Part 12

+Hwan þat feste was al don, [Sidenote: A thousand knights accompany the king.] A thusand knihtes ful wel o bon With-held þe king, with hi{m} to lede; 2356 Þat ilkan hauede ful god stede, Helm, and sheld, and brinie brith, And al þe wepne þat fel to knith. [Sidenote: and five thousand sergeants.] With he{m} fiue thusand gode 2360 Sergaunz, þat were{n} to fyht wode, With-held he al of his genge: Wile I na more þe storie lenge. Yet hwan he hauede of al þe lond 2364 Þe casteles alle i{n} his hond, And conestables don þer-inne, [Sidenote: He swears to be avenged of Godard, and to find and bind him.] He swor, he ne sholde neuer bli{n}ne, Til þat he were of godard wreke{n}, 2368 Þat 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 þe auter ok, Þat he ne sholde neuere blinne, Ne for loue, ne for sinne, Til þat he haueden godard funde, 2376 And brouth biforn hi{m} faste bunde.

[Headnote: HAVELOK GOES TO SEEK OUT GODARD.]

+Þanne he hauede{n} swor þis oth, Ne leten he nouth for lef ne loth, Þat he ne foren swiþe rathe, 2380 [Sidenote: He goes to meet Godard.] Þer he was unto þe paþe, Þer he yet on hunti{n}g for, With mikel genge, and swiþe stor. Robert, þat was of al þe ferd 2384 Mayster, was girt wit a swerd, And sat up-on a ful god stede, Þat vnder him Rith wolde wede; [Sidenote: Robert accosts Godard, and tells him to come to the king, who will repay him.] He was þe firste þat with godard 2388 Spak, and seyde, “hede[106] cauenard! [Sidenote: [Fol. 216, col. 2.]] Wat dos þu here at þis paþe? Cu{m} to þe king, swiþe and raþe. Þat sendes he þe word, and bedes, 2392 Þat þu þenke hwat þu him dedes, Hwan þu reftes with a knif Hise sistres here lif, An siþen bede þu in þe se 2396 Drenchen him, þat herde he. He is to þe swiþe grim: Cu{m} nu swiþe un-to him, Þat king is of þis kuneriche. 2400 Þu fule man! þu wicke swike! And he shal yelde þe þi mede, Bi c{ri}st þat wolde on rode blede!”

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

+Hwan godard herde þat þer þrette, 2404 [Sidenote: Godard and Robert strike each other.] With þe neue he robert sette Biforn þe teth a dint ful strong. And robert kipt ut a knif long, And smot him þoru þe rith arum: 2408 Þer-of was ful litel harum.

[Headnote: GODARD’S MEN ARE BEATEN.]

+Hwan his folk þat sau and herde, Hwou robert with here louerd ferde, He haueden him wel ner browt of liue, 2412 Ne were{n} his two breþren and oþre fiue Slowen of here laddes ten, Of godardes alþer-beste men. [Sidenote: Godard’s men flee, but Godard rallies them.] Hwan þe oþre sawe{n} þat, he fledde{n}, 2416 And godard swiþe loude gredde: “Mine knithes, hwat do ye? Sule ye þus-gate fro me fle? Ich haue you fed, and yet shal fede, 2420 Helpe me nu in þis nede, And late ye nouth mi bodi spille, Ne hauelok don of me hise wille. Yif ye id[107] do, ye do you shame, 2424 And bringeth you-self in mikel blame.” Hwan he þat herden, he wenten ageyn, And slowen a knit and[108] a sweyn Of þe kinges oune men, 2428 And woundede{n} abute{n} ten.

[Footnote 107: _Qu._ it.]

[Footnote 108: MS. and and.]

[Headnote: GODARD IS BOUND AND LED TO HAVELOK.]

