyle_, &c., it is equivalent to the German _zer-_ and M[oe]so-Gothic _dis-_; of its _other_ and _rarer_ use, wherein it answers to the German _zu-_ and M[oe]so-Gothic _du-_, there is but _one_ instance, viz. in the word _to-yede_, 765, which signifies _went to_; cf. Germ. _zugehen_, to go to, _zugang_ (A.S. _to-gang_), access, approach. There are some curious instances of a peculiar syntax, whereby the infinitive mood active partakes of a passive signification, as in _he made him kesten, and in feteres festen_, he caused him to be cast in prison (_or perhaps_, overthrown), and to be fastened in fetters; l. 81. But it is probable that this is to be explained by considering it as a phrase in which we should _now_ supply the word _men_, and that we may interpret it by "he caused [men] to cast him in prison, and to fasten him with fetters;" for in ll. 1784, 1785, the phrase is repeated in a less ambiguous form. See also l. 86. So also, in ll. 2611, 2612, I consider _keste_, _late_, _sette_, to be in the infinitive mood. Such a construction is at once understood by comparing it with the German _er liess ihn binden_, he caused him to be bound. In l. 2352, appears the most unusual form _ilker_, which is literally _of each_, and hence, _apiece_; cf. _unker_, which also is a genitive plural. It will be observed that the verb following is in the plural, the real nominative to it being _þei þre_. In l. 2404, the expression _þat þer þrette_, "that there threat," recalls a colloquialism which is still common. The word _þrie_, 730, is, apparently, the O.E. adverb _thrie_, thrice; _liues_, 509, is an adverb ending in _-es_, originally a genitive case. _Þus-gate_ is, according to Mr Morris, unknown to the Southern dialect; it occurs in ll. 785, 2419, 2586. I may add that Havelok contains as many as five expressions, which seem to refer to _proverbs_ current at the time of writing it. See ll. 307, 648, 1338, 1352, 2461.

[Footnote 33: "Cf. K. Horn, 1005, where _haue_ rhymes with
plawe." --M. Mr A. J. Ellis would consider _slawen_, _knaue_, &c.,
as assonances-- "Do not think of the pronunciation of modern
_drawen_. Read _sla-wen_, _kna-ue_, an assonance. _Beþe_ does
_not_ rhyme to _reden_; it is only an assonance." --Ellis. On the
other hand, we find the spellings _rathe_, _rothe_ instead of
_rede_ in ll. 1335 and 2817.]

[Footnote 34: "_Qual_ = _quhal_, the aspirate being omitted; and
_quhal_ = _whal_." --Ellis.]

[Footnote 35: The use of _th_ for _t_ is not uncommon. In the
_Romans of Partenay_, we have _thown_, _thaken_, _thouchyng_, &c.,
for _town_, _taken_, _touching_; see Preface, p. xvi. In the copy
of Piers Plowman in MS. Camb. Univ. Lib. Dd l. 17, I have observed
several similar examples. Cf. Eng. _tea_, Ital. _tè_, Span. _té_,
with Fr. _thé_, Swed. _the_, G. Du. Dan. _thee_.]

[Footnote 36: "Is _e_ for _o_ a mistake, or may it be compared
with _preue_ for _prove_, &c.?" --Ellis. I would observe that
_greting_ is the spelling of the _substantive_ in l. 166.]

§ 28. ON THE METRE OF HAVELOK.

The poem is written in the familiar rhythm of which I have already spoken elsewhere, viz. at p. xxxvii of the Preface to Mr Morris's edition of Genesis and Exodus. The metre of Havelok is rather more regular, but many of the remarks there made apply to it. The chief rule is that every line shall contain four accents,[37] the two principal types being afforded (1) by the eight-syllable and nine-syllable lines--

(_a_) For hém | ne yé|dë góld | ne fé, 44;
(_b_) It wás | a kíng | bi á|rë dáwës, 27;

and (2) by the seven-syllable and eight-syllable lines--

(_c_) Hérk|net tó | me gó|dë men, 1;
(_d_) Al|lë thát | he mícth|ë fyndë, 42.

To one of these four forms every line can be reduced, by the use of that slighter utterance of less important syllables which is so very common in English poetry. It is not the number of _syllables_, but of _accents_, that is essential. In _every_ line throughout the poem there are four accents, with only two or three exceptions, viz. ll. 1112, 1678, &c, which are defective. In a similar manner, we may readily scan any of the lines, as e.g. ll. 2-4;

(_c_) Wi|uës, mayd|nës, and al|lë men
(_b_) Of a ta|lë þat | ich you | wile tellë[38]
(_b_) Wo-so | 't wil' her' | and þer|to duellë, &c.

Here the syllables _-nes and_ in l. 3, _of a_ in l. 4, and _it wile_ in l. 5, are so rapidly pronounced as to occupy only the room of one unaccented syllable in lines of the strict type. However awkward this appears to be in theory, it is very easy in practice, as the reciter readily manages his voice so as to produce the right rhythmical effect; and, indeed, this variation of arrangement is a real improvement, preventing the recitation from becoming monotonous. Those who have a good ear for rhythm will readily understand this, and it seems unnecessary to dwell upon it more at length. But it may be remarked, that the three lines above quoted are rather _more irregular than usual_, and that the metre is such as to enable us to fix the instances in which the final _-e_ is pronounced with great accuracy, on which account I shall say more about this presently. I would, however, first enumerate the rimes which seem to be more or less inexact or peculiar, or otherwise instructive.

I. _Repetitions._ Such are _men, men_; _holden, holde_, 29;[39] _erþe, erþe_, 739; _heren, heren_, 1640; _nithes, knithes_, 2048; _youres, youres_, 2800. To this class belong also _longe, londe_, 172, _heye, heie_, 1151, 2544; where _longe, londe_ is, however, only an assonance.

