The Lay of Havelok the Dane Part 18

+He let his oth al ouer-go, 2220 Euere wure him yuel and wo!

For[101] e maydnes here lif Refte he boen, with a knif, And him shulde ok haue slawe{n}, 2224 e knif was at his herte drawe{n}, But G.o.d him wolde wel haue saue, He hauede reunesse of e knaue, So at he with his hend 2228 Ne drop him nouth, at sor[i] fend, But sone dide he a fishere Swie grete oes swere, at he sholde drenchen him 2232 In e se, at was ful brim.

[Footnote 101: _Qu._ Fro.]

[Sidenote: But Grim fled with him to England.]

+Hwan grim saw at he was so fayr, And wiste he was e Rith eir, Fro denemark ful sone he fledde 2236 In-til englond, and er him fedde Mani winter, at til is 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 is werd ne haues he per; Non so fayr, ne non so long, Ne non so mikel, ne non so stro{n}g.

In is middelerd nis no knith 2244 Half so strong, ne half so with.

Bes of him ful glad and blie, And cometh alle hider swie, Manrede youre louerd forto make, 2248 Boe brune and e blake.

I shal mi-self do first e gamen, And ye sien alle samen."

[Headnote: UBBE DOES HOMAGE TO HAVELOK.]

[Sidenote: Ubbe swears fealty first.]

+Oknes ful fayre he him sette, 2252 Mouthe noing him er-fro lette, And bi-cam is man Rith are, at alle sawe{n} at ere 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 sien euerilk a baroun, at euere weren i{n} al that toun; And sien drenges, and sie{n} thaynes, 2260 And sien knithes, and sie{n} sweynes; So at, or at day was gon, In al e tun ne was nouth on at 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 at he sholden him G.o.d feyth bere Ageynes alle at woren on liue; er-yen ne wolde neuer on striue, at he ne made{n} sone at oth, 2272 Riche and poure, lef and loth.

Hwan at was maked, sone he se{n}de, [Sidenote: Ubbe sends for all the sheriffs and constables.]

Vbbe, writes fer and hende, After alle at castel yemede, 2276 Burwes, tunes, sibbe an fremde, at ider sholde{n} come{n} swie Til him, and heren tiandes blie, at he hem alle shulde telle: 2280 Of hem ne wolde neu{er}e on dwelle, at he ne come sone plattinde, Hwo hors ne hauede, com ga{n}ga{n}de.

So at with-i{n}ne a fourtenith, 2284 In al denemark ne was no knith, Ne conestable, ne shireue, at com of adam and of eue, [Sidenote: They all come.]

at he ne com biforn sire ubbe: 2288 He dredde{n} him so hes[103] doth clubbe.

[Footnote 103: _Qu._ es, _i.e._ thighs; or the spelling _hes_ may be intentional; see l. 1984. But Sir F. Madden suggests _eues_.]

[Sidenote: Ubbe shows Havelok to them all.]

+Hwan he hauede{n} alle e ki{n}g gret, And he weren alle dun set, o seyde ubbe, "lokes here, 2292 Vre louerd swie dere, at shal ben king of al e lond, And haue us alle under hond.

For he is birkabeynes sone, 2296 e king at 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 swie adrad, 2304 And dide sone al at he bad, And yet dede{n} he sumdel more, O bok ful grundlike he swore, at he sholde with him halde 2308 Boe ageynes stille and bolde, at euere wo[l]de his bodi dere: at 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 swie brith, And e folk of al e lond 2316 Bitauhte him al in his hond, e cunnriche eu{er}il del, And made him king heylike and wel.