[Sidenote: The king’s men kill all Godard’s men.] +The kinges men hwan he þat sawe, Scute{n} on hem, heye and lowe, And euerilk fot of hem slowe, 2432 But godard one, þat he flowe, So þe þef men dos henge, [Sidenote: [Fol. 216b, col. 1.]] Or hund men shole i{n} dike slenge. He bunde{n} him ful swiþe faste, 2436 Hwil þe bondes wolden laste, Þat he rorede als a bole, Þat he wore parred in an hole, With dogges forto bite and beite: 2440 Were þe bondes nouth to leite. [Sidenote: They bind Godard, and cast him on an old mare, to take him to Havelok.] He bounde{n} hi{m} so[109] fele sore, Þat he gan crien godes ore, Þat he sholde of his hend plette, 2444 Wolde{n} he nouht þer-fore lette, Þat he ne bounde{n} hond and fet: Daþeit þat on þat þer-fore let! But dunte{n} him so man doth bere, 2448 And keste him on a scabbed mere, Hise nese went un-to þe crice: So ledde{n} he þat fule swike, Til he was biforn hauelok brouth, 2452 Þat he haue[de] ful wo wrowht, Boþe with hungre[110] and with cold, Or he were twel winter old, And with mani heui swink, 2456 With poure mete, and feble drink, And [with] swiþe wikke cloþes, For al hise manie grete othes. Nu beyes he his holde blame: 2460 [Sidenote: “_Old sin makes new shame._”] ‘Old sinne makes newe shame:’ Wan he was [brouht] so shamelike Biforn[111] þe king, þe fule swike, [Sidenote: The king summons Ubbe and the rest.] Þe king dede ubbe swiþe calle 2464 Hise erles, and hise barouns alle, Dreng and thein, burgeis and knith,

[Headnote: HE IS CONDEMNED TO BE HUNG.]

And bad he sholde{n} demen him rith: For he kneu, þe swike dam, 2468 Euerildel god was him gram. He sette{n} hem dun bi þe wawe, Riche and pouere, heye and lowe, [Sidenote: They sit in judgment.] Þe helde men, and ek þe grom, 2472 And made þer þe rithe dom, And seyde{n} unto þe king anon, Þat stille sat [al] so þe ston: [Sidenote: “He is to be flayed, drawn, and hung.”] “We deme, þat he be al quic slawen,[112] 2476 And siþen to þe galwes drawe[{n}], At þis foule mere tayl; Þoru is fet a ful stro{n}g nayl; [Sidenote: [Fol. 216b, col. 2.]] And þore ben henged wit two feteres, 2480 And þare be writen þise leteres: ‘Þis is þe swike þat wende wel, Þe king haue reft þe lond il del, And hise sistres with a knif 2484 Boþe refte here lif.’ Þis writ shal henge bi him þare; Þe dom is demd, seye we na more.”

[Footnote 109: MS. fo.]

[Footnote 110: MS. hungred.]

[Footnote 111: MS. Brouht biforn; _but the word _brouht_ clearly belongs to the preceding line, in which, however, it is omitted._]

[Footnote 112: We should perhaps read _flawen_, as required by the sense. _See_ ll. 2495, 2502.]

[Headnote: GODARD IS FLAYED ALIVE AND HUNG.]

[Sidenote: Godard is shriven.] +Hwan þe dom was demd and giue, 2488 And he was wit þe p{re}stes shriue, And it ne mouhte ben non oþer, Ne for fader, ne for broþer, Þat he sholde þarne lif; 2492 [Sidenote: A lad flays him.] Sket cam a ladde with a knif, And bigan Rith at þe to For to ritte, and for to flo, And he bigan for to rore, 2496 So it were grim or gore, Þat men mithe þeþen a mile [Sidenote: He roars.] Here him rore, þat fule file. Þe ladde ne let no with for-þi, 2500 Þey he criede ‘m{er}ci! m{er}ci!’ Þat [he] ne flow [him] eueril del With knif mad of grunde{n} stel. [Sidenote: He is bound on an old mare, drawn over rough ground, and hung.] Þei garte bringe þe mere sone, 2504 Skabbed[113] and ful iuele o bone, And bunde{n} him rith at hire tayl With a rop of an old seyl, And drowe{n} him un-to þe galwes, 2508 Nouth bi þe gate, But ouer þe falwes; And henge [him] þore Bi þe hals: Daþeit hwo recke! he was fals.

