The Lay of Havelok the Dane Part 11

[Headnote: HAVELOK GOES TO LINCOLN TO GET WORK.]

+On e morwen, hwa{n} it was day, [Sidenote: [Fol. 208b, col. 1.]]

He stirt up sone, and nouth ne lay; 812 [Sidenote: He carries a pannier full of fish, and sells them.]

And cast a panier on his bac, With fish giueled als a stac; Also michel he bar him one, So he foure, bi mine mone![42] 816 Wel he it bar, and solde it wel, e siluer he brouthe hom il del; Al at he er-fore tok With-held he nouth a feringes nok. 820 So yede he forth ilke day, at he neuere at home lay.

So wolde he his mester lere; [Sidenote: A great dearth arises.]

Bifel it so a strong dere 824 Bigan to rise of korn of bred, That grim ne coue no G.o.d red, Hw he sholde his meine fede; Of hauelok hauede he michel drede: 828 For he was strong, and wel mouthe ete More a{n}ne heuere mouthe he gete; [Sidenote: They have not enough to eat.]

Ne he ne mouthe on e se take Neyer le{n}ge, ne orn[e]bake,[43] 832 Ne non oer fish at douthe His meyne fede{n} with he[r][44] mouthe.

[Sidenote: Grim is sorry for Havelok.]

Of hauelok he hauede kare, Hwilgat at he micthe fare; 836 Of his childre{n} was him nouth, On hauelok was al hise outh, And seyde, "hauelok, dere sone, I wene that we deye mone 840 For hu{n}ger, is dere is so strong, And hure mete is uten long.

[Sidenote: He advises him to go to Lincoln, and work there.]

Betere is at u he{n}ne gonge, an u here dwelle longe; 844 Heen ow mayt ga{n}ge{n} to late; Thou canst ful wel e ricthe gate To lincolne, e G.o.de borw, ou hauest it gon ful ofte oru; 848 Of me ne is me nouth a slo, Bet{er}e is at u ider go, For er is mani G.o.d ma{n} inne, er ou mayt i mete winne. 852 But wo is me! ou art so naked, [Sidenote: He makes him a coat of an old sail.]

Of mi seyl y wolde e were maked A cloth, ou mithest i{n}ne gongen, Sone, no cold at u ne fonge." 856

[Headnote: HE HELPS THE EARL OF CORNWALL'S COOK.]

[Sidenote: [Fol. 208b. col. 2.]]

+He tok e sh[e]res[45] of e nayl, And made him a couel of e sayl, And hauelok dide it sone on; Hauede neyer hosen ne shon, 860 Ne none kines oe[r] wede; [Sidenote: Havelok goes to Lincoln barefoot.]

To lincolne barfot he yede.

Hwan he kam e[r], he was ful wil, Ne hauede he no frend to gange{n} til; 864 [Sidenote: He fasts for two days.]

Two dayes er fastinde he yede, at non for his werk wolde him fede; e ridde day herde he calle: "Bermen, bermen, hider forth alle!" 868 [Poure at on fote yede][46]

Sp.r.o.ngen forth so sparke on glede.

[Sidenote: Havelok becomes the earl's cook's porter.]

Hauelok shof dun nyne or ten, Rith amidewarde e fen, 872 And stirte forth to e kok, [er the herles mete he tok,]

at he bouthe at e brigge: e berme{n} let he alle ligge, 876 And bar e mete to e castel, [Sidenote: He gets a farthing cake.]

And gat him ere a fering wastel.

[Footnote 42: Cf. ll. 1711, 1972.]

[Footnote 43: See l. 759.]

[Footnote 44: _Qu._ her, _i.e._ their. MS. he.]

[Footnote 45: _Qu._ sheres. MS. shres.]

[Footnote 46: Cf. ll. 91, 101. Here and below an additional line seems requisite.]

[Headnote: HAVELOK IS HIRED BY THE EARL'S COOK.]

[Sidenote: Another day, he watches the earl's cook, who calls for a porter.]

+et oer day kepte he ok Swie yerne e erles kok, 880 Til at he say him on e b[r]igge, And bi him mani fishes ligge.

e herles mete hauede he bouth Of cornwalie, and kalde oft: 884 "Berme{n}, bermen, hider swie!"

Hauelok it herde, and was ful blie, at he herde "berme{n}" calle; Alle made he hem dun falle 888 [Sidenote: Havelok upsets 16 lads.]

at in his gate yeden and stode, Wel sixtene laddes G.o.de.

Als he lep e kok [vn-]til, He shof hem alle upon an hyl; 892 Astirte til him with his rippe, [Sidenote: He catches up the cook's fish, and carries them to the castle.]

And bigan e fish to kippe.

He bar up wel a carte lode Of segges, laxes, of playces brode, 896 Of grete laumprees, and of eles; Sparede he neyer tos ne heles, Til at he to e castel cam, at me{n} fro him his birene nam. 900 an me{n} hauede{n} holpe{n} him doun With e birene of his croun, e kok [bi] stod, and on him low, [Sidenote: [Fol. 209, col. 1.]]

And oute him stalwore ma{n} ynow, 904 And seyde, "wiltu ben wit me?

[Sidenote: The cook takes him into his service.]

Gladlike wile ich feden e; Wel is set e mete u etes, And e hire at u getes." 908

[Headnote: HE CUTS WOOD, AND DRAWS WATER.]

+"G.o.ddot!"[47] quoth he, "leue sire, Bidde ich you non oer hire; But yeue me inow to ete, [Sidenote: Havelok tells the cook what he can do.]

