73MS. yde.*þarnedis an error of the scribe forþoled; see theGlossary.Hwan it was comentime to ete,[Fol. 212b, col. 1.]Hise wif dede ubbe sone in fete,1716And til hire seyde, al on gamen:Ubbe’s wife is to eat with Havelok, and Goldborough with Ubbe.“Dame, þou and hauelok shulenete samen,And goldeboru shal ete wit me,Þat is so fayr so flour on tre;1720In al denemark nis74*wimmanSo fayr so sche, bi seint iohan!”1722Þanne [he] were set, and bord leyd,And þe beneysun was seyd,There were cranes, swans, venison, fish, and wines.1724Biforn hemcom þe beste meteÞat king or cayser wolde ete;1726Kranes, swannes, ueneysun,Lax, lampreys, and god sturgun,1728Pyment to drinke, and god clare,Win hwit and red, ful god plente.Was þer-inne no page so lite,Þat euere wolde ale bite.1732Of þe mete forto tel,No need to tell it all.Ne of þe metes75bidde†i nout dwelle;Þat is þe storie for to lenge,It wolde anuye þis fayre genge.When the feast is over,1736But hwan he haueden þe kiwing76de[y]led,And fele siþes hauedenwosseyled,And with gode drinkes setenlonge,And it was time for to gonge,1740Il man to þer he cam fro,Ubbe thinks he must let them have an escort.Þouthe ubbe, “yf I late hem go,Þus one foure, with-uten mo,So mote ich brouke finger or to,1744For þis wimmanbes mike wo!For hire shal menhire louerd slo.”He tok sone knithes ten,And wel sixti oþer men,1748Wit gode bowes, and with gleiues,1749And sende him unto þe greyues,He sends them to Bernard Brown, and bids him take care of them till next day.Þe beste manof al þe toun,Þat was named bernard brun;1752And bad him, als he louede his lif,Hauelok wel y[e]men,77and his wif,And wel do wayten al þe nith,Til þe oþer day, þat it were lith.1756Bernard was trewe, and swiþe with,In al þe borw ne was no knithÞat betere couþe on stede riden,Helm on heued, ne swerd bi side.[Fol. 212b, col. 2.]Bernard provides a rich supper for Havelok.1760Hauelok he gladlike under-stod,With mike loue, and herte god,And dide greyþe a super riche,Also he was no with chinche,1764To his bihoue euer-il del,Þat he mithe supe swiþe wel.74MS. is.*Perhaps we should rather read—is womman[non].75Qu.win.†Biddemust meanoffer, rather thanbid(as in theGlossary); unless it be miswritten forbide= tarry.76Uncertain in MS. Seenote.77MS. ymen.A GANG OF THIEVES BESET BERNARD’S HOUSE.At suppertime sixty-one thieves come to the house,Also he seten, and sholde soupe,So comes a ladde in a ioupe,1768And with him sixti oþer stronge,With swerdes drawen, and kniues longe,Ilkan inhande a ful god gleiue,and bid Bernard open the door.And seyde, “undo, bernard þe greyue!1772Vndo swiþe, and latus78in,THREE OF THE THIEVES ATTACK HAVELOK.Or þu art ded, bi seint austin!”Bernard starts up, arms himself,Bernard stirt up, þat was ful big,And caste a brinie up-on his rig,1776And grop an ax,79þat was ful god,Lep to þe dore, so he wore wod,And seyde, “hwat are ye, þat are þer-oute,Þat þus biginnenforto stroute?and tells them to go away.1780Goth henne swiþe, fule þeues,For, bi þe louerd, þat manon leues,Shol ich casten þe dore open,Summe of you shal ich drepen!1784And þe oþre shal ich kestenIn feteres, and ful faste festen!”They defy him.“Hwat haue ye seid,” quoth a ladde,“Wenestu þat we ben adradde?1788We shole at þis dore gongeMaugre þin, carl, or outh longe.”They break the door open with a boulder.He gripensone a bulder ston,And let it fleye, ful god won,1792Agen þe dore, þat it to-rof:Auelok it saw, and þider drof,Havelok seizes the bar of the door, and says,And þe barre sone vt-drow,Þat was unride, and gret ynow,1796And caste þe dore open wide,And seide, “her shal y now abide:“Come here to me.”Comes swiþe vn-to me!80Datheyt hwo you henne fle!”1800“No,” quodh on, “þat shaltou coupe,”And bigan til him to loupe,Three men attack Havelok.In his hond is swerd ut-drawe,Hauelok he wende þore haue slawe;1804And with [him] comen oþer two,[Fol. 213, col. 1.]Þat him wolde of liue haue do.HAVELOK SLAYS SEVEN OF THE THIEVES.1806Hauelok lifte up þe dore-tre,He kills them all.And at a dint he slow hemþre;1808Was non of hem þat his hernesNe lay þer-ute ageyn þe sternes.A fourth he knocks down with a blow on the head.Þe ferþe þat he siþen mette,Wit þe barre so he him grette,1812Bifor þe heued, þat þe rith eyeVt of þe hole made he fleye,And siþe clapte him on þe crune,So þat he stan-ded fel þor dune.A fifth he hits between the shoulders.1816Þe fifte þat he ouer-tok,Gaf he a ful sor dint[e] ok,Bitwen þe sholdres, þer he stod,Þat he spen his herte blod.A sixth he smites on the neck.1820Þe sixte wende for to fle,And he clapte him with þe treRith in þe fule necke so,Þat he smot hise necke on to.1824Þanne þe sixe weren doun feld,A seventh aims at Havelok’s eye.Þe seuenþe brayd ut his swerd,1826And wolde hauelok Riht inthe eye;And hauelokle[t þe]81barre fleye,Havelok kills him.1828And smot him sone ageyn þe brest,Þat hauede he neuere sch[r]ifte of prest;For he was ded on lesse hwile,Þan menmouthe renne a mile.The rest divide into two parties,1832Alle þe oþere werenful kene,A red þei taken hem bi-twene,þat he sholde him bi-halue,And brisenso, þat wit no salue1836Ne sholde him helen leche non:Þey drowen ut swerdes, ful god won,1838and rush at him like dogs at a bear.And shoten on him, so don on bereDogges, þat wolden him to-tere,1840Þanne men doth þe bere beyte:Þe laddes were kaske and teyte,And vn-bi-yeden him ilkon,Sumsmot with tre, and sumwit ston;1844Summe puttenwith gleyue, inbac and side,They wound Havelok in twenty places.And yeuenwundes longe and wide;In twenti stedes, and wel mo,Fro þe croune til the to.1848Hwan he saw þat, he was wod,And was it ferlik hw he stod,[Fol. 213, col. 2.]For the blod ran of his sidesSo water þat fro þe welle glides;1852But þanne bigan he for to moweWith the barre, and let hem shewe,Hw he cowþe sore smite,He at last succeeds in killing twenty of them.For was þer non, long ne lite,1856Þat he Mouthe ouer-take,Þat he ne garte his croune krake;So þat on a litel stund,Felde he twenti to þe grund.78Sicin MS.79MS. ar;but seel. 1894.80MS. vnto me datheit,—evidently the repetition of the first word in the succeeding line.81Qu.Hauelok let the. MS. “haue le.”THE THIEVES SHOOT AT HIM FROM A DISTANCE.1860Þo bigan gret dine to rise,For þe laddes on ilke wiseThey throw stones at him.Him asayledenwit grete dintes,Fro fer he stoden, him with flintes1864And gleyues schotenhim fro ferne,For drepen him he wolden yerne;But durstenhe newhenhim no more,Þanne he bor or leunwore.HUGH AND THE REST COME TO THE RESCUE.Hugh Raven hears the noise,1868Huwe rauenþat dine herde,And þowthe wel, þat menmis-ferdeWith his louerd, for his wif,And grop an ore, and a long knif,1872And þider drof al so an hert,and comes to help.And cham þer on a litel stert,And saw how þe laddes wodeHauelok his louerd umbistode,1876And betenon him so doth þe smithWith þe hamer on þe stith.“Allas!” hwat hwe, “þat y was boren!Þat euere et ich bred of koren!1880Þat ich here þis sorwe se!Hugh calls out to Robert and William.Roberd! willam! hware ar ye?Gripeth eþer unker a god tre,And late we nouth þise doges fle,1884Til ure louerd wreke [we];Cometh swiþe, and folwes me!Ich haue in honde a ful god ore:Datheit wo ne smite sore!”Robert comes to the rescue,1888“Ya! leue, ya!” quod roberd sone,“We hauenful god lith of þe mone.”Roberd grop a staf, strong and gret,Þat mouthe ful wel bere a net,and William too, and Bernard.1892And willam wendut grop a treMikel grettere þan his þe,82And bernard held his ax ful faste;[Fol. 213b, col. 1.]I seye, was he nouth þe laste;1896And lopen forth so he weren wodeTo þe laddes, þer he stode,And yaf hem wundes swiþe grete;They fight with the thieves.