out every
man fit to bear weapons, on pain of becoming thrall if they failed
him. Then he thus addressed them:

"Friends, listen to my words, and you will know
'Tis not for sport, nor idle show, that I
Have bidden you to meet at Lincoln here.
Lo! here at Grimsby foreigners are come
Who have already won the Priory.
These Danes are cruel heathen, who destroy
Our churches and our abbeys: priests and nuns
They torture to the death, or lead away
To serve as slaves the haughty Danish jarls.
Now, Englishmen, what counsel will ye take?
If we submit, they will rule all our land,
Will kill us all, and sell our babes for thralls,
Will take our wives and daughters for their own.
Help me, if ever ye loved English land,
To fight these heathen and to cleanse our soil
From hateful presence of these alien hordes.
I make my vow to God and all the saints
I will not rest, nor houseled be, nor shriven,
Until our realm be free from Danish foe!
Accursed be he who strikes no blow for home!"

The army was inspired with valour by these courageous words, and the
march to Grimsby began at once, with Earl Godrich in command.
Havelok's men marched out gallantly to meet them, and when the battle
joined many mighty deeds of valour were done, especially by the king
himself, his foster-brothers, and Jarl Ubbe. The battle lasted long
and was very fierce and bloody, but the Danes gradually overcame the
resistance of the English, and at last, after a great hand-to-hand
conflict, King Havelok captured Godrich. The traitor earl, who had
lost a hand in the fray, was sent bound and fettered to Queen
Goldborough, who kept him, carefully guarded, until he could be tried
by his peers, since (for all his treason) he was still a knight.

When the English recognised their rightful lady and queen they did
homage with great joy, begging mercy for having resisted their lawful
ruler at the command of a wicked traitor; and the king and queen
pardoned all but Godrich, who was speedily brought to trial at
Lincoln. He was sentenced to be burnt at the stake, and the sentence
was carried out amid general rejoicings.

Now that vengeance was satisfied, Havelok and his wife thought of
recompensing the loyal helpers who had believed in them and supported
them through the long years of adversity. Havelok married one of
Grim's daughters to the Earl of Chester, and the other to Bertram, the
go