Fir and wat{er} y wile yow fete, 912 e fir blowe, an ful wele make{n}; Stickes kan ich breken and krake{n}, And kindlen ful wel a fyr, And make{n} it to brennen s.h.i.+r; 916 Ful wel kan ich cleue{n} s.h.i.+des, Eles to-turnen[48] of here hides; Ful wel kan ich dishes swilen, And don al at ye eu{er}e wilen." 920 [Sidenote: The cook is content to hire him.]

Quoth e kok, "wile i no more; Go u yunder, and sit ore, And y shal yeue e ful fair bred, And make e broys i{n} e led. 924 Sit now doun and et ful yerne: Daeit hwo e mete werne!"

[Footnote 47: Soddot, MS.]

[Footnote 48: MS. to turuen; _but the _u_ and _n_ are almost indistinguishable._ Cf. l. 603; and _William of Palerne_, 2590.]

[Headnote: HAVELOK GROWS VERY TALL AND STRONG.]

[Sidenote: Havelok eats a good dinner.]

+Hauelok sette him dun anon, Also stille als a ston, 928 Til he hauede ful wel eten; o hauede hauelok fayre gete{n}.

[Sidenote: He fills a large tub with water for the kitchen.]

Hwa{n} he hauede ete{n} inow, He ka{m} to e welle, wat{er} up-drow, 932 And filde e[r] a michel so; Bad he non ageyn him go, But bi-twen his hondes he bar it in, A[l] him one to e kichin. 936 Bad he non him wat{er} to fete, Ne fro b[r]igge to bere e mete, He bar e turues, he bar e star, e wode fro the brigge he bar; 940 [Sidenote: He draws water, and cuts wood.]

Al that euere shulde{n} he nytte, Al he drow, and al he citte; Wolde he neu{er}e haue{n} rest, More a{n} he were a best. 944 [Sidenote: He is always laughing and blithe.]

Of alle me{n} was he mest meke, Lauhwinde ay, and blie of speke; Eu{er}e he was glad and blie, His sorwe he coue ful wel mie. 948 [Sidenote: [Fol. 209, col. 2.]]

It ne was non so litel knaue, For to leyken, ne forto plawe, at he ne wo[l]de with him pleye: e children that y[e]de{n} in e weie 952 [Sidenote: Children play with him.]

Of him he deden al he[r] wille, And with him leykeden here fille.

Him louede{n} alle, stille and bolde, Knictes, childre{n}, yunge and holde; 956 [Sidenote: All like him.]

Alle him louede{n} at him sowen, Boen heyemen and lowe.

Of him ful wide e word sp.r.o.ng, Hw he was mike, hw he was stro{n}g, 960 Hw fayr ma{n} G.o.d him hauede maked, [Sidenote: He has nothing to wear but the old sail.]

But on at he was almest naked: For he ne hauede nouth to shride, But a kouel ful unride, 964 at [was] ful, and swie wicke, Was it nouth worth a fir sticke.

[Sidenote: The cook buys him new clothes.]

e c.o.k biga{n} of him to rewe, And bouthe him cloes, al spa{n}newe; 968 He bouthe him boe hose{n} and shon, And sone dide him dones on.

[Sidenote: He looks very well in his new suit.]

Hwan he was cloed, osed, and shod, Was no{n} so fayr under G.o.d, 972 at euere yete in ere were, Non at eu{er}e moder bere; It was neu{er}e ma{n} at yemede In kinneriche, at so wel semede 976 King or cayser forto be, an he was shrid, so semede he; [Sidenote: Havelok is the tallest man in Lincoln, and the strongest in England.]

For a{n}ne he weren alle same{n} At lincolne, at e game{n}, 980 And e erles men woren al ore, an was hauelok bi e shuldre{n} more an e meste at er kam: In armes him noma{n} [ne] nam, 984 at he doune sone ne caste; Hauelok stod ouer he{m} als a mast.

Als he was heie, al[49] he was long, He was boe stark and strong; 988 In engelond [was] non hise per Of strenge at eu{er}e ka{m} him ner.

Als he was strong, so was he softe;

[Headnote: HE SEES SOME MEN "PUTTING THE STONE."]

ey a man him misdede ofte, 992 Neuere more he him misdede, [Sidenote: [Fol. 209b, col. 1.]]

Ne hond on him with yuele leyde.

[Sidenote: He is good-natured and pure.]

Of bodi was he mayden clene, Neuere yete in game, ne in grene, 996 it[50] hire ne wolde leyke ne lye, No more an it were a strie.

In at time al hengelond [Sidenote: G.o.drich summons a parliament at Lincoln.]

erl G.o.drich hauede in his hond, 1000 And he gart kome{n} i{n}to e tun Mani erl, and mani barun; And alle [men] at liues were In eng[e]lond, a{n}ne wer ere, 1004 at ey haueden after sent, To ben er at e parleme{n}t.

[Sidenote: Some champions begin to contend in games.]

With hem com mani cha{n}bioun, Mani with ladde, blac and brown; 1008 An fel it so, at yunge men, Wel aboute{n} nine or ten, Bigu{n}ne{n} e[r] for to layke: ider kome{n} bothe stro{n}ge and wayke; 1012 ider kome{n} lesse and more, at in e borw a{n}ne were{n} ore; [Sidenote: Strong lads and bondmen are there.]

Chaunpiouns, and starke laddes, Bondeme{n} with here gaddes, 1016 Als he comen fro e plow; ere was sembling i-now!

For it ne was non horse-knaue, o ei sholden in honde haue, 1020 at he ne kam ider, e leyk to se: Biforn here fet a{n}ne lay a tre, [Sidenote: They begin to "put the stone."]