Chapter V: Part 5

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.]