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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Elene; Judith; Athelstan, or the Fight at
+Brunanburh; Byrhtnoth, or the Fight at Maldon; and the Dream of the Rood, by Anonymous
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Elene; Judith; Athelstan, or the Fight at Brunanburh; Byrhtnoth, or the Fight at Maldon; and the Dream of the Rood
+       Anglo-Saxon Poems
+
+Author: Anonymous
+
+Translator: James M. Garnett
+
+Release Date: May 23, 2005 [EBook #15879]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ELENE AND OTHERS ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Starner, Annika Feilbach and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team. (www.pgdp.net)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ELENE;
+
+JUDITH;
+
+ATHELSTAN, OR THE FIGHT AT BRUNANBURH;
+
+BYRHTNOTH, OR THE FIGHT AT MALDON;
+
+AND
+
+THE DREAM OF THE ROOD:
+
+Anglo-Saxon Poems.
+
+
+TRANSLATED BY
+
+JAMES M. GARNETT, M.A., LL.D.,
+
+FORMERLY PROFESSOR OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE IN THE
+UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA; TRANSLATOR OF "BEOWULF."
+
+
+_THIRD EDITION._
+
+
+BOSTON, U.S.A.:
+GINN & COMPANY, PUBLISHERS.
+The Athenaeum Press.
+1911.
+
+
+Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1889, by
+JAMES M. GARNETT,
+In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
+
+COPYRIGHT, 1900, BY
+JAMES M. GARNETT.
+
+COPYRIGHT, 1911, BY
+JAMES M. GARNETT.
+
+ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
+
+
+
+
+TO PROFESSOR FRANCIS A. MARCH
+
+CORYPHAEUS OF OLD ENGLISH STUDIES IN AMERICA
+
+WITH SENTIMENTS OF THE HIGHEST REGARD
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+
+                                                                  PAGE
+
+PREFACE                                                            vii
+
+INTRODUCTION                                                        ix
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+ELENE.
+
+   I. Constantine sees the vision of the rood                        1
+
+  II. Constantine is victorious, the sign is explained, and he is
+      baptized                                                       4
+
+ III. Helena sets out on her journey in search of the cross, and
+      arrives at Jerusalem                                           7
+
+  IV. Helena summons an assembly of the Jews learned in the law,
+      and addresses them                                            10
+
+   V. The Jews consult apart, and Judas states the object of the
+      Empress                                                       13
+
+  VI. Judas gives the Jews the information derived from his
+      father and grandfather                                        16
+
+ VII. The Jews at first refuse to act, but finally deliver up
+      Judas to the Empress                                          19
+
+VIII. Judas stubbornly denies all knowledge of the matter, but
+      after imprisonment without food consents to speak             21
+
+  IX. They proceed to Calvary, and Judas offers a prayer for
+      guidance                                                      24
+
+   X. A smoke arises, Judas digs and finds three crosses. Test of
+      the true cross                                                27
+
+  XI. The fiend laments that he is overcome. Judas replies to him     30
+
+ XII. Helena announces the discovery to Constantine, who orders a
+      church to be built on the spot. Judas is baptized             32
+
+XIII. Judas is ordained bishop of Jerusalem, and his name is
+      changed to Cyriacus. Helena longs to recover the nails.
+      Judas prays, digs, and finds them                             35
+
+ XIV. The nails are made into a bit for Constantine's horse.
+      Helena admonishes all to obey Cyriacus and returns home       38
+
+  XV. The writer reflects on his work, records his name; and
+      refers to the future judgment                                 41
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+JUDITH.
+
+  IX. *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
+      Holofernes prepares a banquet                                 44
+
+   X. Holofernes and his guests carouse. Judith is brought to his
+      tent. Holofernes enters and falls on his bed in a drunken
+      sleep. Judith prays for help, and cuts off the head of
+      Holofernes                                                    45
+
+  XI. Judith returns with the head of Holofernes to Bethulia. The
+      people meet her in crowds. She exhorts the warriors to
+      sally forth at dawn. They fall upon the Assyrians             49
+
+ XII. The Assyrians discover the death of Holofernes and become
+      panic-stricken. The Hebrews pursue them in flight, plunder
+      the slain, and bestow upon Judith the arms and treasure of
+      Holofernes                                                    53
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+ATHELSTAN, OR THE FIGHT AT BRUNANBURH.
+
+Athelstan and Edmund, with their West-Saxons and Mercians,
+slaughter the Scots and Northmen. Constantine and his Scots flee
+to their homes in the North. Anlaf and his Northmen flee across
+the sea to Dublin. Athelstan and Edmund return home in triumph,
+and leave the corpses to the raven, the eagle, and the wolf         57
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+BYRHTNOTH, OR THE FIGHT AT MALDON.
+
+*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *
+Byrhtnoth and his East-Saxons are drawn up on the bank of the
+Panta. The wikings' herald demands tribute. Byrhtnoth angrily
+offers arms for tribute. Wulfstan defends the bridge. Byrhtnoth
+proudly permits the wikings to cross. The fight rages. Byrhtnoth
+is wounded. He slays the foe. He is wounded again. He prays to
+God to receive his soul, and is hewn down by the heathen men.
+Godric flees on Byrhtnoth's horse. His brothers follow him.
+AElfwine encourages the men to avenge the death of their lord. So
+does Offa, who curses Godric. Leofsunu will avenge his lord or
+perish. Dunnere also. Others follow their example. Offa is slain
+and many warriors. The fight still rages. The aged Byrhtwold
+exhorts them to be the braver as they become the fewer. So does
+another Godric, not he who fled. * * * *                            60
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+THE DREAM OF THE ROOD.
+
+In the middle of the night the writer beholds the vision of a
+cross decked with gold and jewels, but soiled with blood.
+Presently the cross speaks and tells how it was hewn and set up
+on a mount. Almighty God ascended it to redeem mankind. It bent
+not, but the nails made grievous wounds, and it was moistened
+with blood. All creation wept. The corse was placed in a
+sepulchre of brightest stone. The crosses were buried, but the
+thanes of the Lord raised it begirt with gold and silver, and it
+should receive honor from all mankind. The Lord of Glory honored
+it, who arose for help to men, and shall come again with His
+angels to judge each one of men. Then they will fear and know not
+what to say, but no one need fear who bears in his heart the best
+of beacons. The writer is ready for his journey, and directs his
+prayer to the rood. His friends now dwell in glory, and the rood
+of the Lord will bring him there where he may partake of joy with
+the saints. The Lord redeemed us, His Son was victorious, and
+with a band of spirits entered His heavenly home                    71
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE.
+
+
+This translation of the ELENE was made while reading the poem with a
+post-graduate student in the session of 1887-88, Zupitza's second
+edition being used for the text, which does not differ materially from
+that in his third edition (1888). It was completed before I received a
+copy of Dr. Weymouth's translation (1888), from Zupitza's text; but in
+the revision for publication I have referred to it, although I cannot
+always agree with the learned scholar in his interpretation of certain
+passages. Grein's text was, however, used to fill _lacunae_, and in the
+revision the recently published (1888) Grein-Wuelker text was compared in
+some passages. The line-for-line form has been employed, as in my
+translation of BEOWULF; for it has been approved by high authority, and
+is unquestionably more serviceable to the student, even if I have not
+been able to attain ideal correctness of rhythm. I plead guilty in
+advance to any _lapsus_ in that respect, but I strongly suspect that I
+have appreciated the difficulty more highly than my future critics. The
+ELENE is more suitable than the BEOWULF for first reading in Old English
+poetry on account of its style and its subject, which make the
+interpretation considerably easier, and I concur with Koerting, in his
+_Grundriss der Geschichte der Englischen Litteratur_ (p. 47, 1887): "Die
+ELENE eignet sich sowohl wegen ihres anmutigen Inhaltes, als auch, weil
+sie in der trefflichen Ausgabe von Zupitza leicht zugaenglich ist, als
+erste poetische Lectuere fuer Anfaenger im Angelsaechsischen." This
+statement is now the stronger for English readers because Zupitza's text
+is in course of publication, edited with introduction, notes, and
+glossary by Professor Charles W. Kent, of the University of Tennessee.
+I have appended a few notes which explain themselves, and have
+occasionally inserted words in brackets.
+
+The translations of the JUDITH and the BYRHTNOTH were made in regular
+course of reading with undergraduate classes, the former in 1886, and
+the latter in 1887, the texts in Sweet's "Anglo-Saxon Reader" being
+used, and compared with those in Grein and in Koerner. The text of JUDITH
+is now accessible in Professor Cook's edition (1888).
+
+The translation of the ATHELSTAN has been added from Koerner's text,
+compared with Grein and Wuelker, and in certain passages with Thorpe and
+Earle. For fuller literary information than the Introduction provides,
+the reader is referred to ten Brink's "Early English Literature,"
+Kennedy's translation (1883), and to Morley's "English Writers," Vol.
+II. (1888).
+
+JAMES M. GARNETT.
+
+UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, VA.,
+May, 1889.
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE TO EDITION OF 1900.
+
+
+I have added to this reprint of my "Elene and other Anglo Saxon Poems" a
+translation of the DREAM OF THE ROOD, which has been on hand for several
+years awaiting a suitable time to see the light. A brief Introduction to
+the poem has been prefixed, which, doubtless, leaves much to be desired,
+but it is all that the translator now has time for, and I must refer to
+the works mentioned for fuller information and discussion. With thanks
+for past consideration, and the hope that this addition has made the
+book more acceptable, I entrust it again to indulgent readers.
+
+JAMES M. GARNETT.
+
+BALTIMORE, MARYLAND,
+October, 1900.
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE TO EDITION OF 1911.
+
+
+I have read over carefully these translations with a view to another
+reprint, which the publishers find necessary, but I have not compared
+them again with the texts used. I have corrected a few typographical
+errors of little importance.
+
+For the bibliography I would refer to Brandl's _Sonderausgabe aus der
+zweiten Auflage von Paul's Grundriss der germanischen Philologie_
+(Strassburg, 1908), in which I find noted Holthausen's edition of the
+ELENE (Heidelberg, 1905), but I have not seen it.
+
+I take advantage of this opportunity to say that my translation of
+BEOWULF, of which the last reprint was issued in 1910, is not in
+_prose_, as some have misconceived it, but it is in the same metrical
+form as the translations in the present volume,--an accentual metre in
+rough imitation of the original. I agree with Professor Gummere and
+others that this is a better form for the translation of Old English
+poetry than plain prose. It was approved by the late Professor Child
+nearly _thirty_ years ago, as noted in the Preface to the second edition
+of my translation of BEOWULF, January, 1885.
+
+JAMES M. GARNETT.
+
+BALTIMORE, MARYLAND,
+February, 1911.
+
+
+
+
+INTRODUCTION.
+
+
+In presenting to the public the following translations of the Old
+English (Anglo-Saxon) poems, ELENE, JUDITH, ATHELSTAN, BYRHTNOTH, and
+THE DREAM OF THE ROOD, it is desirable to prefix a brief account of them
+for the information of the general reader.
+
+I. The ELENE, or Helena, is a poem on the expedition of the Empress
+Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor, to
+Palestine in search of the true cross, and its successful issue. The
+mediaeval legend of the Finding of the Cross is given in the _Acta
+Sanctorum_ under date of May 4, assigned by the Church to the
+commemoration of St. Helena's marvellous discovery. The Latin work is
+the Life of St. Quiriacus, or Cyriacus, Bishop of Jerusalem, that is,
+the Judas of the poem. It has been usually thought that the Old English
+poet used this Life as his source; but Gloede, in a recent volume of
+_Anglia_ (IX. 271 ff.), has given reasons for thinking that the poet
+used some other Latin text. He rejects ten Brink's conjecture that the
+legend of Elene had come to England in a Greek form. As to the author of
+the poem, we know his name, but very little else about him. He has left
+us his name, imbedded in runic letters as an acrostic, in the last canto
+of the poem, q.v. These letters spell the word CYNEWULF; but who was
+Cynewulf? The question is hard to answer, and has given rise to much
+discussion, which cannot be gone into here. A good summary of it will be
+found in Wuelker's _Grundriss zur Geschichte der Angelsaechsischen
+Litteratur_ (p. 147 ff., 1885), an indispensable work for students of
+Old English literature. The old view, propounded in the infancy of
+Anglo-Saxon studies, and held by Kemble, Thorpe, and, doubtfully,
+Wright, that he was the Abbot of Peterborough and Bishop of Winchester
+(992-1008), has been abandoned by all scholars, so far as I know, except
+Professor Earle of Oxford (see his "Anglo-Saxon Literature," p. 228).
+The later view of Leo, Dietrich, Grein and Rieger, our chief
+authorities, that he was a Northumbrian, and of Dietrich and Grein, that
+he was Bishop of Lindisfarne (737-780), has more to be said for it.
+Sweet and ten Brink also hold that he was a Northumbrian of the eighth
+century, but not the Bishop of Lindisfarne, while Wuelker regards him as
+a West-Saxon. Professor Henry Morley, in the current edition of his
+"English Writers," has devoted a chapter (Vol. II. Chap. IX., 1888) to
+Cynewulf, and virtually concludes that we know nothing about him except
+that he was a poet and probably lived in the eighth century. We shall
+not go far wrong in regarding him as a Northumbrian poet of the eighth
+century, possibly the Bishop of Lindisfarne, even though his works
+remain to us only in the West-Saxon dialect. As in the ELENE, so in the
+CHRIST and the JULIANA, Cynewulf has left us his name, hence all agree
+in ascribing to him these poems at least. To these some of the RIDDLES,
+if not all, are usually added, but this is now contested. Other poems,
+as the GUTHLAC, PHOENIX, CHRIST'S DESCENT INTO HELL, ANDREAS, DREAM OF
+THE ROOD, and several other shorter poems, have been ascribed to him
+with more or less probability, and very recently Sarrazin (in _Anglia_,
+IX. 515 ff.) would credit him with the authorship of even the
+BEOWULF(!). We might as well assign to him, as has been suggested, all
+the poems in the two great manuscripts, the Exeter Book and the Vercelli
+Book, and be done with it. It is desirable that his authorship of the
+DREAM OF THE ROOD, which ten Brink and Sweet assign to him, but Wuelker
+rejects, should be proved or disproved; for with this is connected the
+question of his Northumbrian origin, and some lines from this poem have
+been inscribed in the Northumbrian dialect on the Ruthwell Cross in
+Dumfriesshire.
