[Footnote 1: MS. Begi{n}nig.] [Footnote 2: _See_ ll. 517, 1316.] [Headnote: THE GOOD KING ATHELWOLD / IS KING OVER ALL ENGLAND.] [Sidenote: There was once a king who made good laws.] +IT was a king bi are dawes, That i{n} his time were gode lawes 28 He dede maken, an ful wel holden; Hym louede yu{n}g, him louede holde, Erl and barun, dreng and kayn, Knict, bondema{n}, and swain, 32 [Sidenote: All loved him.] Wydues, maydnes, p{re}stes and clerkes, And al for hise gode werkes. He louede god with al his micth, And holi kirke, and soth, ant ricth; 36 Ricth-wise[3] man he louede alle, And ou{er}al made hem forto calle; [Sidenote: He hated traitors and robbers.] Wreieres and wrobberes made he falle, And hated he{m} so ma{n} doth galle; 40 Vtlawes and theues made he bynde, Alle that he micthe fynde, And heye he{n}gen on galwe-tre; For hem ne yede gold ne fe. 44 [Sidenote: At that time, men could carry gold about safely, and boldly buy and sell.] In that time a man þat bore [Wel fyfty pund, y woth, or more,][4] [Sidenote: [Fol. 204, col. 2.]] Of red[e][4*] gold up-on hijs bac, In a male with or blac, 48 Ne funde he non that him misseyde, N[e] with iuele on [him] hond leyde. Þa{n}ne micthe chapme{n} fare Þuruth englond wit here ware, 52 And baldelike beye and selle{n}, Oueral þer he wilen dwellen, In gode burwes, and þer-fram Ne funde{n} he non þat dede he{m} sham, 56 Þat he ne were{n} sone to sorwe brouth, An pou{er}e maked, and browt to nouth. Þa{n}ne was engelond at hayse;[5] [Sidenote: Then was England at ease.] Michel was svich a king to preyse, 60 Þat held so eng[e]lond in grith! Krist of heuene was him with. He was engelondes blome; Was non so bold lond to rome, 64 Þat durste upon his [menie] bringhe Hunger, ne here[5*] wicke þinghe. Hwan he felede hise foos, [Sidenote: The king made his foes hide themselves.] He made he{m} lurken, and crepe{n} in wros: 68 Þe hidde{n} he{m} alle, and helde{n} he{m} stille, And diden al his herte wille. Ricth he louede of alle þinge, To wronge micht hi{m} no man bri{n}ge, 72 Ne for siluer, ne for gold:-- So was he his soule[5*] hold. [Sidenote: He befriended the fatherless.] To þe faderles was he rath, Wo so dede hem wrong or lath, 76 Were it clerc, or were it knicth, He dede hem sone to haue{n} ricth; And wo [so] dide{n}[5*] widuen wrong, Were he neure knicth so strong, 80