II. _Assonant rimes._ Here the rime is in the vowel-sound; the consonantal endings differ. Such are _rym, fyn_, 21; _yeme, quene_, 182; _shop, hok_, 1101 (where _shop_ is probably corrupt); _odrat, bad_, 1153; _fet, ek_, 1303; _yer, del_, 1333; _maked, shaped_, 1646; _beþe, rede_, 1680; _riche, chinche_, 1763, 2940; _feld, swerd_, 1824, 2634; _seruede, werewed_, 1914; _wend, gent_, 2138; _þank, rang_, 2560; _boþen, ut-drowen_, 2658. To the same class belong _name_, _rauen_, 1397, _grauen, name_, 2528; _slawen, rauen_, 2676. _Henged, slenget_, 1922, should rather be called an imperfect rime.[40] There is also found the exact opposite to this, viz., an agreement or _consonance_ at the end, preceded by an apparent diversity in the vowel; as _longe, gange_, 795 (but see _longe, gonge_, 843), _bidde, stede_, 2548, _open, drepen_, 1782, _gres, is_, 2698, _boþe, rathe_, 2936 (but see _rathe, bathe_, 1335, 2542), _fet_ (long _e_), _gret_, 2158; and not unlike these are some instances of loose rimes, as _beþe, rede_, 360, _knaue, plawe_, 949, _sawe, hawe_ (where _hawe_ is written for _haue_), 1187, _sawe, wowe_, 1962 (but see _wowe, lowe_, 2078, _lowe, sawe_, 2142, _wawe, lowe_, 2470). Observe also _bouth, oft_ (read _vt_ or _ut_ = _out_?), 883, _tun, barun_, 1001 (cf. _toun, brun_, 1750, _champiouns, barouns_, 1032); _plattinde, gangande_, 2282, &c. _Eir, toþer_, 410, _harde, crakede_, 567, are probably due to mistakes.[41]

III. Rimes which shew that the final _-en_ was pronounced so slightly as to be nearly equivalent to _-e_. Examples: _holden, holde_, 29; _gongen, fonge_, 855; _bringe, ringen_, 1105; _mouthen, douthe_, 1183; _riden, side_, 1758; _wesseylen, to-deyle_, 2098; _slawen, drawe_, 2476. In the same way _hon_ rimes to _lond_, 1341, owing to the slight pronunciation of the final _d_.[42]

IV. Rimes which appear imperfect, but may be perfect. _Riche_ answers to _like_, 132, but the true spelling is _rike_, answering to _sike_, 290. _Mithe_, 196, should probably be _moucte_, as in l. 257, and it would thus rime with _þoucte_. _Blinne_, 2670, should certainly be _blunne_; cf. A.S. _blinnan_, pt. t. s. _ic blan_, pt. t. pl. _we blunnon_; and thus it rimes to _sunne_. _Misdede_, 993, is clearly an error for _misseyde_, as appears from the parallel passage in ll. 49, 50; and it then rimes with _leyde_. So in l. 1736, for _deled_ read _deyled_, as in l. 2098. _Boþe_, 430, has no line answering to it, and a line may have been lost. _Nicth, lict_, 575, is a perfect rime. _Halde, bolde_, 2308, may also be perfect. _For-sworen_ answers to _for-lorn_ (pronounced _for-loren_), 1423; _bitawte_ to _authe_ (pronounced _aute_), 1409; _yemede_ (pronounced _yem-dè_) is not an improper rime to _fremde_, 2276; _anon_ rimes with _iohan_ (if pronounced _ion_ or _John_, as indicated by the spelling _ion_ in l. 177), 2562, 2956. Yet in another instance it seems to be two syllables, _Jo-han_; see _wimman, iohan_, 1720.[43] Speche should be _speke_, and thus rimes to _meke_, 1065. _Stareden_ should perhaps be _stradden_, or some such form, rightly riming to _ladden_, 1037. Under this head we may notice some rimes which throw, possibly, some light on the pronunciation. Thus, for the sound of _ey, ei_, observe _hayse, preyse_, 60; _leyke, bleike_, 469; _laumprei, wei_, 771; _deye_ rimes to _preye_, 168; _day_ to _wey_, 663; _seyd_ to _brayd_, 1281; but we also find _hey, fri_, 1071; _hey, sley_, 1083, _heye, heie_, 1151; _heye, eie_, 2544; _leye, heye_, 2010; _heye, fleye_, 2750. _Fram_ rimes to _sham_, 55; yet the latter word is really _shame_, 83; _gange_ is also spelt _gonge_, _halde_ rimes with _bolde_, 2308. The pronunciation of _ware_, _were_, or _wore_, seems ambiguous; we find _sore, wore_, 236; _wore, more_, 258; _ware, sare_, 400; _wore, sore_, 414; _were, þere_, 741; _more, þore_, 921. For the sound of _e_, observe _suere, gere_, 388; _suereth, dereth_, 648; _eten, geten_, 930; _yet, fet_, 1319; _stem, bem_, 592; _glem, bem_, 2122; also _yeue, liue_, 198; _liue, gyue_, 356; _lyue, yeue_, 1217; _her, ther_, 1924; _fishere, swere_, 2230. For that of _i_, observe _cri, merci_, 270; _sire, swire_, 310; _swiþe, vnbliþe_, 140; _fir, shir_, 587; _sire, hire_, 909; _rise, bise_, 723; _fyr, shir_, 915; _lye, strie_, 997; _hey, fri_, 1071; _for-þi, merci_, 2500. For that of _o_, observe _two, so_, 350; _do, so_, 713; _shon, on_, 969; _hom, grom_, 789; _lode, brode_, 895; _anon, ston_, 927; _ston, won_, 1023; _do, sho_ (shoe), 1137; _do, sho_ (she), 1231; _stod, mod_, 1702; _ilkon, ston_, 1842; _shon_ (shoon), _ston_, 2144; _croud, god_, 2338; _don, bon_, 2354; _sone_ (soon), _bone_, 2504; _bole, hole_, 2438.[44] Only in a few of these instances would the words rime in modern standard English. For the _ou_ and _u_ sounds, observe _couþe, mouþe_, 112; _yow, now_, 160; _wolde, fulde_, 354; _yw, nou_, 453; _bounden, wnden_, 545; _sowel, couel_, 767; _low, ynow_, 903; _sowen, lowe_, 957; _strout, but_, 1039; _þou, nou_, 1283; _doun, tun_, 1630; _crus, hous_, 1966; _wounde, grunde_, 1978; _bowr, tour_, 2072; _spuse, huse_, 2912. _Lowe_, 1291, 2431, 2471, should rather be _lawe_, as in l. 2767. These hints will probably suffice for the guidance of those who wish to follow up the subject. It is evident that full dependence cannot be placed upon the _exactness_ of the rimes.

