"led it be!"

(397.7-399.34)  Today's reading -- the final passage from Book II of the Wake -- consists of three distinct sections.  The first section begins with the narrator reminded, "like another tellmastory repeating yourself," of the days when the four old men "used to be in lethargy's love, at the end of it all."  They would huddle up, worn out, at the end of the day and eat their not-so-savory meal, which included "their bowl of brown shackle and milky and boterham clots, a potion a peace, a piece aportion."  At this late date, "they were all sycamore and by the world forgot," having caught a disease from the Flemish invaders and eaten that bad crab that appeared in Wednesday's reading.  They would read letters by the candlelight and eventually "one by one sing a mamalujo" (with "mamalujo" being in one sense an abbreviation for Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) to Tristan, "the heroest champion of Eren."

The second section focuses more on the lovers, Tristan and Iseult, particularly on the time after the affair described yesterday, when Tristan "got a useful arm busy on the touchline, due south of her western shoulder, down to death and the love embrace."  With the two united, the four old men are set to "say oremus prayer and homeysweet homely, after fully realising the gratifying experiences of highly continental evenements."  The four old men are "right glad" and will never forget the two lovers, for "still they loves young dreams."

The chapter (and Book II) concludes with a song for Tristan and Iseult.  The wealth of King Mark is not enough to buy Iseult's love, and rather than "bide with Sig Sloomysides or the grogram grey barnacle gander," she will wait for Tristan to get "his glut of cold meat and hot soldiering."  Tristan knows that "she was always mad gone on me," and Iseult consents to his proposal at the song's end, saying, "Mick, Nick the Maggot or whatever your name is, you're the mose likable lad that's come my ways yet from the barony of Bohermore."

With the song concluded, the four old men and their mysterious companion (here a braying ass) laugh with joy as the boat continues to move down the river.  "The way is free," the narrator says.  "Their lot is cast."  The closing words of this ultimately positive chapter are "led it be!"  What a peaceful dream for the embattled HCE.