[Footnote 113: MS. Skabbeb.]

[Headnote: GODRICH RAISES AN ARMY AGAINST HAVELOK.]

+Þa{n}ne he was ded, þat sathanas, 2512 Sket was seysed al þat his was In þe kinges hand il del, Lond and lith, and oþer catel, [Sidenote: Havelok makes Ubbe his steward.] And þe king ful sone it yaf 2516 Vbbe i{n} þe hond, wit a fayr staf, And seyde, “her ich sayse þe In al þe lo{n}d, in al þe fe.” [Sidenote: He founds a priory of black monks for Grim’s soul, in the town of Grimsby.] Þo swor hauelok he sholde make, 2520 Al for grim, of monekes blake A p{ri}orie to s{er}uen inne ay Ih{es}u c{ri}st, til domesday, For þe god he haueden him don, 2524 [Sidenote: [Fol. 217, col. 1.]] Hwil he was pou{er}e and iuel[114] o bon. And þer-of held he wel his oth, For he it made, god it woth! In þe tun þer grim was graue{n}, 2528 Þat of grim yet haues þe name. Of grim bidde ich na more spelle.[115]-- [Sidenote: Godrich, earl of Cornwall, hears that Havelok has invaded England.] But wan godrich herde telle, Of cornwayle þat was erl, 2532 (Þat fule traytour, that mixed cherl!) Þat hauelok was king of denemark, And ferde with him strong and stark, Comen engelond with-inne, 2536 Engelond al for to winne, And þat she, þat was so fayr, Þat was of engelond rith eir, Þat was comen up at grimesbi, 2540 He was ful sorful and sori, [Sidenote: He says he will slay Havelok and his wife.] And seyde, “Hwat shal me to raþe? Goddoth! i shal do slou hem baþe. I shal don hengen hem ful heye, 2544 So mote ich brouke mi Rith eie! But yif he of mi lond[e][116] fle; Hwat? wende{n} he to desherite me?” [Sidenote: He raises a great army.] He dide sone ferd ut bidde, 2548 Þat al þat euere mouhte o stede Ride, or helm on heued bere, Brini on bac, and sheld, and sp{er}e, Or ani oþer wepne bere, 2552 Hand-ax, syþe, gisarm, or sp{er}e, Or aunlaz,[117] and god long knif, Þat als he louede leme or lif, Þat þey sholde{n} comen him to, 2556 With ful god wepne ye ber so, [Sidenote: The army is to meet at Lincoln on the 17th of March.] To lincolne, þer he lay, Of marz þe seue{n}tenþe day, So þat he couþe he{m} god þank; 2560 And yif þat ani were so rang, That he þa{n}ne ne come anon, He swor bi crist, and [bi][118] seint Iohan, That he sholde maken him þral, 2564 And al his of-spring forth with-al.

[Footnote 114: The MS. has “we,” which the scribe several times writes instead of “wel.” But “wel” is a manifest blunder, since “iuel” is meant. Cf. l. 2505.]

[Footnote 115: The author has here omitted to tell us that Havelok, at the desire of his wife, invades England. See the note.]

[Footnote 116: Cf. l. 2599.]

[Footnote 117: Printed “alinlaz” in the former edition. The first stroke of the _u_ is longer than the second, and the tail of the _x_ in the line above converts the second downstroke of the _u_ into an apparent _i_.]

[Footnote 118: Cf. l. 1112.]

[Headnote: GODRICH EXCITES THE ENGLISH AGAINST HAVELOK.]