[Footnote 37: "This _four accents_ I consider to be a wrong way
of stating the fact. . . The metre consists of four measures, each
generally, not always, of _two_ syllables, the first often _one_
syllable, the others often of _three_ syllables, and each measure
has generally more stress on the last than on any other, but the
accents or principal stresses in the verse are usually 2,
sometimes 3, perhaps never 4." --A. J. Ellis. I need hardly add
that such a statement is more exact, and that I here merely use
the word _accent_ in the loose sense it often bears, viz. as
denoting the "stress," more or less heavy, and sometimes
imperceptible, which is popularly supposed to belong to the last
syllable in a measure. I must request the reader to remember that
this present sketch of the metre is very slight and imperfect,
and worded in the usual not very correct popular language. For
more strict and careful statements the reader is referred to Mr
A. J. Ellis's work on Early English Pronunciation. Until readers
have made themselves acquainted with that work, they will readily
understand what I _here_ mean by "accents;" afterwards, they can
easily adopt a stricter idea of its meaning.]

[Footnote 38: "You cannot scan this line in any way. This method
of doing it is quite impossible; it is a mere chopping to make a
verse like this. The line is corrupt. Omit _þat_, and you have

Of | a tal' | ich you | wile telle

or better,

Of | a tal' | ich wil|e telle." --Ellis.]

[Footnote 39: The number is that of the _first_ line of the
pair.]

[Footnote 40: "You have omitted the curious _harde, krakede_,
567, here; it is only an assonance, not a mistake, I believe."
--Ellis. But see note to l. 567.]

[Footnote 41: "On _i, e_ rhymes, see p. 271, last line and
following, of my Chap. IV. The _o, a_ depend on a provincialism,
and this applies to _sawe_, _wowe_; _beþe_, _rede_; _knaue_,
_plawe_; _sawe_, _hawe_; &c. _Bouth, oft_ is a case of assonance,
_bouth_ being _bought_, where properly the _ugh_ is the voiced
sound of Scotch _quh_, and easily passes into _f_. The assonance
is therefore nearly a rhyme. _Plattinde, gangande_ is probably a
scribal error. _Eir, toþer_ is certainly a mistake; read

Swanborow, helfled, his sistres fair." --Ellis.

We may then perhaps alter _gangande_ to _ganginde_. I do not
quite like writing the modern form _fair_ instead of the old
plural _fayre_ in order to gain a rime to _eir_. Cf. ll. 1095,
2300, 2538, 2768.]

[Footnote 42: "_Hon, lond_ may arise from a Danism, or from an
English custom at that time of not pronouncing _d_ after _n_ in
_nd_ final; Danish _Mand_ and German _Mann_ are identical."
--Ellis. I prefer to call it Danish; we English, now at least,
often _add_ a _d_, as in _sound_, _gownd_, from _soun_, _gown_.]

[Footnote 43: "_Johan_ is almost _Jon_ in Chaucer, however
written, but l. 177 wants a measure; read--

Bi [Jhesu] crist, and bi seint ion.

In l. 1720 also the verse is defective; omit _al_, and read--

In denemark nis wimman [non]
So fayr so sche, bi _seint_ Johan,

where _seint_ is a dissyllable; see p. 264 of my Early English
Pronunciation. _Hey, fri_, 1071, is an error; read _hy_, and see
p. 285 of my book. The other instances of _ei_, _ai_ are all
regular, the confusion of _ei_, _ai_ being perfect in the
thirteenth century. _Shame_, l. 88, is dative, and would prove
nothing, but _shame_ in Orrmin is conclusive. Hence in _sham'_,
56, we have an _e_ omitted; compare p. 323 of my book, and the
German _Ruh'_." --Ellis. In other places, the spelling _heye_
occurs, rather than _hy_: see ll. 719, 987, 1071, 1083, 1289,
1685, 2431, 2471, 2544, 2724, 2750, 2945, &c.]

[Footnote 44: "The instances of _o_ are all regular, except
_croud, god_, 2338, which is a false rhyme altogether; _ou_ =
modern _oo_." --Ellis.]

§ 29. ON THE FINAL -E, &c.

There can be little doubt that the final _-e_ is, in general, fully pronounced in this poem wherever it is written, with but a very few exceptions; but at the same time it is liable to be elided when followed by a vowel or (sometimes) by the letter _h_, as is usual in old English poetry. In the following remarks, I shall use an apostrophe to signify that _e_ is _written, but not pronounced_; thus "wil'" signifies that "wile" is the MS. form, but "wil" the apparent pronunciation. I shall use an italic _e_ to signify that the _e_ is elided because followed by a vowel or _h_, as "cupp_e_" (l. 14); and in the same way, "rid_en_," "lit_el_," &c, signify that the syllables _-en_, _-el_ are slurred over in a like manner. It will be seen that such syllables are, in general, slurred over when they occur before a vowel or _h_; under the same circumstances, that is, as the final _-e_. When I simply write the word in the form "gode" as in the MS., I mean that the _-e_ is _fully pronounced_; so that "gode" stands for "godë."

The following, then, are instances. I follow the order in Mr Morris's Introduction to Chaucer's Prologue, &c. (Clarendon Press Series).

(_A_) In nouns and adjectives (of A.S. origin) the final _-e_ represents one of the final vowels _a_, _u_, _e_, and hence is fully sounded even in the nominative case in such instances. Examples; gome (A.S. _goma_), 7, blome (A.S. _bloma_), 63, trewe (A.S. _treowe_), 179, knaue (A.S. _cnafa_), 308, 450, sone (A.S. _sunu_), 394.

(_B_) In words of French origin it is sounded as in French verse. Such words are scarce in Havelok. Examples: hayse, 59, beste, 279, mirácle, 500, rose, 2919, curtesye (_miswritten_ curteyse), 2876, cf. 194, drurye, 195, male, 48, large, 97, noble, 1263.

(_C_) It is a remnant of various grammatical inflexions:--

(1) it is a sign of the _dative_ case in nouns; as, nede, 9, stede, 10, trome, 8, wronge, 72, stede, 142, dede (not elided, because of the cæsura), 167, arke, 222, erþe, 248, lite þrawe, 276. It also sometimes marks the accusative, or the genitive of feminine nouns: _accusatives_, cupp_e_, 14, wede, 94, brede, 98, shrede, 99, mede, 102, quiste, 219, sorwe, 238 (cf. sorw' in l. 240), son_e_, 308, knaue, 308, sone, 350, wille, 441: _genitives_, messe, 186, 188, helle, 405.

(2) In adjectives it marks--

(_a_) the _definite form_ of the adjective; as, þe meste, 233, þe riche (not elided[45]), 239, te beste, 87, þe hexte [man], 1080, þat wicke, 1158, þat foule, 1158, þe firste, 1333, þe rede, 1397. This rule is most often violated in the case of _dissyllabic_ superlatives; as, þe wictest', 8, þe fairest, þe strangest, 1081, 1110; cf. 199, 200.

