Part 21 (2/2)
[Headnote: THE EARL OF CHESTER MARRIES GUNILD.]
+a{n}ne he hauede[131] sikernesse 2856 Taken of more and of lesse, Al at hise wille, so dide he calle [Sidenote: He proposes that Earl Reyner of Chester shall marry Gunild, Grim's daughter; and he will then always be his friend.]
e erl of cestre, and hise men alle, at was yung knith wit-ute{n} wif, 2860 And seyde, ”sire erl, bi mi lif, And ou wile mi {con}seyl tro, Ful wel shal ich with e do, For ich shal yeue e to wiue 2864 e fairest ing that is oliue.
[Headnote: HAVELOK REMEMBERS BERTRAM'S KINDNESS.]
at is gu{n}nild of grimesby, Grimes douther, bi seint dauy!
at me forth broute, and wel fedde, 2868 And ut of denemark with me fledde, Me for to burwe fro mi ded: Sikerlike, oru his red Haue ich liued in-to is day, 2872 Blissed wore his soule ay!
I rede at u hire take, And spuse, and curteyse make, For she is fayr, and she is fre, 2876 And al so hende so she may be.
ertekene she is wel with me, at shal ich ful wel shewe e, For ich giue e a giue, 2880 at euere more hwil ich liue, For hire shal-tu be with me dere, at wile ich at is folc al here.”
e erl ne wolde nouth ageyn 2884 e king[e] be, for knith ne sweyn, [Sidenote: [Fol. 219, col. 1.]]
Ne of e spusing seyen nay, But spusede [hire] at ilke day.
at spusinge was G.o.d time maked, 2888 [Sidenote: They are married, and have five sons.]
For it ne were neuere clad ne naked, In a ede samened two at cam to-gidere, liuede so, So ey dide[{n}] al here liue: 2892 He geten same{n} sones fiue, at were e beste me{n} at nede, at mouthe ride{n} on ani stede.
Hwan gu{n}nild was to cestre brouth, 2896 [Sidenote: Havelok remembers Bertram, the earl's cook, and makes him Earl of Cornwall.]
Hauelok e G.o.de ne for-gat nouth Bertra{m}, at was the erles kok, at he ne dide calle{n} ok, And seyde, ”frend, so G.o.d me rede! 2900 Nu shaltu haue riche mede,
[Headnote: BERTRAM MARRIES GRIM'S SECOND DAUGHTER.]
For wissing, and i G.o.de dede, at tu me dides in ful gret nede.
For a{n}ne y yede in mi cuuel, 2904 And ich ne haue[de] bred, ne sowel, Ne y ne hauede no catel, ou feddes and claddes me ful wel.
Haue nu for-i of cornwayle 2908 e erldom ildel, with-uten fayle, And al e lond at G.o.drich held, Boe in towne, and ek in feld; And erto wile ich, at u spuse, 2912 And fayre bring hire un-til huse, [Sidenote: He is to marry Levive, Grim's daughter, who is as fair as a rose.]
Grimes douther, leuiue e hende, For ider shal she with e wende.
Hire semes curteys forto be, 2916 For she is fayr so flour on tre; e heu is swilk in hire ler So [is] e rose in roser, Hwan it is fayr sprad ut newe 2920 Ageyn e su{n}ne, brith and lewe.”
And girde him sone with e swerd Of e erldom, bi-forn his ferd, And with his hond he made hi{m} knith, 2924 And yaf him armes, for at was rith, [Sidenote: They are married.]
And dide him ere sone wedde Hire at was ful swete in bedde.
[Footnote 131: MS. hauede{n}.]
[Sidenote: Havelok and Goldborough lived 100 years, and had many children.]
+After at he spused wore, 2928 Wolde e erl nouth dwelle ore, But sone na{m} until his lond, [Sidenote: [Fol. 219, col. 2.]]
And seysed it al in his hond, And liuede er-i{n}ne, he and his wif, 2932 An hundred winter in G.o.d lif,[132]
And gaten mani childre{n} samen, And liueden ay in blisse and game{n}.
Hwa{n} e maydens were spused boe, 2936 Hauelok anon bigan ful rathe [Sidenote: The Danes are enriched.]
His denshe men to feste wel Wit riche landes and catel, So at he weren alle riche: 2940 For he was large and nouth chinche.
[Footnote 132: Between this line and the next are inserted in the MS. the words: _For he saw at he_, which have been subsequently struck out by the same hand, and the word _vacat_ affixed.]
[Headnote: HAVELOK IS CROWNED KING OF ENGLAND.]
+er-after sone, with his here, [Sidenote: Havelok is crowned at London.]
For he to lundone, forto bere Corune, so at [alle] it sawe, 2944 Henglishe ant denshe, heye and lowe, Hwou he it bar with mikel pride, For his barnage at was un-ride.
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