THE KING'S MIRROR 171 



becomes aware of an enemy, it is the gest's duty to 

 pursue the foeman and thus to cleanse the realm. When- 

 ever they are present at court, they keep the various 

 watches about the king, just as the others do who share 

 the king's bounty in the royal garth, except the head- 

 ward; * this they do not keep; nor do they sit at table 

 to eat or drink in the house where the king dines with 

 his hirdmen, except at Christmas and Easter, when they 

 are to eat with the hirdmen in the king's hall, but at no 

 other time. If any of these men be slain in single com- 

 bat, the king exacts as large a fine both in thegn money 

 and housecarle fine as for the death of those whom we 

 discussed earlier. 



There is still another class of royal housecarles who 

 do not share the king's tables and but rarely come to 

 court; these receive nothing from the king but protec- 

 tion and support in securing justice from others; but 

 these, too, are kingsmen. In case any of these are slain, 

 the king exacts the same housecarle fine in addition to 

 the thegn money as in the case of those housecarles who 

 dine at his tables. These men come into his service from 

 various walks of life: some are peasants, some mer- 

 chants, and some laymen. But this service they owe the 

 king before all his other subjects, namely, that wherever 

 the king's officials come at his command to present the 

 king's causes or business, and these housecarles of whom 

 we are speaking are present, they must Join tbe retinue 

 of these officials and render such assistance as they cnn 

 in all the king's business. These, too, may claim support 



* The head-ward was stationed near the king's person, usually outside the 

 door of the chamber where he slept. See American Historical Review, XIII, 

 462. 