(_b_) the _plural_ number. Examples abound, as, gode, 1, alle, 2, are, 27, yung = yung_e_, 30, holde, 30, gode, 34, 55, harde, 143, gren_e_, 470, bleike, 470, halte, 543, doumbe, 543, &c.

The same use is often extended to possessive pronouns; we find the plurals mine, 385, 514 (but min', 392), þine, 620, hise, 34, 67, hure, 1231; and even the singulars hire, 84, 85, hure, 338, yure, 171. But the personal pronoun feminine is often hir', 172, 209; yet see l. 316.

(_c_) the _vocative_ case, as, dere, 839, 2170; leue, 909.

(3) In verbs it marks--

(_a_) the infinitive mood; as, telle, 3, duelle, 4, falle, 39, bey_e_, 53, swere, 254, be-bedde, 421, ber_e_, 549, &c. On this point there cannot be a moment's doubt, for the form _-en_ is found quite as often, and they rime together, as in 254, 255, cf. 29, 30. But it is well worth remarking that _-en_ is slurred over exactly where _-e_ would be, with much regularity. Examples are: rid_en_, 10, biginn_en_, 21, mak_en_, 29, heng_en_, 43, lurk_en_, 68, crep_en_, 68, rid_en_, 88, hau_en_, 270. Other examples are very numerous. But we sometimes find _-en_ not slurred over, as, drinken, 15; and the same is true even of _-e_, but such cases are exceptional and rare.

(_b_) the gerund; as, to preyse, 60.

(_c_) the past participle of a strong verb; as, drawe, 1802, slawe, 1803. But these are rare, as they are commonly written drawen, slawen, 2224.

(_d_) the past tense of weak verbs, where the _-e_ follows _-ed_, _-t_, or _-d_. Examples are very numerous; as, louede = lov'de, 30, 35 (not elided), 37, hauede = hav'de, 343; cf. haued = havd', 336; þurte, 10, durst_e_, 65, reft_e_, 94; dede, 29, sende, 136, seyde, 228, herde, 286. Observe hated = hated_e_, 40. The plurals of these tenses are rarely in _-e_, generally in _-en_, as, haueden, 241, ded_en_, 242, sprauleden = spraul'den, 475.

(_e_) the subjunctive or optative mood, or the 3rd person of the imperative mood, which is really the 3rd person of the subjunctive. This rule seems to be carefully observed. Examples are yeue, 22, thaue, 296, yerne, 299, leue, 406, were, 513, wit_e_, 517, &c. So for the _first_ person, as, lat_e_, 509, lepe (not elided), 2009, spek_e_, 2079; and for the _second_ person, as, understonde, 1159, fare, 2705, cone, 622, 623.

(_f_) other parts of a _few_ verbs; thus, the 1st person singular present, as, liue, 301, ete, 793, rede, 1660, wille, 388, where _wille_ is equivalent to _wish_.

(_g_) present participles: thus, plattínde, 2282, is a half-rime to gangánde. In other places, the author is careful to place them before a vowel, as gretind_e_, 1390, lauhwind_e_, 946, starind_e_, 508, driuend_e_, 2702, fastind_e_, 865.

(4) In adverbs the final _-e_ denotes--

(_a_) an older vowel-ending; as, son_e_ (A.S. _sóna_), 136, sone, 218, 251, yete (A.S. _géta_, as well as _gét_), 495, ofte (Swed. _ofta_, Dan. _ofte_), 227.

(_b_) an adverb as distinguished from its corresponding adjective, as, yerne, 153, loude, 96, longe, 241, more, 301, softe, 305, heye, 335, swiþe, 455, harde, 639. Hence, in l. 640, we should read _neye_.

(_c_) an older termination in _-en_ or _-an_; as, þer-hinne, 322, 709, 712, henne, 843, inne, 855. Cf. A.S. _heonan_, _innan_.

(_d_) It is also sounded in the termination _-like_, as, sikerlike, 422. Hence, in baldelike, 53, _both_ the _ees_ are sounded; cf. feblelike, 418. When the final _-e_ is slurred over before an _h_ in _Chaucer_, _h_ is found commonly to begin the pronoun _he_, or its cases, the possessive pronouns _his_, _hire_, or their cases, a part of the verb to _have_, or else the adverbs _how_ or _heer_. The same rule seems to hold in _Havelok_. Observe, that _e_ often forms a syllable in the _middle_ of a word, as, bondeman, 32, engelondes, 63, pourelik_e_, 322.

With regard to the final _-en_, it is most commonly slurred over before a vowel or the _h_ in _he_ or _haue_, not only when it is the termination of the infinitive mood, but in _many other cases_. One striking example may suffice:

He gret_en_ and gouled_en_ and gou_en_ hem ille, 164.

A still more striking peculiarity is that _the same rule often holds_ for the ending _-es_. We find it, of course, forming a distinct syllable in plurals; as, limes, 86; and in adverbs, as, liues, 509. But observe such instances as maydn_es_, 2, prest_es_, 33, vtlaw_es_, 41, siþ_es_, 213, &c.

In the same way, when rapid final syllables such as _-el_, _-er_, _-ere_, &c., are slurred over, it will _generally_ be found _that a vowel or_ h _follows them_. Examples: lit_el_, 6, won_eth_, 105, bed_els_, 266, bod_i_, 345, deu_el_, 446, hung_er_, 449. Compare ou_er_al, 38, 54. There are many other peculiarities which it would take long to enumerate, such as, that _sworn_ is pronounced _sworen_, 204; that the final _-e_ is sometimes preserved before a vowel, as in _dedë am_, 167; that the word _ne_ is very frequently not counted, as it were, in the scansion, as in 57, 113, 220, 419, the second _ne_ in l. 547, and in several other places. But it must suffice to state merely, that when the above rules (with allowance of a few exceptions) are carefully observed, it will be found that the metre of Havelok is _very regular_, and _valuable on account of its regularity_.

It would therefore be easy to correct the text in many places by help of an exact analysis of the rhythm. But this, except in a very few places, has not been attempted, because the imperfect, but unique, MS. copy is more instructive as it stands. In l. 19, e.g. _wit_ should be _wite_; in l. 47, _red_ should be _rede_; in l. 74, _his soule_ should be _of his soule_, &c. The importance of attending to the final _-e_ may be exemplified by the lines--

Allë greten swiþë sore, 236;
But sonë dedë hirë fetë, 317;
þinë cherlës, þinë hinë, 620;
Grimës sonës allë þre, 1399;
Hisë sistres herë lif, 2395.