Þer mithe men wel se boyes bete,1900And ribbes in here sides breke,And hauelok on hem wel wreke.He broken armes, he broken knes,He broken shankes, he brokenthes.1904He dide þe blode þere renne duneTo þe fet rith fro the crune,No head was spared.For was þer spared heued non:He leyden on heuedes, ful god won,1908And made croune[s] breke and crake,Of þe broune, and of þe blake;He made their backs as soft as their bellies.He madenhere backes al so blouteAls h[er]e83wombes, and made hemrowte1912Als he weren kradelbarnes:So dos þe child þat moder þarnes.82MS. þre,therbeing caught from the word above.Cf. l. 1903.83Qu.here. MS. he.ALL THE SIXTY THIEVES ARE SLAIN.1914Daþeitwo84recke! for he it seruede,Hwat dide he þore werenhe werewed;1916So longe hauedenhe but and betWith neues under hernes set,All sixty assailants are slain.Þat of þo sixti men and onNe wente þer awey liues non.84MS. “ƿe,” clearly miswritten for “ƿo” or “wo.” See ll. 2047, 296, 300, &c.UBBE ASKS BERNARD WHAT HAS HAPPENED.At morn, there they lay like dogs.1920ON þe morwen, hwan85it was day,Ilc on other wirwed lay,Als it were dogges þat werenhenged,And summe leye indikes slenget,1924And summe in gripes bi þe herDrawen ware, and latenther.1926Sket cam tiding intil ubbe,Þat hauelok hauede with a clubbe1928Of hise slawen sixti and onSergaunz, þe beste þat mithengon.Ubbe comes to see what is the matter.“Deus!” quoth ubbe, “hwat may þis be!Betere his i nime86miself and se,1932Þat þis baret on hwat is wold,Þanne i sende yunge or old.For yif i sende him un-to,I wene mensholde him shame do,1936And þat ne wolde ich for no þing:I loue him wel, bi heuene king!Me wore leuere i wore lame,Þanne men dide him ani shame,[Fol. 213b, col. 2.]1940Or tok, or onne handes leyde,Vn-ornelike,87or same seyde.”He lep up on a stede lith,And with him mani a noble knith,1944And ferde forth un-to þe tun,He calls for Bernard Brown.And dide calle bernard brunVt of his hus, wan he þer cam;And bernard sone ageyn [him] nam,1948Al to-tused and al to-torn,Ner also naked so he was born,And al to-brised, bac and þe:Ubbe asks who has beaten him about so?Quoth ubbe, “bernard, hwat is þe?1952Hwo haues þe þus ille maked,Þus to-riuen, and al mad naked?”85MS. “hhan,” miswritten for “hƿan,” from which it differs very slightly.86MS. inime.87MS. Vn ornelſke;butſshould certainly bei.BERNARD RELATES HAVELOK’S PROWESS.“Louerd,88merci,” quot he sone,“To-nicht also ros þe mone“Sixty thieves attacked me last night.1956Comenher mo þan sixti þeues,With lokene copes, and wide sleues,Me forto robben, and to pine,And for to drepe me and mine.1960Mi dore he broken up ful sket,And wolde me binden hond and fet.Wan þe godemenþat sawe,Havelok and his friends drove them off.Hauelok, and he þat bi þe wowe1964Leye, he stirtenup sone on-on,And summe grop tre, and sumgrop ston,And driue hemut, þei he werencrus,So dogges ut of milne-hous.1968Hauelok grop þe dore-tre,And [at] a dint he slow hemthre.He is þe beste manat nede,Þat euere mar shal ride stede!1972Als helpe god, bi mine wone,He is worth a thousand men.A þhousend of menhis he worth one!Yif he ne were, ich were nou ded,So haue ich don Mi soule red;1976But it is hof him mikel sinne;He madenhim swilke woundes þrinne,Þat of þe alþer-leste woundeWere a stede brouht to grunde.He has some bad wounds, more than twenty.1980He haues a wunde inthe side,With a gleyue, ful un-ride,And he haues on þoru his arum,Þer-of is ful mikel harum,[Fol. 214, col. 1.]1984And he haues on þoru his þhe,Þe vn-rideste þat men may se,And oþe[r] wundes haues he stronge,Mo than twenti swiþe longe.1988But siþen he hauede lauth þe sorOf þe wundes, was neuere borÞat so fauth so he fauth þanne;Was non þat hauede þe hern-panne1992So hard, þat he ne dede alto-cruhsse,And alto-shiuere, and alto-frusshe.He followed them like a dog does a hare.He folwede hemso hund dos hare,Daþeyt on he wolde spare,1996Þat [he] ne made hemeuerilk onLigge stille so doth þe ston:And þer nis he nouth to frie,For oþer sholde he make hem lye2000Ded, or þei him hauede slawen,Or alto-hewen, or al-to-drawen.88MS. Iouerd.Louerd, haui no more plithOf þat ich was þus greþed to-nith.2004Þus wolde þe theues me haue reft,But god-þank, he hauenet sure keft.But I fear Havelok is all but dead.”But it is of him mikel scaþe:I woth þat he bes ded ful raþe.”THE OTHERS CONFIRM BERNARD’S STORY.2008Quoth ubbe, “bernard, seyst þou soth?”“Ya, sire, that i ne89lepe oth.Yif y, louerd, a word leye,To-morwen do me hengen heye.”The rest confirm Bernard’s story.2012Þe burgeys þat þer-bi stode þore,Grundlike and grete oþes swore,Litle and mikle, yunge and holde,Þat was soth, þat bernard tolde.2016Soth was, þat he woldenhim bynde,And trusse al þat he mithen fyndeOf hise, in arke or in kiste,Þat he mouthe inseckes þriste.“The thieves wanted to steal all he had.2020“Louerd, he hauedenal awey bornHis þing, and him-self alto-torn,But als god self barw him wel,Þat he ne tinte no catel.2024Hwo mithe so mani stonde ageyn,Bi nither-tale, knith or swein?He werenbi tale sixti and ten,Starke laddes, stalworþi men,They were led on by one G[r]iffin Gall.”2028And on, þe mayster of hemalle,Þat was þe name giffin90galle.[Fol. 214, col. 2.]Hwo mouthe agey[n]91so mani stonde,But als þis manof ferne londe2032Haueth hemslawenwith a tre?Mikel ioie haue he!God yeue him mikel god to welde,Boþe in tun, and ek in felde!2036We[l]92is set he etes mete.”Ubbe sends for Havelok,Quoth ubbe, “doth him swiþe fete,Þat y mouthe his woundes se,Yf that he mouthenheled93be.2040For yf he mouthe couere yet,And gangenwel up-on hise fet,to dub him knight.Mi-self shal dubbe him to knith,For-þi þat he is so with.2044And yif he liuede, þo foule theues,2045Þat werenof kaym kin and eues,He sholden hange bi þe necke;Of here ded daþeit wo recke,2048Hwan he yeden þus on nithesTo binde boþe burgmenand knithes.For bynderes loue ich neuere mo,Of hem ne yeue ich nouht a slo.”89MS. ine.90Qu.griffin.91MS. agey.92Cf. ll. 772, 907.93MS. holed. See l. 2058.UBBE SENDS FOR HAVELOK AND TAKES HIM TO HIS CASTLE.Havelok is brought before Ubbe.2052Hauelok was bifore ubbe browth,Þat hauede for him ful mikel þouth,And mikel sorwe in his herteFor hise wundes, þat we[r] so smerte.2056But hwanhis wundes werenshewed,A leech says he can be healed.And a leche hauede knawed,Þat he hem mouthe ful wel hele,Wel make him gange, and ful wel mele,2060And wel a palefrey bistride,And wel up-on a stede ride,Þo let ubbe al his careAnd al his sorwe ouer-fare;Ubbe invites him and Goldborough to his own castle.2064And seyde, “cumnow forth with me,And goldeboru, þi wif, with þe,And þine seriaunz al þre,For nou wile y youre warant be;2068Wile y non of here frendÞat þu slowe with þin hendMoucte wayte þe [to] slo,Also þou gange to and fro.2072I shal lene þe a bowr,Þat is up in þe heye tour,Til þou mowe ful wel go,[Fol. 214b, col. 1.]And wel ben hol of al þi wo.2076It ne shal no þing benbitweneÞi bour and min, also y wene,But a fayr firrene wowe;—Speke y loude, or spek y lowe,2080Þou shalt94ful wel heren me,And þan þu wilt, þou shalt me se.He promises to protect Goldborough.A rof shal hile us boþe o-nith,Þat none of mine, clerk ne knith,2084Ne sholen þi wif no shame bede,No more þan min, so god me rede!”94MS. sahalt;and the second a is expuncted by mistake, instead of the first.UBBE SEES THE MIRACULOUS LIGHT WHICH ISSUES FROM HAVELOK’S MOUTH.HE dide un-to þe borw bringeSone anon, al with ioynge,2088His wif, and his serganz þre,Þe beste men þat mouthe be.The first night, about midnight,Þe firste nith he lay þer-inne,Hise wif, and his serganz þrinne,2092Aboute þe middel of þe nithUbbe wakes and sees a great light.Wok ubbe, and saw a mikel lithIn þe bour þat hauelok lay,Also brith so it were day.Ubbe says he must go and see what it means.2096“Deus!” quoth ubbe, “hwat may þis be?Betere is i go miself, and se:Hweþer he sittennou, and wesseylen,Or of ani shotshipe to-deyle,2100Þis tid nithes, also foles;Þan birþe men castenhem inpoles,Or in a grip, or in þe fen:Nou ne sitten none but wicke men,2104Glotuns, reu[e]res, or wicke þeues,Bi crist, þat alle folk onne leues!”He peeps in, and sees them all asleep.He stod, and totede inat a bord,Her he spak anilepi word,2108And saw hem slepen faste ilkon,And lye stille so þe ston;And saw al þat mikel lithFro hauelok cam, þat was so brith.The light issues from Havelok’s mouth.2112Of his mouth it com il del,Þat was he war ful swiþe wel.