ted over the whole realm. He had three children--two daughters,
named Swanborow and Elfleda the Fair, and one young and goodly son,
Havelok, the heir to all his dominions. All too soon came the day
that no man can avoid, when Death would call King Birkabeyn away, and
he grieved sore over his young children to be left fatherless and
unprotected; but, after much reflection, and prayers to God for wisdom
to help his choice, he called to him Jarl Godard, a trusted counsellor
and friend, and committed into his hands the care of the realm and of
the three royal children, until Havelok should be of age to be
knighted and rule the land himself. King Birkabeyn felt that such a
charge was too great a temptation for any man unbound by oaths of
fealty and honour, and although he did not distrust his friend, he
required Godard to swear,

"By altar and by holy service book,
By bells that call the faithful to the church,
By blessed sacrament, and sacred rites,
By Holy Rood, and Him who died thereon,
That thou wilt truly rule and keep my realm,
Wilt guard my babes in love and loyalty,
Until my son be grown, and dubbed knight:
That thou wilt then resign to him his land,
His power and rule, and all that owns his sway."

Jarl Godard took this most solemn oath at once with many protestations
of affection and whole-hearted devotion to the dying king and his
heir, and King Birkabeyn died happy in the thought that his children
would be well cared for during their helpless youth.

When the funeral rites were celebrated Jarl Godard assumed the rule of
the country, and, under pretext of securing the safety of the royal
children, removed them to a strong castle, where no man was allowed
access to them, and where they were kept so closely that the royal
residence became a prison in all but name. Godard, finding Denmark
submit to his government without resistance, began to adopt measures
to rid himself of the real heirs to the throne, and gave orders that
food and clothes should be supplied to the three children in such
scanty quantities that they might die of hardship; but since they were
slow to succumb to this cruel, torturing form of murder, he resolved
to slay them suddenly, knowing that no one durst call him to account.
Having steeled his heart against all pitiful thoughts, he went to the
castle, and was taken to the inner dungeon where the poor babes lay
shivering and weeping for cold and hunger. As h