Mr Ellis writes-- "These final examples suggested to me to compose the following German epitaph, which contains just as many final _e_'s, and which I think no German would find to have anything peculiar in the versification:

GRABSCHRIFT.

Diese alte reiche Frau
Hasste jede eitle Schau,
Preiste Gottes gute Gabe,
Mehrte stets die eig'ne Habe,
Liegt hier unbeweint im Grabe.

I think Havelok may be well compared with Goethe's ballad,

Es war ein Kön_ig in Thu_le,
Gar treu bis an das Grab,
Dem, sterbend, seine Buhle
_Einen gold_enen Becher gab.

Es ging ihm nichts darüber,
Er leert' ihn jeden Schmaus,
Die Augen gin_gen ihm ü_ber
So oft er trank daraus.

Und als er kam zu sterben,
Zählt' er _seine Städt'_ im Reich,
Gönnt' alles seinem Erben,
Den Becher nicht zugleich:--

and the end:--

Die Augen thä_ten ihm sin_ken,
Trank nie _einen Trop_fen mehr.

The _italicised_ trisyllabic measures are fine. Observe also the elisions of final _-e_ before a following vowel (_Städt'_ being very unusual), and the omission of the dative _-e_ in _im Reich_, to rhyme with _zugleich_."

I have only to add that my special thanks are due to Sir F. Madden for his permission to make use of his valuable notes, glossary, and preface, and for his assistance; as also to Mr Ellis for his notes, which, however, reached me only at the last moment, when much alteration of the proofs was troublesome. There are many things probably which Mr Ellis does not much approve of in this short popular sketch of the metre, in which attention is drawn only to some of the _principal_ points. In particular, he disapproves of the term _slurring over_, though I believe that I mean precisely the same thing aa he does, viz. that these light syllables are really _fully pronounced_, and not in any way forcibly suppressed; but that, owing to their being light syllables, and occurring before vowel sounds, the full pronunciation of them does not cause the verse to halt, but merely imparts to it an agreeable vivacity. As I have already said elsewhere[46]-- "A poet's business is, in fact, to take care that the syllables which _are_ to be rapidly pronounced are such as easily _can_ be so; and that the syllables which are to be heavily accented are naturally those that _ought_ to be. If he gives attention to this, it does not much matter whether each foot has _two_ or _three_ syllables in it."

[Footnote 45: _Riche_ being both A.S. and French, has the _e_
even when indefinite; a riche king, 841; a riche man, 373.]

[Footnote 46: Preface to Mr Morris's Genesis and Exodus, p.
xxxviii.]

EMENDATIONS, ETC.

[Transcriber's Note:
This section is shown as printed. The editor's corrections were
variously handled. Minor changes to the primary text are shown in
brackets; the more complicated or tentative emendations are given as
supplementary footnotes in the form [5*]. Additions to the Glossary
are shown as separate, bracketed paragraphs. The following paragraph
is part of the original text.]

Some emendations have been made in the text by inserting letters and words within square brackets. A few more may be noticed here.

p. 2, l. 47. The MS. has _red_; but it should be _rede_.

p. 3, l. 66. For the MS. reading _here_ Mr Garnett proposed to read _othere_, which is clearly right.

p. 3, l. 74. For _his soule_ (as in the MS.) we should probably read _of his soule_.

p. 3, l. 79. For _wo diden_ (as in the MS.) we should read _wo so dide_.

p. 6, l. 177. _Read_-- "Bi [ihesu] crist," &c, to fill up; but this is doubtful; see l. 1112.

p. 18, l. 560. For _with_, Mr Garnett proposed to read _wilt_.

p. 20, l. 640. For _ney_ (as in MS.) read _neye_, the adverbial form.

p. 21, l. 660. Perhaps there should be a comma after _Slep_, making the sense to be _sleep, son_, not _sleep soon_.

p. 23, l. 746. For _alle_, Mr Garnett proposed to read _shalle_.

p. 24, l. 784. Perhaps we should, however, read _se-weren_, and the note on the line (p. 93) may be wrong. See _Weren_ in the Glossary.

p. 32, l. 1037. For _stareden_ we should perhaps read _stradden_; see the Glossary.

p. 33, l. 1080. For _hexte_ we should rather read _hexte_ [_man_]; cf. l. 199.

p. 38, l. 1233. Mr Garnett suggested that _cloþen_ may mean _clothes_. If so, dele the comma after it.

p. 43, l. 1420. For _wolde_ we should rather read [_he_] _wolde_.

p. 46, l. 1687. _þarned_ is an error of the scribe for _þoled_; see the Glossary.

p. 47, l. 1720. Perhaps we should rather read--_is womman_ [_non_].

p. 47, l. 1733. _Bidde_ must mean _offer_, rather than _bid_ (as in the Glossary); unless it be miswritten for _bide_ = tarry.

p. 47, l. 1736. The MS. reading _deled_ should be _deyled_; cf. l. 2099.

p. 76, l. 2670. The MS. reading _blinne_ should clearly be _blunne_. A few other suggestions of emendations will be found in the Glossarial Index. See the words _Arwe_, _Birþe_, _Felde_, _Sor_, _Tauhte_, _Þenne_, _Thit_, _Werewed_, _Wreken_, &c. See also the suggestions in the preface, pp. xxxix, xli, xlvi, xlvii. [§ 27: Grammatical Forms; § 28: Metre]

p. 132, s.v. _Loken_. The reference to the Ancren Riwle is to MS. Titus D 18, fol. 17; cf. the edition by Morton (Camd. Soc. 1853), p. 56.

In the Glossary, _Dunten_ is wrongly placed after _Dint_.

Also, _Greting_ is wrongly placed before _Gres_.

_Hal_, more probably, is shortened from _half_, like _twel_ from _twelue_.

_Shoten_, in l. 1838, means _rushed_, _darted_, _flew_.

_Teyte_ may mean _lively_. My explanation is not generally accepted.

_Bise_ occurs in l. 724.