“Deus!” quoth he, “hwat may þis mene!”He calde boþe arwe menand kene,2116Knithes, and serganz swiþe sleie,Mo þan an hundred, with-utenleye,And bad hem alle comenand se,Hwat þat selcuth mithe be.THE LIGHT SHOWS THAT HAVELOK IS THE HEIR.[Fol. 214b, col. 2.]2120Als þe knithes were comenalle,Þer hauelok lay, ut of þe halle,So stod ut of his mouth a glem,Rith al swilk so þe sunne-bem;The light is like that of 107 candles.2124Þat al so lith wa[s] þare, bi heuene!So þer brenden serges seuene,And an hundred serges ok:Þat durste hi sweren on a bok.2128He slepen faste alle fiue,So he weren brouth of liue;Havelok and Goldborough are fast asleep.And hauelok lay on his lift side,In his armes his brithe bride.2132Bi þe pappes he leyen naked:So faire two weren neuere makedIn a bed to lyen samen:—Þe knithes þouth of hem god gamen,2136Hem forto shewe, and loken to.Rith also he stodenalle so,And his bac was toward hemwend,They see a bright cross on his back, denoting kingship.So werenhe war of a croiz ful gent,2140On his rith shuldre sw[iþ]e95brith,Brithter þan gold ageyn þe lith.So þat he wiste heye and lowe,Þat it was kunrik þat he sawe.2144It sparkede, and ful brith shon,So doth þe gode charbucle ston,It was light enough to choose a penny by.Þat men Mouthe se by þe lith,A peni chesen, so was it brith.2148Þanne bihelden he him faste,So þat he knewenat þe laste,They know he is Birkabeyn’s son and heir.Þat he was birkabeynes sone,Þat was here king, þat was hemwone2152Wel to yeme, and wel wereAgeynes uten-laddes here.“For it was neuere yet a broþerIn al denemark so lich anoþer,2156So þis man þat is so fayrAls birkabeyn, he is hise eyr.”95MS. swe,forswiþe. Cf. l. 1252.He fellen sone at hise fet,They weep for joy.Was non of hem þat he ne gret,2160Of ioie he weren alle so fawen,So he him haueden of erþe drawen.Hise fet he kisten an hundred syþes,Þe tos, þe nayles, and þe lithes,2164So þat he bigan to wakne,96[Fol. 215, col. 1.]And wit hemful sore to blakne,For he wende he woldenhim slo,Havelok wakes.Or elles binde him, and do wo.96Here follows the catchword— “And wit hem.”UBBE SAYS HAVELOK SHALL BE KING.2168Quoth ubbe, “louerd, ne dred þe nowth,Me þinkes that I se þi þouth.Ubbe offers homage to him,Dere sone, wel is me,Þat y þe with eyn[e]97se.2172Man-red, louerd, bede y þe,Þi man auht i ful wel to be,For þu art comenof birkabeyn,Þat hauede mani knith and sweyn;2176And so shalt þou, louerd, haue,Þou þu be yet a ful yung knaue.and says he shall be king of Denmark.Þou shalt be king of al denemark,Was þer-inne neuere non so stark.2180To-morwen shaltu manrede takeOf þe brune and of þe blake;Of alle þat aren in þis tun,Boþe of erl, and of barun,2184And of dreng, and of thayn,And of knith, and of sweyn.And so shaltu ben mad knithWit blisse, for þou art so with.”97We findeynein ll. 680, 1273, &c.Havelok is blithe, and thanks God.2188Þo was hauelok swiþe bliþe,And þankede God ful fele siþe.On þe morwen, wan it was lith,And gon was þisternesse of þe nith,2192Vbbe dide up-on a stedeA ladde lepe, and þider bedeUbbe summons all his lords.Erles, barouns, drenges, theynes,Klerkes, knithes, bu[r]geys,98sweynes,2196Þat he sholden comen a-non,Biforen him sone euerilkon,Also he louenhere liues,And here children, and here wiues.98MS. bugeyſ.UBBE RELATES HAVELOK’S HISTORY.All come to receive his orders.2200Hise bode ne durste he non at-sitte,2201Þat he ne neme99for to witeSone, hwat wolde þe iustise:And [he] bigan anon to rise,2204And seyde sone, “liþes me,Alle samen, þeu and fre.A þing ich wile you here shauwe,Þat ye100alle ful wel knawe.Ubbe tells them about Birkabeyn,2208Ye witenwel, þat al þis londWas inbirkabeynes hond,[Fol. 215, col. 2.]Þe day þat he was quic and ded;And how þat he, bi youre red,who commended his children to Godard;2212Bitauhte hise children þreGodard to yeme, and al his fe.Hauelok his sone he him tauhte,And hise two douhtres, and al his auhte,2216Alle herden ye him swereOn bok, and on messe-gere,Þat he shulde yeme hem wel,With-uten lac, with-uten tel.
73MS. yde.*þarnedis an error of the scribe forþoled; see theGlossary.Hwan it was comentime to ete,[Fol. 212b, col. 1.]Hise wif dede ubbe sone in fete,1716And til hire seyde, al on gamen:Ubbe’s wife is to eat with Havelok, and Goldborough with Ubbe.“Dame, þou and hauelok shulenete samen,And goldeboru shal ete wit me,Þat is so fayr so flour on tre;1720In al denemark nis74*wimmanSo fayr so sche, bi seint iohan!”1722Þanne [he] were set, and bord leyd,And þe beneysun was seyd,There were cranes, swans, venison, fish, and wines.1724Biforn hemcom þe beste meteÞat king or cayser wolde ete;1726Kranes, swannes, ueneysun,Lax, lampreys, and god sturgun,1728Pyment to drinke, and god clare,Win hwit and red, ful god plente.Was þer-inne no page so lite,Þat euere wolde ale bite.1732Of þe mete forto tel,No need to tell it all.Ne of þe metes75bidde†i nout dwelle;Þat is þe storie for to lenge,It wolde anuye þis fayre genge.When the feast is over,1736But hwan he haueden þe kiwing76de[y]led,And fele siþes hauedenwosseyled,And with gode drinkes setenlonge,And it was time for to gonge,1740Il man to þer he cam fro,Ubbe thinks he must let them have an escort.Þouthe ubbe, “yf I late hem go,Þus one foure, with-uten mo,So mote ich brouke finger or to,1744For þis wimmanbes mike wo!For hire shal menhire louerd slo.”He tok sone knithes ten,And wel sixti oþer men,1748Wit gode bowes, and with gleiues,1749And sende him unto þe greyues,He sends them to Bernard Brown, and bids him take care of them till next day.Þe beste manof al þe toun,Þat was named bernard brun;1752And bad him, als he louede his lif,Hauelok wel y[e]men,77and his wif,And wel do wayten al þe nith,Til þe oþer day, þat it were lith.1756Bernard was trewe, and swiþe with,In al þe borw ne was no knithÞat betere couþe on stede riden,Helm on heued, ne swerd bi side.[Fol. 212b, col. 2.]Bernard provides a rich supper for Havelok.1760Hauelok he gladlike under-stod,With mike loue, and herte god,And dide greyþe a super riche,Also he was no with chinche,1764To his bihoue euer-il del,Þat he mithe supe swiþe wel.74MS. is.*Perhaps we should rather read—is womman[non].75Qu.win.†Biddemust meanoffer, rather thanbid(as in theGlossary); unless it be miswritten forbide= tarry.76Uncertain in MS. Seenote.77MS. ymen.A GANG OF THIEVES BESET BERNARD’S HOUSE.At suppertime sixty-one thieves come to the house,Also he seten, and sholde soupe,So comes a ladde in a ioupe,1768And with him sixti oþer stronge,With swerdes drawen, and kniues longe,Ilkan inhande a ful god gleiue,and bid Bernard open the door.And seyde, “undo, bernard þe greyue!1772Vndo swiþe, and latus78in,THREE OF THE THIEVES ATTACK HAVELOK.Or þu art ded, bi seint austin!”Bernard starts up, arms himself,Bernard stirt up, þat was ful big,And caste a brinie up-on his rig,1776And grop an ax,79þat was ful god,Lep to þe dore, so he wore wod,And seyde, “hwat are ye, þat are þer-oute,Þat þus biginnenforto stroute?and tells them to go away.1780Goth henne swiþe, fule þeues,For, bi þe louerd, þat manon leues,Shol ich casten þe dore open,Summe of you shal ich drepen!1784And þe oþre shal ich kestenIn feteres, and ful faste festen!”They defy him.“Hwat haue ye seid,” quoth a ladde,“Wenestu þat we ben adradde?1788We shole at þis dore gongeMaugre þin, carl, or outh longe.”They break the door open with a boulder.He gripensone a bulder ston,And let it fleye, ful god won,1792Agen þe dore, þat it to-rof:Auelok it saw, and þider drof,Havelok seizes the bar of the door, and says,And þe barre sone vt-drow,Þat was unride, and gret ynow,1796And caste þe dore open wide,And seide, “her shal y now abide:“Come here to me.”Comes swiþe vn-to me!80Datheyt hwo you henne fle!”1800“No,” quodh on, “þat shaltou coupe,”And bigan til him to loupe,Three men attack Havelok.In his hond is swerd ut-drawe,Hauelok he wende þore haue slawe;1804And with [him] comen oþer two,[Fol. 213, col. 1.]