old and not afraid to die. But I had hoped to live till
thou shouldst be of age to wield the kingdom; to see thee ride on
horseback through the land, and round about a thousand knights to do
thy bidding. Alas, my little child, what will become of thee when I am
gone?"

Then King Athelwold summoned his earls and barons, from Roxborough to
Dover, to come and take counsel with him as he lay a-dying on his bed
at Winchester. And when they all wept sore at seeing the King so near
his end, he said, "Weep not, good friends, for since I am brought to
death's door your tears can in nowise deliver me; but rather give me
your counsel. My little daughter that after me shall be your queen;
tell me in whose charge I may safely leave both her and England till
she be grown of age to rule?"

And with one accord they answered him, "In the charge of Earl Godrich
of Cornwall, for he is a right wise and a just man, and held in fear
of all the land. Let him be ruler till our queen be grown."

Then the King sent for a fair linen cloth, and thereon having laid the
mass-book and the chalice and the paton, he made Earl Godrich swear
upon the holy bread and wine to be a true and faithful guardian of his
child, without blame or reproach, tenderly to entreat her, and justly
to govern the realm till she should be twenty winters old; then to
seek out the best, the bravest, and the strongest man as husband for
her and deliver up the kingdom to her hand. And when Earl Godrich
had so sworn, the King shrived him clean of all his sins. Then having
received his Saviour he folded his hands, saying, "Domine, in manus
tuas;" and so he died.

There was sorrow and mourning among all the people for the death
of good King Athelwold. Many the mass that was sung for him and the
psalter that was said for his soul's rest. 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.
So he ruled the country with a firm hand, and not a single wight dare
disobey his word, for all England feared him. Thus, as the years went
on, the earl waxed wonderly strong and very rich.

Goldborough, the King's daughter, throve and grew up the fairest woman
in all the l