Part 17 (1/2)

[Sidenote: Havelok is brought before Ubbe.]

+Hauelok was bifore ubbe browth, 2052 at hauede for him ful mikel outh, And mikel sorwe in his herte For hise wundes, at we[r] so smerte.

+But hwa{n} his wundes were{n} shewed, 2056 [Sidenote: A leech says he can be healed.]

And a leche hauede knawed, at he hem mouthe ful wel hele, Wel make him gange, and ful wel mele, And wel a palefrey bistride, 2060 And wel up-on a stede ride, o let ubbe al his care And al his sorwe ouer-fare; [Sidenote: Ubbe invites him and Goldborough to his own castle.]

And seyde, ”cu{m} now forth with me, 2064 And goldeboru, i wif, with e, And ine seriaunz al re, For nou wile y youre warant be; Wile y non of here frend 2068 at u slowe with in hend Moucte wayte e [to] slo, Also ou gange to and fro.

I shal lene e a bowr, 2072 at is up in e heye tour, Til ou mowe ful wel go, [Sidenote: [Fol. 214b, col. 1.]]

And wel ben hol of al i wo.

It ne shal no ing be{n} bitwene 2076 i bour and min, also y wene, But a fayr firrene wowe;-- Speke y loude, or spek y lowe, ou shalt[94] ful wel heren me, 2080 And an u wilt, ou shalt me se.

[Sidenote: He promises to protect Goldborough.]

A rof shal hile us boe o-nith, at none of mine, clerk ne knith, Ne sholen i wif no shame bede, 2084 No more an min, so G.o.d me rede!”

[Footnote 94: MS. sahalt; _and the second a is expuncted by mistake, instead of the first_.]

[Headnote: UBBE SEES THE MIRACULOUS LIGHT / WHICH ISSUES FROM HAVELOK'S MOUTH.]

+HE dide un-to e borw bringe Sone anon, al with ioynge, His wif, and his serganz re, 2088 e beste men at mouthe be.

[Sidenote: The first night, about midnight, Ubbe wakes and sees a great light.]

e firste nith he lay er-inne, Hise wif, and his serganz rinne, Aboute e middel of e nith 2092 Wok ubbe, and saw a mikel lith In e bour at hauelok lay, Also brith so it were day.

[Sidenote: Ubbe says he must go and see what it means.]

+”Deus!” quoth ubbe, ”hwat may is be? 2096 Bet{er}e is i go miself, and se: Hweer he sitte{n} nou, and wesseyle{n}, Or of ani shots.h.i.+pe to-deyle, is tid nithes, also foles; 2100 an bire men caste{n} hem i{n} poles, Or in a grip, or in e fen: Nou ne sitten none but wicke men, Glotuns, reu[e]res, or wicke eues, 2104 Bi c{ri}st, at alle folk onne leues!”

[Sidenote: He peeps in, and sees them all asleep.]

+He stod, and totede i{n} at a bord, Her he spak anilepi word, And saw hem slepen faste ilkon, 2108 And lye stille so e ston; And saw al at mikel lith Fro hauelok cam, at was so brith.

[Sidenote: The light issues from Havelok's mouth.]

Of his mouth it com il del, 2112 at was he war ful swie wel.

”Deus!” quoth he, ”hwat may is mene!”

He calde boe arwe me{n} and kene, Knithes, and serganz swie sleie, 2116 Mo an an hundred, with-ute{n} leye, And bad hem alle come{n} and se, Hwat at selcuth mithe be.

[Headnote: THE LIGHT SHOWS THAT HAVELOK IS THE HEIR.]

[Sidenote: [Fol. 214b, col. 2.]]

+Als e knithes were come{n} alle, 2120 er hauelok lay, ut of e halle, So stod ut of his mouth a glem, Rith al swilk so e sunne-bem; [Sidenote: The light is like that of 107 candles.]

at al so lith wa[s] are, bi heuene! 2124 So er brenden serges seuene, And an hundred serges ok: at durste hi sweren on a bok.

He slepen faste alle fiue, 2128 So he weren brouth of liue; [Sidenote: Havelok and Goldborough are fast asleep.]

And hauelok lay on his lift side, In his armes his brithe bride.

Bi e pappes he leyen naked: 2132 So faire two weren neuere maked In a bed to lyen samen:-- e knithes outh of hem G.o.d game{n}, Hem forto shewe, and loken to. 2136 Rith also he stode{n} alle so, And his bac was toward he{m} we{n}d, [Sidenote: They see a bright cross on his back, denoting kings.h.i.+p.]

So were{n} he war of a croiz ful gent, On his rith shuldre sw[i]e[95] brith, 2140 Brithter an gold ageyn e lith.

So at he wiste heye and lowe, at it was kunrik at he sawe.

It sparkede, and ful brith shon, 2144 So doth e G.o.de charbucle ston, [Sidenote: It was light enough to choose a penny by.]

at men Mouthe se by e lith, A peni chesen, so was it brith.

a{n}ne bihelden he him faste, 2148 So at he knewe{n} at e laste, [Sidenote: They know he is Birkabeyn's son and heir.]