The Lay of Havelok the Dane Part 7

He ne mouthe no mete hete, Ne he ne mouchte no lye gete; Ne non of his iuel at coue red; 148 Of him ne was nouth bute{n} ded.

[Sidenote: All sadly obey his summons.]

+Alle at 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 h.o.r.e, at he [wolde] t{ur}nen him Vt of at yuel at was so grim!

a{n}ne he weren comen alle 156 [Sidenote: They come to Winchester.]

Bifor e king i{n}to the halle, At wi{n}chestre er he lay: "Welcome," he seyde, "be ye ay!

Ful michel ank[e] kan [y] yow 160 That ye aren come{n} to me now!"

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

[Sidenote: They all mourn and lament.]

+Quanne he were{n} alle set, And e 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, "at greti{n}g helpeth nouth, For al to dede am ich brouth.

Bute nov ye sen at 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 at shal be Yure leuedi after me, Wo may yeme{n} hire so longe, 172 Boen hire and engelonde, Til at she [mowe] winan of helde, And a she mowe yeme{n} and welde?"

He ansuered{en}, and seyd{en} an-on, 176 [Sidenote: They answer, "Earl G.o.drich of Cornwall."]

Bi crist[7*] and bi seint ion, That erl G.o.drigh 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 aler-best[e] yeme, Til at 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.]

+e king was payed of that Rede; 184 A wol fair cloth bri{n}ge{n} he dede, And er-on leyde e messebok, e caliz, and e pateyn ok, e corporaus, e messe-gere; 188 er-on he garte e erl suere, at he sholde yemen hire wel, With-ute{n} lac, wit-ute{n} tel, Til at she were tuelf[8] wi{n}ter hold, 192 And of speche were bold; And at she cove 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 at she louen oucte,[9] 196 Wom so hire to G.o.de thoucte; And at he shulde hire yeue e beste ma{n} that micthe liue, e beste, fayreste, the stra{n}gest ok:-- 200 at dede he him sweren on e bok.

And a{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] at was sworn on his wise, 204 [Sidenote: He gives up all England to the earl, to keep for her.]

e ki{n}g dede e mayde{n} arise, And e 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 "is."]

+e king ne mowcte don no more, But yerne preyede G.o.des ore; And dede him hosle{n} wel and shriue, 212 [Sidenote: The king does penance.]

I woth, fif hu{n}dred sies and fiue; An ofte dede him sore swinge, And wit hondes smerte di{n}ge; So at e blod ran of his fleys, 216 at tendre was, and swie neys.

[11]And sone gaf it euere-il del; He made his quiste swie 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 at noma{n} wiste: For al was youe{n}, faire and wel, 224 at him was leued no catel.

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

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

[Headnote: KING ATHELWOLD DIES.]

+a{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 at he e speche leyde.

[Sidenote: The king dies.]

To ihe{s}u crist bigan to calle, And deyede biforn his heyme{n} alle.

an he was ded, ere micte me{n} se 232 e meste sorwe that micte be; er was sobbing, siking, and sor, Handes wri{n}gi{n}g, and drawi{n}g bi hor.

[Sidenote: All mourn for him.]

Alle greten swie sore, 236 Riche and poure at ere wore; An mikel sorwe hauede{n} alle, Leuedyes i{n} boure, knictes i{n} halle.

[Sidenote: Ma.s.ses are sung for him.]

+Quan at 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 at G.o.d self shulde his soule lede{n} Into heuene, biforn his sone, And er wit-uten hende wone.

[Sidenote: He is buried and the earl takes possession, till the maiden is twenty years old.]

an he was to e ere brouth, 248 e riche erl ne foryat nouth, at he ne dede al engelond Sone sayse i{n}til his hond; And in e castels leth he[12] do 252 e knictes he micte triste{n} to; And alle e englis dede he swere[{n}], at he shulde{n} him ghod fey baren; He yaf alle me{n}, at G.o.d oucte, 256 Liuen and deyen til at him moucte,[13]

Til at e 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, at G.o.d _him_ ouchte, Liuen and deyen til at _he_ mouete," &c.]

[Headnote: EARL G.o.dRICH TAKES POSSESSION.]

+a{n}ne he hauede take{n} is oth 260 Of erles, baru{n}s, lef and loth, Of knictes, cherles, fre and ewe, [Sidenote: Earl G.o.drich appoints justices, sheriffs, &c.]

Justises dede he maken newe, Al engelond to faren orw, 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 paes 268 Fro wicke me{n}, that wolde don scaes; And forto haue{n} alle at his cri, At his wille, at his merci; [Sidenote: [Fol. 205b, col. 1.]]

at 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, Solike, in a lite rawe 276 Al engelond of him stod [in] awe; Al engelond was of him adrad,[14]

So his e beste fro e gad.

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

[Sidenote: The maiden grows up very fair.]

+e ki{n}ges douther bigan riue, 280 And wex e fayrest wma{n} on liue.

Of alle ewes w[as] she wis, at G.o.de weren, and of pris.

[Sidenote: Her name is Goldborough.]

e mayden Goldeboru was hoten; 284 For hire was mani a ter igroten.

[Headnote: G.o.dRICH PLOTS AGAINST HIS WARD.]

+Quanne the Erl G.o.drich him herde Of at mayde{n}, hw we[l s]he ferde; Hw wis sho was, w chaste, hw fayr, 288 And at sho was e rithe eyr Of engelond, of al e rike:-- [Sidenote: G.o.drich is vexed.]

o bigan G.o.drich to sike, And seyde, "weer she sholde be 292 Quen and leuedi ouer me?

Hweer sho sholde al engelond, And me, and mine, haue{n} in hire hond?