The Lay of Havelok the Dane Part 8

Daeit hwo it hire thaue! 296 Shal sho it neu{er}e more haue.

[Sidenote: "Shall I give England to a fool, a girl?]

Sholde ic yeue a fol, a erne, Engelond, ou sho it yerne?

Daeit hwo it hire yeue, 300 Euere more hwil i liue!

Sho is waxen al to prud, For G.o.de metes, and n.o.ble shrud, at hic haue youen hire to offte; 304 Hic haue yemed hire to softe.

Shal it nouth ben als sho enkes, 'Hope maketh fol ma{n} ofte ble{n}kes.'

[Sidenote: My son shall have England."]

Ich haue a sone, a ful fayr knaue, 308 He shal e{n}gelond al haue.

He shal [ben] ki{n}g, he shal ben sire, So brouke i eu{er}e mi blake swire!"

[Sidenote: He lets his oath go for nothing.]

+Hwan is t{r}ayson was al outh, 312 Of his oth ne was him nouth.

He let his oth al ouer-ga, erof ne yaf he nouth a stra; But sone dede hire fete, 316 [Sidenote: [Fol. 205b, col. 2.]]

Er he wolde hete{n} ani mete, Fro wi{n}chestre er sho was, Also a wicke t{r}aytur iudas; [Sidenote: He sends the maiden to Dover.]

And dede lede{n} hire to doure, 320 at standeth on e seis oure; And erhinne dede hire fede Pourelike in feble wede, [Sidenote: He shuts her up in the castle.]

e castel dede he yemen so, 324 at non ne micte come{n} hire to Of hire frend, with [hire] to speke{n}, at heuere micte hire bale wreke{n}.

+Of Goldeb{oru} shul we nou laten, 328 at nouth ne bli{n}neth forto g{ra}te{n}, et sho liggeth in p{ri}soun: [Sidenote: May Christ release Goldborough from prison!]

Ihe{s}u c{r}ist, that lazarun To liue broucte fro dede bondes, 332 He lese hire wit hise hondes; And leue sho mo him y-se Heye ha{n}gen on galwe tre, at hire haued i{n} sorwe brouth, 336 So as sho ne misdede nouth!

[Headnote: BIRKABEYN IS KING OF DENMARK.]

+Sawe nou forth i{n} hure spelle; [Sidenote: At that time there was a king of Denmark, called Birkabeyn.]

In at time, so it bifelle, Was in e lon of denemark 340 A riche king, and swye stark.

[e] name of him was birkabeyn, He hauede mani knict and sueyn; He was fayr man, and wicth, 344 Of bodi he was e beste knicth at eu{er}e micte lede{n} uth here, Or stede onne ride, or ha{n}dlen spere, [Sidenote: He had three children.]

re children he hauede bi his wif, 348 He hem louede so his lif.

He hauede a sone [and] douhtres two, Swie fayre, as fel it so.

He at wile non forbere, 352 Riche ne poure; king ne kaysere, [Sidenote: Death came upon him.]

Deth him tok a{n} he bes[t] wolde Liuen, but hyse dayes were fulde; at he ne moucte no more liue, 356 For gol ne siluer, ne for no gyue.

[Sidenote: He sends for the priests.]

+Hwa{n} he at wiste, rae he sende After p{re}stes fer an hende, Chanounes G.o.de, and mo{n}kes bee,[15] 360 Him for to[16] wisse, and to Rede; [Sidenote: [Fol. 206, col. 1.]]

Him for to hoslon, an forto shriue, Hwil his bodi were on liue.

[Footnote 15: MS. "boe." But "bee" rimes to "Rede"; see l. 694.]

[Footnote 16: MS. fort{hm} to, the _hm_ being expuncted.]

[Headnote: BIRKABEYN SELECTS EARL G.o.dARD / TO BE GUARDIAN OF HIS THREE CHILDREN.]

+Hwa{n} he was hosled and shriue{n}, 364 His q{ui}ste maked, and for him gyue{n}, His knictes dede he alle site, For orw hem he wolde wite, [Sidenote: He asks who will guard his children?]

Hwo micte yeme hise childre{n} yunge, 368 Til at he kouen speke{n} wit tu{n}ge; Speke{n} and gangen, on horse riden, Knictes an sweynes bi here side{n}.

He spoken er-offe, and chosen sone 372 A riche man was under mone, [Sidenote: He chooses G.o.dard.]

Was e trewest at he wende, G.o.dard, e kinges oune frende; And seyden, he Moucthe he{m} best loke, 376 Yif at he hem vndertoke, Til hise sone Mouthe bere Helm on heued, and lede{n} vt here, In his hand a sp{e}re stark, 380 And king ben maked of denemark.

