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Updated: June 27, 2025
"As to that first," said the king, for he began to be angered with Havelok's boldness, "if a man will not do my bidding, I have dungeons where he can have time to think things over, and men who can keep him there, be he never so mighty; and if a man will not see with my eyes when I bid him, blinded shall he be."
And Grim's sons and daughters served Havelok and Goldborough. Sorrowfully Goldborough lay down at night, for her heart was heavy at thinking she had wedded a bondsman. But as she fretted she saw a light, very bright like a blaze of fire, which came out of Havelok's mouth. And she thought, "Of a truth but he must be nobly born."
And, truly, if the love of poor folk did help, Havelok's burden weighed naught, great though it was. Yet we thought little of the blessings of the Welsh folk of the marsh in those days, for they blessed not in the names of the Asir, being sons of the British Christians of long ago, and many, as I think, Christians yet.
But when that talk began, Withelm knew that things were ripe, and he told Havelok. That was in the third spring of Havelok's kingship, when it grew near to the time when men fit out their ships. "This is what I have looked for," he said; "and now we will delay no longer, for here am I king indeed, and there is none who will rise against me. Wonderful it is that men have hailed me thus.
Thereafter Sigurd brought forth a crown that he had had made hastily by his craftsmen from two gold arm rings, and they set it on Havelok's head, and hailed him as king indeed; and one by one the chiefs came and swore all fealty to him, beginning with Sigurd, and ending with a boy of some seventeen winters, who looked at the king he bent before as though he was Thor himself.
It was said that she lived at Dover until that time, and so none of her Danes were likely to be at court if we went there and found places. So Havelok's plan was to be carried out, and he and I were to set forth next morning.
There is no man here who is going to rise against either you or Havelok. And it is only to send a message to our great overlord to say what we are about, and he will see that the land is in peace. Nor do I think that any king would harry Havelok's land, for he is well loved by all his peers."
It was enough for me to be told that he was the son of some great man or other with whom Hodulf had a private feud. Nor did I ever speak of that night's work to any, for my father bade me not to do so. Presently I knew, of course, that the lady was Havelok's mother; but that told me nothing, for I never heard her name.
Directly we were outside the gate that leads down the hill, I saw Withelm, who was there waiting for me, and he knew at once what had happened. He came to my side, and asked only, "Already?" "Already," I answered; "but it is well. Go to the widow's straightway, and bring Havelok's arms to him at the hostelry at the end of the marketplace, where we have to find more horses."
Then, also, will he read over to me what he has written, and therefore all may be sure that this is indeed my true story. Now, as it is needful that one begins at the beginning, it happens that the first thing to be told is how I came to be Havelok's foster-brother, and that seems like beginning with myself after all. But all the story hangs on this, and so there is no help for it.
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