[Headnote: ATHELWOLD SELECTS EARL GODRICH / TO BE HIS DAUGHTER’S GUARDIAN.] [Sidenote: They all mourn and lament.] +Quanne he were{n} alle set, And þe king aueden i-gret, He grete{n}, and goulede{n}, and goue{n} he{m} ille, 164 And he bad he{m} alle ben stille; And seyde, “þat greti{n}g helpeth nouth, For al to dede am ich brouth. Bute nov ye sen þat i shal deye, 168 [Sidenote: He prays them to tell him who can guard his daughter best.] Nou ich wille you alle preye Of mi douther þat shal be Yure leuedi after me, Wo may yeme{n} hire so longe, 172 Boþen hire and engelonde, Til þat she [mowe] winan of helde, And þa she mowe yeme{n} and welde?” He ansuered{en}, and seyd{en} an-on, 176 [Sidenote: They answer, “Earl Godrich of Cornwall.”] Bi crist[7*] and bi seint ion, That þerl Godrigh of cornwayle Was trewe ma{n}, wit-ute{n} faile; Wis ma{n} of red, wis ma{n} of dede, 180 And me{n} hauede{n} of hi{m} mikel drede. [Sidenote: [Fol. 205, col. 1.]] “He may hire alþer-best[e] yeme, Til þat she mowe wel be{n} quene.” [Footnote 7* (from Emendations): “_Read_-- “Bi [ihesu] crist,” &c, to fill up; but this is doubtful; see l. 1112.”] [Sidenote: The king sends for chalice and paten, for the earl to swear upon.] +Þe king was payed of that Rede; 184 A wol fair cloth bri{n}ge{n} he dede, And þer-on leyde þe messebok, Þe caliz, and þe pateyn ok, Þe corporaus, þe messe-gere; 188 Þer-on he garte þe erl suere, Þat he sholde yemen hire wel, With-ute{n} lac, wit-ute{n} tel, Til þat she were tuelf[8] wi{n}ter hold, 192 And of speche were bold; And þat she covþe of curteysye, [Sidenote: His daughter is to marry the best and fairest man that can be found.] Gon, and speken of luue-drurye; And til þat she louen þoucte,[9] 196 Wom so hire to gode thoucte; And þat he shulde hire yeue Þe beste ma{n} that micthe liue, Þe beste, fayreste, the stra{n}gest ok:-- 200 Þat dede he him sweren on þe bok. And þa{n}ne shulde he engelond Al bitechen in-to hire hond. [Footnote 8: _Qu._ tuenti. Cf. v. 259.] [Footnote 9: MS. mithe. But see l. 257.] +Quanne[10] þat was sworn on his wise, 204 [Sidenote: He gives up all England to the earl, to keep for her.] Þe ki{n}g dede þe mayde{n} arise, And þe erl hire bitaucte, And al the lond he euere awcte; Engelonde eueri del; 208 And preide, he shulde yeme hire wel. [Footnote 10: MS. Ouanne. And perhaps “his” should have been “þis.”]