Þat him wolde of liue haue do.HAVELOK SLAYS SEVEN OF THE THIEVES.1806Hauelok lifte up þe dore-tre,He kills them all.And at a dint he slow hemþre;1808Was non of hem þat his hernesNe lay þer-ute ageyn þe sternes.A fourth he knocks down with a blow on the head.Þe ferþe þat he siþen mette,Wit þe barre so he him grette,1812Bifor þe heued, þat þe rith eyeVt of þe hole made he fleye,And siþe clapte him on þe crune,So þat he stan-ded fel þor dune.A fifth he hits between the shoulders.1816Þe fifte þat he ouer-tok,Gaf he a ful sor dint[e] ok,Bitwen þe sholdres, þer he stod,Þat he spen his herte blod.A sixth he smites on the neck.1820Þe sixte wende for to fle,And he clapte him with þe treRith in þe fule necke so,Þat he smot hise necke on to.1824Þanne þe sixe weren doun feld,A seventh aims at Havelok’s eye.Þe seuenþe brayd ut his swerd,1826And wolde hauelok Riht inthe eye;And hauelokle[t þe]81barre fleye,Havelok kills him.1828And smot him sone ageyn þe brest,Þat hauede he neuere sch[r]ifte of prest;For he was ded on lesse hwile,Þan menmouthe renne a mile.The rest divide into two parties,1832Alle þe oþere werenful kene,A red þei taken hem bi-twene,þat he sholde him bi-halue,And brisenso, þat wit no salue1836Ne sholde him helen leche non:Þey drowen ut swerdes, ful god won,1838and rush at him like dogs at a bear.And shoten on him, so don on bereDogges, þat wolden him to-tere,1840Þanne men doth þe bere beyte:Þe laddes were kaske and teyte,And vn-bi-yeden him ilkon,Sumsmot with tre, and sumwit ston;1844Summe puttenwith gleyue, inbac and side,They wound Havelok in twenty places.And yeuenwundes longe and wide;In twenti stedes, and wel mo,Fro þe croune til the to.1848Hwan he saw þat, he was wod,And was it ferlik hw he stod,[Fol. 213, col. 2.]For the blod ran of his sidesSo water þat fro þe welle glides;1852But þanne bigan he for to moweWith the barre, and let hem shewe,Hw he cowþe sore smite,He at last succeeds in killing twenty of them.For was þer non, long ne lite,1856Þat he Mouthe ouer-take,Þat he ne garte his croune krake;So þat on a litel stund,Felde he twenti to þe grund.78Sicin MS.79MS. ar;but seel. 1894.80MS. vnto me datheit,—evidently the repetition of the first word in the succeeding line.81Qu.Hauelok let the. MS. “haue le.”THE THIEVES SHOOT AT HIM FROM A DISTANCE.1860Þo bigan gret dine to rise,For þe laddes on ilke wiseThey throw stones at him.Him asayledenwit grete dintes,Fro fer he stoden, him with flintes1864And gleyues schotenhim fro ferne,For drepen him he wolden yerne;But durstenhe newhenhim no more,Þanne he bor or leunwore.HUGH AND THE REST COME TO THE RESCUE.Hugh Raven hears the noise,1868Huwe rauenþat dine herde,And þowthe wel, þat menmis-ferdeWith his louerd, for his wif,And grop an ore, and a long knif,1872And þider drof al so an hert,and comes to help.And cham þer on a litel stert,And saw how þe laddes wodeHauelok his louerd umbistode,1876And betenon him so doth þe smithWith þe hamer on þe stith.“Allas!” hwat hwe, “þat y was boren!Þat euere et ich bred of koren!1880Þat ich here þis sorwe se!Hugh calls out to Robert and William.Roberd! willam! hware ar ye?Gripeth eþer unker a god tre,And late we nouth þise doges fle,1884Til ure louerd wreke [we];Cometh swiþe, and folwes me!Ich haue in honde a ful god ore:Datheit wo ne smite sore!”Robert comes to the rescue,1888“Ya! leue, ya!” quod roberd sone,“We hauenful god lith of þe mone.”Roberd grop a staf, strong and gret,Þat mouthe ful wel bere a net,and William too, and Bernard.1892And willam wendut grop a treMikel grettere þan his þe,82And bernard held his ax ful faste;[Fol. 213b, col. 1.]I seye, was he nouth þe laste;1896And lopen forth so he weren wodeTo þe laddes, þer he stode,And yaf hem wundes swiþe grete;They fight with the thieves.Þer mithe men wel se boyes bete,1900And ribbes in here sides breke,And hauelok on hem wel wreke.He broken armes, he broken knes,He broken shankes, he brokenthes.1904He dide þe blode þere renne duneTo þe fet rith fro the crune,No head was spared.For was þer spared heued non:He leyden on heuedes, ful god won,1908And made croune[s] breke and crake,Of þe broune, and of þe blake;He made their backs as soft as their bellies.He madenhere backes al so blouteAls h[er]e83wombes, and made hemrowte1912Als he weren kradelbarnes:So dos þe child þat moder þarnes.82MS. þre,therbeing caught from the word above.Cf. l. 1903.83Qu.here. MS. he.ALL THE SIXTY THIEVES ARE SLAIN.1914Daþeitwo84recke! for he it seruede,Hwat dide he þore werenhe werewed;1916So longe hauedenhe but and betWith neues under hernes set,All sixty assailants are slain.Þat of þo sixti men and onNe wente þer awey liues non.84MS. “ƿe,” clearly miswritten for “ƿo” or “wo.” See ll. 2047, 296, 300, &c.UBBE ASKS BERNARD WHAT HAS HAPPENED.At morn, there they lay like dogs.1920ON þe morwen, hwan85it was day,Ilc on other wirwed lay,Als it were dogges þat werenhenged,And summe leye indikes slenget,1924And summe in gripes bi þe herDrawen ware, and latenther.1926Sket cam tiding intil ubbe,Þat hauelok hauede with a clubbe1928Of hise slawen sixti and onSergaunz, þe beste þat mithengon.Ubbe comes to see what is the matter.“Deus!” quoth ubbe, “hwat may þis be!Betere his i nime86miself and se,1932Þat þis baret on hwat is wold,Þanne i sende yunge or old.For yif i sende him un-to,I wene mensholde him shame do,1936And þat ne wolde ich for no þing:I loue him wel, bi heuene king!Me wore leuere i wore lame,Þanne men dide him ani shame,[Fol. 213b, col. 2.]1940Or tok, or onne handes leyde,Vn-ornelike,87or same seyde.”He lep up on a stede lith,And with him mani a noble knith,1944And ferde forth un-to þe tun,He calls for Bernard Brown.And dide calle bernard brunVt of his hus, wan he þer cam;And bernard sone ageyn [him] nam,1948Al to-tused and al to-torn,Ner also naked so he was born,And al to-brised, bac and þe:Ubbe asks who has beaten him about so?Quoth ubbe, “bernard, hwat is þe?1952Hwo haues þe þus ille maked,Þus to-riuen, and al mad naked?”85MS. “hhan,” miswritten for “hƿan,” from which it differs very slightly.86MS. inime.87MS. Vn ornelſke;butſshould certainly bei.BERNARD RELATES HAVELOK’S PROWESS.“Louerd,88merci,” quot he sone,“To-nicht also ros þe mone“Sixty thieves attacked me last night.1956Comenher mo þan sixti þeues,With lokene copes, and wide sleues,Me forto robben, and to pine,And for to drepe me and mine.1960Mi dore he broken up ful sket,And wolde me binden hond and fet.Wan þe godemenþat sawe,Havelok and his friends drove them off.Hauelok, and he þat bi þe wowe1964Leye, he stirtenup sone on-on,And summe grop tre, and sumgrop ston,And driue hemut, þei he werencrus,So dogges ut of milne-hous.1968Hauelok grop þe dore-tre,And [at] a dint he slow hemthre.He is þe beste manat nede,Þat euere mar shal ride stede!1972Als helpe god, bi mine wone,He is worth a thousand men.A þhousend of menhis he worth one!Yif he ne were, ich were nou ded,So haue ich don Mi soule red;1976But it is hof him mikel sinne;He madenhim swilke woundes þrinne,Þat of þe alþer-leste woundeWere a stede brouht to grunde.He has some bad wounds, more than twenty.1980He haues a wunde inthe side,With a gleyue, ful un-ride,And he haues on þoru his arum,Þer-of is ful mikel harum,[Fol. 214, col. 1.]1984And he haues on þoru his þhe,Þe vn-rideste þat men may se,And oþe[r] wundes haues he stronge,Mo than twenti swiþe longe.1988But siþen he hauede lauth þe sorOf þe wundes, was neuere borÞat so fauth so he fauth þanne;Was non þat hauede þe hern-panne1992So hard, þat he ne dede alto-cruhsse,And alto-shiuere, and alto-frusshe.He followed them like a dog does a hare.He folwede hemso hund dos hare,Daþeyt on he wolde spare,1996Þat [he] ne made hemeuerilk onLigge stille so doth þe ston:And þer nis he nouth to frie,For oþer sholde he make hem lye2000Ded, or þei him hauede slawen,Or alto-hewen, or al-to-drawen.88MS. Iouerd.Louerd, haui no more plithOf þat ich was þus greþed to-nith.2004Þus wolde þe theues me haue reft,But god-þank, he hauenet sure keft.But I fear Havelok is all but dead.”But it is of him mikel scaþe:I woth þat he bes ded ful raþe.”THE OTHERS CONFIRM BERNARD’S STORY.2008Quoth ubbe, “bernard, seyst þou soth?”