+
+However it may be, a poet named Cynewulf wrote the ELENE, and thereby
+left us one of the finest Old English poems that time has preserved, on
+a subject that was of great interest to Christian Europe. A collection
+of "Legends of the Holy Rood" has been issued by the Early English Text
+Society (ed. Morris, 1871), from the Anglo-Saxon period to Caxton's
+translation of the _Legenda Aurea_; but they are arranged without
+system, and no study has been made of the date and relation of the
+several forms of the story. If Cynewulf made use of the Latin Life of
+Cyriacus in the _Acta Sanctorum_, he expanded his source considerably
+and showed great skill and originality in his treatment of the subject,
+as may be seen by comparing the translation with the Latin text in
+Zupitza's third edition of the ELENE (1888), or in Professor Kent's
+forthcoming American edition, after Zupitza. The Old English text was
+discovered by a German scholar, Dr. F. Blume, at Vercelli, Italy, in
+1822, and the manuscript has since become well known as the Vercelli
+Book (cf. Wuelker's _Grundriss_, p. 237 ff.). A reasonable conjecture as
+to how this MS. reached Vercelli may be found in Professor Cook's
+pamphlet, "Cardinal Guala and the Vercelli Book." A Bibliography of the
+ELENE will be found in Wuelker, Zupitza, and Kent. English translations
+have been made by Kemble, in his edition of the Codex Vercellensis
+(1856), and very recently by Dr. R.F. Weymouth, Acton, England, after
+Zupitza's text (privately printed, 1888). A German translation will be
+found in Grein's _Dichtungen der Angelsachsen_ (II. 104 ff., 1859), and
+of lines 1-275 in Koerner's _Einleitung in das Studium des
+Angelsaechsischen_ (p. 147 ff., 1880). A good summary of the poem is
+given in Earle's "Anglo-Saxon Literature" (p. 234 ff., 1884), and a
+briefer one in Morley's "English Writers" (II. 196 ff.).
+
+The ELENE is conceded to be Cynewulf's best poem, and ten Brink remarks
+of the ANDREAS and the ELENE: "In these Cynewulf appears, perhaps, at
+the summit of his art" (p. 58, Kennedy's translation). The last canto is
+a personal epilogue, of a sad and reflective character, evidently
+appended after the poem proper was concluded. This may be the last work
+of the poet, and there is good reason for ten Brink's view (p. 59) that
+"not until the writing of the ELENE had Cynewulf entirely fulfilled the
+task he had set himself in consequence of his vision of the cross. Hence
+he recalls, at the close of the poem, the greatest moment of his life,
+and praises the divine grace that gave him deeper knowledge, and
+revealed to him the art of song."
+
+II. The JUDITH is a fragment, but a very torso of Hercules. The first
+nine cantos, nearly three-fourths of the poem, are irretrievably lost,
+so that we have left but the last three cantos with a few lines of the
+ninth. The story is from the apocryphal book of Judith, and the part
+remaining corresponds to chapters XII. 10 to XVI. 1, but the poet has
+failed to translate the grand thanksgiving of Judith in the sixteenth
+chapter. The story of Judith and Holofernes is too well known to need
+narration. The poet, doubtless, followed the Latin Vulgate, as we have
+no reason to think that a knowledge of Greek was a common possession
+among Old English poets; but, as Professor Cook says, "the order of
+events is not that of the original narrative. Many transpositions have
+been made in the interest of condensation and for the purpose of
+enhancing the dramatic liveliness of the story."
+
+The Old English text is found in the same manuscript with the BEOWULF
+(Cotton, Vitellius, A, xv.), and, to my mind, this poem reminds the
+reader more of the vigor and fire of BEOWULF than does any other Old
+English poem; but its author is unknown. It has been assigned by some
+scholars to the tenth century, which is rather late for it; but
+Professor Cook has given reasons for thinking that it may have been
+written in the second half of the ninth century in honor of Judith, the
+step-mother of King Alfred. It was first printed as prose by Thwaites at
+the close of his "Heptateuch, Book of Job, and Gospel of Nicodemus"
+(1698), and has been often reprinted, its shortness and excellence
+making it a popular piece for inclusion in Anglo-Saxon Readers. A most
+complete edition has been recently (1888) issued by Professor Albert S.
+Cook, with an excellent introduction, a translation, and a glossary. A
+Bibliography is given by Professor Cook (pp. 71-73), and by Wuelker
+(_Grundriss_, p. 140 ff.). To the translations therein enumerated may be
+added the one in Morley's "English Writers" (II. 180 ff.). Professor
+Cook has also given (pp. lxix-lxxii) the testimonies of scholars to the
+worth of this poem. To these the attention of the reader is especially
+called. The JUDITH has been treated by both ten Brink and Wuelker as
+belonging to the Caedmon circle, but the former well says (p. 47): "This
+fragment produces an impression more like that of the national epos than
+is the case with any other religious poetry of that epoch;" and Sweet
+(Reader, p. 157) regards it as belonging "to the culminating point of
+the Old Northumbrian literature, combining as it does the highest
+dramatic and constructive power with the utmost brilliance of language
+and metre."
+
+III. The ATHELSTAN, or Fight at Brunanburh, is found in four manuscripts
+of the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" and in Wheloc's edition (1643), printed
+from a MS. that was burnt in the unfortunate fire among the Cottonian
+manuscripts (1731). It is entered under the year 937 in all but one MS.,
+where it occurs under 938. The poem gives a brief, but graphic,
+description of the fight between King Athelstan and his brother Edmund
+on the one side, and Constantine and his Scots aided by Anlaf and his
+Danes, or Northmen, on the other, in which fight the Saxons were
+completely victorious. The poem will be found in all editions of the
+"Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" from Wheloc to Earle (1865), and has been
+repeatedly reprinted, its brevity causing it to be often included as a
+specimen of Old English, but it is omitted in Sweet's Reader. A
+Bibliography will be found in Wuelker's _Grundriss_ (p. 339 ff.). To the
+English translations there mentioned,--which include a poetical one by
+Lord Tennyson, after a prose translation by his son in the Contemporary
+Review for November, 1876,--may be added the prose translation by
+Kennedy in ten Brink (p. 91) and the rhythmical one by Professor Morley
+in his "English Writers" (II. 316-17). ten Brink thinks that the poem
+was not written by an eye-witness, and says (p. 92): "The poem lacks the
+epic perception and direct power of the folk-song as well as invention.
+The patriotic enthusiasm, however, upon which it is borne, the lyrical
+strain which pervades it, yield their true effect. The rich resources
+derived from the national epos are here happily utilised, and the pure
+versification and brilliant style of the whole stir our admiration." It
+well serves to diversify and enliven the usually dry annals of the
+"Anglo-Saxon Chronicle," and cannot be spared in the great dearth of
+poetry of this period.
+
+IV. The BYRHTNOTH, or Fight at Maldon, relates in vigorous verse the
+contest between the Saxons, led by the Ealdorman Byrhtnoth, and the
+Danes at the river Panta, near Maldon in Essex, in which the Danes were
+victorious and Byrhtnoth was slain. The incident is mentioned in four
+manuscripts of the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" under the year 991, but one
+gives it under 993. The MS. in which the poem was contained was
+unfortunately burnt in the great fire above-mentioned (1731); but Thomas
+Hearne, the antiquary, had fortunately printed it, as prose, in his
+edition, of the Chronicle of John of Glastonbury (1726); hence this is
+now our sole authority for the text, which is defective at both the
+beginning and the end. The poem has been highly esteemed by scholars,
+and is a very valuable relic of late tenth century literature. It has
+been often reprinted, and translated several times in whole or in part.
+Grein does not translate either the ATHELSTAN or the BYRHTNOTH. Koerner
+translates it in full, and so does Zernial in his Program "Das Lied von
+Byrhtnoth's Fall" (1882). This monograph contains the fullest study of
+the poem that has been made. It is translated into English, with some
+omissions, by Kennedy in ten Brink (pp. 93-96); it is barely mentioned
+by Earle (p. 147), and a summary of it is given by Morley in "English
+Writers" (II. 319-320). A Bibliography will be found in Wuelker's
+_Grundriss_ (pp. 344-5). An edition of both ATHELSTAN and BYRHTNOTH has
+been long announced in the "Library of Anglo-Saxon Poetry," but it has
+not yet appeared.[1] Sweet says of the BYRHTNOTH (Reader, p. 138):
+"Although the poem does not show the high technical finish of the older
+works, it is full of dramatic power and warm feeling"; and ten Brink,
+with more enthusiasm, calls it (p. 96) "one of the pearls of Old English
+poetry, full, as it is, of dramatic life, and fidelity of an
+eye-witness. Its deep feeling throbs in the clear and powerful
+portrayal." He recognizes, however, "the tokens of metrical decline, of
+the dissolution of ancient art-forms."
+
+   [1] Crow's "Maldon and Brunnanburh," 1897.
+
+V. The DREAM OF THE ROOD is found in the Vercelli manuscript. Wuelker's
+_Grundriss_ gives the literature of the subject to the time of its
+publication (1885). Soon afterwards Morley's "English Writers," Vol.
+II., appeared (1888), in which an English translation is given (pp.
+237-241); also Stopford Brooke, in his "History of Early English
+Literature" (1892), has given an account of the poem, with partial
+translation and epitome (pp. 436-443). (See also p. 337 and pp. 384-386
+for further notice.) The poem is very briefly mentioned by Trautmann in
+his monograph on Cynewulf (1898, p. 40). There are some very interesting
+questions connected with the poem which cannot be discussed here. Was it
+by Cynewulf? On the affirmative side we find Dietrich, Rieger, Grein,
+ten Brink, D'Ham, and Sweet. On the negative, Wuelker, Ebert, Trautmann,
+Stephens, Morley, Brooke, and others. Pacius, who edited the text, with
+a German translation, in 1873, thinks that we know nothing about the
+poet. Brooke has propounded a theory, previously adumbrated by the
+editors of the _Corpus Poeticum Boreale_, Vigfusson and Powell, that an
+older poem, possibly of Caedmonian origin, as shown by the long
+six-accent lines, has been worked over by Cynewulf, with additions, and
+that it is "his last work" (p. 440). Certain lines of the poem, in the
+Northumbrian dialect, are found on the Ruthwell Cross, which fact
+complicates the question of origin. These are compared by Brooke (p.
+337). The other upholders of the Cynewulfian authorship think that this
+Dream, occurring in the early part of Cynewulf's religious life, led to
+the longer and more highly finished poem, the ELENE, written near the
+close of his life. The questions of the relationship of the poem to the
+Ruthwell Cross and to the ELENE deserve further discussion. With these
+is connected the question of date, and the poem has been placed all the
+way from 700 to 800 A.D., even a little before and a little after,
+possibly 675 to 825 A.D., so as yet there is no common agreement. The
+similarity of thought in the personal epilogue (II. 122 ff.) to the
+epilogue of the ELENE (II. 1237 ff.) is striking, and they may be
+compared by the curious reader. The translation is made from the
+Grein-Wuelker text (Vol. II., pp. 116-125), with emendations from others,
+as seen in the notes. All can agree with Kemble (_Codex Vercellensis_,
+Part II., p. ix) that "it is in some respects the most striking of all
+the Anglo-Saxon remains, inasmuch as a departure from the mere
+conventional style of such compositions is very perceptible in it. It
+contains some passages of real poetical beauty, and a good deal of
+fancy." Brooke says (op. cit., p. 443): "This is the last of the
+important poems of the eighth century. It is good, but not very good.
+The older part, if my conjecture be right, is the best, and its
+reworking by Cynewulf has so broken it up that its dignity is much
+damaged. The shaping is rude, but the imagination has indeed shaped
+it." ten Brink says (p. 53): "Cynewulf himself has immortalized this
+vision in a poem, giving utterance to an irrepressible emotion, but
+still exhibiting the delicate lines of a beautifully designed
+composition." The other Germans are usually so taken up with technical
+and mechanical questions that they leave no room for aesthetic
+considerations. Whether Cynewulf wrote the poem or not,--and the
+probabilities favor his authorship, though we may not hesitate to say
+with Morley, "I don't know,"--it is certainly the work of a gifted
+Christian poet, who reverences the cross as the means of the redemption
+of mankind.
+
+This brief Introduction will, it is hoped, be sufficient to interest the
+reader in the accompanying translations of some of the finest pieces of
+Old English poetry that remain to us from the eighth, ninth, and tenth
+centuries. The earlier period was the golden age of Old English poetry
+in the Northumbrian dialect, which poetry, there is good reason to
+think, was copied into the West-Saxon dialect, and it now remains to us
+only in that form; for, when the Northmen harried Northumbria, destroyed
+its monasteries, massacred its inhabitants, and settled in its homes,
+manuscripts perished, and the light of learning in Western Europe was
+extinguished. It is sufficient to recall King Alfred's oft-quoted
+lament, in the Preface to his translation of Pope Gregory's "Pastoral
+Care," to realize the position held by Northumbria in respect to
+culture, and when learning was restored in Wessex by the efforts of the
+king himself, and poetry again revived, it shone but by a reflected
+light. Still we should treasure all that remains, and the Old English
+language should be at least as well known as Latin is now, and should
+occupy as prominent a position in education and general culture. Until
+that millennial period arrives, translations of Old English poems may
+not be without service.
+
+
+ABBREVIATIONS IN NOTES.
+
+
+B.  = Bouterwek;
+C.  = Cook;
+Gm. = Grimm;
+Gn. = Grein;
+K.  = Kemble;
+Kl. = Kluge;
+Kr. = Koerner;
+S.  = Sievers;
+Sw. = Sweet;
+Th. = Thorpe;
+W.  = Wuelker;
+Z.  = Zupitza;
+Zl. = Zernial.
+
+
+
+
+CYNEWULF'S ELENE.
+
+
+I.
+
+When had elapsed in course of years
+Two hundred and three, reckoned by number,
+And thirty also, in measure of time,
+Of winters for th' world, since mighty God
+Became incarnate, of kings the Glory,                                  5
+Upon mid-earth in human form,
+Light of the righteous; then sixth was the year
+Of Constantine's imperial sway,
+Since he o'er the realm of the Roman people,
+The battle-prince, as ruler was raised.                               10
+The ward of his folk, skilful with shield,
+Was gracious to earls. Strong grew the aetheling's[1]
+Might 'neath the heavens. He was true king,
+War-keeper of men. God him strengthened
+With honor and might, that to many became he                          15
+Throughout this earth to men a joy,
+To nations a vengeance, when weapon he raised
+Against his foes. Him battle was offered,
+Tumult of war. A host was assembled,
+Folk of the Huns and fame-loving Goths;                               20
+War-brave they went, the Franks and the Hugs.[2]
+Bold were the men [in battle-byrnies, Gn.],
+Ready for war. Bright shone the spears,
+The ringed corselets. With shouts and shields
+They hoisted the standards. The heroes were there                     25
+Plainly assembled, and [host, Gn.] all together.
+The multitude marched. A war-song howled
+The wolf in the wood, war-secret concealed not;
+The dew-feathered eagle uplifted his song
+On the trail of his foes. Hastened quickly                            30
+O'er cities of giants[3] the greatest of war-hosts
+In bands to battle, such as king of the Huns
+Of dwellers-around anywhere might,
+Of city-warriors, assemble to war.
+Went greatest of armies,--the footmen were strengthened               35
+With chosen bands,--till in foreign land
+The fighters-with-darts upon the Danube's
+Bank were encamping, the brave in heart,
+'Round the welling of waters, with tumult of host.
+The realm of the Romans they wished to oppress,                       40
+With armies destroy. There was Huns' coming
+Known to the people. Then bade the Caesar
+Against the foes his comrades in war
+'Neath arrow-flight in greatest haste
+Gather for fight, form battle-array                                   45
+The heroes 'neath heavens. The Romans were,
+Men famed for victory, quickly prepared
+With weapons for war, though lesser army
+Had they for the battle than king of the Huns.[4]
+They rode 'round the valiant: then rattled the shield,                50
+The war-wood clanged: the king with host marched,
+With army to battle. Aloft sang the raven,
+Dark and corpse-greedy. The band was in motion.