+Incipit vita Hauelok, quondam Rex Anglie et Denemarchie.+

[Sidenote: [Fol. 204, col. 1.]]
[Sidenote: Hearken!]
+Herknet to me, gode men,
Wiues, maydnes, and alle men,
Of a tale þat ich you wile telle,
Wo so it wile here, and þer-to duelle. 4
[Sidenote: I will tell you the tale of Havelok,
a wight man at need.]
Þe tale is of hauelok i-maked;
Wil he was litel he yede ful naked:
Hauelok was a ful god gome,
He was ful god in eueri trome, 8
He was þe wicteste ma{n} at nede,
Þat þurte ride{n} on ani stede.
Þat ye mowen nou y-here,
And þe tale ye mowen y-lere. 12
At the begi{n}ning[1] of vre tale,
[Sidenote: First, fill me a cup of ale.]
Fil me a cuppe of ful god ale;
And [y] wile dri{n}ken her y spelle,
Þat crist vs shilde alle fro helle! 16
Krist late vs heu{er}e so for to do,
[Sidenote: Christ grant we may do right!]
Þat we moten comen him to,
And wit[e][2] þat it mote ben so!
_Benedicamus domino!_ 20
Here y schal bigi{n}nen a rym,
Krist us yeue wel god fyn!
[Sidenote: The rime is about Havelok.]
The rym is maked of hauelok,
A stalworþi man i{n} a flok; 24
He was þe stalworþeste ma{n} at nede,
Þat may riden on ani stede.

[Footnote 1: MS. Begi{n}nig.]

[Footnote 2: _See_ ll. 517, 1316.]

[Headnote: THE GOOD KING ATHELWOLD / IS KING OVER ALL ENGLAND.]

[Sidenote: There was once a king who made good laws.]
+IT was a king bi are dawes,
That i{n} his time were gode lawes 28
He dede maken, an ful wel holden;
Hym louede yu{n}g, him louede holde,
Erl and barun, dreng and kayn,
Knict, bondema{n}, and swain, 32
[Sidenote: All loved him.]
Wydues, maydnes, p{re}stes and clerkes,
And al for hise gode werkes.
He louede god with al his micth,
And holi kirke, and soth, ant ricth; 36
Ricth-wise[3] man he louede alle,
And ou{er}al made hem forto calle;
[Sidenote: He hated traitors and robbers.]
Wreieres and wrobberes made he falle,
And hated he{m} so ma{n} doth galle; 40
Vtlawes and theues made he bynde,
Alle that he micthe fynde,
And heye he{n}gen on galwe-tre;
For hem ne yede gold ne fe. 44
[Sidenote: At that time, men could carry gold about safely,
and boldly buy and sell.]
In that time a man þat bore
[Wel fyfty pund, y woth, or more,][4]
[Sidenote: [Fol. 204, col. 2.]]
Of red[e][4*] gold up-on hijs bac,
In a male with or blac, 48
Ne funde he non that him misseyde,
N[e] with iuele on [him] hond leyde.
Þa{n}ne micthe chapme{n} fare
Þuruth englond wit here ware, 52
And baldelike beye and selle{n},
Oueral þer he wilen dwellen,
In gode burwes, and þer-fram
Ne funde{n} he non þat dede he{m} sham, 56
Þat he ne were{n} sone to sorwe brouth,
An pou{er}e maked, and browt to nouth.
Þa{n}ne was engelond at hayse;[5]
[Sidenote: Then was England at ease.]
Michel was svich a king to preyse, 60
Þat held so eng[e]lond in grith!
Krist of heuene was him with.
He was engelondes blome;
Was non so bold lond to rome, 64
Þat durste upon his [menie] bringhe
Hunger, ne here[5*] wicke þinghe.
Hwan he felede hise foos,
[Sidenote: The king made his foes hide themselves.]
He made he{m} lurken, and crepe{n} in wros: 68
Þe hidde{n} he{m} alle, and helde{n} he{m} stille,
And diden al his herte wille.
Ricth he louede of alle þinge,
To wronge micht hi{m} no man bri{n}ge, 72
Ne for siluer, ne for gold:--
So was he his soule[5*] hold.
[Sidenote: He befriended the fatherless.]
To þe faderles was he rath,
Wo so dede hem wrong or lath, 76
Were it clerc, or were it knicth,
He dede hem sone to haue{n} ricth;
And wo [so] dide{n}[5*] widuen wrong,
Were he neure knicth so strong, 80
Þat he ne made hi{m} sone kesten,
And in fet{er}es ful faste festen;
[Sidenote: Them who wrought shame he punished.]
And wo so dide maydne shame
Of hire bodi, or brouth i{n} blame, 84
Bute it were bi hire wille,
He[6] made hi{m} sone of limes spille.
He was te[7] beste knith at nede,
Þat heuere micthe ride{n} on stede, 88
Or wepne wagge, or folc vt lede;
Of knith ne hauede he neu{er}e drede,
Þat he ne spro{n}g forth so sparke of glede,
[Sidenote: [Fol. 204b, col. 1.]]
And lete him [knawe] of hise hand-dede, 92
Hw he couþe with wepne spede;
[Sidenote: He made his foes cry for mercy.]
And oþer he refte hi{m} hors or wede,
Or made him sone ha{n}des sprede,
And "louerd, me{r}ci!" loude grede. 96
He was large, and no wicth gnede;
Hauede he non so god brede,
Ne on his bord no{n} so god shrede,
[Sidenote: He fed the poor.]
Þat he ne wolde þorwit fede, 100
Poure þat on fote yede;
Forto haue{n} of him þe mede
Þat for vs wolde on rode blede,
Crist, that al kan wisse and rede, 104
Þat euere woneth i{n} ani þede.

[Footnote 3: MS. "Rirth wise."]

[Footnote 4: Supplied from conjecture. Cf. v. 653, 787. A few
more instances will be found where a similar liberty has been
taken, for the purpose of completing the sense.]

[Footnote 4*: Changed by editor from "red": see Emendations.]

[Footnote 5: MS. athayse.]

[Footnotes 5* (all from Emendations):
l. 66: "For the MS. reading _here_ Mr Garnett proposed
to read _othere_, which is clearly right."
l. 74: "For _his soule_ (as in the MS.) we should
probably read _of his soule_."
l. 79: "For _wo diden_ (as in the MS.) we should read _wo so
dide_."]

[Footnote 6: MS. Ke.]

[Footnote 7: MS. Ke waste.]

[Headnote: ATHELWOLD IS ABOUT TO DIE.]