“Ya, sire, that i ne89lepe oth.Yif y, louerd, a word leye,To-morwen do me hengen heye.”The rest confirm Bernard’s story.2012Þe burgeys þat þer-bi stode þore,Grundlike and grete oþes swore,Litle and mikle, yunge and holde,Þat was soth, þat bernard tolde.2016Soth was, þat he woldenhim bynde,And trusse al þat he mithen fyndeOf hise, in arke or in kiste,Þat he mouthe inseckes þriste.“The thieves wanted to steal all he had.2020“Louerd, he hauedenal awey bornHis þing, and him-self alto-torn,But als god self barw him wel,Þat he ne tinte no catel.2024Hwo mithe so mani stonde ageyn,Bi nither-tale, knith or swein?He werenbi tale sixti and ten,Starke laddes, stalworþi men,They were led on by one G[r]iffin Gall.”2028And on, þe mayster of hemalle,Þat was þe name giffin90galle.[Fol. 214, col. 2.]Hwo mouthe agey[n]91so mani stonde,But als þis manof ferne londe2032Haueth hemslawenwith a tre?Mikel ioie haue he!God yeue him mikel god to welde,Boþe in tun, and ek in felde!2036We[l]92is set he etes mete.”Ubbe sends for Havelok,Quoth ubbe, “doth him swiþe fete,Þat y mouthe his woundes se,Yf that he mouthenheled93be.2040For yf he mouthe couere yet,And gangenwel up-on hise fet,to dub him knight.Mi-self shal dubbe him to knith,For-þi þat he is so with.2044And yif he liuede, þo foule theues,2045Þat werenof kaym kin and eues,He sholden hange bi þe necke;Of here ded daþeit wo recke,2048Hwan he yeden þus on nithesTo binde boþe burgmenand knithes.For bynderes loue ich neuere mo,Of hem ne yeue ich nouht a slo.”89MS. ine.90Qu.griffin.91MS. agey.92Cf. ll. 772, 907.93MS. holed. See l. 2058.UBBE SENDS FOR HAVELOK AND TAKES HIM TO HIS CASTLE.Havelok is brought before Ubbe.2052Hauelok was bifore ubbe browth,Þat hauede for him ful mikel þouth,And mikel sorwe in his herteFor hise wundes, þat we[r] so smerte.2056But hwanhis wundes werenshewed,A leech says he can be healed.And a leche hauede knawed,Þat he hem mouthe ful wel hele,Wel make him gange, and ful wel mele,2060And wel a palefrey bistride,And wel up-on a stede ride,Þo let ubbe al his careAnd al his sorwe ouer-fare;Ubbe invites him and Goldborough to his own castle.2064And seyde, “cumnow forth with me,And goldeboru, þi wif, with þe,And þine seriaunz al þre,For nou wile y youre warant be;2068Wile y non of here frendÞat þu slowe with þin hendMoucte wayte þe [to] slo,Also þou gange to and fro.2072I shal lene þe a bowr,Þat is up in þe heye tour,Til þou mowe ful wel go,[Fol. 214b, col. 1.]And wel ben hol of al þi wo.2076It ne shal no þing benbitweneÞi bour and min, also y wene,But a fayr firrene wowe;—Speke y loude, or spek y lowe,2080Þou shalt94ful wel heren me,And þan þu wilt, þou shalt me se.He promises to protect Goldborough.A rof shal hile us boþe o-nith,Þat none of mine, clerk ne knith,2084Ne sholen þi wif no shame bede,No more þan min, so god me rede!”94MS. sahalt;and the second a is expuncted by mistake, instead of the first.UBBE SEES THE MIRACULOUS LIGHT WHICH ISSUES FROM HAVELOK’S MOUTH.HE dide un-to þe borw bringeSone anon, al with ioynge,2088His wif, and his serganz þre,Þe beste men þat mouthe be.The first night, about midnight,Þe firste nith he lay þer-inne,Hise wif, and his serganz þrinne,2092Aboute þe middel of þe nithUbbe wakes and sees a great light.Wok ubbe, and saw a mikel lithIn þe bour þat hauelok lay,Also brith so it were day.Ubbe says he must go and see what it means.2096“Deus!” quoth ubbe, “hwat may þis be?Betere is i go miself, and se:Hweþer he sittennou, and wesseylen,Or of ani shotshipe to-deyle,2100Þis tid nithes, also foles;Þan birþe men castenhem inpoles,Or in a grip, or in þe fen:Nou ne sitten none but wicke men,2104Glotuns, reu[e]res, or wicke þeues,Bi crist, þat alle folk onne leues!”He peeps in, and sees them all asleep.He stod, and totede inat a bord,Her he spak anilepi word,2108And saw hem slepen faste ilkon,And lye stille so þe ston;And saw al þat mikel lithFro hauelok cam, þat was so brith.The light issues from Havelok’s mouth.2112Of his mouth it com il del,Þat was he war ful swiþe wel.“Deus!” quoth he, “hwat may þis mene!”He calde boþe arwe menand kene,2116Knithes, and serganz swiþe sleie,Mo þan an hundred, with-utenleye,And bad hem alle comenand se,Hwat þat selcuth mithe be.THE LIGHT SHOWS THAT HAVELOK IS THE HEIR.[Fol. 214b, col. 2.]2120Als þe knithes were comenalle,Þer hauelok lay, ut of þe halle,So stod ut of his mouth a glem,Rith al swilk so þe sunne-bem;The light is like that of 107 candles.2124Þat al so lith wa[s] þare, bi heuene!So þer brenden serges seuene,And an hundred serges ok:Þat durste hi sweren on a bok.2128He slepen faste alle fiue,So he weren brouth of liue;Havelok and Goldborough are fast asleep.And hauelok lay on his lift side,In his armes his brithe bride.2132Bi þe pappes he leyen naked:So faire two weren neuere makedIn a bed to lyen samen:—Þe knithes þouth of hem god gamen,2136Hem forto shewe, and loken to.Rith also he stodenalle so,And his bac was toward hemwend,They see a bright cross on his back, denoting kingship.So werenhe war of a croiz ful gent,2140On his rith shuldre sw[iþ]e95brith,Brithter þan gold ageyn þe lith.So þat he wiste heye and lowe,Þat it was kunrik þat he sawe.2144It sparkede, and ful brith shon,So doth þe gode charbucle ston,It was light enough to choose a penny by.Þat men Mouthe se by þe lith,A peni chesen, so was it brith.2148Þanne bihelden he him faste,So þat he knewenat þe laste,They know he is Birkabeyn’s son and heir.Þat he was birkabeynes sone,Þat was here king, þat was hemwone2152Wel to yeme, and wel wereAgeynes uten-laddes here.“For it was neuere yet a broþerIn al denemark so lich anoþer,2156So þis man þat is so fayrAls birkabeyn, he is hise eyr.”95MS. swe,forswiþe. Cf. l. 1252.He fellen sone at hise fet,They weep for joy.Was non of hem þat he ne gret,2160Of ioie he weren alle so fawen,So he him haueden of erþe drawen.Hise fet he kisten an hundred syþes,Þe tos, þe nayles, and þe lithes,2164So þat he bigan to wakne,96[Fol. 215, col. 1.]And wit hemful sore to blakne,For he wende he woldenhim slo,Havelok wakes.Or elles binde him, and do wo.96Here follows the catchword— “And wit hem.”UBBE SAYS HAVELOK SHALL BE KING.2168Quoth ubbe, “louerd, ne dred þe nowth,Me þinkes that I se þi þouth.Ubbe offers homage to him,Dere sone, wel is me,Þat y þe with eyn[e]97se.2172Man-red, louerd, bede y þe,Þi man auht i ful wel to be,For þu art comenof birkabeyn,Þat hauede mani knith and sweyn;2176And so shalt þou, louerd, haue,Þou þu be yet a ful yung knaue.and says he shall be king of Denmark.Þou shalt be king of al denemark,Was þer-inne neuere non so stark.2180To-morwen shaltu manrede takeOf þe brune and of þe blake;Of alle þat aren in þis tun,Boþe of erl, and of barun,2184And of dreng, and of thayn,And of knith, and of sweyn.And so shaltu ben mad knithWit blisse, for þou art so with.”97We findeynein ll. 680, 1273, &c.Havelok is blithe, and thanks God.2188Þo was hauelok swiþe bliþe,And þankede God ful fele siþe.On þe morwen, wan it was lith,And gon was þisternesse of þe nith,2192Vbbe dide up-on a stedeA ladde lepe, and þider bedeUbbe summons all his lords.Erles, barouns, drenges, theynes,Klerkes, knithes, bu[r]geys,98sweynes,2196Þat he sholden comen a-non,Biforen him sone euerilkon,Also he louenhere liues,And here children, and here wiues.98MS. bugeyſ.UBBE RELATES HAVELOK’S HISTORY.All come to receive his orders.2200Hise bode ne durste he non at-sitte,2201Þat he ne neme99for to witeSone, hwat wolde þe iustise:And [he] bigan anon to rise,2204And seyde sone, “liþes me,Alle samen, þeu and fre.A þing ich wile you here shauwe,Þat ye100alle ful wel knawe.Ubbe tells them about Birkabeyn,2208Ye witenwel, þat al þis londWas inbirkabeynes hond,[Fol. 215, col. 2.]Þe day þat he was quic and ded;And how þat he, bi youre red,who commended his children to Godard;2212Bitauhte hise children þreGodard to yeme, and al his fe.Hauelok his sone he him tauhte,And hise two douhtres, and al his auhte,2216Alle herden ye him swereOn bok, and on messe-gere,Þat he shulde yeme hem wel,With-uten lac, with-uten tel.
