The Lay of Havelok the Dane Part 13

anne he kome{n} ere, anne was gri{m} ded, Of him ne hauede{n} he no red; 1204 But hise childre{n} alle fyue Alle weren yet on liue; at ful fayre ayen he{m} neme, Hwan he wiste{n} at he keme, 1208 And made{n} ioie swie mikel, Ne were{n} he neuere ayen he{m} fikel.

On knes ful fayre he hem setten, And hauelok swie fayre grette{n}, 1212 [Sidenote: They welcome Havelok very kindly.]

And seyde{n}, "welkome, louerd dere!

And welkome be i fayre fere!

Blessed be at ilke rawe, at ou hire toke in G.o.des lawe! 1216 Wel is hus we sen e on lyue, ou mithe us boe selle and yeue; ou mayt us boe yeue and selle, [Sidenote: [Fol. 210b, col. 2.]]

With at ou wilt here dwelle. 1220 We haue{n}, louerd, alle G.o.de, [Sidenote: They beg him to stay with them.]

Hors, and neth, and s.h.i.+p on flode, Gold, and siluer, and michel auchte, at grim ute fader us bitawchte. 1224 Gold, and siluer, and oer fe Bad he us bi-taken e.

We hauen shep, we hauen swin, Bi-leue her, louerd, and al be in; 1228 [Sidenote: They will serve him and his wife.]

o shalt ben louerd, ou shalt be{n} syre, And we sholen s{er}ue{n} e and hire; And hure sistres shole{n} do Al that euere biddes sho; 1232 He shole{n} hire cloe{n},[59*] washe{n}, and wri{n}ge{n}, And to hondes water bringe{n}; He sholen bedde{n} hire and e, For leuedi wile we at she be." 1236 Hwan he is ioie hauede{n} maked, Sithen stikes broke{n} and kraked, [Sidenote: They make a fire, and spare neither goose nor hen.]

And e fir brouth on bre{n}ne, Ne was er spared gos ne he{n}ne, 1240 Ne e hende, ne e drake, Mete he deden plente make; Ne wantede ere no G.o.d mete, [Sidenote: They fetch wine and ale.]

Wyn and ale dede{n} he fete, 1244 And made[n] hem [ful] glade and blie, Wesseyl ledde{n} he fele sie.

[Footnote 59: A word is here erased; but see l. 2618.]

[Footnote 59* (from Emendations): "Mr Garnett suggested that _cloen_ may mean _clothes_. If so, dele the comma after it."]

[Headnote: GOLDBOROUGH SEES THE WONDROUS LIGHT.]

[Sidenote: At night Goldborough lies down sorrowful.]

+On e nith, als goldeborw lay, Sory and sorwful was she ay, 1248 For she wende she were bi-swike, at sh[e w]ere[60] yeue{n} un-kyndelike.

[Sidenote: She sees a great light.]

O nith saw she er-inne a lith, A swie fayr, a swie bryth, 1252 Al so brith, al so s.h.i.+r, So it were a blase of fir.

She lokede no[r],[61] and ek south, [Sidenote: It comes out of Havelok's mouth.]

And saw it come{n} ut of his mouth, 1256 at lay bi hire in e bed: No ferlike ou she were adred.

outhe she, "wat may this bi-mene!

He beth heyma{n} yet, als y wene, 1260 He beth heyma{n} er he be ded:"-- [Sidenote: She sees a red cross on his shoulder, and hears an angel, saying,]

On hise shuldre, of gold red She saw a swie n.o.ble croiz, Of an angel she herde a uoyz: 1264

[Footnote 60: MS. shere, _evidently miswritten for_ she were.]

[Footnote 61: MS. no.]

[Sidenote: [Fol. 211, col. 1.]]

[Sidenote: "Goldborough, be not sad. Havelok shall be a king, and thou, queen."]

+"Goldeborw, lat i sorwe be, For hauelok, at haue spuset e, He[62] kinges sone, and ki{n}ges eyr, at bike{n}neth at croiz so fayr. 1268 It[63] bikenneth more, at he shal Denemark haue{n}, and englond al; He shal ben king strong and stark Of engelond and denemark; 1272 at shal u wit in eyne sen, And o shalt quen and leuedi ben!"

[Footnote 62: _Qu._ Is.]

[Footnote 63: MS. Iit.]

[Headnote: HAVELOK TELLS HER HIS STRANGE DREAM.]

[Sidenote: She rejoices, and kisses Havelok.]

+anne she hauede herd the steuene Of e angel uth of heuene, 1276 She was so fele sies blithe, at she ne mithe hire ioie mythe; But hauelok sone anon she kiste, And he slep, and nouth ne wiste. 1280 Hwan at aungel hauede seyd, [Sidenote: He awakes, and says he has had a dream.]

Of his slep a-non he brayd, And seide, "le{m}ma{n}, slepes ou?

A selkuth drem dremede me nou. 1284

[Headnote: SHE SAYS HAVELOK WILL BE A GREAT KING.]

+Herkne nou hwat me haueth met: [Sidenote: He dreamt he was on a high hill in Denmark, and began to possess all that country.]

Me outhe y was i{n} denemark set, But on on e moste hil at eu{er}e yete kam i til. 1288 It was so hey, at y wel mouthe Al e werd se, als me outhe.

