The Ways of Kindness

THE WAYS OF KINDNESS: PART I

Those were the dark days of Ósræd the king, son of Aldfrith, who held his father's title, yet not his bearing or honour. For he fell swiftly to the wiles of the thegns of the court and was driven away by lust and idle pleasure, seeking little beside hunt and drink, and men told him to one of the most wasteful kings of the English North, though at the time he lived but sixteen winters. Three more years thence Ósræd would be slain, whether in a field by Picts or in his own halls from the hands of his thegns, hateful as his rule became to them, is now unknown. And so the days grew grimmer, and few of the Northumbrians could be trusted and fewer still stayed unchanged.

In this Gléaumód had small part, but he held aloof from the strives within the king's halls. However, at such times even the unshieldy (innocent), he knew, could be drawn in darker schemes, or treachery unweened (unexpected) occur, and he stayed wary.

The company plodded through the mist slowly, and to pass his time, Gléaumód told Wihtmær of the of the halls of Éaduine and of the beauty of Huætuyn, the lord's wife. Indeed such was her wlit (beauty), that even in her later years she was still fair to look upon; her gaze could warm the heart and her smile brought hope and comfort.

It was widely spoken that she was born into a family of poor freemen and lived in great need, begging at the streets, ere the coming of Éaduine, who, wondering at her beauty, desired to wed no other woman but her. At this Wictmær wondered greatly, that a nobleman should wed a wedle (beggar), and he asked Gléaumód how those things might be.

„Truly," said Gléaumód, „such fays (unions) are uncommon, and I know of no marriage like theirs. The lady said once that her lord met her in the town, as he was on his way to visit one of his kin, then his eye caught the sight of her, a beggar in dirty rags, and he took pity upon her. He offered her a room in his lodging and ordered his slaves to feed and clothe her. And when the mud on her face was scraped away and she was dressed and groomed, he found her a maiden so fair that his soul wanted no other woman in her stead. The lady accepted his proposal gladly and went to live with him, telling that he was the first man to shew her kindness. And she oft told so afterwards."

„'Tis of mickle wonder that tales of this kind are still told here," quoth Wictmær grimly. For he nearly lost hope in good chances.

„Why, and in thy years!" exclaimed Gléaumód in amazement. „My son, believe on God and be patient withal, for beauty belongs to those who get most scorn, and the lowest of men become the greatest. Christ also loved the fairness of Mankind, though we rejected His love and hated Him, and even now some hate still."

Yet Wictmær grew angry and he cried in bitterness: „Few things there are to love in men! How swift are they to succumb to evil, and most of them hardly resist! And all for earthly gain! Alas, such is the order of this world, that they are either deceitful or gullible to deceit."

„But thinks thee that man is weak, son?" asked Gléaumód.

Eft Wictmær answered: „Man tarries not to bring evil, as goodness brings him little wordly profit. All are alike in this – save thee, my lord, and thine good family."

Then Gléaumód laughed, and his laughter filled the near hills with the echo of his mirthful voice. And he quoth to Wictmær: „O Wictmær, Lord knows that thou has ever been dear to me as mine own son! Yet alas! He gave me only daughters and, thee being a freeman, I cannot wed any of them to thee, fain though I be. Yet but lately Leafthryth, my eldest, revealed to her maid that she has long loved thee." To this Wictmær said naught, though his heart was veiled in sadness.

„I knew naught of her affections," he told his lord, after a while. „If so it listed the Lord, then so worth it. One wastes his time weeping over things that cannot be."