73MS. yde.*þarnedis an error of the scribe forþoled; see theGlossary.
73MS. yde.
*þarnedis an error of the scribe forþoled; see theGlossary.
Hwan it was comentime to ete,
[Fol. 212b, col. 1.]
Hise wif dede ubbe sone in fete,
And til hire seyde, al on gamen:
Ubbe’s wife is to eat with Havelok, and Goldborough with Ubbe.
“Dame, þou and hauelok shulenete samen,
And goldeboru shal ete wit me,
Þat is so fayr so flour on tre;
In al denemark nis74*wimman
So fayr so sche, bi seint iohan!”
Þanne [he] were set, and bord leyd,
And þe beneysun was seyd,
There were cranes, swans, venison, fish, and wines.
Biforn hemcom þe beste mete
Þat king or cayser wolde ete;
Kranes, swannes, ueneysun,
Lax, lampreys, and god sturgun,
Pyment to drinke, and god clare,
Win hwit and red, ful god plente.
Was þer-inne no page so lite,
Þat euere wolde ale bite.
Of þe mete forto tel,
No need to tell it all.
Ne of þe metes75bidde†i nout dwelle;
Þat is þe storie for to lenge,
It wolde anuye þis fayre genge.
When the feast is over,
But hwan he haueden þe kiwing76de[y]led,
And fele siþes hauedenwosseyled,
And with gode drinkes setenlonge,
And it was time for to gonge,
Il man to þer he cam fro,
Ubbe thinks he must let them have an escort.
Þouthe ubbe, “yf I late hem go,
Þus one foure, with-uten mo,
So mote ich brouke finger or to,
For þis wimmanbes mike wo!
For hire shal menhire louerd slo.”
He tok sone knithes ten,
And wel sixti oþer men,
Wit gode bowes, and with gleiues,
And sende him unto þe greyues,
He sends them to Bernard Brown, and bids him take care of them till next day.
Þe beste manof al þe toun,
Þat was named bernard brun;
And bad him, als he louede his lif,
Hauelok wel y[e]men,77and his wif,
And wel do wayten al þe nith,
Til þe oþer day, þat it were lith.
Bernard was trewe, and swiþe with,
In al þe borw ne was no knith
Þat betere couþe on stede riden,
Helm on heued, ne swerd bi side.
[Fol. 212b, col. 2.]
Bernard provides a rich supper for Havelok.
Hauelok he gladlike under-stod,
With mike loue, and herte god,
And dide greyþe a super riche,
Also he was no with chinche,
To his bihoue euer-il del,
Þat he mithe supe swiþe wel.
74MS. is.*Perhaps we should rather read—is womman[non].75Qu.win.†Biddemust meanoffer, rather thanbid(as in theGlossary); unless it be miswritten forbide= tarry.76Uncertain in MS. Seenote.77MS. ymen.
74MS. is.
*Perhaps we should rather read—is womman[non].
75Qu.win.
†Biddemust meanoffer, rather thanbid(as in theGlossary); unless it be miswritten forbide= tarry.
76Uncertain in MS. Seenote.
77MS. ymen.
A GANG OF THIEVES BESET BERNARD’S HOUSE.
At suppertime sixty-one thieves come to the house,
Also he seten, and sholde soupe,
So comes a ladde in a ioupe,
And with him sixti oþer stronge,
With swerdes drawen, and kniues longe,
Ilkan inhande a ful god gleiue,
and bid Bernard open the door.
And seyde, “undo, bernard þe greyue!
Vndo swiþe, and latus78in,
THREE OF THE THIEVES ATTACK HAVELOK.
Or þu art ded, bi seint austin!”
Bernard starts up, arms himself,
Bernard stirt up, þat was ful big,
And caste a brinie up-on his rig,
And grop an ax,79þat was ful god,
Lep to þe dore, so he wore wod,
And seyde, “hwat are ye, þat are þer-oute,
Þat þus biginnenforto stroute?
and tells them to go away.
Goth henne swiþe, fule þeues,
For, bi þe louerd, þat manon leues,
Shol ich casten þe dore open,
Summe of you shal ich drepen!
And þe oþre shal ich kesten
In feteres, and ful faste festen!”
They defy him.
“Hwat haue ye seid,” quoth a ladde,
“Wenestu þat we ben adradde?
We shole at þis dore gonge
Maugre þin, carl, or outh longe.”
They break the door open with a boulder.
He gripensone a bulder ston,
And let it fleye, ful god won,
Agen þe dore, þat it to-rof:
Auelok it saw, and þider drof,
Havelok seizes the bar of the door, and says,
And þe barre sone vt-drow,
Þat was unride, and gret ynow,
And caste þe dore open wide,
And seide, “her shal y now abide:
“Come here to me.”
Comes swiþe vn-to me!80
Datheyt hwo you henne fle!”
“No,” quodh on, “þat shaltou coupe,”
And bigan til him to loupe,
Three men attack Havelok.
In his hond is swerd ut-drawe,
Hauelok he wende þore haue slawe;
And with [him] comen oþer two,
[Fol. 213, col. 1.]
Þat him wolde of liue haue do.
HAVELOK SLAYS SEVEN OF THE THIEVES.
Hauelok lifte up þe dore-tre,
He kills them all.
And at a dint he slow hemþre;
Was non of hem þat his hernes
Ne lay þer-ute ageyn þe sternes.
A fourth he knocks down with a blow on the head.
Þe ferþe þat he siþen mette,
Wit þe barre so he him grette,
Bifor þe heued, þat þe rith eye
Vt of þe hole made he fleye,
And siþe clapte him on þe crune,
So þat he stan-ded fel þor dune.
A fifth he hits between the shoulders.
Þe fifte þat he ouer-tok,
Gaf he a ful sor dint[e] ok,
Bitwen þe sholdres, þer he stod,
Þat he spen his herte blod.
A sixth he smites on the neck.
Þe sixte wende for to fle,
And he clapte him with þe tre
Rith in þe fule necke so,
Þat he smot hise necke on to.
Þanne þe sixe weren doun feld,
A seventh aims at Havelok’s eye.
Þe seuenþe brayd ut his swerd,
And wolde hauelok Riht inthe eye;
And hauelokle[t þe]81barre fleye,
Havelok kills him.
And smot him sone ageyn þe brest,
Þat hauede he neuere sch[r]ifte of prest;
For he was ded on lesse hwile,
Þan menmouthe renne a mile.
The rest divide into two parties,
Alle þe oþere werenful kene,
A red þei taken hem bi-twene,
þat he sholde him bi-halue,
And brisenso, þat wit no salue
Ne sholde him helen leche non:
Þey drowen ut swerdes, ful god won,
and rush at him like dogs at a bear.
And shoten on him, so don on bere
Dogges, þat wolden him to-tere,
Þanne men doth þe bere beyte:
Þe laddes were kaske and teyte,
And vn-bi-yeden him ilkon,
Sumsmot with tre, and sumwit ston;
Summe puttenwith gleyue, inbac and side,
They wound Havelok in twenty places.
And yeuenwundes longe and wide;
In twenti stedes, and wel mo,
Fro þe croune til the to.
Hwan he saw þat, he was wod,
And was it ferlik hw he stod,
[Fol. 213, col. 2.]