[Sidenote: His name was Athelwold.]
¶ Þe ki{n}g was hoten aþelwold,
Of word, of wepne he was bold;
In engeland was neure knicth, 108
Þat bet{er}e hel þe lond to ricth.
[Sidenote: He had but a young daughter to succeed him.]
Of his bodi ne hauede he eyr
Bute a mayden swiþe fayr,
Þat was so yung þat sho ne couþe 112
Gon on fote, ne speke wit mouþe.
Þan him tok an iuel strong,
Þat he we[l] wiste, and under-fong,
[Sidenote: He feels he is dying, and says, "I am in trouble
about her.]
Þat his deth was come{n} him on: 116
And seyde, "c{ri}st, wat shal y don!
Louerd, wat shal me to rede!
I woth ful wel ich haue mi mede.
W shal nou mi douhter fare? 120
Of hire haue ich michel kare;
Sho is mikel in mi þouth,
Of me self is me rith nowt.
No selcouth is, þou me be wo; 124
Sho ne ka{n} speke, ne sho kan go.
[Sidenote: Were she but of age, I would not care for myself."]
Yif scho couþe on horse ride,
And a thousa{n}de me{n} bi hire syde;
And sho were com{en} intil helde, 128
And engelond sho couþe welde;
And don hem of þar hire were q{ue}me,
An hire bodi couþe yeme;
No wolde me neu{er}e iuele like 132
Me þou ich were i{n} heuene-riche!"

[Headnote: HE SUMMONS HIS LORDS TO WINCHESTER.]

+Qua{n}ne he hauede þis plei{n}te maked,
Þer-after stro{n}glike [he] quaked.
He sende writes sone on-on 136
[Sidenote: [Fol. 204b, col. 2.]]
After his erles eu{er}e-ich on;
[Sidenote: He summons his lords, from Roxburgh to Dover.]
And after hise baru{n}s, riche and poure,
Fro rokesburw al i{n}to douere,
That he shulde{n} comen swiþe 140
Til him, that was ful vnbliþe;
To þat stede þe[r] he lay,
In harde bondes, nicth and day.
He was so faste wit yuel fest, 144
Þat he ne mouthe haue{n} no rest;
[Sidenote: He can no longer eat.]
He ne mouthe no mete hete,
Ne he ne mouchte no lyþe gete;
Ne non of his iuel þat couþe red; 148
Of him ne was nouth bute{n} ded.

[Sidenote: All sadly obey his summons.]
+Alle þat the writes herden,
Sorful an sori til him ferde{n};
He wru{n}gen ho{n}des, and wepe{n} sore, 152
And yerne preyde{n} cristes hore,
Þat he [wolde] t{ur}nen him
Vt of þat yuel þat was so grim!
Þa{n}ne he weren comen alle 156
[Sidenote: They come to Winchester.]
Bifor þe king i{n}to the halle,
At wi{n}chestre þer he lay:
"Welcome," he seyde, "be ye ay!
Ful michel þank[e] kan [y] yow 160
That ye aren come{n} to me now!"

[Headnote: ATHELWOLD SELECTS EARL GODRICH / TO BE HIS DAUGHTER'S GUARDIAN.]

[Sidenote: They all mourn and lament.]
+Quanne he were{n} alle set,
And þe king aueden i-gret,
He grete{n}, and goulede{n}, and goue{n} he{m} ille, 164
And he bad he{m} alle ben stille;
And seyde, "þat greti{n}g helpeth nouth,
For al to dede am ich brouth.
Bute nov ye sen þat i shal deye, 168
[Sidenote: He prays them to tell him who can guard
his daughter best.]
Nou ich wille you alle preye
Of mi douther þat shal be
Yure leuedi after me,
Wo may yeme{n} hire so longe, 172
Boþen hire and engelonde,
Til þat she [mowe] winan of helde,
And þa she mowe yeme{n} and welde?"
He ansuered{en}, and seyd{en} an-on, 176
[Sidenote: They answer, "Earl Godrich of Cornwall."]
Bi crist[7*] and bi seint ion,
That þerl Godrigh of cornwayle
Was trewe ma{n}, wit-ute{n} faile;
Wis ma{n} of red, wis ma{n} of dede, 180
And me{n} hauede{n} of hi{m} mikel drede.
[Sidenote: [Fol. 205, col. 1.]]
"He may hire alþer-best[e] yeme,
Til þat she mowe wel be{n} quene."

[Footnote 7* (from Emendations):
"_Read_-- "Bi [ihesu] crist," &c, to fill up; but this is
doubtful; see l. 1112."]

[Sidenote: The king sends for chalice and paten,
for the earl to swear upon.]
+Þe king was payed of that Rede; 184
A wol fair cloth bri{n}ge{n} he dede,
And þer-on leyde þe messebok,
Þe caliz, and þe pateyn ok,
Þe corporaus, þe messe-gere; 188
Þer-on he garte þe erl suere,
Þat he sholde yemen hire wel,
With-ute{n} lac, wit-ute{n} tel,
Til þat she were tuelf[8] wi{n}ter hold, 192
And of speche were bold;
And þat she covþe of curteysye,
[Sidenote: His daughter is to marry the best and fairest
man that can be found.]
Gon, and speken of luue-drurye;
And til þat she louen þoucte,[9] 196
Wom so hire to gode thoucte;
And þat he shulde hire yeue
Þe beste ma{n} that micthe liue,
Þe beste, fayreste, the stra{n}gest ok:-- 200
Þat dede he him sweren on þe bok.
And þa{n}ne shulde he engelond
Al bitechen in-to hire hond.

[Footnote 8: _Qu._ tuenti. Cf. v. 259.]

[Footnote 9: MS. mithe. But see l. 257.]

+Quanne[10] þat was sworn on his wise, 204
[Sidenote: He gives up all England to the earl,
to keep for her.]
Þe ki{n}g dede þe mayde{n} arise,
And þe erl hire bitaucte,
And al the lond he euere awcte;
Engelonde eueri del; 208
And preide, he shulde yeme hire wel.

[Footnote 10: MS. Ouanne. And perhaps "his" should have been
"þis."]

+Þe king ne mowcte don no more,
But yerne preyede godes ore;
And dede him hosle{n} wel and shriue, 212
[Sidenote: The king does penance.]
I woth, fif hu{n}dred siþes and fiue;
An ofte dede him sore swinge,
And wit hondes smerte di{n}ge;
So þat þe blod ran of his fleys, 216
Þat tendre was, and swiþe neys.
[11]And sone gaf it euere-il del;
He made his quiste swiþe wel.
[Sidenote: He makes his will.]
Wan it was goue{n}, ne micte me{n} finde 220
So mikel me{n} micte hi{m} in winde,
Of his i{n} arke, ne in chiste,
In engelond þat noma{n} wiste:
For al was youe{n}, faire and wel, 224
Þat him was leued no catel.

[Footnote 11: Some lines appear to be wanting here, such as--

"He þoucte his quiste þan to make,
His catel muste he wel bitake," &c.]