+The horn-bearers blew,[5] the heralds called,
+Steed stamped the earth. The host assembled                           55
+Quickly for contest. The king was affrighted,
+With terror disturbed, after the strangers,
+The Huns' and Hreths' host they[6] observed,
+That it[7] on the Romans' kingdom's border
+'Round the bank of the river a band assembled,                        60
+A countless crowd. Heart-sorrow bore
+The Romans' ruler, of realm he hoped not
+For want of force; had warriors too few,
+Trusty comrades, 'gainst th' overmight
+Of the brave for battle. The army encamped,                           65
+The earls 'round the aetheling nigh to the river
+In neighboring plain a night-long time,
+After force of their foes they first beheld.
+Then in his sleep was shown to him,
+To the Caesar himself where he slept 'mid his men,                     70
+By the victory-famed seen, a vision of dream.
+Effulgent it seemed him, in form of a man,
+White and hue-bright, some one of heroes
+More splendid appeared than ere or since
+He saw 'neath the heavens. From sleep he awaked                       75
+With boar-sign bedecked. The messenger quickly,
+Bright herald of glory, to him made address
+And called him by name (the night-veil vanished):
+"To thee, Constantine, bade King of the angels,
+Wielder of fates, his favor grant,                                    80
+The Lord of Hosts. Fear not for thyself,
+Though thee the strangers threaten with terror,
+With battle severe. Look thou to heaven,
+To the Lord of glory: there help wilt thou find,
+A token of victory." Soon was he ready                                85
+At hest of the holy, his heart-lock unloosed,
+Upwards he looked as the messenger bade him,
+Trusty peace-weaver. He saw bright with gems
+Fair rood of glory o'er roof of the clouds
+Adorned with gold: the jewels shone,                                  90
+The glittering tree with letters was written
+Of brightness and light: "With this beacon thou
+On the dangerous journey[8] wilt the foe overcome,
+The loathly host let." The light then departed,
+Ascended on high, and the messenger too,                              95
+To the realm of the pure. The king was the blither
+And freer from sorrow, chieftain of men,
+In thoughts of his soul, for that fair sight.
+
+   [1] Prince's.
+
+   [2] MS. '_Huns_,' but Z. reads '_Hugs_.' Cf. W.
+
+   [3] 'O'er land of Burgundians,' Gn.
+
+   [4] Z. has no point, W. puts (;), Gn. (.)
+
+   [5] 'Hurried,' Z.^3
+
+   [6] 'He,' W.
+
+   [7] 'Which,' Z.
+
+   [8] 'In the terrible danger,' Gn.
+
+
+II.
+
+Bade then a likeness[1] defender of aethelings,
+Ring-giver of heroes, to that beacon he saw,                         100
+Leader of armies, that in heaven before
+To him had appeared, with greatest haste
+[Bade] Constantine [like] the rood of Christ,
+The glorious king, a token make.
+He bade then at dawn with break of day                               105
+His warriors rouse and onset of battle,
+The standard raise, and that holy tree
+Before him carry, 'mid host of foes
+God's beacon bear. The trumpets sang
+Aloud 'fore the hosts. The raven rejoiced,[2]                        110
+The dew-feathered eagle beheld the march,
+Fight of the fierce cries, the wolf raised his howl,
+The wood's frequenter. War-terror arose.
+There was shattering of shields and mingling of men,
+Heavy handstroke and felling of foes,                                115
+After in arrow-flight first they had met.
+On the fated folk showers of darts,
+Spears over shields into hosts of foes,
+Sword-fierce foemen battle-adders
+With force of fingers forwards impelled.                             120
+The strong-hearted stepped, pressed onwards at once,
+Broke the shield-covers, thrust in their swords,
+Battle-brave hastened. Then standard was raised,
+Sign 'fore the host, song of victory sung.
+The golden helmet, the spear-points glistened                        125
+On field of battle. The heathen perished,
+Peaceless they fell. Forthwith they fled,
+The folk of the Huns, when that holy tree
+The king of the Romans bade raise on high,
+Fierce in the fight. The warriors became                             130
+Widely dispersed. Some war took away;
+Some with labor their lives preserved
+Upon that march; some half-alive
+Fled to the fastness and life protected
+Behind the stone-cliffs, held their abode                            135
+Around the Danube; some drowning took off
+In the stream of the river at the end of their life.
+Then was of the proud ones the force in joy;
+They followed the foreigners forth until even
+From break of day. The ash-darts flew,                               140
+Battle-adders. The heap was destroyed,[3]
+Shield-band of foes. Very few came
+Of the host of the Huns home again thence.
+Then it was plain that victory gave
+To Constantine the King Almighty                                     145
+In the work of that day, glorious honor,
+Might 'neath the heavens, through the tree of his rood.
+Went helmet of hosts home again thence,
+In booty rejoicing (the battle was ended),
+Honored in war. Came warriors' defence                               150
+With band of his thanes to deck the strong shield,[4]
+War-renowned king, to visit his cities.
+Bade warriors' ward the wisest men
+Swiftly to synod, who wisdom's craft
+Through writings of old had learnt to know,                          155
+Held in their hearts counsels of heroes.
+Then that gan inquire chief of the folk,
+Victory-famed king, throughout the wide crowd,
+If any there were, elder or younger,
+Who him in truth was able to tell,                                   160
+Make known by speech, what the god were,
+The giver of glory,[5] "whose beacon this was,
+That seemed me so sheen, and saved my people,
+Brightest of beacons, and gave to me glory,
+War-speed against foes, through that beautiful tree."                165
+They him any answer at all were unable
+To give in reply, nor could they full well
+Clearly declare of that victory-sign.
+Then did the wisest speak out in words
+Before the armed host, that Heaven-king's                            170
+Token it was, and of that was no doubt.
+When they that heard who in baptism's lore
+Instructed had been, light was their mind,
+Rejoicing their soul, though of them there were few,
+That they 'fore the Caesar might dare to proclaim                     175
+The gift of the gospel, how the spirits' Defence,
+In form of the Trinity worshipped in glory,
+Incarnate became, Brightness of kings,--
+And how on the cross was God's own Son
+Hanged 'fore the hosts with hardest pains;                           180
+The Son men saved from the bonds of devils,
+Sorrowful spirits, and a gift to them gave
+Through that same sign that appeared to him
+Before his own eyes the token of victory
+'Gainst onset of nations; and how the third day                      185
+From out of the tomb the Glory of heroes,
+From death, arose, the Lord of all
+The race of mankind, and to Heaven ascended.
+So with cunning of mind in secrets of soul
+They said to the victor as they by Sylvester[6]                      190
+Instructed had been. From him the folk-chief
+Baptism received, and continued to hold it
+For the time of his days at the will of the Lord.
+
+   [1] Lit. 'in like manner,' adv.
+
+   [2] Add 'at the work.'
+
+   [3] 'Diminished,' Gn.
+
+   [4] i.e., with precious stones. Kr. reads '(rattled strong
+       shields).'
+
+   [5] 'Gold,' Kr. 'Lord of the house,' Gn. Cf. W.
+
+   [6] The Bishop of Rome.
+
+
+III.
+
+Then was in bliss the giver of treasure,
+The battle-brave king. To him was new joy                            195
+Inspired in his soul; greatest of comforts
+And highest of hopes was heaven's Defence.
+Then gan he God's law by day and by night
+Through gift of the Spirit with zeal proclaim,
+And truly himself devoted he eagerly,                                200
+Gold-friend of men, to the service of God,
+Spear-famed, unfaltering. Then found the aetheling,
+Defence of his folk, through learned men,[1]
+War-brave, spear-bold, in books of God,
+Where had been hanged with shouts of the host                        205
+On tree of the rood the Ruler of heaven
+Through envy and hate, just as the old fiend
+Misled with his lies, the people deceived,
+The race of the Jews, so that God himself
+They hanged, Lord of hosts: hence in misery shall they               210
+For ever and ever punishment suffer.
+Then praise of Christ by the Caesar was
+In the thoughts of his mind[2] always remembered
+For that great tree, and his mother he bade
+Go on a journey with a band of men                                   215
+To [land of] the Jews, earnestly seek
+With host of warriors where that tree of glory
+Holy 'neath earth hidden might be,
+The noble King's rood. Helena would not
+On that expedition be slow to start,                                 220
+Nor that joy-giver's command neglect,
+Her own [dear] son's, but soon she[3] was ready
+For the wished-for journey, as the helmet of men,
+Of mail-clad warriors, her had commanded.
+Gan then with speed the crowd of earls                               225
+Hasten to ship.[4] The steeds of the sea
+'Round the shore of the ocean ready were standing,
+Cabled sea-horses, at rest on the water.
+Then plainly was known the voyage of the lady,
+When the welling of waves she sought with her folk.                  230
+There many a proud one at Wendel-sea
+Stood on the shore. They severally hastened
+Over the mark-paths, band after band,
+And then they loaded with battle-sarks,
+With shields and spears, with mail-clad warriors,                    235
+With men and women, the steeds of the sea.
+Then they let o'er the billows the foamy ones go,
+The high wave-rushers. The hull oft received
+O'er the mingling of waters the blows of the waves.
+The sea resounded. Not since nor ere heard I                         240
+On water-stream a lady lead,
+On ocean-street, a fairer force.
+There might he see, who that voyage beheld,
+Burst o'er the bath-way the sea-wood, hasten
+'Neath swelling sails, the sea-horse play,                           245
+The wave-floater sail. The warriors were blithe,
+Courageous in mind; queen joyed in her journey.
+After to haven the ringed-prowed
+O'er the sea-fastness had finished their course
+To the land of the Greeks, they let the keels                        250
+At the shore of the sea beat by the breakers,
+The old sea-dwellings at anchor fast,
+On the water await the fate of the heroes,
+When the warlike queen with her band of men
+Over the east-ways should seek them again.                           255
+There was on [each] earl easily seen
+The braided byrnie and tested sword,
+Glittering war-weeds, many a helmet,
+Beautiful boar-sign. The spear-warriors were,
+Men 'round victor-queen, prepared for the march,                     260
+Brave war-heroes. They marched with joy
+Into land of the Greeks, the Caesar's heralds,
+Battle-warriors with armor protected.
+There was to be seen treasure-gem set
+'Mid that army-host, gift of their lord.                             265
+[Then] was the blessed Helena mindful,
+Bold in her thought, of the prince's will,
+Eager in mind, in that she of the Jews,
+O'er the army-fields with tested band
+Of warriors-with-shields, the land was seeking,                      270
+With host of men; so it after befell
+In little while that that force of men,
+War-famed heroes, to Hierusalem[5]
+Came to the city the greatest of crowds,
+Spear-famed earls, with the noble queen.                             275
+
+   [1] Lit., 'smiths of lore.'
+
+   [2] Z. supposes _lacuna_ of one verse; W. thinks it
+       unnecessary.
+
+   [3] Lit., 'the woman.'
+
+   [4] Lit., 'to the sea,' or 'sea-journey.'
+
+   [5] A.-S. form retained for the sake of the accent and
+       alliteration.
+
+
+IV.
+
+Bade she then order the dwellers-in-city
+Most skilled in lore, those far and wide
+Among the Jews, each one of men,
+For council-talk in meeting to come,
+Who most deeply the secrets of God                                   280
+By righteous law were able to tell.
+Then was assembled from distant ways
+No little crowd who Moses' law
+Were able to tell. In number there were
+Of thousands three of those [learned] men                            285
+Chosen for lore. The lovely woman
+The men of the Hebrews with words gan address:
+"I that most surely have learnt to know
+Through secret words of prophets [of old]
+In the books of God, that in days of yore                            290
+Ye worthy were of the glorious King,
+Dear to the Lord and daring in deed.
+Lo! ye that wisdom [very, Gn.] unwisely,
+Wrongly, rejected, when him ye condemned
+Who you from the curse through might of his glory,                   295
+From torment of fire, thought to redeem,
+From fetters' force. Ye filthily spat
+On his fair face who light of the eyes
+From blindness [restored], a remedy brought
+To you anew by that noble spittle,                                   300
+And often preserved you from the unclean
+Spirits of devils. This one to death
+Ye gan adjudge, who self from death
+Many awakened 'mong host of men
+Of your own race to the former life.                                 305
+So blinded in mind ye gan conjoin
+Lying with truth, light with darkness,
+Hatred with mercy, with evil thoughts
+Ye wickedness wove; therefore the curse
+You guilty oppresses. The purest Might                               310
+Ye gan condemn, and have lived in error,
+In thoughts benighted, until this day.
+Go ye now quickly, with prudence select
+Men firm in wisdom, crafty in word,
+Who your own law, with excellence skilled,                           315
+In thoughts of their minds most thoroughly have,
+Who to me truly are able to say,
+Answer to tell for you henceforth
+Of each one of tokens that I from thee seek."
+They went then away sorry-in-mind,                                   320
+The law-clever earls, oppressed with fear,
+Sad in their grief, earnestly sought
+The wisest men in secrets of words,
+That they to the queen might answer well
+Both of good and of ill, as she from them sought.                    325
+Then they 'mong the host a thousand of men
+Found clever in mind who the old story
+Among the Jews most readily knew.
+Then they pressed in a crowd where in pomp awaited
+On kingly throne the Caesar's mother,[1]                              330
+Stately war-queen with gold adorned.
+Helena spake and said 'fore the earls:
+"Hear, clever in mind, the holy secret,
+Word and wisdom. Lo! ye the prophets'
+Teaching received, how the Life-giver                                335
+In form of a child incarnate became,
+Ruler of might. Of him Moses sang
+And spake this [word],[2] warden of Israel:
+'To you shall be born a child in secret
+Renowned in might, though his mother shall not                       340
+Be filled with fruit through love of a man.'
+Of him David the king a kingly psalm sang,
+The wise old sage, father of Solomon,
+And spake this word, prince of warriors:
+'The God of creation before me I saw,                                345
+Lord of victories. He was in my sight,
+Ruler of hosts, upon my right hand,
+Guardian of glory. Thence turn I not
+Ever in life my countenance from him.'[3]
+So it again of you Isaiah                                            350
+'Fore the people, the prophet, foretold in words,
+Thinking profoundly by spirit of the Lord:
+'I raised upon high sons young in years,
+And children begat, to whom glory I gave,
+Heart-comfort holy: but they me rejected,                            355
+With enmity hated, forethought possessed not,
+Wisdom of mind, and the wretched cattle,
+That on each day one drives and strikes,
+Their well-doer know, not at all with revenge
+Bear hate to their friends who give them fodder.                     360
+And the folk of Israel never were willing
+Me to acknowledge, though many for them,
+In worldly course, of wonders I wrought.'[4]
+
+   [1] Lit., 'kinswoman.' The Elizabethan 'Kesar' would preserve
+       the alliteration in this line.
+
+   [2] Gn. and Z. W. omits.
+
+   [3] Psalms xvi. 8, 9.
+
+   [4] Isaiah i. 2, 3.
+
+
+V.