For the blod ran of his sides
So water þat fro þe welle glides;
But þanne bigan he for to mowe
With the barre, and let hem shewe,
Hw he cowþe sore smite,
He at last succeeds in killing twenty of them.
For was þer non, long ne lite,
Þat he Mouthe ouer-take,
Þat he ne garte his croune krake;
So þat on a litel stund,
Felde he twenti to þe grund.
78Sicin MS.79MS. ar;but seel. 1894.80MS. vnto me datheit,—evidently the repetition of the first word in the succeeding line.81Qu.Hauelok let the. MS. “haue le.”
78Sicin MS.
79MS. ar;but seel. 1894.
80MS. vnto me datheit,—evidently the repetition of the first word in the succeeding line.
81Qu.Hauelok let the. MS. “haue le.”
THE THIEVES SHOOT AT HIM FROM A DISTANCE.
Þo bigan gret dine to rise,
For þe laddes on ilke wise
They throw stones at him.
Him asayledenwit grete dintes,
Fro fer he stoden, him with flintes
And gleyues schotenhim fro ferne,
For drepen him he wolden yerne;
But durstenhe newhenhim no more,
Þanne he bor or leunwore.
HUGH AND THE REST COME TO THE RESCUE.
Hugh Raven hears the noise,
Huwe rauenþat dine herde,
And þowthe wel, þat menmis-ferde
With his louerd, for his wif,
And grop an ore, and a long knif,
And þider drof al so an hert,
and comes to help.
And cham þer on a litel stert,
And saw how þe laddes wode
Hauelok his louerd umbistode,
And betenon him so doth þe smith
With þe hamer on þe stith.
“Allas!” hwat hwe, “þat y was boren!
Þat euere et ich bred of koren!
Þat ich here þis sorwe se!
Hugh calls out to Robert and William.
Roberd! willam! hware ar ye?
Gripeth eþer unker a god tre,
And late we nouth þise doges fle,
Til ure louerd wreke [we];
Cometh swiþe, and folwes me!
Ich haue in honde a ful god ore:
Datheit wo ne smite sore!”
Robert comes to the rescue,
“Ya! leue, ya!” quod roberd sone,
“We hauenful god lith of þe mone.”
Roberd grop a staf, strong and gret,
Þat mouthe ful wel bere a net,
and William too, and Bernard.
And willam wendut grop a tre
Mikel grettere þan his þe,82
And bernard held his ax ful faste;
[Fol. 213b, col. 1.]
I seye, was he nouth þe laste;
And lopen forth so he weren wode
To þe laddes, þer he stode,
And yaf hem wundes swiþe grete;
They fight with the thieves.
Þer mithe men wel se boyes bete,
And ribbes in here sides breke,
And hauelok on hem wel wreke.
He broken armes, he broken knes,
He broken shankes, he brokenthes.
He dide þe blode þere renne dune
To þe fet rith fro the crune,
No head was spared.
For was þer spared heued non:
He leyden on heuedes, ful god won,
And made croune[s] breke and crake,
Of þe broune, and of þe blake;
He made their backs as soft as their bellies.
He madenhere backes al so bloute
Als h[er]e83wombes, and made hemrowte
Als he weren kradelbarnes:
So dos þe child þat moder þarnes.
82MS. þre,therbeing caught from the word above.Cf. l. 1903.83Qu.here. MS. he.
82MS. þre,therbeing caught from the word above.Cf. l. 1903.
83Qu.here. MS. he.
ALL THE SIXTY THIEVES ARE SLAIN.
Daþeitwo84recke! for he it seruede,
Hwat dide he þore werenhe werewed;
So longe hauedenhe but and bet
With neues under hernes set,
All sixty assailants are slain.
Þat of þo sixti men and on
Ne wente þer awey liues non.
84MS. “ƿe,” clearly miswritten for “ƿo” or “wo.” See ll. 2047, 296, 300, &c.
UBBE ASKS BERNARD WHAT HAS HAPPENED.
At morn, there they lay like dogs.
ON þe morwen, hwan85it was day,
Ilc on other wirwed lay,
Als it were dogges þat werenhenged,
And summe leye indikes slenget,
And summe in gripes bi þe her
Drawen ware, and latenther.
Sket cam tiding intil ubbe,
Þat hauelok hauede with a clubbe
Of hise slawen sixti and on
Sergaunz, þe beste þat mithengon.
Ubbe comes to see what is the matter.
“Deus!” quoth ubbe, “hwat may þis be!
Betere his i nime86miself and se,
Þat þis baret on hwat is wold,
Þanne i sende yunge or old.
For yif i sende him un-to,
I wene mensholde him shame do,
And þat ne wolde ich for no þing:
I loue him wel, bi heuene king!
Me wore leuere i wore lame,
Þanne men dide him ani shame,
[Fol. 213b, col. 2.]
Or tok, or onne handes leyde,
Vn-ornelike,87or same seyde.”
He lep up on a stede lith,
And with him mani a noble knith,
And ferde forth un-to þe tun,
He calls for Bernard Brown.
And dide calle bernard brun
Vt of his hus, wan he þer cam;
And bernard sone ageyn [him] nam,
Al to-tused and al to-torn,
Ner also naked so he was born,
And al to-brised, bac and þe:
Ubbe asks who has beaten him about so?
Quoth ubbe, “bernard, hwat is þe?
Hwo haues þe þus ille maked,
Þus to-riuen, and al mad naked?”
85MS. “hhan,” miswritten for “hƿan,” from which it differs very slightly.86MS. inime.87MS. Vn ornelſke;butſshould certainly bei.
85MS. “hhan,” miswritten for “hƿan,” from which it differs very slightly.
86MS. inime.
87MS. Vn ornelſke;butſshould certainly bei.
BERNARD RELATES HAVELOK’S PROWESS.
“Louerd,88merci,” quot he sone,
“To-nicht also ros þe mone
“Sixty thieves attacked me last night.
Comenher mo þan sixti þeues,
With lokene copes, and wide sleues,
Me forto robben, and to pine,
And for to drepe me and mine.
Mi dore he broken up ful sket,
And wolde me binden hond and fet.
Wan þe godemenþat sawe,
Havelok and his friends drove them off.
Hauelok, and he þat bi þe wowe
Leye, he stirtenup sone on-on,
And summe grop tre, and sumgrop ston,
And driue hemut, þei he werencrus,
So dogges ut of milne-hous.
Hauelok grop þe dore-tre,
And [at] a dint he slow hemthre.
He is þe beste manat nede,
Þat euere mar shal ride stede!
Als helpe god, bi mine wone,
He is worth a thousand men.
A þhousend of menhis he worth one!
Yif he ne were, ich were nou ded,
So haue ich don Mi soule red;
But it is hof him mikel sinne;
He madenhim swilke woundes þrinne,
Þat of þe alþer-leste wounde
Were a stede brouht to grunde.
He has some bad wounds, more than twenty.
He haues a wunde inthe side,
With a gleyue, ful un-ride,
And he haues on þoru his arum,
Þer-of is ful mikel harum,
[Fol. 214, col. 1.]
And he haues on þoru his þhe,
Þe vn-rideste þat men may se,
And oþe[r] wundes haues he stronge,
Mo than twenti swiþe longe.
But siþen he hauede lauth þe sor
Of þe wundes, was neuere bor
Þat so fauth so he fauth þanne;
Was non þat hauede þe hern-panne
So hard, þat he ne dede alto-cruhsse,
And alto-shiuere, and alto-frusshe.
He followed them like a dog does a hare.
He folwede hemso hund dos hare,
Daþeyt on he wolde spare,
Þat [he] ne made hemeuerilk on
Ligge stille so doth þe ston:
And þer nis he nouth to frie,
For oþer sholde he make hem lye
Ded, or þei him hauede slawen,
Or alto-hewen, or al-to-drawen.
88MS. Iouerd.
Louerd, haui no more plith
Of þat ich was þus greþed to-nith.
Þus wolde þe theues me haue reft,
But god-þank, he hauenet sure keft.
But I fear Havelok is all but dead.”
But it is of him mikel scaþe:
I woth þat he bes ded ful raþe.”
THE OTHERS CONFIRM BERNARD’S STORY.
Quoth ubbe, “bernard, seyst þou soth?”
“Ya, sire, that i ne89lepe oth.
Yif y, louerd, a word leye,
To-morwen do me hengen heye.”
The rest confirm Bernard’s story.
Þe burgeys þat þer-bi stode þore,
Grundlike and grete oþes swore,
Litle and mikle, yunge and holde,
Þat was soth, þat bernard tolde.
Soth was, þat he woldenhim bynde,
And trusse al þat he mithen fynde
Of hise, in arke or in kiste,
Þat he mouthe inseckes þriste.
“The thieves wanted to steal all he had.
“Louerd, he hauedenal awey born
His þing, and him-self alto-torn,
But als god self barw him wel,
Þat he ne tinte no catel.
Hwo mithe so mani stonde ageyn,
Bi nither-tale, knith or swein?
He werenbi tale sixti and ten,
Starke laddes, stalworþi men,
They were led on by one G[r]iffin Gall.”
And on, þe mayster of hemalle,
Þat was þe name giffin90galle.
[Fol. 214, col. 2.]
