p of Oakenham, and the Abbot of St.
Mary's and the Priors of the other houses of religion, all fairly clad
in broidered copes, with the clerks and the monks dight full solemnly;
and they came singing to meet him, and the Bishop blessed him and gave
him the hallowed bread, and the King greeted him and craved his prayers.
Then came the Burgreve of Oakenham, and with him the Barons and the
Knights, and they knelt before him, and named him to king, and the
Burgreve gave him the keys of the city. Thereafter came the Mayor and
the Aldermen, and the Masters of the Crafts, and they craved his favour,
and warding of his mighty sword; and all these he greeted kindly and
meekly, rather as a friend than as a great lord.

Thereafter were the gates opened, and King Christopher entered, and
there was no gainsaying, and none spake a word of the Traitor Rolf.

But the bells of the minster and of all the churches rang merrily, and
songs were sung sweetly by fair women gloriously clad; and whereas King
Christopher and Queen Goldilind had lighted down from their horses and
went afoot through the street, roses and all kinds of sweet flowers were
cast down before the feet of them all the way from the city gate to the
King's High House of Oakenham.

There then in the great hall of his father's house stood Christopher the
King on the dais, and Goldilind beside him. And Jack of the Tofts and
the chiefest of the Captains, and the Bishop, and the greatest lords
of the Barons, and the doughtiest of the Knights, and the Mayor and the
Aldermen, and the Masters of the Crafts, sat at the banquet with the
King and his mate; they brake bread together and drank cups of renown,
till the voidee cup was borne in. Then at last were the King & the Queen
brought to their chamber with string-play and songs and all kinds of
triumph; and that first night since he lay in his mother's womb did
Child Christopher fall asleep in the house which the fathers had builded
for him.

CHAPTER XXXVII. OF CHILD CHRISTOPHER'S DEALINGS WITH HIS FRIENDS & HIS
FOLK.

It was in the morning when King Christopher arose, and Goldilind stood
before him in the kingly chamber, that he clipped her and kissed her,
and said: "This is the very chamber whence my father departed when he
went to his last battle, and left my mother sickening with the coming
birth of me. And never came he back hither, nor did mine eyes behold him
ever. Here also lay my mother and gave birth to me, an