Hwan he was king, er mouthe me{n} se 2320 e moste ioie at mouhte be: [Sidenote: Great joy and many sports.]

b.u.t.tinge with sharpe sp{er}es, Skirming with taleuaces, at me{n} beres, Wrastling with laddes, putti{n}g of ston, 2324 Harping and piping, ful G.o.d won, Leyk of mine, of hasard ok, Romanz reding on e bok; er mouthe men here e gestes singe, 2328 e gleymen on e tabour dinge; [Sidenote: There is baiting of bulls and boars, and plenty of meat and wine.]

er mouhte men se e boles beyte, And e bores, with hundes teyte; o mouthe men se eueril gleu, 2332 er mouthe me{n} se hw grim greu; Was neu{er}e yete ioie more In al is werd, an o was ore.

er was so mike[105] yeft of cloes, 2336 at ou i swore you grete othes, I ne wore nouth er-offe croud: at may i ful wel swere, bi G.o.d!

ere was swie G.o.de metes, 2340 And of wyn, at men fer fetes, Rith al so mik and gret plente, So it were water of e se.

e feste fourti dawes sat, 2344 [Sidenote: [Fol. 216, col. 1.]]

So riche was neu{er}e non so at.

[Sidenote: The king makes Robert, William, and Hugh all barons.]

e king made Roberd ere knith, at was ful strong, and ful with, And willa{m}, wendut het, his broer, 2348 And huwe raue{n}, at was at oer, And made hem barouns alle re, And yaf hem lond, and oer fe, So mikel, at ilker twent[i] knihtes 2352 Hauede of genge, dayes and nithes.

[Footnote 105: See l. 2342.]

[Headnote: HAVELOK IS MADE KING OF DENMARK.]

+Hwan at feste was al don, [Sidenote: A thousand knights accompany the king.]

A thusand knihtes ful wel o bon With-held e king, with hi{m} to lede; 2356 at ilkan hauede ful G.o.d stede, Helm, and sheld, and brinie brith, And al e wepne at fel to knith.

[Sidenote: and five thousand sergeants.]

With he{m} fiue thusand G.o.de 2360 Sergaunz, at were{n} to fyht wode, With-held he al of his genge: Wile I na more e storie lenge.

Yet hwan he hauede of al e lond 2364 e casteles alle i{n} his hond, And conestables don er-inne, [Sidenote: He swears to be avenged of G.o.dard, and to find and bind him.]

He swor, he ne sholde neuer bli{n}ne, Til at he were of G.o.dard wreke{n}, 2368 at 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 e auter ok, at he ne sholde neuere blinne, Ne for loue, ne for sinne, Til at he haueden G.o.dard funde, 2376 And brouth biforn hi{m} faste bunde.

[Headnote: HAVELOK GOES TO SEEK OUT G.o.dARD.]

+anne he hauede{n} swor is oth, Ne leten he nouth for lef ne loth, at he ne foren swie rathe, 2380 [Sidenote: He goes to meet G.o.dard.]

er he was unto e pae, er he yet on hunti{n}g for, With mikel genge, and swie stor.

Robert, at was of al e ferd 2384 Mayster, was girt wit a swerd, And sat up-on a ful G.o.d stede, at vnder him Rith wolde wede; [Sidenote: Robert accosts G.o.dard, and tells him to come to the king, who will repay him.]

He was e firste at with G.o.dard 2388 Spak, and seyde, "hede[106] cauenard!

[Sidenote: [Fol. 216, col. 2.]]

Wat dos u here at is pae?

Cu{m} to e king, swie and rae.

at sendes he e word, and bedes, 2392 at u enke hwat u him dedes, Hwan u reftes with a knif Hise sistres here lif, An sien bede u in e se 2396 Drenchen him, at herde he.

He is to e swie grim: Cu{m} nu swie un-to him, at king is of is kuneriche. 2400 u fule man! u wicke swike!

And he shal yelde e i mede, Bi c{ri}st at wolde on rode blede!"

[Footnote 106: _Qu._ helde, _i.e._ old. Unless it means "heed!"]

+Hwan G.o.dard herde at er rette, 2404 [Sidenote: G.o.dard and Robert strike each other.]

With e neue he robert sette Biforn e teth a dint ful strong.

And robert kipt ut a knif long, And smot him oru e rith arum: 2408 er-of was ful litel harum.