The Lay of Havelok the Dane Part 21

[Headnote: G.o.dRICH IS BOUND AND FETTERED.]

+Hwan he hauede him so shamed, His hand of plat, and yuele lamed, He tok him sone bi e necke 2756 Als a t{ra}ytour, daeyt wo recke!

[Sidenote: He has him bound and fettered, and sends him to the queen.]

And dide him binde and fet{er}e wel With G.o.de feteres al of stel, And to e quen he sende him, 2760 at birde wel to him ben grim; And Bad she sholde don him gete, And at non ne sholde him bete, Ne shame do, for he was knith, 2764 Til knithes hauede{n} demd him Rith.

[Sidenote: When the English find out that Goldborough is the heiress, they submit to Havelok.]

an e englishe men at sawe, at ei wisten, heye and lawe, at Goldeboru, at was so fayr, 2768 Was of engeland rith eyr, And at e king hire hauede wedded, And haueden ben samen bedded, He comen alle to crie m{er}ci, 2772 Vnto e king, at one cri, And beden him sone manrede and oth, at he ne sholde{n}, for lef ne loth, Neuere more ageyn him go, 2776 Ne ride, for wel ne for wo.

[Headnote: THE ENGLISH SUBMIT TO GOLDBOROUGH.]

+e king ne wolde nouth for-sake, at he ne shulde of hem take Manrede at he beden, and ok 2780 Hold oes swere{n} on e bok; [Sidenote: Havelok wishes to show Goldborough to the English.]

But or bad he, at ider were brouth e quen, for hem, swilk was his outh, For to se, and forto shawe, 2784 Yif at he hire wolde knawe.

oruth hem wite{n} wolde he, Yif at she aucte quen to be.

[Sidenote: Six earls fetch her in.]

+Sixe erles weren sone yare, 2788 After hire for to fare.

He nomen on-on, and come{n} sone, And brouthe{n} hire, at under mone In al e werd ne hauede per, 2792 Of hende-leik, fer ne ner.

Hwan she was come ider, alle e englishe men bi-gu{n}ne to falle [Sidenote: [Fol. 218b, col. 1.]]

O knes, and grete{n} swie sore, 2796 And seyden, "leuedi, k[r]istes ore, [Sidenote: The English ask her pardon.]

And youres! we haue{n} misdo mikel, at we ayen you haue be fikel, For englond auhte forto ben youres, 2800 And we youre me{n} and youres.

Is non of us, yung ne old, at we ne wot, at aelwold Was king of is kunerike, 2804 [Sidenote: They admit she is heiress.]

And ye his eyr, and at e swike Haues it halden with mikel wro{n}ge: G.o.d leue him sone to honge!"

[Headnote: G.o.dRICH IS CONDEMNED TO BE BURNT.]

+Quot[127] hauelok, "hwan at ye it wite. 2808 [Sidenote: Havelok says they must pa.s.s judgment on G.o.drich.]

Nu wile ich at ye doun site, And after G.o.drich haues wrouht, at haues in sorwe him-self brouth, Lokes at ye deme{n} him rith, 2812 For dom ne spared[128] clerk ne knith, And sien shal ich under-stonde Of you, after lawe of londe, Manrede, and holde oes boe, 2816 Yif ye it wilen, and ek rothe."

Anon er dune he hem sette, For non e dom ne durste lette, [Sidenote: They say he is to be bound on an a.s.s's back, taken to Lincoln, bound to a stake, and burnt.]

And demden him to binde{n} faste 2820 Vp-on an a.s.se swie un-wraste, Andelong, nouht ouer-wert, His nose went unto e stert; And so to lincolne lede, 2824 Shamelike in wicke wede, And hwan he cam un-to e borw, Shamelike ben led er-oru, Bisoue e borw, un-to a grene, 2828 at are is yet, als[o] y wene, And ere be bunde{n} til a stake, Aboute{n} him ful gret fir make, And al to dust be brend Rith ere; 2832 And yet demde{n} he er more, Oer swikes for to warne, at hise childre{n} sulde arne Euere more at eritage, 2836 at his was, for hise utrage.

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

[Footnote 128: _Qu._ spares.]

+Hwan e dom was demd and seyd, [Sidenote: So he is laid on the a.s.s, and burnt.]

Sket was e swike on e a.s.se leyd, And [led vn-]til[129] at ilke grene, 2840 [Sidenote: [Fol. 218b, col. 2.]]

And brend til asken al bidene.

o was Goldeboru ful blie, She a{n}ked G.o.d fele sye, at e fule swike was brend, 2844 at wende wel hire bodi haue shend, [Sidenote: Goldborough rejoices.]

And seyde, "nu is time to take Manrede of brune and of blake, at ich se ride[{n}] and go: 2848 Nu ich am wreke[{n}][130] of mi fo."

[Footnote 129: MS. "And him til," which is nonsense. See l. 2827.]

[Footnote 130: See l. 2992.]