+Þe englishe þat herde þat, Was non þat euere his bode sat, For he him dredde swiþe sore, 2568 So Runci spore, and mikle more. [Sidenote: [Fol. 217, col. 2.]] At þe day he come sone Þat he hem sette, ful wel o bone, [Sidenote: All come to Lincoln on that day.] To lincolne, with gode stedes, 2572 And al þe wepne þat knith ledes. Hwa{n} he wore come, sket was þe erl yare,[119] Ageynes denshe men to fare, And seyde, “lyþes me[120] alle samen, 2576 Haue ich gadred you for no game{n}, But ich wile seyen you forþi; [Sidenote: Godrich tells them what Havelok is doing at Grimsby.] Lokes hware here at g{ri}mesbi, Hise uten-laddes here comen, 2580 And haues nu þe p{ri}orie numen; Al þat euere mithen he finde, He bre{n}ne kirkes, and p{re}stes binde; He strangleth mo{n}kes, and nu{n}nes boþe: 2584 Wat wile ye, frend, her-offe Rede? Yif he regne þus-gate longe, He Moun us alle ouer-gange, He moun vs alle quic henge or slo, 2588 Or þral maken, and do ful wo, Or elles reue us ure liues, And ure children, and ure wiues. [Sidenote: He excites them to attack Havelok.] But dos nu als ich wile you lere, 2592 Als ye wile be with me dere; Nimes nu swiþe forth and raþe, And helpes me and yu-self baþe, And slos up-o[n] þe dogges swiþe: 2596 For shal [i] neuere more be bliþe,

[Headnote: THE ENGLISH MARCH TO GRIMSBY.]

Ne hoseled ben, ne of p{re}st shriuen, Til þat he ben of londe driuen. Nime we swiþe, and do hem fle, 2600 And folwes alle faste me, [Sidenote: He will lead them himself.] For ich am he, of al þe ferd, Þat first shal slo with drawe{n} swerd. Daþeyt hwo ne stonde faste 2604 Bi me, hwil hise armes laste!” [Sidenote: Earl Gunter and Earl Reyner of Chester support him.] “Ye! lef, ye!”[121] couth þe erl gunter; “Ya!” quoth þe erl of cestre, reyner. And so dide alle þat þer stode, 2608 And stirte forth so he were wode. Þo mouthe me{n} se þe brinies brihte On backes keste, and late rithe, Þe helmes heye on heued sette; 2612 To armes al so swiþe plette, Þat þei wore on a litel stunde [Sidenote: [Fol. 217b, col. 1.]] Grethet, als me{n} mithe telle a pund, And lopen on stedes sone anon, 2616 [Sidenote: They approach Grimsby.] And toward g{ri}mesbi, ful god won, He foren softe bi þe sti, Til he come ney at grimesbi.

[Footnote 119: _Or_ þare; but see l. 2954.]

[Footnote 120: MS. mi. Cf. l. 2204.]

[Footnote 121: MS. _has _þe_, _ƿe_, or _ye_ in both places._ But see l. 1888.]

[Sidenote: Havelok meets them boldly, and kills the foremost knight.] +Hauelok, þat hauede spired wel 2620 Of here fare, eueril del, With al his ferd cam hem a-geyn, For-bar he noþer knith ne sweyn. Þe firste knith þat he þer mette, 2624 With þe swerd so he him grette, For his heued of he plette, Wolde he nouth for sinne lette. [Sidenote: Robert kills a second.] Roberd saw þat dint so hende, 2628 Wolde he neuere þeþe[{n}] wende, Til þat he hauede anoþer slawen, With þe swerd he held ut-drawen. [Sidenote: William disables a third.] Willa{m} wendut his swerd vt-drow, 2632 And þe þredde so sore he slow, Þat he made up-on the feld His lift arm fleye, with the swerd.[122]

[Footnote 122: Cf. l. 1825. We should otherwise be tempted to read _sheld_; especially as the _shield_ is more appropriate to the _left_ arm.]

[Headnote: COMBAT BETWEEN UBBE AND GODRICH.]