[Headnote: KING ATHELWOLD DIES.]

+Þa{n}ne he hauede be{n} ofte swngen,
[Sidenote: [Fol. 205, col. 2.]]
Ofte shriue{n}, and ofte dungen,
"_In man{us} tuas_, lou[{er}]de," he seyde, 228
Her þat he þe speche leyde.
[Sidenote: The king dies.]
To ihe{s}u crist bigan to calle,
And deyede biforn his heyme{n} alle.
Þan he was ded, þere micte me{n} se 232
Þe meste sorwe that micte be;
Þer was sobbing, siking, and sor,
Handes wri{n}gi{n}g, and drawi{n}g bi hor.
[Sidenote: All mourn for him.]
Alle greten swiþe sore, 236
Riche and poure þat þere wore;
An mikel sorwe hauede{n} alle,
Leuedyes i{n} boure, knictes i{n} halle.

[Sidenote: Masses are sung for him.]
+Quan þat sorwe was somdel laten, 240
And he hauede{n} longe graten,
Belles dede{n} he sone ri{n}gen,
Monkes and p{re}stes messe singen;
And saut{er}es deden he manie reden, 244
Þat god self shulde his soule lede{n}
Into heuene, biforn his sone,
And þer wit-uten hende wone.
[Sidenote: He is buried and the earl takes possession,
till the maiden is twenty years old.]
Þan he was to þe erþe brouth, 248
Þe riche erl ne foryat nouth,
Þat he ne dede al engelond
Sone sayse i{n}til his hond;
And in þe castels leth he[12] do 252
Þe knictes he micte triste{n} to;
And alle þe englis dede he swere[{n}],
Þat he shulde{n} him ghod fey baren;
He yaf alle me{n}, þat god þoucte, 256
Liuen and deyen til þat him moucte,[13]
Til þat þe kinges dowter wore
Tuenti wint{er} hold, and more.

[Footnote 12: Sir F. Madden printed "lechhe"; but the MS. may
be read "leth he."]

[Footnote 13: So in MS. But the sense requires

"He gaf alle men, þat god _him_ þouchte,
Liuen and deyen til þat _he_ mouete," &c.]

[Headnote: EARL GODRICH TAKES POSSESSION.]

+Þa{n}ne he hauede take{n} þis oth 260
Of erles, baru{n}s, lef and loth,
Of knictes, cherles, fre and þewe,
[Sidenote: Earl Godrich appoints justices, sheriffs, &c.]
Justises dede he maken newe,
Al engelond to faren þorw, 264
Fro douere i{n}to rokesborw.
Schireues he sette, bedels, and g{re}yues,
Grith-sergea{n}s, wit lo{n}ge gleyues,
To yeme{n} wilde wodes and paþes 268
Fro wicke me{n}, that wolde don scaþes;
And forto haue{n} alle at his cri,
At his wille, at his merci;
[Sidenote: [Fol. 205b, col. 1.]]
Þat non durste be{n} him ageyn, 272
Erl ne baron, knict ne sweyn.
[Sidenote: He grows very rich, and all England fears him.]
Wislike for soth, was him wel
Of folc, of wepne, of catel,
Soþlike, in a lite þrawe 276
Al engelond of him stod [in] awe;
Al engelond was of him adrad,[14]
So his þe beste fro þe gad.

[Footnote 14: MS. "adred," altered to "adrad."]

[Sidenote: The maiden grows up very fair.]
+Þe ki{n}ges douther bigan þriue, 280
And wex þe fayrest wma{n} on liue.
Of alle þewes w[as] she wis,
Þat gode weren, and of pris.
[Sidenote: Her name is Goldborough.]
Þe mayden Goldeboru was hoten; 284
For hire was mani a ter igroten.

[Headnote: GODRICH PLOTS AGAINST HIS WARD.]

+Quanne the Erl godrich him herde
Of þat mayde{n}, hw we[l s]he ferde;
Hw wis sho was, w chaste, hw fayr, 288
And þat sho was þe rithe eyr
Of engelond, of al þe rike:--
[Sidenote: Godrich is vexed.]
Þo bigan godrich to sike,
And seyde, "weþer she sholde be 292
Quen and leuedi ouer me?
Hweþer sho sholde al engelond,
And me, and mine, haue{n} in hire hond?
Daþeit hwo it hire thaue! 296
Shal sho it neu{er}e more haue.
[Sidenote: "Shall I give England to a fool, a girl?]
Sholde ic yeue a fol, a þerne,
Engelond, þou sho it yerne?
Daþeit hwo it hire yeue, 300
Euere more hwil i liue!
Sho is waxen al to prud,
For gode metes, and noble shrud,
Þat hic haue youen hire to offte; 304
Hic haue yemed hire to softe.
Shal it nouth ben als sho þenkes,
'Hope maketh fol ma{n} ofte ble{n}kes.'
[Sidenote: My son shall have England."]
Ich haue a sone, a ful fayr knaue, 308
He shal e{n}gelond al haue.
He shal [ben] ki{n}g, he shal ben sire,
So brouke i eu{er}e mi blake swire!"

[Sidenote: He lets his oath go for nothing.]
+Hwan þis t{r}ayson was al þouth, 312
Of his oth ne was him nouth.
He let his oth al ouer-ga,
Þerof ne yaf he nouth a stra;
But sone dede hire fete, 316
[Sidenote: [Fol. 205b, col. 2.]]
Er he wolde hete{n} ani mete,
Fro wi{n}chestre þer sho was,
Also a wicke t{r}aytur iudas;
[Sidenote: He sends the maiden to Dover.]
And dede lede{n} hire to doure, 320
Þat standeth on þe seis oure;
And þerhinne dede hire fede
Pourelike in feble wede,
[Sidenote: He shuts her up in the castle.]
Þe castel dede he yemen so, 324
Þat non ne micte come{n} hire to
Of hire frend, with [hire] to speke{n},
Þat heuere micte hire bale wreke{n}.

+Of Goldeb{oru} shul we nou laten, 328
Þat nouth ne bli{n}neth forto g{ra}te{n},
Þet sho liggeth in p{ri}soun:
[Sidenote: May Christ release Goldborough from prison!]
Ihe{s}u c{r}ist, that lazarun
To liue broucte fro dede bondes, 332
He lese hire wit hise hondes;
And leue sho mo him y-se
Heye ha{n}gen on galwe tre,
Þat hire haued i{n} sorwe brouth, 336
So as sho ne misdede nouth!