+
+"Lo! that we heard through holy books,
+That the Lord to you gave blameless glory,                           365
+The Maker, mights' Speed, to Moses said
+How the King of heaven ye should obey,
+His teaching perform. Of that ye soon wearied,
+And counter to right ye had contended;
+Ye shunned the bright Creator of all,                                370
+The Lord [of Lords],[1] and followed error
+'Gainst right of God. Now quickly go
+And find ye still who writings of old
+Through craft of wit the best may know,
+Your books of law, that answer to me                                 375
+Through prudent mind they may return."
+Went then with a crowd depressed in mind
+The proud in heart, as them the queen bade.
+Found they five hundred of cunning men,
+Chosen comrades, who craft of lore                                   380
+Through memory of mind the most possessed,
+Wisdom in spirit. They back to the hall
+In little while again were summoned,
+Wards of the city. The queen them gan
+With words address (she glanced over all):                           385
+"Often ye silly actions performed,
+Accursed wretches, and writings despised,
+Lore of your fathers, ne'er more than now,
+When ye of your blindness the Healer rejected,
+And ye contended 'gainst truth and right,                            390
+That in Bethlehem the child of the Ruler,
+The only-born King, incarnate was,
+The Prince of princes. Though the law ye knew,
+Words of the prophets, ye were not then willing,
+Workers of sin, the truth to confess."                               395
+With one mind then they answered her:
+"Lo! we the Hebrew law have learned,
+That in days of old our fathers knew,
+At the ark of God, nor know we well
+Why thou so fiercely, lady, with us                                  400
+Hast angry become. We know not the wrong
+That we have done amid this nation,
+Chiefest of crimes[2] against thee ever."
+Helena said and 'fore the earls spake
+Without concealment; the lady proclaimed                             405
+Aloud 'fore the hosts: "Now go ye quickly,
+Seek out apart who wisdom with you
+Might and mindcraft the most may have,
+That each of the things they boldly may tell me,
+Without delay, that I from them seek."                               410
+Went they then from the council as the mighty queen,
+Bold in the palace, them had commanded,
+Sorry-in-mind eagerly searched they,
+With cunning sought, what were the sin
+That they in the folk might have committed                           415
+Against the Caesar, for which the queen blames them.
+Then there 'fore the earls one them addressed,
+Cunning in songs (his name was Judas),
+Crafty in word: "I surely know,
+That she will seek of the victor-tree                                420
+On which once suffered the Ruler of nations
+Free from all faults, own Son of God,
+Whom though guiltless[3] of every sin
+Through hatred hanged upon the high tree
+In days of old our own fathers.                                      425
+That was terrible thought. There is now great need
+That we with firmness strengthen our minds,
+That we of this murder become not informers,
+Where the holy tree was hidden away
+After the war-storm, lest may be rejected                            430
+The wise old writings and of our fathers
+The lore be lost. Not long will it be[4]
+That of Israelites the noble race
+Over the mid-earth may reign any more,
+The law-craft of earls, if this be revealed:                         435
+That same long ago mine elder father
+Victory-famed said (his name was Zacchaeus),
+The wise old man, to mine own father,
+[Who afterwards made it known to his, Gn.][5] son,
+(He went from this world), and spake this word:                      440
+'If to thee that happen in the days of thy life,
+That thou may'st hear of that holy tree
+Wise men inquire and questionings raise
+Of that victor-wood on which the true King
+Was hanged on high, Guardian of heaven,                              445
+Child of all peace, then quickly declare it,
+Mine own dear son, ere death thee remove.
+Ne'er may after that the folk of the Hebrews,
+The wise in counsel, their kingdom hold,
+Rule over men, but _their_ fame shall live                           450
+And their dominion [be glorified ever, Gn.],[5]
+To world of worlds with joy be filled,
+Who the King that was hanged honor and praise.'
+
+   [1] Gn., Z., W.
+
+   [2] So W. 'Wrongs have committed,' Gm., Gn. and Z. [?]
+
+   [3] W.
+
+   [4] Add 'after that.'
+
+   [5] _Lacuna_ in MS., emended by Gn.
+
+
+VI.
+
+"Then quickly I to mine own father,
+The old law-sage, answer returned:                                   455
+'How might that happen on kingdom of earth
+That they on the holy their hands should lay
+For reaving of life, our own fathers,
+Through hostile mind, if they ere knew
+That he were Christ, the King in heaven,                             460
+True son of Creator, Saviour of souls.'
+Then to me mine elder answer returned,
+Wise in his mind my father replied:
+'Perceive, young man, the might of God,
+The name of the Saviour. That is to each man                         465
+Unutterable. Him may no one
+Upon this earth [ever] find out.
+Never that plan that this people framed
+Was I willing to follow, but I always myself
+Held aloof from their crimes, by no means wrought shame              470
+To mine own spirit. To them earnestly often
+On account of their wrong I made opposition,
+When the learned-in-lore counsel were taking,
+Were seeking in soul how the Son of their Maker,
+Men's Helm,[1] they might hang, the Lord of all,                     475
+Both angels and men, noblest of children.
+They might not so foolish death fasten on him,
+Miserable men, as they ere weened,
+Afflict with pains, though he for a time
+Upon the cross his spirit gave up,                                   480
+Victor-child of God. Then afterwards was
+Raised from the rood the Ruler of heavens,
+Glory of all glories, three nights after
+Within the tomb was he abiding
+Under the darkness, and then on third day,                           485
+Light of all light, he living arose,
+Prince of angels, and he to his thanes,
+True Lord of victories, himself revealed,
+Bright in his fame. Then did thy brother
+In time receive the bath of baptism,                                 490
+Enlightening belief. For love of the Lord
+Was Stephen then with stones assailed,
+Nor ill gave for ill, but for foes of old
+Patient implored, prayed King of glory
+That he the woe-deed would not lay to their charge,                  495
+In that through hate the innocent One,
+Guiltless of sins, by the teachings of Saul
+They robbed of life, as he through enmity
+To misery many of the folk of Christ
+Condemned, to death. Yet later the Lord                              500
+Mercy him showed, that to many became he
+Of people for comfort, when the God of creation,
+Saviour of men, had changed his name,
+And afterwards he the holy Paul
+Was called by name, and no one than he                               505
+Of teachers of faith, [no] other, was better
+'Neath roof of heaven afterwards ever
+Of those man or woman brought into the world,
+Although he Stephen with stones them bade
+Slay on the mountain, thine own brother.                             510
+Now may'st thou hear, mine own dear son,
+How gracious is the Ruler of all,
+Though we transgression 'gainst him oft commit,
+The wound of sins, if we soon after
+For those misdeeds repentance work                                   515
+And from unrighteousness afterwards cease.
+Therefore I truly, and my dear father,
+After believed [in the Giver of life, Gn.],
+That he had suffered, God of all glories,
+Leader of life, painful penalty                                      520
+For mighty need of the race of men.
+Therefore I teach thee through secret of song,
+My dearest child, that scornful words,
+Hatred or blasphemy, never thou work,
+Fierce contradiction 'gainst the Son of God.                         525
+Then wilt thou merit that thee life eternal,
+Best of rewards, shall be given in heaven.'
+Thus mine own father in days of old
+Me unwaxen with words did teach,
+Instruct with true speech (his name was Simon),                      530
+Man wise in words. Now well do ye know
+What of that in your thought may seem to you best
+Plainly to tell, if us this queen
+Shall ask of that tree, now mine own mind
+And thought of heart ye [well] do know."                             535
+Him then in reply the cleverest of all
+In the crowd of men with words addressed:
+"Ne'er did we hear any of men
+Among this folk save thee just now,
+Another thane, declare in this manner                                540
+Of so secret event. Do as [best] seems thee,
+Thou wise in old lore, if thou be questioned
+'Mong the host of men. Of wisdom has need,
+Of wary words and sage's cunning,
+Who shall to the noble one answer return                             545
+Before such a host among the assembly."
+
+   [1] i.e., 'defence, protector.'
+
+
+VII.
+
+Words waxed in speech; men counsel took
+On every side; some hither, some thither,
+Considered and thought. Then came many thanes
+To the people's assembly. The heralds called,                        550
+The Caesar's criers: "This queen you invites,
+Men, to the hall, that the council-decisions
+Ye rightly may tell. Of rede have ye need
+In the place of assembly, of wisdom of mind."
+Ready they were, the sad-in-mind                                     555
+People's protectors, when they were summoned
+Through stern command; to court they went
+Craft's might to tell. Then gan the queen
+The Hebrew men in words address,
+Ask the life-weary of writings of old,                               560
+How ere in the world the prophets sang,
+Men holy in spirit, of the Son of God,
+Where the Prince [of the people] his sufferings bore,
+True son of Creator, for love of souls.
+Stubborn they were, harder than stone,                               565
+Would not that secret rightly make known
+Nor answer to her any would tell,
+Anger-provokers, of what she sought,
+But they of each word made a denial,
+Firm in their minds, of what she gan ask,                            570
+Said that in life they any such thing
+Nor ere nor since ever had heard of.
+Helena spake and angrily said:
+"I [now] in truth to you will say,--
+And of this in your life there shall be no deception,--              575
+If ye in this falseness longer continue
+With treacherous lying, who stand here before me,
+That you on the mountain bale-fire shall take,
+Hottest of war-waves, and your corpses consume,
+The lambent flame, so for you shall that lie                         580
+To leaving of life [surely] be turned.
+Ye may not prove that word, which ye just now in wrong
+Concealed 'neath heaps[1] of sins. Nor may ye hide that fate,
+Obscure its deepest might." In thought of death they were
+Of pyre and life's end, and delivered then one                       585
+Well-skilled in songs (to him the name Judas
+Was given 'fore kinsmen);--him they gave to the queen,
+Said of him very wise: "He may truth to thee tell,
+Fate's secrets reveal, as thou askest in words,
+The law from beginning forth to the end.                             590
+He is before earth of noble race,
+Wise in word-craft and son of a prophet,
+Bold in council. To him 'tis inborn
+That he the answers clever may have,
+Knowledge in heart. He to thee shall declare                         595
+'Fore the crowd of men the gift of wisdom
+Through mickle might, as thy mind desires."
+In peace she permitted each one to seek
+His own [dear] home, and him alone took,
+Judas, as hostage, and earnestly prayed                              600
+That he of the rood would rightly teach,
+Which of old in its bed was long concealed,
+And she himself apart to her called.
+Helena spake to him alone,
+Glory-rich queen: "For thee two are ready,                           605
+Or life or death, as liefer shall be,
+To thee to choose. Now quickly declare
+To which of the two thou wilt agree."
+Judas to her spake again (he might not the sorrow avoid,
+Avert the ire of the empress.[2] In the power of the queen was he):  610
+"How may him befall who out on the waste,
+Tired and foodless, treads the moorland,
+Oppressed with hunger, and bread and stone
+Both in his sight together[3] shall be,
+The hard and the soft, that he take the stone                        615
+For hunger's defence, care not for the bread,
+Return to want and reject the food,
+Renounce the better, if both he enjoys?"
+
+   [1] Lit., 'under the lap (or bosom) of sins.'
+
+   [2] MS. _rex_ (Latin?), Z.; 'oppression of care' (_cearces_),
+       Gn.; 'of hunger' (_ceaces_), Gm.; 'of smoke' (_reces_),
+       Schubert; _rex_ = _cyninges_, Sievers and W.
+
+   [3] Z.
+
+
+VIII.
+
+To him then the blessed answer returned,
+Helena 'fore earls without concealment:                              620
+"If thou in heaven willest to have
+Dwelling with angels and life on earth,
+Reward in the skies, tell me quickly
+Where rests the rood of the King of heaven
+Holy 'neath earth, which ye now long                                 625
+Through sin of murder from men have concealed."
+Judas replied (his mind was sad,
+Heat in his heart and woe for both,
+Whether hope of heaven with [all] his soul
+He should renounce, along with his present                           630
+Kingdom 'neath skies, or show the rood):
+"How may I that find that long ago happened
+In course of winters? Now many are gone,
+Two hundred or more, reckoned by number;
+I may not recount, now the number I know not.                        635
+Now many have since departed this life,
+Of wise and good who were before us,
+Of clever men. In youth was I
+In later days afterwards born,
+A child in years. I cannot what I know not                           640
+Find in my heart that so long ago happened."
+Helena spake to him in answer:
+"How has it happened among this people,
+That ye so much in mind retain,
+Each one of all signs, just as the Trojans                           645
+In fight effected? 'Twas greater terror,[1]
+Well-known old war, than this noble event,
+In course of years. Ye that can well
+Quickly recount, how many there were
+In number of men in that murderous fight                             650
+Of throwers-with-darts fallen in death
+Under the shield-hedge. Ye have the graves
+Under the stone-slopes, and likewise the places
+And the number of winters in writings set down."
+Judas replied (great sorrow he bore):                                655
+"That work of war, we, lady mine,
+Through direful need remember well,
+And that tumult of war in writing set down,
+The bearing of nations, but this one never
+By any man's mouth have we heard                                     660
+Made known to men except here now."
+The noble queen gave answer to him:
+"Thou resistest too much both truth and right
+Of the tree of life, and now little before
+Thou truly said'st of that victor-tree                               665
+To thine own people, and now turn'st to a lie."
+To her Judas said that he spake that in sorrow
+And doubt extreme, worse evil expected.
+Him quickly answered the Caesar's mother:
+"Lo! that have we heard through holy books                           670
+Made known to men that there was hanged
+On Calvary the King's free child,
+God's Spirit-son. Thou fully shalt
+Wisdom reveal, as writings tell,
+About the plain, where the place may be,                             675
+That Calvary, ere misery take thee,
+Death for thy sins, that I afterwards may
+Purify it at the will of Christ,
+For help to men, that holy God,
+Almighty Lord, the thought of my heart                               680
+My wish may fulfil, men's Giver of glory,
+Helper of souls." Her Judas answered,
+Stubborn in mind: "I know not the place
+Nor aught of the plain, nor the thing do I know."
+Helena spake with angry mind:                                        685
+"This do I swear through the Son of the Maker
+The hanged God, that with hunger thou shalt
+Before thy kinsmen be put to death,
+Unless thou forsake these lying tales
+And plainly to me the truth make known."                             690
+Then bade she with band him lead alive,
+The guilty one cast (the servants delayed not)
+Into a dry pit, where robbed of joy,
+He lingered in sorrows seven nights' time
+Within the prison oppressed with hunger,                             695
+Fastened with fetters, and then gan he call,
+Weakened by pains, on the seventh day,
+Tired and foodless (his strength was exhausted):
+"I you beseech through heaven's God,
+That me from these sufferings ye may release,                        700
+Humbled by hunger. Of that holy tree
+Shall I willingly tell, now longer I may not
+For hunger conceal it. This bond is too strong,
+Distress too severe, and this misery too hard
+In number of days. I may not endure it,                              705
+Nor longer conceal of the tree of life,
+Though with folly before I was thoroughly filled,
+And the truth too late I myself have perceived."
+
+   [1] Or, 'war,' Gn.; 'further oft,' Gm.
+
+
+IX.
