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Updated: June 18, 2025
But Havelok, though he had never seen the like before, took up the heavy stone, and put it twelve feet beyond the rest, and after that none would contend with him. Now this matter being greatly talked about, it came to the ears of Earl Godrich, who bethought him "Did not Athelwold bid me marry his daughter to the strongest man alive? In truth, I will marry her to this cook's scullion.
And when the English knew that Goldborough was the heir of Athelwold, they laid by their swords and came and asked pardon of the Queen. And with one accord they took Earl Godrich and bound him to a stake and burned him to ashes, for the great outrage he had done. Then all the English nobles came and sware fealty to Havelok and crowned him King in London.
Then seeing that there was no help for it, and that he must either be wedded or hanged, Havelok consented to marry Goldboru. So the Princess was brought, "the fairest woman under the moon." And she, sore afraid at the anger and threats of Godrich, durst not do aught to oppose the wedding. So were they "espoused fair and well" by the Archbishop of York, and Havelok took his bride home to Grimsby.
And when Earl Godrich saw how fair and noble she became, he sighed and asked himself: "Whether she should be Queen and lady over me. Whether she should all England, And me, and mine, have in her hand. Nay, he said, 'I have a son, a full fair knave, He shall England all have, He shall be king, he shall be sire."
But if Havelok was astonished at all this, he was nearly struck dumb by the words which he heard. 'Master, will you take a wife? and the young man gazed at him in silence; for why should the ruler of all England take heed whether his scullion was wedded or not? 'Will you take a wife? asked Godrich again, in tones of impatience; then Havelok found his voice.
The bells tolled and the priests sang, and the people wept; and they gave him a kingly burial. Then Earl Godrich began to govern the kingdom; and all the nobles and all the churls, both free and thrall, came and did allegiance to him. He set in all the castles strong knights in whom he could trust, and appointed justices and sheriffs and peace-sergeants in all the shires.
"Him loved all, quiet or bold, Knight, children, young and old, All him loved that him saw, Both high men and low, Of him full wide the word sprang How he was meek, how he was strong." At last even the wicked Godrich in his palace heard of Havelok in the kitchen. "Now truly this is the best man in England," he said, with a sneer.
The heart of Goldborough was filled with horror when she heard the fate that was in store for her, and she fell weeping on her knees before the earl to implore him the rather to let her enter a convent; but Godrich answered her nothing, and strode out of the hall.
'No, by heaven I will not, he cried; 'what should I do with a wife? I could neither feed, nor clothe, nor shoe her! For myself, I should have no clothes either, had it not been for the bounty of your cook. In his rage Godrich seized a thick staff and laid it across his scullion's shoulder.
But when the time drew on that Earl Godrich should give up the kingdom to her, he began to think within himself "Shall I, that have ruled so long, give up the kingdom to a girl, and let her be queen and lady over me? And to what end?
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