[Footnote 75* (from Emendations): “_Bidde_ must mean _offer_, rather than _bid_ (as in the Glossary); unless it be miswritten for _bide_ = tarry.”] [Footnote 76: Uncertain in MS. See note.] [Footnote 76*: Changed by editor from “deled”: see Emendations.] [Footnote 77: MS. ymen.] [Headnote: A GANG OF THIEVES BESET BERNARD’S HOUSE.] [Sidenote: At suppertime sixty-one thieves come to the house, and bid Bernard open the door.] +Also he seten, and sholde soupe, So comes a ladde in a ioupe, And with him sixti oþer stronge, 1768 With swerdes drawen, and kniues lo{n}ge, Ilkan i{n} hande a ful god gleiue, And seyde, “undo, b{er}nard þe greyue! Vndo swiþe, and latus[78] in, 1772 [Headnote: THREE OF THE THIEVES ATTACK HAVELOK.] Or þu art ded, bi seint austin!” [Sidenote: Bernard starts up, arms himself, and tells them to go away.] Bernard stirt up, þat was ful big, And caste a brinie up-on his rig, And grop an ax,[79] þat was ful god, 1776 Lep to þe dore, so he wore wod, And seyde, “hwat are ye, þat are þer-oute, Þat þus bigi{n}ne{n} forto stroute? Goth he{n}ne swiþe, fule þeues, 1780 For, bi þe louerd, þat ma{n} on leues, Shol ich casten þe dore open, Su{m}me of you shal ich drepen! And þe oþre shal ich kesten 1784 In fet{er}es, and ful faste festen!” [Sidenote: They defy him.] “Hwat haue ye seid,” quoth a ladde, “Wenestu þat we ben adradde? We shole at þis dore gonge 1788 Maugre þin, carl, or outh longe.” [Sidenote: They break the door open with a boulder.] He gripe{n} sone a bulder ston, And let it fleye, ful god won, Agen þe dore, þat it to-rof: 1792 Auelok it saw, and þider drof, [Sidenote: Havelok seizes the bar of the door, and says, “Come here to me.”] And þe barre sone vt-drow, Þat was unride, and gret ynow, And caste þe dore open wide, 1796 And seide, “her shal y now abide: Comes swiþe vn-to me![80] Datheyt hwo you he{n}ne fle!” “No,” quodh on, “þat shaltou coupe,” 1800 And bigan til him to loupe, [Sidenote: Three men attack Havelok.] In his hond is swerd ut-drawe, Hauelok he wende þore haue slawe; And with [him] comen oþer two, 1804 [Sidenote: [Fol. 213, col. 1.]] Þat him wolde of liue haue do. [Headnote: HAVELOK SLAYS SEVEN OF THE THIEVES.]