+
+When she that heard, who men there ordered,
+The man's behavior, she quickly commanded                            710
+That him from confinement and out of his dungeon,
+From the narrow abode, they should release.
+They hastily that did soon perform
+And him with honor then led they up
+From out of the prison as them the queen bade.                       715
+Stepped they then to the place, the firm-in-mind,
+Upon the hill on which the Lord
+Before was hanged, heaven-kingdom's Ward,
+God's child, on the cross, and yet knew he not well,
+Weakened by hunger, where the holy rood                              720
+Through cunning of foe[1] enclosed in earth,                       721-2
+Long firm in its bed concealed from men,
+Remained in its grave. Now raised he his voice,
+Unmindful[2] of might, and in Hebrew he spake:                       725
+"Saviour Lord, thou hast power of rule,
+And thou didst create through the might of thy glory
+Heaven and earth and the boisterous sea,
+The ocean's wide bosom, all creatures alike,
+And thou didst measure with thine own hands                          730
+All the globe of the earth and the heaven above,
+And thou thyself sittest, Wielder of victories,
+Above the noblest order of angels,
+That fly through the air encircled with light,
+Great might of glory. There mankind may not                          735
+From the paths of earth ascend on high
+In bodily form with that bright host,
+Heralds of glory. These wroughtest thou,
+And for thine own service them didst thou set,
+Holy and heavenly. Of these in the choir                             740
+In joy eternal six are named,
+Who are surrounded with six wings apiece,
+[With them are] adorned, [and] fair they shine.
+Of these are four who ever in flight
+The service of glory attend upon                                     745
+Before the face of the Judge eternal,
+Continually sing in glory the praise,
+With clearest voices, of the King of heaven,
+Most beauteous of songs, and say these words
+With voices pure (their name Cherubim):                              750
+'Holy is the holy God of archangels,
+Ruler of hosts. Full of his glory
+Are heaven and earth and all the high powers
+With glory distinguished,' There are two among these,
+Victor-race in heaven, who Seraphim                                  755
+By name are called. They shall Paradise
+And the tree of life with flaming sword
+Holy maintain. The hard-edged trembles,
+The etched brand wavers, and changes its form,
+Firm in their grips. That,[3] O Lord God,                            760
+Ever thou wieldest, and thou the sinful,
+Guilt-working foes out of the heavens,
+The foolish, didst cast. The accursed host then
+Under dwellings of darkness was forced to fall
+To perdition of hell. There now in the welling                       765
+Endure they death-pain in the dragon's embrace,
+Enclosed in darkness. [Thee] he resisted,
+Thy princely rule; therefore in misery,
+Full[4] of all foulness, he guilty shall suffer,
+Slavery endure. There may he not                                     770
+Thy word reject: he is fast in torments,
+The author of sin, in misery bound.
+If thy will it be, Ruler of angels,
+That he may reign who was on the rood,
+And who through Mary upon the mid-earth                              775
+Incarnate became in form of a child,
+Prince of the angels (if he had not been
+Thy Son free from sin, never so many
+True wonders in world would he have wrought
+In number of days. Thou wouldst not from death                       780
+So gloriously him, Ruler of nations,
+Have awaked 'fore the hosts, if he in glory
+Through the bright [maid] were not thy Son),--
+Now, Father of angels, send forth thy sign.
+As thou didst hear the holy man,                                     785
+Moses, in prayer, when thou, God of might,
+Didst show to the earl at the noble time
+Under the hill-slope the bones of Joseph,
+So, Ruler of hosts, if it be thy will,
+Through that bright form I'll pray to thee                           790
+That to me the gold-hoard, Maker of spirits,
+Thou wilt reveal, that has been from men
+[So] long concealed. Let, Author of life,
+Now from this plain a winsome smoke
+'Neath heaven's expanse mount up on high                             795
+Playing in the air. I'll the better believe,
+And I'll the more firmly stablish my mind,
+Undoubting trust, upon the hanged Christ,
+That he be in truth the Saviour of souls,
+Eternal, Almighty, Israel's King,                                    800
+Forever may have glory in heaven,
+Rule without end the dwellings eternal."
+
+   [1] No _lacuna_ in MS. Gn.^1 inserted one line, but Gn.^2 one
+       word (_feonda_), which W. prefers. Text as Z. (_feondes_),
+       which Sievers approves.
+
+   [2] 'Mindful,' Gm. and Gn.; 'suffering,' Z. [?].
+
+   [3] Referring to the sword.
+
+   [4] Gn., or 'foul,' Z.
+
+
+X.
+
+Then out of that place a vapor arose
+Like smoke 'neath the heavens. There was rejoiced
+The mind of the man. With both his hands,                            805
+Happy and law-clever, upward he clapped.
+Judas exclaimed, clever in thought:
+"Now I in truth myself have known
+In my hardened heart that thou art the Saviour
+Of [this] mid-earth. To thee, God of might,                          810
+Sitting in glory, be thanks without end,
+That to me so sad and so full of sin
+Thou revealed'st in glory the secrets of fate.
+Now, Son of God, to thee will I pray,
+Will-giver of peoples, now I know that thou art                      815
+Declared and born of all kings the Glory,
+That thou no longer be of my sins,
+Those which I committed by no means seldom,
+O Maker, mindful. Let me, God of might,
+Amid the number of thine own kingdom                                 820
+With the army of saints my dwelling have
+In that bright city, where is my brother
+Honored in glory, for that faith with thee
+He, Stephen, kept, though with handfuls of stones
+He was pelted to death. War's meed he has,                           825
+Fame without end. There are in books
+The wonders he wrought, in writings, made known."
+Then gan he glad for the tree of glory,
+Constant in zeal, delve in the earth
+Beneath the turf, so that at twenty                                  830
+Feet by measure he found far concealed,
+Down in the depths hidden in the earth
+'Neath cover of darkness,--there found he three
+Of roods together within the sad house
+Buried in sand, as in days of old                                    835
+The host of the wicked covered with earth,
+The folk of the Jews. 'Gainst the child of God
+Hatred they raised, although they should not,
+If the lore they'd not heard of the father of lies.
+Then was his mind greatly rejoiced,                                  840
+His heart was strengthened by that holy tree,
+His spirit inspired, when the beacon he saw
+Holy 'neath earth. With his hands he clasped
+The cross[1] of glory, and it raised 'mid the crowd
+From its grave in the earth. The guests on foot,                     845
+The aethelings, went on into the city.
+They set there in sight three victor-trees
+The firm-minded earls 'fore Helena's feet,[2]
+Courageous in heart. The queen rejoiced
+In the depth of her soul, and then gan ask                           850
+On which of those trees the Son of the Ruler,
+Joy-giver of heroes, hanged had been.
+"Lo! that we have heard through holy books
+By tokens declared, that two with-him
+[Also] suffered, and himself was the third                           855
+On the tree of the rood. All heaven was dark
+On that terrible day. Say, if thou canst,
+On which of these three the Prince of the angels
+Suffered [his doom], the Shepherd of glory."
+Her Judas might not (he knew not full well)                          860
+Plainly inform of the victor-wood,
+On which one the Saviour uplifted had been,
+Victor-son of God, ere he bade them set
+Within the middle of that great city
+The trees with clamor, and there await                               865
+Till to him declared the Almighty King
+The wonder 'fore the folk of that tree of glory.
+The victor-famed sat, their song they raised,
+The wise in rede, 'round the three roods
+Until the ninth hour; new joy they had                               870
+With wonder found. Then came there a crowd,
+No little folk, and a man deceased
+They brought on a bier with heap of men
+In neighborhood [nigh] (ninth hour it was),
+A lifeless youth. Then Judas was there                               875
+In thought of his heart greatly rejoiced.
+He bade then set the soul-less [youth],
+Deprived of life the corpse on the earth,
+The lifeless one, and up he raised,
+Declarer of truth, two of the crosses,                               880
+The wise, in his arms o'er that fated house,
+Plunged deep in thought. It was dead as before,
+Corpse fast on its bier: the limbs were cold,
+Clad in distress. Then was the third
+Holy upraised. The body awaited                                      885
+Until over it the AEtheling's [cross],
+His rood, was upraised, Heaven-king's tree,
+True token of victory. Soon he arose
+Ready in spirit, both together
+Body and soul. There praise was uplifted                             890
+Fair 'mid the folk. The Father they honored,
+And also the true Son of the Ruler
+They praised in words. Be glory and thanks
+To Him without end from all His creatures.
+
+   [1] Lit., 'joy-wood.'
+
+   [2] Lit., 'knee.'
+
+
+XI.
+
+Then was to the people in the depth of their souls                   895
+Impressed on their minds, as ever shall be,
+The wonder that wrought the Lord of hosts
+For saving of souls of the race of men,
+The Teacher of life. There the sinner-through-lies
+Then stied in the air, the flying fiend.                             900
+Gan then exclaim the devil of hell,
+The terrible monster, mindful of evils:
+"Lo! what man is this, who now again
+With ancient strife my service will ruin,
+Increase the old hate, [and] plunder my goods?                       905
+This contest's increasing. The souls cannot,
+Workers of sin, longer within
+My power remain, now a stranger is come,
+Whom I ere reckoned fast in his sins,
+Me has he robbed of every right,                                     910
+Of precious possessions. That's not a fair course.
+To me many harms the Saviour has done,
+Contests oppressive, he who in Nazareth
+Was reared as a child. As soon as he grew
+From childhood's years, he to him ever turned                        915
+Mine own possessions. I may not now
+In any right thrive. His kingdom is broad
+Over the mid-earth. My might is lessened
+Under the heavens. The rood I need not
+Joyfully praise. Lo! me the Saviour                                  920
+In that narrow home again has confined
+Sadly for sorrow. Through Judas before
+Joyful I was, and now am I humbled,
+Deprived of goods, through Judas again,
+Despised and friendless. Still can I find                            925
+Through evil deeds return hereafter[1]
+From the homes of the damned. 'Gainst thee will I rouse
+Another king[2] who will persecute thee,
+And he will reject thine own instruction,
+And sinful manners of mine will he follow,                           930
+And thee will he send then into the blackest
+And into the worst terrors of torments,
+That with sorrow beset thou'lt firmly renounce
+The hanged King whom ere thou obeyed'st."
+To him then the cunning Judas replied,                               935
+The battle-brave man (in him Holy Spirit
+Was firmly implanted, fire-hot his love,
+His wit was welling with warrior's craft),
+And this word he spake with wisdom filled:
+"Thou need not so strongly, mindful of sins,                         940
+Sorrow renew, and strife uprear,
+Sin-maker of murder, for thee mighty King
+In the depths beneath will thrust thee down,
+Worker of sin, to miseries' bottom
+Deprived of glory, who many of the dead                              945
+With his word awaked. Know thou the readier,
+That thou with folly didst once renounce
+Brightest of lights and love of the Lord,
+The fairest joy, and in bath of fire,
+Surrounded with torments, didst afterwards dwell,                    950
+Consumed with flame, and there ever shalt,
+Hostile in mind, punishment suffer,
+Misery endless." Helena heard
+How the fiend and the friend contests aroused,
+The blest and the base, on both their sides,                         955
+The sinner and the saint. Her mind was the gladder
+For that she heard the hellish foe
+[The fiend] overcome, the worker of sins,
+And then she wondered at the wit of the man,
+How he so truthful in so little time                                 960
+And so untaught ever became
+With wisdom inspired. [Then] thanked she God,
+The King of glory, that her wish was fulfilled
+Through the Son of God of each of the two,
+Both for the sight of the victor-tree,                               965
+And of the faith that[3] so bright she perceived,
+The glorious gift in the breast of the man.
+
+   [1] So Z.; 'rebellion for this,' W. See W.'s note.
+
+   [2] Julian the Apostate, suggests Gn.
+
+   [3] 'That,' relative, though it may be taken as conjunction,
+       as Z.
+
+
+XII.
+
+Then was made known among that folk,
+Throughout that nation widely proclaimed,
+The great morning-news for a grievance to many                       970
+Of those who God's law wished to conceal,
+Announced in the towns far as waters embrace,
+In each of the cities, that the rood of Christ
+Once buried in earth had been discovered,
+Brightest of beacons, which since or before                          975
+Holy 'neath heavens had been upheaved;
+And it was to the Jews the greatest of sorrows,
+Unhappy men, most hateful of fates,
+That they 'fore the world were unable to change it,
+The joy of the Christians. Then bade the queen                       980
+'Mong the host of earls heralds to hasten,
+Quickly to journey; they should of the Romans
+O'er the high sea the lord seek out,
+And to that warrior the best of tidings
+Say, to himself, that the victor-sign                                985
+Through Creator's favor had been recovered,
+Found in the earth, which ages before
+Had been concealed for sorrow to saints,
+To Christian folk. Then was to the king
+Through the glorious words his spirit gladdened,                     990
+His heart rejoicing. Then was of inquirers
+'Neath golden garments no lack in the cities
+Come from afar. To him greatest of comforts
+It became in the world at the wished-for tidings,--
+His heart delighted,--which army-leaders                             995
+Over the east-ways, messengers, brought him,
+How happy a journey over the swan-road
+The men with the queen successfully made
+To the land of the Greeks. The Caesar bade them
+With greatest haste again prepare                                   1000
+Themselves for the way. The men delayed not
+As soon as they had the answer heard,
+The words of the aetheling. Bade he Helena hail,
+The war-famed greet, if they the sea-voyage
+And happy journey were able to make,                                1005
+Brave-minded men, to the holy city.
+Bade also to her the messengers say
+Constantinus, that she a church
+On the mountain-slope for gain of both
+Should there erect, a temple of God,                                1010
+On Calvary, for joy to Christ,
+For help to men, where the holy rood
+Had been discovered, greatest of trees,
+Of those that earth-dwellers ever heard named
+Upon the earth. So she effected,                                    1015
+After dear kinsmen brought from the west
+Over the ocean many loved tidings.
+Then bade the queen those skilled in crafts
+To seek out apart, the best of all,
+Those who most cunningly knew how to work                           1020
+In joinings of stones, on the open plain
+God's temple to build. As the Warden of spirits
+Her counselled from heaven, she bade the rood
+With gold adorn and gems of all kinds,
+With the most splendid of precious stones                           1025
+To set with skill, and in silver chest
+To enclose with locks. There that tree of life,
+Best of victor-trees, has since remained
+In nature eternal.[1] There 'twill be ever ready
+A help to the sick 'gainst every ill,                               1030
+Distress and sorrow. There soon will they
+Through that holy creation assistance obtain,
+A gift divine. Also Judas received
+After fixed time the bath of baptism,
+And cleansed became, trustful in Christ,                            1035
+Dear to the Life-warden. His faith became
+Firm in his heart, when the Spirit of comfort
+Made his abode in the breast of the man,
+To repentance him urged. The better he chose,
+The joy of glory, and the worse he refused,                         1040
+The service of idols, and error rejected,
+Unlawful belief. To him King[2] eternal,
+The Creator, was mild, God, Ruler of might.
+
+   [1] So Z.; 'The noble wood,' Gm. and Gn.
+
+   [2] Latin, _rex_.
+
+
+XIII.