He wel trowede at he seyde, And on G.o.dard handes leyde; [Sidenote: He commends the children to G.o.dard.]

And seyde, "Here bi-teche i e 384 Mine childre{n} alle re, Al denemark, and al mi fe, Til at mi sone of helde be; [Sidenote: He makes him swear to take care of them, and to give up the kingdom to the boy.]

But at ich wille, at o[u] suere 388 On auter, and on messe-gere, On e belles at men ri{n}ges, On messe-bok e prest on singes, at ou mine children shalt we[l] yeme, 392 at hire kin be ful wel queme, Til mi sone mowe ben knicth, anne biteche him o his Ricth, Denemark, and at ertil lo{n}ges, 396 Casteles and tunes, wodes and wo{n}ges."

[Sidenote: G.o.dard swears to do so.]

+G.o.dard stirt up, an swor al at e king him bad, and sien sat Bi the knictes, at er ware, 400 at wepen alle swie sare For e king at deide sone: Ih{es}u c{ri}st, that makede mone On e mirke nith to shine, 404 Wite his soule fro h.e.l.le pine; And leue at it mote wone [Sidenote: [Fol. 206, col. 2.]]

In heuene-riche with G.o.des sone!

[Headnote: G.o.dARD IMPRISONS THE THREE CHILDREN.]

[Sidenote: G.o.dard shuts up the children, Havelok, Swanborough, and Helfled, in a castle.]

+Hwan birkabeyn was leyd i{n} g{ra}ue, 408 e erl dede sone take e knaue, Hauelok, at was e eir, Swanborow, his sister, helfled, e toer,[17]

And in e castel dede he hem do, 412 er non ne micte hem come{n} to Of here kyn, er ei sperd wore;[18]

er he greten ofte sore, Boe for hunger and for kold, 416 Or he weren re wint{er} hold.

Feblelike he gaf he{m} cloes, [Sidenote: He cares not for his oaths.]

He ne yaf a note of hise oes; He hem [ne] cloede rith, ne fedde, 420 Ne hem ne dede richelike be-bedde.

a{n}ne G.o.dard was sikerlike [Sidenote: He is a traitor.]

Vnder G.o.d e moste swike, at eure in ere shaped was, 424 With-uten on, e wike Iudas.

[Sidenote: May he be accursed!]

Haue he e malisun to-day Of alle at eure speke{n} may!

Of p{at}riark, and of pope! 428 And of prest with loke{n} kope!

Of monekes, and h{er}mites boe![19]

And of e leue holi rode, at G.o.d him-selue ran on blode! 432 [Sidenote: Cursed be he by north and south!]

Crist warie him with his mouth!

Waried wrthe he of nor and suth!

Offe alle man, at speke{n} kunne!

Of c{ri}st, at made[20] mone and su{n}ne! 436 a{n}ne he hauede of al e lond Al e folk tilled in-til his hond, And alle haueden swore{n} him oth, Riche and poure, lef and loth, 440 at he sholden hise wille freme, [Sidenote: He plots against the children.]

And at he shulde[{n}] him nouth g{re}me, He outhe a ful strong trechery, A trayson, and a felony, 444 Of e children forto make: e deuel of h.e.l.le him sone take!

[Footnote 17: Corrupt? Lines 410, 411 do not rime well together.]

[Footnote 18: MS. were. But see l. 237.]

[Footnote 19: Lines 430, 431, 432 rime together. NB. The words _holi rode_ are written over an erasure.]

[Footnote 20: MS. mande.]

[Sidenote: He goes to the tower where they are.]

+Hwa{n} at was outh, onon he ferde To e tour er he wore{n} sp{er}de, 448 er he grete{n} for hunger and cold: e knaue at was su{m}del bold, Ka{m} him ageyn, on knes him sette, [Sidenote: [Fol. 206b, col. 1.]]

And G.o.dard ful feyre he fer grette; 452 And G.o.dard seyde, "Wat is yw?

Hwi grete ye and goulen nou?"

[Sidenote: Havelok says they are hungry.]

"For us hu{n}greth swie sore:"-- Seyden he wolde{n} [haue] more, 456 "We ne haue to hete, ne we ne haue Herinne neyther knith ne knaue at yeueth us drinke{n}, ne no mete, Halue{n}del at we moun ete. 460 [Sidenote: "Alas, that we were born!"]

Wo is us at we weren born!

Weilawei! nis it no korn, at men micte make{n} of bred?

Vs[21] hungreth, we aren ney ded." 464

[Footnote 21: MS. s; of. l. 455.]