[Sidenote: Hugh Raven seizes his sword, and cleaves an earl’s head in two.] +Huwe raue{n} ne forgat nouth 2636 Þe swerd he hauede þider brouth, He kipte it up, and smot ful sore An erl, þat he saw priken þore, Ful noblelike upon a stede, 2640 Þat with him wolde al quic wede. He smot him on þe heued so, Þat he þe heued clef a-two, And þat bi þe shu[l]dre-blade 2644 Þe sharpe swerd let [he] wade, Þorw the brest unto þe herte; Þe dint bigan ful sore to smerte, Þat þe erl fel dun a-non, 2648 Al so ded so ani ston. [Sidenote: Ubbe attacks Godrich.] Quoth ubbe, “nu dwelle ich to lo{n}ge,” And leth his stede sone gonge To godrich, with a god spere, 2652 Þat he saw a-noþer bere, And smoth godrich, and G{odrich} him, Hetelike with h{er}te grim, [Sidenote: Both fall.] So þat he boþe felle dune, 2656 To þe erþe first þe croune. Þa{n}ne he wore{n} falle{n} dun boþen, Grundlike here swerdes ut-drowe{n}, [Sidenote: [Fol. 217b, col. 2.]] Þat were{n} swiþe sharp and gode, 2660 [Sidenote: They fight on foot.] And fouhten so þei wore{n} wode, Þat þe swot ran fro þe crune [To the fet rith þere adune.][123]

[Headnote: GODRICH DISPLAYS GREAT PROWESS.]

Þer mouthe men se to knithes bete 2664 Ayþer on oþer dintes grete, So þat with alþer-lest[e] dint Were al to-shiuered a flint, [Sidenote: The fight lasts from morn to night.] So was bi-twene{n} he{m} a fiht, 2668 Fro þe morwen ner to þe niht, So þat þei nouth ne bl[u]nne,[123*] Til þat to sette bigan þe su{n}ne. [Sidenote: Godrich wounds Ubbe sorely.] Þo yaf godrich þorw þe side 2672 Vbbe a wunde ful un-ride, So þat þorw þat ilke wounde Hauede ben brouth to þe grunde, And his heued al of-slawen, 2676 [Sidenote: Hugh Raven rescues him.] Yif god ne were, and huwe rauen, Þat drow him fro godrich awey, And barw him so þat ilke day. But er he were fro godrich drawe{n}, 2680 [Sidenote: A thousand knights slain.] Þer were a þousind knihtes slawe{n} Bi boþe halue, and mo y-nowe, Þer þe ferdes to-gidere slowe. Þer was swilk dreping of þe folk, 2684 [Sidenote: The pools are full of blood.] Þat on þe feld was neu{er}e a polk Þat it ne stod of blod so ful, Þat þe strem ran i{n}til þe hul. [Sidenote: Godrich attacks the Danes like lightning.] Þo tarst[124] bigan godrich to go 2688 Vp-on þe danshe, and faste to slo, And forth rith also leuin fares, Þat neu{er}e kines best ne spares, Þa{n}ne his [he] gon, for he garte alle 2692 Þe denshe men biforn him falle. He felde browne, he felde blake, Þat he mouthe ouer-take. Was neuere non þat mouhte þaue 2696 Hise dintes, noyþer knith ne knaue, [Sidenote: He mows them down like grass.] Þat he felden so dos þe gres

[Headnote: COMBAT BETWEEN GODRICH AND HAVELOK.]