+
+Then he was baptized who often before
+The ready light [had long rejected, Gn.],                           1045
+Inspired was his soul for that better life,
+To glory turned. Fate surely ordained
+That so full of faith and so dear to God
+In realm of the world he should become,
+[So] pleasing to Christ. That known became,                         1050
+After that Helena bade them Eusebius,
+Bishop of Rome, into council with her
+To bring for help, the very wise [man]
+By means of men,[1] to the holy city,
+That he might ordain to the sacred office                           1055
+Judas for the folk in Jerusalem,
+To be their bishop within the city,
+Through gift of the Spirit for the temple of God
+Chosen with wisdom, and him Cyriacus
+Through counsel of wit she afterwards named                         1060
+A second time. The name was changed
+Of the man in the city henceforth for the better,
+For the law of the Saviour. Then still Helena's
+Mind was disturbed at the wondrous fate,
+Very much for the nails, those which the Saviour's                  1065
+Feet had pierced through and likewise his hands,
+With which on the rood the Ruler of Heaven,
+Lord mighty, was fastened. Of these gan ask
+The Christians' queen, Cyriacus prayed
+That still for her, by the might of his spirit,                     1070
+For the wondrous fate the will he'ld fulfil,
+Reveal by his gifts, and she addressed
+This word to the bishop, boldly she spake:
+"Thou, earls' defence, the noble tree
+Of heavens' King me rightly didst show,                             1075
+On which was hanged by heathen hands
+The Helper of spirits, own Son of God,
+Saviour of men. Still of the nails
+In thought of my mind curiosity troubles me.
+I would thou should'st find those which yet in the earth            1080
+Deeply buried remain concealed,
+Hidden in darkness. My heart ever sorrows,
+Sad it complains and never will rest,
+Ere for me He fulfil, Almighty Father,
+Ruler of hosts, mine own desire,                                    1085
+Saviour of men, by sight[2] of the nails,
+The Holy from height. Now quickly do thou
+With all humility, most excellent man,
+Direct thy prayer to the heavens bright,
+To the Ruler of glory, pray Strength of warriors,                   1090
+That to thee may reveal the Almighty King
+The hord 'neath the earth, that hidden still,
+Concealed from men, in secret abides."
+Then gan the holy one strengthen his heart,
+Inspired in his breast the bishop of the folk,                      1095
+Glad-minded, went with a crowd of men
+Those praising God, and earnestly then
+Cyriacus on Calvary
+Inclined his face, his secret concealed not,
+With might of his spirit called upon God                            1100
+With all humility, prayed Warden of angels
+To open to him the unknown fate
+In his new distress, where he the nails
+Upon the plain Best need expect.
+Then caused he the token, where they were looking,                  1105
+The Father, hope's Spirit, in form of fire
+Upwards to rise, where they most noble
+By means of men[3] had once been hidden
+With secret cunning, the nails in the earth.
+Then suddenly came brighter than sun                                1110
+The playing flame. The people saw
+To the giver of their will[4] the wonder made known,
+When there out of darkness, like stars of heaven
+Or gems of gold, upon the bottom
+The nails from the narrow bed shining beneath                       1115
+Brilliantly glittered. The people rejoiced,
+The glad-minded host, spake glory to God
+With one accord all, though ere they were
+By the devil's deceit long in error,
+Estranged from Christ. Thus did they speak:                         1120
+"Ourselves now we see the token of victory,
+True wonder of God, that before we opposed
+With lying words. Now is come into light,
+Is revealed, fate's course. May glory for this
+Have in the highest heaven-kingdom's God!"                          1125
+Then he was rejoiced who turned to repentance
+Through the Son of God, the people's bishop,
+A second time. He took the nails,
+Disturbed with fear, and to the venerable
+Queen did he bring them. Cyriacus had                               1130
+It all fulfilled as the noble one bade him,
+The woman's will. There was sound of weeping,
+Hot head-welling was poured o'er her cheeks,
+By no means for sorrow. The tears were falling
+O'er the plaiting of wires.[5] With glory fulfilled                 1135
+Was the wish of the queen. She knelt on her knees
+With bright belief; she honored the gift,
+Rejoicing with joy, which was to her brought
+For help in her sorrows. Then thanked she God,
+The Lord of victories, that the truth she had learnt                1140
+At that present time, that oft was announced
+So long before from creation of the world
+For comfort to the people. She was inspired
+With the gift of wisdom, and his dwelling held
+Holy Spirit of heaven, guarded her breast,                          1145
+Her noble heart. So her the Almighty
+Victor-son of God after protected.
+
+   [1] So Z.; 'With pomp of array,' Gn.
+
+   [2] Lit., 'coming.'
+
+   [3] Same expression as in 1054.
+
+   [4] Lit., 'will-giver,' i.e., the queen.
+
+   [5] i.e., her ornaments of gold.
+
+
+XIV.
+
+Then eagerly gan she with secrets of soul
+Seek in her spirit by soothfastness
+The way to glory. Now God of hosts                                  1150
+His help bestowed, the Father in heaven,
+Almighty King, that the queen obtained
+Her will in the world. The prophecy was
+By sages of old sung long before
+All from beginning, as it afterwards happened                       1155
+In respect to each thing. The folk-queen began
+Through gift of the Spirit gladly to seek
+With greatest care how best the nails,
+And in manner most worthy, she might apply
+For joy to the folk, what was will of the Lord.                     1160
+Bade she then fetch a very wise man
+Quickly to counsel, him who wisdom
+Through clever might thoroughly knew,
+Wise in his heart, and gan him ask
+What in his soul seemed to him best                                 1165
+To do about that, and his teachings she chose
+In respect to her conduct. Her boldly[1] he answered:
+"That is becoming that word of the Lord
+Thou hold in heart, holy counsel,
+Most excellent queen, and the King's command                        1170
+Gladly fulfil, now God has thee given
+Success of soul and craft of wit,
+The Saviour of men. Bid thou these nails
+For that most excellent of earthly kings,
+Of owners of cities, put on his bridle                              1175
+For bit to his horse. To many that shall,
+Throughout the mid-earth, become renowned,
+When with that in contest he may overcome
+Each one of his foes, when the brave-in-war
+On either side the battle seek,                                     1180
+Sword-contenders, where they strive for victory,
+Foe against foe. War-speed shall he have,
+Victory in fight and everywhere peace,
+In battle success, who carries in front
+The bridle on horse, when the famed-in-fight                        1185
+At clashing of spears, the choicest of men,
+Bear shield and lance. To each one of men
+Against war-terror shall be invincible
+This weapon in war. The seer of it sang,
+Cunning in thought. Deep moved his mind,                            1190
+His wit of wisdom. This word he spake:
+'That shall be known that the horse of the king
+Shall 'neath the proud with bit be adorned,
+With bridle-rings. That beacon to God
+Shall holy be called, and that one valor-blessed,                   1195
+Honored in war, who rides on that horse.'"
+With haste then that did all perform
+Helena 'fore earls, bade the aetheling's,
+Heroes' ring-giver's, bridle adorn,
+To her own son sent as a present                                    1200
+O'er ocean's stream the blameless gift.
+She bade then together those whom as best
+Of men she knew among the Jews,
+Of the race of heroes, to the holy city,
+To the town to come. Then gan the queen                             1205
+The dear ones teach that love of the Lord
+And peace likewise among themselves,
+The bond of friendship, they fast should hold
+Without reproach in time of their life,
+And they to the teacher's lore should hearken,                      1210
+The Christian virtues that Cyriacus taught them,
+Clever in books. The office of bishop
+Was fairly made fast. From afar oft to him
+The lame, the sick, the crippled came,
+The halt, the wounded, the leprous and blind,                       1215
+The lowly, the sad; always there health
+At the hands of the bishop, healing, they found
+Ever for ever. Yet Helena gave him
+Treasures as presents, when ready she was
+For the journey home, and bade she then all                         1220
+In that kingdom of men who worshipped God,
+Men and women, that they should honor
+With mind and might that famous day,
+With thoughts of the heart, whereon holy rood
+Had been discovered, greatest of trees,                             1225
+Of those which from earth ever sprang up
+Grown under leaves. Then spring was gone
+Except six nights ere coming of summer
+On the kalends of May. To each of those men
+Be hell's door shut, heaven's unclosed,                             1230
+Eternally opened the kingdom of angels,
+Joy without end, and their portion appointed
+Along with. Mary, who takes into mind
+That one most dear of festal days
+Of that rood under heaven, that which the mightiest                 1235
+Ruler of all with arm protected. _Finit_.[2]
+
+   [1] Gn.'s emendation.
+
+   [2] Here properly ends the legend of the Finding of the Cross.
+       The last canto contains reflections of the poet.
+
+
+XV.
+
+Thus old and death-ready in this frail house
+Word-craft I wove and wondrously framed it,
+Reflected at times and sifted my thought
+Closely at night. I knew not well                                   1240
+The truth of the rood,[1] ere wider knowledge
+Through glorious might into thought of my mind
+Wisdom revealed to me. I was stained with crimes,
+Fettered with sins, pained with sorrows,
+Bitterly bound, banefully vexed,                                    1245
+Ere lore to me lent through light-bringing office
+For help to the aged, his blameless gift
+The mighty King meted, and poured in my mind,
+Brightness disclosed, widened with time,
+Bone-house unbound, breast-lock unwound,                            1250
+Song-craft unlocked, which I joyfully used,
+With will, in the world. Of that tree of glory
+Often not once meditation I had,
+Ere that wonder I had revealed
+About that bright tree, as in books I found                         1255
+In course of events, in writings declared
+Of that beacon of victory. Ay till then was the man
+With care-waves oppressed, a nickering _pine-torch_[C],
+Though he in the mead-hall treasures received,
+Apples of gold.[2] Mourned for his _bow_[Y]                         1260
+The comrade of _sorrow_[N], suffered distress,
+His secret constrained, where before him the _horse_[E]
+Measured the mile-paths, with spirit ran
+Proud of his ornaments. _Hope_[W] is decreased,
+Joy, after years, youth is departed,                                1265
+The ancient pride. The _bison_[U] was once
+The gladness of youth. Now are the old days
+In course of time gone forever,
+Life-joy departed, as _ocean_[L] flows by,
+Waves hurried along. To each one is _wealth_[3][F]                  1270
+Fleeting 'neath heaven, treasures of earth
+Pass 'neath the clouds likest to wind,
+When before men it mounts up aloud,
+Roams 'round the clouds, raging rushes,
+And then all at once silent becomes,                                1275
+In narrow prison closely confined,
+Strongly repressed. So passes this world,
+And likewise besides what things[4] have been
+In it produced flame will consume,
+When the Lord himself judgment will seek                            1280
+With host of angels. Every one there
+Of speech-bearing men the truth shall hear
+Of every deed through mouth of the Judge,
+And likewise of words the penalty pay
+Of all that with folly were spoken before,                          1285
+Of daring thoughts. Then parts into three
+Into clutch of fire each one of folk,
+Of those that have dwelt in course of time
+Upon the broad earth. The righteous shall be
+Upmost-in flame, host of the blessed,                               1290
+Crowd eager for glory, as they may bear it,
+And without torment easily suffer,
+Band of the brave. For them shall be moderate
+The brightness of flame,[5] as it shall be easiest,
+Softest for them. The sinful shall be,                              1295
+Those spotted with evil, compressed in the middle,
+Men sad-in-mind, within the hot waves
+Smothered with smoke. The third part shall be,
+Accursed sinners, in the flood's abyss,
+False folk-haters, fastened in flame                                1300
+For deeds of old, gang of the godless
+In grip of the gledes. To God never more
+From that place of torment come they in mind,
+To the King of glory, but they shall be cast
+From that terrible fire to the bottom of hell,                      1305
+The workers of woe. To the [other] two parts
+It will be unlike. They may angels' Lord,
+Victories' God, see. They shall be cleansed,
+Sundered from sins, as smelted gold,
+That is in the flame from every spot                                1310
+Through fire of the oven thoroughly cleansed,
+Freed and refined. So shall each of those men
+Be freed and made pure from every sin,
+From heavy crimes through fire of that doom.
+Then afterwards they may peace enjoy,                               1315
+Eternal bliss. To them angels' Warden
+Shall be mild and gentle, for that they every evil
+Despised, sins' work, and to Son of their Maker
+They called with words. Hence in beauty they shine now
+Like to the angels, the heritage have                               1320
+Of the King of glory for ever and ever. Amen.
+
+   [1] Gn.'s emendation.
+
+   [2] Lit.,'appled gold.'
+
+   [3] The words in italics are the names of the runes that make
+       up the name CYNEWULF. This artificial use of words makes
+       the interpretation obscure, and scholars differ about it.
+
+   [4] Or, 'those who.'
+
+   [5] Gn., Z.
+
+
+
+
+JUDITH.
+
+
+IX.
+
+*    *    *    *    *    *    *    *
+[The glorious Creator's][1] gifts doubted she [not]
+Upon this wide earth; then found she there ready
+Help from the mighty Prince, when she most need did have
+Of grace from the highest Judge, that her 'gainst the greatest terror
+The Lord of Creation should shield. That Father in heaven to her
+The Glorious-in-mind did grant, for that firm faith she had
+In the Almighty ever. Then heard I that Holofernes
+Wine-summons eagerly wrought, and with all wonders a glorious
+Banquet had he prepared; to that bade the prince of men
+All his noblest thanes. That with mickle haste                        10
+Did the warriors-with-shields perform; came to the mighty chief
+The people's leaders going. On the fourth day was that
+After that Judith, cunning in mind,
+The elf-sheen virgin, him first had sought.
+
+   [1] Gn.'s emendation to fill _lacuna_ of MS.
+
+
+X.
+
+They then at the feast proceeded to sit,                              15
+The proud to the wine-drinking, all his comrades-in-ill,
+Bold mailed-warriors. There were lofty beakers
+Oft borne along the benches, also were cups and flagons
+Full to the hall-sitters borne. The fated partook of them,
+Brave warriors-with-shields, though the mighty weened not of it,      20
+Awful lord of earls. Then was Holofernes,
+Gold-friend of men, full of wine-joy:
+He laughed and clamored, shouted and dinned,
+That children of men from afar might hear
+How the strong-minded both stormed and yelled,                        25
+Moody and mead-drunken, often admonished
+The sitters-on-benches to bear themselves[1] well.
