And all who had the writings came to the King, where he lay at Winchester.  Then, when they were all come, Athelwold prayed them to be faithful to the young Princess, and to choose one of themselves to guard her until she was of age to rule.

So Godrich, Earl of Cornwall, was chosen to guard the Princess.  For he was a true man, wise in council, wise in deed, and he swore to protect his lady until she was of such age as no longer to have need of him.  Then he would wed her, he swore, to the best man in all the land.

So, happy in thought that his daughter should reign after him in peace, the King died, and there was great sorrow and mourning throughout the land.  But the people remained at peace, for the Earl ruled well and wisely.

    “From Dover to Roxburgh
    All England of him stood in awe,
    All England was of him adread.”

Meanwhile the Princess Goldboru grew daily more and more fair.  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.’”

Then, full of his evil purpose, Godrich thought no more of his oath to the dead king, but cast Goldboru into a darksome prison, where she was poorly clad and ill-fed.

Now it befell that at this time there was a right good king in Denmark.  He had a son named Havelok and two fair daughters.  And feeling death come upon him, he left his children in the care of his dear friend Godard, and so died.

But no sooner was the King in his grave than the false Godard took Havelok and his two sisters and thrust them into a dungeon.

    “And in the castle did he them do
    Where no man might come them to,
    Of their kin.  There they prison’d were,
    There they wept oft sort,
    Both for hunger and for cold,
    Ere they were three winters old. 
    Scantily he gave them clothes,
    And cared not a nut for his oaths,
    He them nor clothed right, nor fed,
    Nor them richly gave to bed. 
    Thane Godard was most sickerly
    Under God the most traitorly
    That ever in earth shapen was
    Except the wicked Judas.”

After a time the traitor went to the tower where the children were, and there he slew the two little girls.  But the boy Havelok he spared.

    “For the lad that little was,
    He kneeled before that Judas
    And said, ’Lord, mercy now! 
    Homage, Lord, to you I vow! 
    All Denmark I to you will give
    If that now you let me live.’”

So the wicked Earl spared the lad for the time.  But he did not mean that he should live.  Anon he called a fisherman to him and said:—­