[Sidenote: Havelok makes the English swear fealty.]

+Hauelok anon ma{n}rede tok Of alle englishe, on e bok, And dide hem grete oes swere, 2852 at he sholde{n} him G.o.d feyth bere Ageyn alle at wore{n} liues, And at sholde ben born of wiues.

[Headnote: THE EARL OF CHESTER MARRIES GUNILD.]

+a{n}ne he hauede[131] sikernesse 2856 Taken of more and of lesse, Al at hise wille, so dide he calle [Sidenote: He proposes that Earl Reyner of Chester shall marry Gunild, Grim's daughter; and he will then always be his friend.]

e erl of cestre, and hise men alle, at was yung knith wit-ute{n} wif, 2860 And seyde, "sire erl, bi mi lif, And ou wile mi {con}seyl tro, Ful wel shal ich with e do, For ich shal yeue e to wiue 2864 e fairest ing that is oliue.

[Headnote: HAVELOK REMEMBERS BERTRAM'S KINDNESS.]

at is gu{n}nild of grimesby, Grimes douther, bi seint dauy!

at me forth broute, and wel fedde, 2868 And ut of denemark with me fledde, Me for to burwe fro mi ded: Sikerlike, oru his red Haue ich liued in-to is day, 2872 Blissed wore his soule ay!

I rede at u hire take, And spuse, and curteyse make, For she is fayr, and she is fre, 2876 And al so hende so she may be.

ertekene she is wel with me, at shal ich ful wel shewe e, For ich giue e a giue, 2880 at euere more hwil ich liue, For hire shal-tu be with me dere, at wile ich at is folc al here."

e erl ne wolde nouth ageyn 2884 e king[e] be, for knith ne sweyn, [Sidenote: [Fol. 219, col. 1.]]

Ne of e spusing seyen nay, But spusede [hire] at ilke day.

at spusinge was G.o.d time maked, 2888 [Sidenote: They are married, and have five sons.]

For it ne were neuere clad ne naked, In a ede samened two at cam to-gidere, liuede so, So ey dide[{n}] al here liue: 2892 He geten same{n} sones fiue, at were e beste me{n} at nede, at mouthe ride{n} on ani stede.

Hwan gu{n}nild was to cestre brouth, 2896 [Sidenote: Havelok remembers Bertram, the earl's cook, and makes him Earl of Cornwall.]

Hauelok e G.o.de ne for-gat nouth Bertra{m}, at was the erles kok, at he ne dide calle{n} ok, And seyde, "frend, so G.o.d me rede! 2900 Nu shaltu haue riche mede,

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

For wissing, and i G.o.de dede, at tu me dides in ful gret nede.

For a{n}ne y yede in mi cuuel, 2904 And ich ne haue[de] bred, ne sowel, Ne y ne hauede no catel, ou feddes and claddes me ful wel.

Haue nu for-i of cornwayle 2908 e erldom ildel, with-uten fayle, And al e lond at G.o.drich held, Boe in towne, and ek in feld; And erto wile ich, at u spuse, 2912 And fayre bring hire un-til huse, [Sidenote: He is to marry Levive, Grim's daughter, who is as fair as a rose.]

Grimes douther, leuiue e hende, For ider shal she with e wende.

Hire semes curteys forto be, 2916 For she is fayr so flour on tre; e heu is swilk in hire ler So [is] e rose in roser, Hwan it is fayr sprad ut newe 2920 Ageyn e su{n}ne, brith and lewe."

And girde him sone with e swerd Of e erldom, bi-forn his ferd, And with his hond he made hi{m} knith, 2924 And yaf him armes, for at was rith, [Sidenote: They are married.]

And dide him ere sone wedde Hire at was ful swete in bedde.

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

[Sidenote: Havelok and Goldborough lived 100 years, and had many children.]

+After at he spused wore, 2928 Wolde e erl nouth dwelle ore, But sone na{m} until his lond, [Sidenote: [Fol. 219, col. 2.]]

And seysed it al in his hond, And liuede er-i{n}ne, he and his wif, 2932 An hundred winter in G.o.d lif,[132]

And gaten mani childre{n} samen, And liueden ay in blisse and game{n}.

Hwa{n} e maydens were spused boe, 2936 Hauelok anon bigan ful rathe [Sidenote: The Danes are enriched.]

His denshe men to feste wel Wit riche landes and catel, So at he weren alle riche: 2940 For he was large and nouth chinche.

[Footnote 132: Between this line and the next are inserted in the MS. the words: _For he saw at he_, which have been subsequently struck out by the same hand, and the word _vacat_ affixed.]

[Headnote: HAVELOK IS CROWNED KING OF ENGLAND.]

+er-after sone, with his here, [Sidenote: Havelok is crowned at London.]

For he to lundone, forto bere Corune, so at [alle] it sawe, 2944 Henglishe ant denshe, heye and lowe, Hwou he it bar with mikel pride, For his barnage at was un-ride.