+Thus did the hateful one during all day
+His liege-men [loyal] keep plying with wine,
+Stout-hearted giver of treasure, until they lay in a swoon,           30
+He drenched all his nobles [with drink], as if they were slain in death,
+Deprived[2] of each one of goods. Thus bade the prince of men
+The sitters-in-hall to serve, until to children of men
+The darkening night drew nigh. He bade then, filled with hate,
+The blessed maiden with haste to fetch                                35
+To his bed of rest, laden with jewels,
+Adorned with rings. They quickly performed,
+The attendant thanes, what their lord them bade,
+Mailed-warriors' prince; like a flash they stepped
+Into the guest-room, where they Judith                                40
+Wise-minded found, and quickly then
+The warriors-with-shields began to lead
+The glorious maid to the lofty tent
+Where the mighty himself always[3] rested
+By night within, to the Saviour hateful,                              45
+Holofernes. There was an all-golden
+Beautiful fly-net around the folk-warrior's
+Bed suspended, so that the hateful
+Was able to look through, the chief of warriors,
+Upon each one that therein came                                       50
+Of the sons of heroes, and on him no one
+Of the race of men, unless the proud some one
+Of the strong-in-war bade to him nearer
+Of warriors for counsel to come. They then to him at rest brought
+Quickly the cunning woman; went then the stout-in-heart               55
+The men their lord to tell that the holy woman was
+Brought to his chamber-tent. The famous then in mind
+Was glad, the ruler of cities; he thought the beautiful maiden
+With spot and stain to defile: that Judge of glory would not
+Allow, the Keeper of honor, but him from that deed restrained         60
+The Lord, the Ruler of hosts. Went then the devilish one,
+The wanton [warrior-prince],[4] with [mickle] band of men,
+The baleful his bed to seek, where he his life should lose
+Quickly within one night; he had then his end attained[5]
+On earth ungentle [end], such as before he wrought for,               65
+The mighty prince of men, while in this world he was,
+While he dwelt under roof of the clouds. Then fell so drunk with wine
+The mighty [chief] on his bed, as if he knew no rede
+Within his place of wit; the warriors stepped
+Out from the chamber with mickle haste,                               70
+The wine-filled men, who the oath-breaker,
+Hateful folk-hater, had led to his bed
+For the very last time. Then was the Saviour's
+Glorious maiden earnestly mindful
+How she the terrible most easily might                                75
+Of life deprive before the lustful,
+The wanton, awoke. The wreathed-locked took then,
+The Creator's handmaid, a sharp-edged sword
+Hardened by war-strokes [?],[6] and drew from its sheath
+With her right hand; then Keeper of heaven                            80
+By name she gan name, Saviour of all
+Dwellers-in-th' world, and this word she spake:
+"Thee, God of Creation, and Spirit of Comfort,
+Son of the Almighty, will I [now] pray
+For thine own mercy to me in my need,                                 85
+Trinity's Glory. To me greatly now then
+My heart is inflamed, and my mind is sad,
+Sorely with sorrows oppressed; grant, Lord of Heaven, to me
+Victory and faith without fear, that I with this sword may be able
+To hew down this dealer of murder; grant [too] my safety to me,       90
+Strong-hearted Leader of men; ne'er in this world had I
+Of thy mercy more urgent need: avenge now, mighty Lord,
+Glorious Giver of honor, that I am so angry in mind,
+So heated within my breast." Her then the highest Judge
+Quickly with courage inspired, as doth he [ever] each one             95
+Of dwellers here [upon earth], who him for help to them seek
+With rede and righteous belief. Then roomy in mind she became,
+The holy one's hope was renewed; then took she the heathen man
+Fast by his own [long] hair, with hands him towards her she drew
+With marks of contempt, and the baleful one                          100
+With cunning laid down, the loathsome man,
+As she the accursed most easily might
+Wield at her will. Struck then the curly-locked
+The hostile foe with shining[7] sword,
+The hateful-minded, that half-way she cut                            105
+The [evil one's] neck, that he lay in a swoon,
+Drunken and wounded. Not yet was he dead,
+Thoroughly lifeless; struck she then earnestly,
+The maiden brave-minded, a second time
+The heathen hound, that his head rolled off                          110
+Forth on the floor: the foul corpse lay
+Lifeless behind, went the spirit elsewhere
+Beneath the deep earth, and there was disgraced,
+In torment bound ever thereafter,
+Surrounded with serpents, with tortures encompassed,                 115
+Strongly enchained in the fire of hell
+After his death. He need never hope,
+Enveloped with darkness, that thence he may go
+Out of that worm-hall, but there shall he dwell
+Ever for ever without end henceforth                                 120
+In that dark home, of hope-joys deprived.
+
+   [1] 'Loudly carouse,' Kr. and C.
+
+   [2] 'Gorged with,' Kr. and C.
+
+   [3] Or, 'after feast.'
+
+   [4] 'King,' Gn. and Kr., but _guethfreca_ suits the verse better
+       than _cyning_, and even that is not metrically sufficient
+       to fill the _lacuna_.
+
+   [5] Lit., 'awaited.'
+
+   [6] So Gn.? 'Scouring,' Sw.?, Kr.?, C.
+
+   [7] 'Hostile,' Sw.?
+
+
+XI.
+
+Then had she gained glorious honor,
+Judith in war, as God to her granted,
+The Ruler of Heaven, who gave to her victory.
+The cunning maid then quickly brought                                125
+The army-leader's head so bloody
+In that [very] vessel in which her attendant,
+The fair-faced woman, food for them both,
+In virtues renowned, thither had brought,
+And it then so gory to her gave in hand,                             130
+To the thoughtful-in-mind to bear to their home,
+Judith to her maid. Went they forth thence,
+The women both in courage bold,
+Until they had come, proud in their minds,
+The women triumphant, out from the army,                             135
+So that they plainly were able to see
+Of that beautiful city the walls [fair] shine,
+Bethulia. Then jewel-decked they
+Upon the foot-path hastened to go,
+Until glad-minded they had arrived                                   140
+At the gate of the wall. The warriors sat,
+The watching men were keeping ward
+Within that fortress, as before to the folk,
+Sad in their minds, Judith had bidden,
+The cunning maiden, when she went on her journey,                    145
+The stout-hearted woman. Then again was she come,
+Dear to her people, and then quickly ordered
+The wise-minded woman some one of the men
+To come to meet her from out the wide city,
+And her in haste to admit within                                     150
+Through the gate of the wall, and this word she spake
+To the victor-folk: "To you can I say
+A thought-worthy[1] thing, that no longer ye need
+Mourn in your minds: your Creator is kind,
+Glory of kings: that is become known                                 155
+Wide through the world, that to you is success
+Glorious at hand, and honor is granted
+For [all] those sorrows which long ye suffered."
+Glad then were they, the dwellers-in-borough,
+After they heard how the holy one spake                              160
+O'er the high wall. The host was in joy.
+To the fortress-gate the people hastened,
+Men, women together, in troops and heaps,
+In crowds and throngs, hurried and ran
+To meet the Lord's maid by thousands and thousands,                  165
+Both old and young: to each one became
+Of men in the mead-city his mind rejoiced,
+After they knew that Judith was come
+Again to her home, and then in haste
+With reverence they allowed her to enter.                            170
+Then bade the clever, with gold adorned,
+Her servant-maid, thoughtful-in-mind,
+The army-leader's head to uncover,
+And it as a proof bloody to show
+To the city-folk how she speeded in war.                             175
+Then spake the noble one to all the folk:
+"Here ye may clearly, victory-blessed warriors,
+Chiefs of the people, upon the most hateful
+Heathen hero's head fix your gaze,
+On Holofernes deprived of life,                                      180
+Who chiefest of men wrought murders for us,
+Sorest sorrows, and that yet more
+Would he increase: but God him granted not
+A longer life, that he with woes
+Might still afflict us. Of life I deprived him                       185
+By help of God. Now I every man
+Of these city-dwellers will [earnestly] pray,
+Of shield-bearing warriors, that ye yourselves quickly
+Hasten to fight; when the God of creation,
+The glorious King, shall send from the east                          190
+Bright beams of light, bear forth your shields,
+Boards before breasts and coats-of-mail,
+Bright helmets [too] among the foes,
+To fell the folk-leaders with shining swords,
+The fated chiefs. Your foes are now                                  195
+Condemned to death, and ye glory shall gain,
+Honor in battle, as to you hath betokened
+The mighty Lord through mine own hand."
+Then the band of the brave was quickly prepared,
+Of the bold for battle; stepped out the valiant                      200
+Men and comrades, bore their banners,
+Went forth to fight straight on their way
+The heroes 'neath helmets from the holy city
+At the dawn itself; shields made a din,
+Loudly resounded. Thereat laughed the lank                           205
+Wolf in the wood, and the raven wan,
+Fowl greedy for slaughter: both of them knew
+That for them the warriors thought to provide
+Their fill on the fated; and flew on their track
+The dewy-winged eagle eager for prey,                                210
+The dusky-coated sang his war-song,
+The crooked-beaked. Stepped forth the warriors,
+The heroes for battle with boards protected,
+With hollow shields, who awhile before
+The foreign-folk's reproach endured,                                 215
+The heathens' scorn; fiercely was that
+At the ash-spear's play to them all repaid,
+[All] the Assyrians, after the Hebrews
+Under their banners had [boldly] advanced
+To the army-camps. They bravely then                                 220
+Forthright let fly showers of arrows,
+Of battle-adders, out from the horn-bows,
+Of strongly-made shafts; stormed they aloud,
+The cruel warriors, sent forth their spears
+Among the brave; the heroes were angry,                              225
+The dwellers-in-land, with the loathed race;
+The stern-minded stepped, the stout-in-heart,
+Rudely awakened their ancient foes
+Weary from mead; with hands drew forth
+The men from the sheaths the brightly-marked swords                  230
+Most choice in their edges, eagerly struck
+Of the [host of] Assyrians the battle-warriors,
+The hostile-minded; not one they spared
+Of the army-folk, nor low nor high
+Of living men, whom they might subdue.                               235
+
+   [1] 'Thank-worthy,' Kr.
+
+
+XII.
+
+Thus then the thanes in the morning-hours
+Pressed on the strangers unceasingly,
+Until they perceived, those who were hostile,
+The army-folk's chiefest leaders,
+That upon them sword-strokes mighty bestowed                         240
+The Hebrew men. They that in words
+To their most noted chiefs of the people
+Went to announce, waked helmeted warriors
+And to them with fear the dread news told,
+To the weary-from-mead the morning-terror,                           245
+The hateful sword-play. Then learnt I that quickly
+The slaughter-fated men aroused from sleep
+And to the baleful's sleeping-bower
+The saddened[1] men pressed on in crowds,
+To Holofernes: they only were thinking                               250
+To their own lord to make known the fight,
+Ere terror on him should take its seat,
+The might of the Hebrews. They all imagined
+That the prince of men and the handsome maid
+In the beautiful tent were [still] together,                         255
+Judith the noble and the lustful one,
+Dreadful and fierce; though no earl there was
+Who the warrior durst [then] awake,
+Or durst discover how the helmeted warrior
+With the holy maid had passed his time,                              260
+The Creator's handmaid. The force approached,
+The folk of the Hebrews, courageously fought
+With hard battle-arms, fiercely repaid
+Their former fights with shining[2] swords,
+The old-time grudge; was of the Assyrians                            265
+By that day's work the glory diminished,
+The pride brought low. The warriors stood
+'Round their prince's tent strongly excited,
+Gloomy in mind. They then all together
+Began to groan,[3] to cry aloud                                      270
+And gnash with their teeth,--afar from God,--
+Showing their anger; 'twas the end of their glory,
+Of joy and valor. The earls were thinking
+To awaken their lord; they did not succeed.
+Then at last and too late was one so bold                            275
+Of the battle-warriors that to the bower-tent
+He daringly ventured, since need him compelled:
+Found he then on the bed lying deadly-pale
+His [own] gold-giver of breath bereft,
+Of life deprived. Then quickly he fell                               280
+Astounded to earth, gan tear his hair,
+Excited in mind, and his garments too,
+And this word he spake to the warriors [brave],
+Who saddened there were standing without:
+"Here is displayed our own destruction,                              285
+The future betokened, that it is to the time
+Now amongst men[4] almost arrived,
+When we our lives shall lose together,
+In battle perish: here lies with sword hewn
+Our lord beheaded." They then sad-in-mind                            290
+Threw down their weapons and sorrowful went
+To hasten in flight. They fought on their tracks,
+The mighty folk, till the greatest part
+Of the army lay, in battle struck down,
+On the victor-plain, hewn down with swords,                          295
+To wolves for pleasure, and to slaughter-greedy
+Fowls for a joy. Those who lived fled
+The shields of their foes.[5] Went on their tracks
+The Hebrews' host, honored with victory,
+With glory ennobled; them took the Lord God                          300
+Fairly to help, the Lord Almighty.
+They bravely then with shining swords,
+Stout-hearted heroes, a war-path wrought
+Through heaps of their foes, hewed down their shields,
+Cut through their phalanx: the warriors were                         305
+Enraged in battle, the Hebrew men;
+The thanes at that time were much delighted
+At the combat with spears. Here fell in the dust
+The highest part of the chiefest number
+Of the Assyrians' princely nobility,                                 310
+Of the hateful race; very few came
+Alive to their homes. The nobly-bold turned,
+Warriors retiring, among the slaughtered,
+The smoking corpses; it was time to take
+For the dwellers-in-land from the loathsome ones,                    315
+Their ancient foes deprived of life,
+The gory booty, the shining trappings,
+Shields and broad swords, brown-colored helmets,
+Precious treasures. Gloriously had they
+On that folk-place their foes overcome,                              320
+The defenders of home their ancient foes
+With swords put-to-sleep: behind them rested
+Those who in life were most hateful to them
+Of living races. Then all the people,
+Of tribes most renowned, for one month's space,                      325
+The proud twisted-locked, bore and carried
+To that bright city, Bethulia [named],
+Helmets and hip-swords, hoary byrnies,
+War-trappings of men adorned with gold,
+More precious treasures than any man                                 330
+Of the cunning-in-mind may be able to tell,
+All that the warriors with might had won,
+The bold under banners on the battle-place
+By means of Judith's [most] clever lore,
+The moody[6] maid's. As meed for her                                 335
+From that expedition, they brought for herself,
+The spear-strong earls, of Holofernes
+The sword and gory helm, likewise the byrnie broad,
+Adorned with reddish gold, all that the warrior-chief,
+The brave, of treasure had, or individual wealth,                    340
+Of rings and jewels bright; that to the lady fair,
+The wise-in-mind, gave they. For all that Judith said
+Glory to the Lord of hosts, who honor to her gave,
+Fame in realm of earth, and meed in heaven too,
+Reward in the glory of heaven, because true faith she had            345
+In the Almighty ever; now at last she doubted not
+Of the meed which long she yearned for. For that to the dear Lord be
+Glory for ever and ever, who made both wind and air,
+The heavens and roomy lands, likewise the rushing streams,
+And joys of firmament too by means of his mercy mild.                350
+
+   [1] So Sw.; 'weary in mind,' Gn., Kr., C.
+
+   [2] 'Hostile,' C., though 'flashing,' 194, and 'gleaming,'
+       302.
+
+   [3] Lit., 'cough.'
+
+   [4] So Gn. and Kr.; 'with violence,' Sw.; 'with afflictions,'
+       C.
+
+   [5] So Sw. and Kr.; 'Of the hostile shield-warriors,' Gn. and
+       C.
+
+   [6] i.e., 'spirited.'
+
+
+
+
+ATHELSTAN,
+
+OR
+
+THE FIGHT AT BRUNANBURH.