Hwo mouthe agey[n]91so mani stonde,
But als þis manof ferne londe
Haueth hemslawenwith a tre?
Mikel ioie haue he!
God yeue him mikel god to welde,
Boþe in tun, and ek in felde!
We[l]92is set he etes mete.”
Ubbe sends for Havelok,
Quoth ubbe, “doth him swiþe fete,
Þat y mouthe his woundes se,
Yf that he mouthenheled93be.
For yf he mouthe couere yet,
And gangenwel up-on hise fet,
to dub him knight.
Mi-self shal dubbe him to knith,
For-þi þat he is so with.
And yif he liuede, þo foule theues,
Þat werenof kaym kin and eues,
He sholden hange bi þe necke;
Of here ded daþeit wo recke,
Hwan he yeden þus on nithes
To binde boþe burgmenand knithes.
For bynderes loue ich neuere mo,
Of hem ne yeue ich nouht a slo.”
89MS. ine.90Qu.griffin.91MS. agey.92Cf. ll. 772, 907.93MS. holed. See l. 2058.
89MS. ine.
90Qu.griffin.
91MS. agey.
92Cf. ll. 772, 907.
93MS. holed. See l. 2058.
UBBE SENDS FOR HAVELOK AND TAKES HIM TO HIS CASTLE.
Havelok is brought before Ubbe.
Hauelok was bifore ubbe browth,
Þat hauede for him ful mikel þouth,
And mikel sorwe in his herte
For hise wundes, þat we[r] so smerte.
But hwanhis wundes werenshewed,
A leech says he can be healed.
And a leche hauede knawed,
Þat he hem mouthe ful wel hele,
Wel make him gange, and ful wel mele,
And wel a palefrey bistride,
And wel up-on a stede ride,
Þo let ubbe al his care
And al his sorwe ouer-fare;
Ubbe invites him and Goldborough to his own castle.
And seyde, “cumnow forth with me,
And goldeboru, þi wif, with þe,
And þine seriaunz al þre,
For nou wile y youre warant be;
Wile y non of here frend
Þat þu slowe with þin hend
Moucte wayte þe [to] slo,
Also þou gange to and fro.
I shal lene þe a bowr,
Þat is up in þe heye tour,
Til þou mowe ful wel go,
[Fol. 214b, col. 1.]
And wel ben hol of al þi wo.
It ne shal no þing benbitwene
Þi bour and min, also y wene,
But a fayr firrene wowe;—
Speke y loude, or spek y lowe,
Þou shalt94ful wel heren me,
And þan þu wilt, þou shalt me se.
He promises to protect Goldborough.
A rof shal hile us boþe o-nith,
Þat none of mine, clerk ne knith,
Ne sholen þi wif no shame bede,
No more þan min, so god me rede!”
94MS. sahalt;and the second a is expuncted by mistake, instead of the first.
UBBE SEES THE MIRACULOUS LIGHT WHICH ISSUES FROM HAVELOK’S MOUTH.
HE dide un-to þe borw bringe
Sone anon, al with ioynge,
His wif, and his serganz þre,
Þe beste men þat mouthe be.
The first night, about midnight,
Þe firste nith he lay þer-inne,
Hise wif, and his serganz þrinne,
Aboute þe middel of þe nith
Ubbe wakes and sees a great light.
Wok ubbe, and saw a mikel lith
In þe bour þat hauelok lay,
Also brith so it were day.
Ubbe says he must go and see what it means.
“Deus!” quoth ubbe, “hwat may þis be?
Betere is i go miself, and se:
Hweþer he sittennou, and wesseylen,
Or of ani shotshipe to-deyle,
Þis tid nithes, also foles;
Þan birþe men castenhem inpoles,
Or in a grip, or in þe fen:
Nou ne sitten none but wicke men,
Glotuns, reu[e]res, or wicke þeues,
Bi crist, þat alle folk onne leues!”
He peeps in, and sees them all asleep.
He stod, and totede inat a bord,
Her he spak anilepi word,
And saw hem slepen faste ilkon,
And lye stille so þe ston;
And saw al þat mikel lith
Fro hauelok cam, þat was so brith.
The light issues from Havelok’s mouth.
Of his mouth it com il del,
Þat was he war ful swiþe wel.
“Deus!” quoth he, “hwat may þis mene!”
He calde boþe arwe menand kene,
Knithes, and serganz swiþe sleie,
Mo þan an hundred, with-utenleye,
And bad hem alle comenand se,
Hwat þat selcuth mithe be.
THE LIGHT SHOWS THAT HAVELOK IS THE HEIR.
[Fol. 214b, col. 2.]
Als þe knithes were comenalle,
Þer hauelok lay, ut of þe halle,
So stod ut of his mouth a glem,
Rith al swilk so þe sunne-bem;
The light is like that of 107 candles.
Þat al so lith wa[s] þare, bi heuene!
So þer brenden serges seuene,
And an hundred serges ok:
Þat durste hi sweren on a bok.
He slepen faste alle fiue,
So he weren brouth of liue;
Havelok and Goldborough are fast asleep.
And hauelok lay on his lift side,
In his armes his brithe bride.
Bi þe pappes he leyen naked:
So faire two weren neuere maked
In a bed to lyen samen:—
Þe knithes þouth of hem god gamen,
Hem forto shewe, and loken to.
Rith also he stodenalle so,
And his bac was toward hemwend,
They see a bright cross on his back, denoting kingship.
So werenhe war of a croiz ful gent,
On his rith shuldre sw[iþ]e95brith,
Brithter þan gold ageyn þe lith.
So þat he wiste heye and lowe,
Þat it was kunrik þat he sawe.
It sparkede, and ful brith shon,
So doth þe gode charbucle ston,
It was light enough to choose a penny by.
Þat men Mouthe se by þe lith,
A peni chesen, so was it brith.
Þanne bihelden he him faste,
So þat he knewenat þe laste,
They know he is Birkabeyn’s son and heir.
Þat he was birkabeynes sone,
Þat was here king, þat was hemwone
Wel to yeme, and wel were
Ageynes uten-laddes here.
“For it was neuere yet a broþer
In al denemark so lich anoþer,
So þis man þat is so fayr
Als birkabeyn, he is hise eyr.”
95MS. swe,forswiþe. Cf. l. 1252.
He fellen sone at hise fet,
They weep for joy.
Was non of hem þat he ne gret,
Of ioie he weren alle so fawen,
So he him haueden of erþe drawen.
Hise fet he kisten an hundred syþes,
Þe tos, þe nayles, and þe lithes,
So þat he bigan to wakne,96
[Fol. 215, col. 1.]
And wit hemful sore to blakne,
For he wende he woldenhim slo,
Havelok wakes.
Or elles binde him, and do wo.
96Here follows the catchword— “And wit hem.”
UBBE SAYS HAVELOK SHALL BE KING.
Quoth ubbe, “louerd, ne dred þe nowth,
Me þinkes that I se þi þouth.
Ubbe offers homage to him,
Dere sone, wel is me,
Þat y þe with eyn[e]97se.
Man-red, louerd, bede y þe,
Þi man auht i ful wel to be,
For þu art comenof birkabeyn,
Þat hauede mani knith and sweyn;
And so shalt þou, louerd, haue,
Þou þu be yet a ful yung knaue.
and says he shall be king of Denmark.
Þou shalt be king of al denemark,
Was þer-inne neuere non so stark.
To-morwen shaltu manrede take
Of þe brune and of þe blake;
Of alle þat aren in þis tun,
Boþe of erl, and of barun,
And of dreng, and of thayn,
And of knith, and of sweyn.
And so shaltu ben mad knith
Wit blisse, for þou art so with.”
97We findeynein ll. 680, 1273, &c.
Havelok is blithe, and thanks God.
Þo was hauelok swiþe bliþe,
And þankede God ful fele siþe.
On þe morwen, wan it was lith,
And gon was þisternesse of þe nith,
Vbbe dide up-on a stede
A ladde lepe, and þider bede
Ubbe summons all his lords.
Erles, barouns, drenges, theynes,
Klerkes, knithes, bu[r]geys,98sweynes,
Þat he sholden comen a-non,
Biforen him sone euerilkon,
Also he louenhere liues,
And here children, and here wiues.
98MS. bugeyſ.
UBBE RELATES HAVELOK’S HISTORY.
All come to receive his orders.
Hise bode ne durste he non at-sitte,
Þat he ne neme99for to wite
Sone, hwat wolde þe iustise:
And [he] bigan anon to rise,
And seyde sone, “liþes me,
Alle samen, þeu and fre.
A þing ich wile you here shauwe,
Þat ye100alle ful wel knawe.
Ubbe tells them about Birkabeyn,
Ye witenwel, þat al þis lond
Was inbirkabeynes hond,
[Fol. 215, col. 2.]
Þe day þat he was quic and ded;
And how þat he, bi youre red,
who commended his children to Godard;
Bitauhte hise children þre
Godard to yeme, and al his fe.
Hauelok his sone he him tauhte,
And hise two douhtres, and al his auhte,
Alle herden ye him swere
On bok, and on messe-gere,
Þat he shulde yeme hem wel,
With-uten lac, with-uten tel.