Bi-forn þe syþe þat ful sharp is. Hwan hauelok saw his folk so brittene, 2700 And his ferd so swiþe littene, He cam driuende up-on a stede, And bigan til him to grede, And seyde, “godrich, wat is þe 2704 Þat þou fare þus with me? [Sidenote: [Fol. 218, col. 1.]] And mine gode knihtes slos, Siker-like þou mis-gos. [Sidenote: Havelok reproves Godrich, and bids him perform his oaths.] Þou wost ful wel, yif þu wilt wite, 2708 Þat aþelwold þe dide site On knes, and sweren on messe-bok, On caliz, and on [pateyn][125] hok Þat þou hise douhter sholdest yelde, 2712 Þan she were wi{n}na{n}[126] of elde, Engelond eueril del: Godrich þe erl, þou wost it wel. Do nu wel with-uten fiht, 2716 Yeld hire þe lond, for þat is rith. Wile ich forgiue þe þe lathe, Al mi dede and al mi wrathe, For y se þu art so with, 2720 And of þi bodi so god knith.” [Sidenote: Godrich refuses.] “Þat ne wile ich neu{er}e mo,” Quoth erl godrich, “for ich shal slo Þe, and hire for-henge heye. 2724 I shal þrist ut þi rith eye Þat þou lokes with on me, But þu swiþe heþen fle.” He grop þe swerd ut sone anon, 2728 And hew on hauelok, ful god won, [Sidenote: He cleaves Havelok’s shield in two.] So þat he clef his sheld on two: Hwan hauelok saw þat shame do His bodi þer bi-forn his ferd, 2732 He drow ut sone his gode swerd, [Sidenote: Havelok smites him down.] And smot him so up-on þe crune, Þat godrich fel to þe erþe adune. But godrich stirt up swiþe sket, 2736 Lay he nowth longe at hise fet, [Sidenote: Godrich rises, and wounds Havelok in the shoulder.] And smot him on þe sholdre so, Þat he dide þare undo Of his brinie ri{n}ges mo, 2740 Þan þat ich kan tellen fro; And woundede hi{m} rith i{n} þe flesh, Þat tendre was, and swiþe nesh, So þat þe blod ran til his to: 2744 [Sidenote: Havelok is enraged, and cuts off his foe’s hand.] Þo was hauelok swiþe wo, Þat he hauede of him drawen Blod, and so sore him slawen. Hertelike til him he wente, 2748 And godrich þer fulike shente; For his swerd he hof up heye, [Sidenote: [Fol. 218, col. 2.]] And þe hand he dide of fleye, Þat he smot him with so sore: 2752 Hw mithe he don him shame more?

[Footnote 123: Cf. l. 1904.]

[Footnote 123*: Changed by editor from “blinne”: see Emendations.]

[Footnote 124: So in MS. _Qu._ faste, as in next line.]

[Footnote 125: MS. _here repeats _messe_, by mistake. Read _pateyn_._ Cf. l. 187.]

[Footnote 126: MS. wīman, _i.e._ wi{n}man _or_ wi{m}man; _but we are sure, from _l. 174_, that _wi{n}nan_ is meant._]

[Headnote: GODRICH IS BOUND AND FETTERED.]

+Hwan he hauede him so shamed, His hand of plat, and yuele lamed, He tok him sone bi þe necke 2756 Als a t{ra}ytour, daþeyt 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 gode feteres al of stel, And to þe quen he sende him, 2760 Þat birde wel to him ben grim; And Bad she sholde don him gete, And þat 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.] Þan þe englishe men þat sawe, Þat þei wisten, heye and lawe, Þat Goldeboru, þat was so fayr, 2768 Was of engeland rith eyr, And þat þe king hire hauede wedded, And haueden ben samen bedded, He comen alle to crie m{er}ci, 2772 Vnto þe king, at one cri, And beden him sone manrede and oth, Þat 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.]

+Þe king ne wolde nouth for-sake, Þat he ne shulde of hem take Manrede þat he beden, and ok 2780 Hold oþes swere{n} on þe bok; [Sidenote: Havelok wishes to show Goldborough to the English.] But or bad he, þat þider were brouth Þe quen, for hem, swilk was his þouth, For to se, and forto shawe, 2784 Yif þat he hire wolde knawe. Þoruth hem wite{n} wolde he, Yif þat 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, þat under mone In al þe werd ne hauede per, 2792 Of hende-leik, fer ne ner. Hwan she was come þider, alle Þe englishe men bi-gu{n}ne to falle [Sidenote: [Fol. 218b, col. 1.]] O knes, and grete{n} swiþe sore, 2796 And seyden, “leuedi, k[r]istes ore, [Sidenote: The English ask her pardon.] And youres! we haue{n} misdo mikel, Þat 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, Þat we ne wot, þat aþelwold Was king of þis kunerike, 2804 [Sidenote: They admit she is heiress.] And ye his eyr, and þat þe swike Haues it halden with mikel wro{n}ge: God leue him sone to honge!”

[Headnote: GODRICH IS CONDEMNED TO BE BURNT.]