to Havelok, who blew it loud and long, and was joyfully recognized and acknowledged to be the true King. Then with a great army he attacked Hodulf the usurper, whom he slew with his own hand. Thus was Havelok made King of Denmark. But after he had reigned four years, his wife incited him to return to England. With a great number of ships he sailed there, and arrived at Carleflure;[25] and sent messengers to Alsi, demanding the inheritance of Argentille. Alsi was indeed astonished at such a demand as coming from a scullion, and offered him battle. The hosts met at Theford,[26] and the battle endured till nightfall without a decisive result. But Argentille craftily advised her lord to support his dead men by stakes, to increase the apparent number of his army; and the next day Alsi, deceived by this device, treated for peace, and yielded up to his former ward all the land, from Holland[27] to Gloucester. Alsi had been so sorely wounded that he lived but fifteen days longer. Thus was Havelok king over Lincoln and Lindsey, and reigned over them for twenty years. Such is the lay of Cuaran. [Footnote 21: For this latter portion of the Preface I am entirely responsible.] [Footnote 22: _Nicole_ is a French inversion of Lincoln. It is not uncommon.] [Footnote 23: The northern part of Lincolnshire is called _Lindsey_.] [Footnote 24: Hence the obvious origin of the legend of “Havelok’s stone,” and the local tradition about Grim’s casting down stones from the tower of Grimsby church.] [Footnote 25: Possibly Saltfleet, suggests Mr Haigh. Such, at least, is the position required by the circumstances.] [Footnote 26: In the Durham MS. it is Tiedfort, i.e. Tetford, not far from Horncastle, in Lincolnshire.] [Footnote 27: A name given to the S.E. part of Lincolnshire.] § 21. The chief points to be noticed in Gaimar’s abridgment are the few additional particulars to be gleaned from it. We there find that Havelok’s mother was _Alvive_, a daughter of King _Gaifer_; that the King of Nicole and Lindeseie was a _Briton_, and was named Edelsie; that his sister, named Orwain, was married to Adelbrit, a _Dane_, who ruled over Norfolk; and that Edelsie and Adelbrit lived in the days of Costentin (Constantine), who succeeded Arthur. It is also said that the usurper Hodulf was brother to Aschis, who is the Achilles of Geoffrey of Monmouth. Another statement, that Havelok’s kingdom extended from Holland to _Colchester_, seems to be an improvement upon “from Holland to _Gloucester_.”