Als i sat up-on at lowe, I bigan denemark for to awe, 1292 e borwes, and e castles stronge; And mine armes were{n} so lo{n}ge, That i fadmede, al at ones, denemark, with mine lo{n}ge bones; 1296 And a{n}ne y wolde mine armes drawe Til me, and hom for to haue, [Sidenote: All things in Denmark cleaved to his arms.]

Al that euere in denemark liueden On mine armes faste clyueden; 1300 And e stronge castles alle On knes bigunne{n} for to falle, e keyes felle{n} at mine fet:-- [Sidenote: He also dreamt that he went to England, and that became his too.]

Anoer drem dremede me ek, 1304 at ich fley ouer e salte se Til engeland, and al with me at euere was in denemark lyues, But bo{n}deme{n}, and here wiues, 1308 And at ich kom til engelond, [Sidenote: [Fol. 211, col. 2.]]

Al closede it i{n}til min hond, And, goldeborw, y gaf [it] e:-- Deus! le{m}man, hwat may is be?" 1312 Sho answerede, and seyde sone: "Ih{es}u c{ri}st, at made mone, ine dremes t{ur}ne to ioye; at wite w that sittes i{n} trone! 1316 [Sidenote: She says, he will be king of England and Denmark.]

Ne non stro{n}g ki{n}g, ne caysere, So ou shalt be, fo[r] ou shalt bere In engelond corune yet; Denemark shal knele to i fet; 1320 Alle e castles at aren er-inne, Shal-tow, le{m}man, ful wel winne.

I woth, so wel so ich it sowe, To e shole come{n} heye and lowe, 1324 [Sidenote: "All men in Denmark shall come to thee.]

And alle at in denemark wone, Em and broer, fader and sone, Erl and baroun, dreng an kayn, Knithes, and burgeys, and sweyn; 1328 And mad king heyelike and wel, Denemark shal be in euere-ilc del.

Haue ou nouth er-offe douthe Nouth e worth, of one nouthe; 1332 er-offe with-i{n}ne e firste yer [Sidenote: Thou shalt be king within the year.]

Shalt ou ben king, of euere-il del.

But do nou als y wile rathe, Nim in with e to denema[r]k bae, 1336 And do ou nouth onfrest is fare, Lith and selthe felawes are.

For shal ich neuere blie be Til i with eyen denemark se; 1340 For ich woth, at al e lond Shalt ou haue{n} in in hon[d].

[Sidenote: Pray Grim's sons to go with you to Denmark.]

Prey grimes sones alle re, That he wenden for with e; 1344 I wot, he wilen e nouth werne, With e wende shule{n} he yerne, For he loue{n} e herte-like, ou maght til he aren quike, 1348 Hwore so he o worde aren; [Sidenote: Go at once.]

ere s.h.i.+p ou do he{m} swithe yare{n}, [Sidenote: Delays are dangerous."]

And loke at ou dwelle{n} nouth: Dwelling haueth ofte scae wrouth." 1352

[Headnote: HAVELOK PRAYS FOR VENGEANCE ON G.o.dARD.]

+Hwan Hauelok herde at she radde, Sone it was day, sone he him cladde, [Sidenote: [Fol. 211b, col. 1.]]

And sone to e kirke yede, Or he dide ani oer dede, 1356 And bifor e rode biga{n} falle, Croiz and crist bi[gan] to kalle, [Sidenote: Havelok prays for success, and for vengeance on his foe, who had caused him to be a beggar.]

And seyde, "louerd, at al weldes, Wind and wat{er}, wodes and feldes, 1360 For the holi milce of you, Haue m{er}ci of me, louerd, nou!

And wreke me yet on mi fo, at ich saw biforn min eyne slo 1364 Mine sistres, with a knif, And sien wolde me mi lyf Haue reft, for in the [depe] se Bad he grim haue drenched me. 1368 He [hath] mi lond with mikel vn-Rith, With michel wro{n}g, with mikel plith, For i ne[64] misdede him neu{er}e nouth, And haued me to sorwe brouth. 1372 He haueth me do mi mete to igge, And ofte in sorwe and pine ligge.

Louerd, haue m{er}ci of me, And late [me] wel pa.s.se e se, 1376 [Sidenote: He prays for a fair pa.s.sage across the sea.]

at ihc haue ther-offe douthe and kare, With-uten stormes ouer-fare, at y ne dre{n}ched [be] er-ine, Ne forfaren for no sinne. 1380 And bringge me wel to e lond, at G.o.dard haldes in his hond; at is mi Rith, eueri del: Ih{es}u c{ri}st, ou wost it wel!" 1384

[Footnote 64: MS. ine.]

+a{n}ne he hauede his bede seyd, [Sidenote: He leaves his offering on the altar.]

His offrende on e auter leyd, His leue at ih{es}u c{ri}st he tok, And at his suete moder ok, 1388 And at e croiz, at he biforn lay, Sie{n} yede sore grotinde awey.

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

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

[65]+Hwa{n} he com hom, he wore yare, Grimes sones, forto fare 1392 In-to e se, fishes to gete, at hauelok mithe wel of ete.

But auelok outhe al anoer, [Sidenote: Havelok calls Grim's three sons.]

First he ka[l]de e heldeste broer, 1396 Roberd e rede, bi his name,

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

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

Grimes sones alle re, [Sidenote: [Fol. 211b, col. 2.]]

And sey[d]e, "lies nou alle to me, 1400 Lou{er}dinges, ich wile you sheue, A ing of me at ye wel knewe.