+
+
+AEthelstan King, of earls the lord,
+Of heroes ring-giver, and his brother too,
+Edmund AEtheling, enduring fame
+Earned in the fight with edges of swords
+By Brunanburh. The board-wall they cleaved,                            5
+The war-shields hewed with leavings of hammers
+The sons of Edward. 'Twas natural to them
+By right of descent that in battle they oft
+'Gainst every foe their land defended,
+Their hoards and homes. The foes were fallen,                         10
+Folk of the Scots and men of the ships,
+Fated they fell. The field ran thick[1]
+With heroes' blood, when the risen sun
+At morning-time, the mighty orb,
+Shone o'er the earth, bright candle of God,                           15
+Eternal Lord, till the noble creature
+Sank to his rest. There many men lay
+Struck down[2] with spears, men from the North,
+Shot o'er the shield, and Scotsmen too,
+Weary [and] war-filled. The West-Saxons forth                         20
+The live-long day with legions of warriors
+Pressed on the heels of the hostile foes;
+They felled the fleers with force from behind
+With sharp-ground swords. Shrank not the Mercians
+From hard hand-play with any of heroes,                               25
+Of those who with Anlaf o'er welling of waves
+On the deck of the ship had sought the land,
+Fated for fight. Five of them lay
+On the battle-field, young kings [they were],
+Slaughtered[3] with swords, and also seven                            30
+Earls of Anlaf, and unnumbered host
+Of seamen and Scots. There was forced to flee
+The Northmen's chief, by need compelled
+To the prow of his ship with few attendants.
+Keel crowded[4] the sea, the king went forth                          35
+On the fallow flood; he saved his life.
+There too the aged escaped by flight
+To his home in the North, Constantinus.
+The hoar war-hero was unable to boast
+Of attendance of men; he was robbed of his kinsmen,                   40
+Bereaved of his friends on the battle-field,
+Conquered in fight, and he left his son
+On the place of slaughter wasted with wounds,
+The boy in the battle. He durst not boast,
+The gray-haired warrior, of the clash of swords,                      45
+The aged enemy, nor Anlaf the more.
+With their army-remnant they durst not rejoice
+That in deeds of war they proved to be better
+On the place of battle, the striking of standards,
+The mingling of spears, the meeting of men,                           50
+The clashing of weapons, when on slaughter-field
+In contest with Edward's sons they contended.
+Departed the Northmen in nailed ships,
+Drear remnant of darts, on the sea of Dyng[5][?],
+O'er the water deep Dublin to seek,                                   55
+Back to land of the Erse, depressed in mind.
+Likewise the brothers both together,
+King and aetheling, were seeking their home,
+West-Saxons' land, exulting in war.
+Behind them they let the corpses share                                60
+The dark-feathered fowl, the raven black,
+The crooked-beaked, and the ashy-feathered,
+White-tailed eagle enjoy the prey,
+The greedy war-hawk, and the gray-clad beast,
+The wolf in the wood. More corpses there were not                     65
+Upon this island ever as yet
+Of folk down-felled before this time
+With edges of sword, as books to us tell,
+Sages of old, since hither from East
+Angles and Saxons came to this land,                                  70
+O'er the broad ocean Britain [once] sought,
+Haughty war-smiths the Welsh overcame,
+Earls eager for honor this earth acquired.
+
+   [1] Lit., 'became slippery,' Gn.; 'babbled' (as a brook), or
+       'became dark,' Kr.; 'streamed,' Th.
+
+   [2] 'Scattered,' Th.
+
+   [3] Lit., 'put to sleep.'
+
+   [4] Or, 'He pressed ship on the sea', 'drove,' Th.
+
+   [5] Gn. and W. take _Dyng_ as a proper name, but no one knows
+       who Dyng was. Kr. leaves _on dynges mere_ untranslated,
+       with the remark: "_ist unaufgeklaert._" He thinks it refers
+       to some bay in Ireland, from which the invaders set out, but
+       why may it not be a name for the Irish Sea itself? Th.
+       translates 'on the roaring sea,' but adds 'quite
+       conjectural.'
+
+
+
+
+BYRHTNOTH,
+
+OR
+
+THE FIGHT AT MALDON.
+
+
+*   *   *   *   *   * was broken.
+Then bade he each youth his horse to forsake,
+To hasten afar and forwards to go,
+Be mindful of might, of mood courageous.
+This Offa's kinsman at once perceived                                  5
+That the earl was unwilling faint heart to endure.
+Then he let from his hands his lief[1] hawk fly,
+His hawk to the holt, and to battle he stepped;
+By that might one know that the knight was unwilling
+To be weak in the war when to weapons he took.                        10
+By him too would Eadric, by his overlord, stand,
+His chief in the fight; then forth gan he bear
+His spear to the battle: brave spirit had he
+The while that with hands he was able to hold
+Shield and broad sword; his boast he fulfilled,[2]                    15
+When he 'fore his lord was bound to fight.
+There Byrhtnoth gan then his warriors embolden,
+Rode and gave rede, instructed his men
+How they should stand, and the stead sustain,
+And bade that rimmed shields they rightly should hold                 20
+Fast with their fists, and frightened be never.
+When he had the folk fairly emboldened,
+With his men he alighted where was liefest to him,
+Where his hearth-followers most faithful he knew.
+Then stood on the stathe,[3] stoutly did call                         25
+The wikings' herald, with words he spake,
+Who boastfully bore from the brine-farers
+An errand to th' earl, where he stood on the shore:
+"To thee me did send the seamen snell,[4]
+Bade to thee say, thou must send to them quickly                      30
+Bracelets for safety; and 'tis better for you
+That _ye_ this spear-rush with tribute buy off
+Than _we_ in so fierce a fight engage.
+We need not each spill,[5] if ye speed to this:
+We will for the pay a peace confirm.                                  35
+If thou that redest who art highest in rank,
+If thou thy lieges art willing to loose,
+To pay to the seamen at their own pleasure
+Money for peace, and take peace from us,
+We will with the treasure betake us to ship,                          40
+Fare on the flood, and peace with you confirm."
+Byrhtnoth replied, his buckler uplifted,
+Waved his slim spear, with words he spake,
+Angry and firm gave answer to him:
+"Hear'st thou, seafarer, what saith this folk?                        45
+They will for tribute spear-shafts you pay,
+Poisonous points and trusty[6] swords,
+Those weapons that you in battle avail not.
+Herald of seamen, hark[7] back again,
+Say to thy people much sadder words,                                  50
+Here stands not unknown an earl with his band,
+Who will defend this father-land,
+AEthelred's home, mine own liege lord's,
+His folk and field: ye're fated to fall,
+Ye heathen, in battle. Too base it me seems                           55
+That ye with our scats[8] to ship may go
+Unfought against, so far ye now hither
+Into our country have come within;
+Ye shall not so gently treasure obtain;
+Shall spear and sword sooner beseem us,                               60
+Grim battle-play, ere tribute we give."
+Then bade he shield bear, warriors advance,
+So that on the burn-stathe[9] they all were standing.
+Might not there for the water one war-band to th' other,
+When flowing flood came after the ebb,                                65
+Sea-streams interlocked; too long seemed it them
+Till they together their spears should bear.
+Then Panta's stream with pomp[10] [?] they beset,
+East-Saxons' chief and the host from the ships:
+No one of them might do harm to the other,                            70
+But he who by dart's flight his death should receive.
+The flood ebbed forth; the fleetmen stood ready,
+Many of wikings, eager for war.
+Bade heroes' buckler[11] then hold the bridge
+A war-hardened warrior, who Wulfstan was named,                       75
+Bold 'mid his kin (he was Ceola's son),
+Who the first man with his dart shot down
+That there most boldly stepped on the bridge.
+There stood with Wulfstan warriors fearless,
+AElfhere and Maccus, courageous the twain;                             80
+At the ford they would not seek safety in flight,
+But firm 'gainst the foes themselves they defended,
+The while that they weapons were able to wield.
+When they that perceived and earnestly saw
+That there bridge-fenders [so] fierce they found,                     85
+Began to lie these loathly guests:
+Begged that out-going they might obtain,
+Fare o'er the ford, their footmen lead.
+Then gan the earl on account of his pride
+Leave too much land to the loathly people.                            90
+Began then to call o'er the water cold
+The son[12] of Byrhthelm (the warriors listened):
+"Now room is allowed you, come quickly to us,
+Warriors to war; wot God alone
+Who this battle-field may be able to keep."                           95
+Waded the war-wolves, for water they recked not,
+The wikings' band, west over Panta,
+O'er the clear water carried their shields,
+Boatmen to bank their bucklers bore.
+There facing their foes ready were standing                          100
+Byrhtnoth with warriors: with shields he bade
+The war-hedge[13] work, and the war-band hold
+Fast 'gainst the foes. Then fight was nigh,
+Glory in battle; the time was come
+That fated men should there [now] fall.                              105
+Then out-cry was raised, the ravens circled,
+Eagle eager for prey; on earth was uproar.
+Then they let from their fists the file-hardened spears,
+The darts well-ground, [fiercely][14] fly forth:
+The bows were busy, board point received,                            110
+Bitter the battle-rush, warriors fell down,
+On either hands the youths lay dead.
+Wounded was Wulfmaer, death-rest he chose,
+Byrhtnoth's kinsman, with bills[15] was he,
+His sister's son, mightily hewn.                                     115
+There was to the wikings recompense given;
+Heard I that Edward one of them slew
+Strongly with sword, stroke he withheld not,
+That fell at his feet the fated warrior;
+For that did his prince give thanks to him,                          120
+To his bower-thane,[16] when he had opportunity.
+So firmly stood the fierce-in-mind,
+The youths in fight, eagerly thought
+Who there with his spear might soonest be able
+From a fated man the life to win,                                    125
+A warrior with weapons: the dead to earth fell.
+Steadfast they stood; strengthened them Byrhtnoth,
+Bade that each youth of battle should think
+He who on the Danes glory would gain.
+Went then a war-brave, his weapon uplifted,                          130
+His shield for defence, and strode towards the chief;
+So earnest he went, the earl to the churl:
+Each for the other of evil was thinking.
+Sent then the seaman his spear from the south
+That wounded was the warrior's lord;                                 135
+Then he shoved with his shield that the shaft in two broke,
+And the spear was shivered; so sprang it back.
+Enraged was the warrior: with his spear he thrust
+The wiking proud, who the wound him gave.
+Wise was the warrior; he let his spear pierce                        140
+Through the neck of the youth; his hand it guided
+So that he his foe of life deprived.
+Then he another speedily shot,
+That the byrnie burst; in breast was he wounded
+Through the ringed mail; there stood in his heart                    145
+The poisonous point. The earl was the gladder;
+Laughed the proud man, to his Maker gave thanks
+For the work of that day that the Lord him gave.
+Then let one of warriors a dart from his hands,
+Fly from his fist, that forth it went                                150
+Through that noble thane of AEthelred.
+There stood by his side a youth not grown,
+A boy in the fight, who very boldly
+Drew from the warrior the bloody spear,
+The son of Wulfstan, Wulfmaer the young;                              155
+He let the hard weapon fly back again;
+The point in-pierced, that on earth he lay
+Who erst his lord strongly had struck.
+Went then an armored man to the earl,
+He would the warrior's jewels fetch back,                            160
+Armor and rings and sword well-adorned.
+Then Byrhtnoth drew his sword from its sheath,
+Broad and brown-edged, and on byrnie he struck:
+Too quickly him hindered one of the seamen,
+When he of the earl the arm had wounded;                             165
+Fell then to earth the fallow-hilt sword:
+He might not hold the hardened brand,
+His weapon wield. Yet the word he spake,
+The hoary hero the youths encouraged,
+Bade forwards go his good companions:                                170
+He might not on foot longer stand firm;
+He looked up to heaven, [the earl exclaimed:[17]]
+"I thanks to thee give, Ruler of nations,
+For all those joys that on earth I experienced:
+Now, Maker mild, most need have I                                    175
+That thou to my spirit the blessing grant,
+That my soul to thee may take its course,
+Into thy power, Prince of angels,
+With peace may go: I pray to thee,
+That fiends of hell may not it harm."                                180
+Then hewed him down the heathen hinds,
+And both the warriors, who by him stood,
+AElfnoth and Wulfmaer both lay down dead,
+Beside their lord gave up their lives.
+Then bowed they from battle who there would not be;                  185
+There Odda's sons were erst in flight:
+From battle went Godric, and the good one forsook,
+Who had on him many a steed oft bestowed:
+He leaped on the horse that his lord had owned,
+Upon those trappings that right it was not,                          190
+And his brothers with him both ran away,
+Godrinc and Godwig, recked not of war,
+But went from the fight, and sought the wood,
+Fled to the fastness, and saved their lives,
+And more of the men than was at all meet,                            195
+If they those services all had remembered,
+That he for their welfare to them had done;
+So Offa to him one day had erst said
+At the meeting-place, when he held a moot,
+That there [very] proudly they many things spake                     200
+Which after in need they would not perform.[18]
+Then was down-fallen the prince of the folk,
+AEthelred's earl: all of them saw,
+The hearth-companions, that their lord lay dead.
+Then hurried there forth the haughty thanes,                         205
+The valiant men eagerly hastened:
+They would then all the one of the two,
+Their lives forsake or their loved one avenge.
+So urged them on the son of AElfric,
+A winter-young warrior, with words them addressed.                   210
+Then AElfwine quoth (boldly he spake):
+"Remember the times that we oft at mead spake,
+When we on the bench our boast upraised,
+Heroes in hall, the hard fight anent:
+Now may be tested who is the true.[19]                               215
+I will my lineage to all make known,
+That I 'mong the Mercians of mickle race was,
+My grandfather was Ealhhelm by name,
+An alderman wise, with wealth endowed.
+Ne'er shall 'mong this folk me thanes reproach                       220
+That I from this host will hasten to wend,
+My home to seek, now lies my lord
+Down-hewn in fight; to me 'tis great harm:
+By blood he was kin and by rank he was lord."[20]
+Then went he forth, was mindful of feud,                             225
+That he with his spear one of them pierced,
+A sailor o' the folk, that he lay on the ground
+Killed with his weapon. Gan he comrades exhort,
+Friends and companions, that forth they should go.
+Offa addressed them, his ash-spear shook:                            230
+"Lo! AElfwine, thou hast all admonished,
+Thanes, of the need. Now lieth our lord,
+Earl on the earth, to us all there is need
+That each one of us should strengthen the other
+Warrior to war, while weapon he may                                  235
+[Still] have and hold, the hardened brand,
+Spear and good sword. Us hath Godric,
+Cowed son of Offa, all [basely] deceived:
+So many men thought when on mare he rode,
+On that proud steed, that it was our lord:                           240
+Therefore in field here the folk was divided,
+The phalanx broken: may perish his deed,
+That he here so many men caused to flee!"
+Leofsunu spake, and uplifted his shield,
+His buckler for guard; to the warrior he quoth:                      245
+"I promise thee this, that hence I will not
+A foot's breadth flee, but further will go,
+Avenge in battle mine own dear lord.
+Me need not 'round Stourmere the steadfast heroes
+With words reproach, now my friend has fallen,                       250
+That, lacking my lord, home I depart,
+Wend from the war, but weapons shall take me,
+Spear and iron."[21] Full angry he strode,
+Firmly he fought, flight he despised.
+Then Dunnere spake, his spear he shook,                              255
+The aged churl, called over all,
+Bade that each warrior should Byrhtnoth avenge:
+"He may not delay who thinks to avenge
+His lord on the folk, nor care for his life."
+Then forwards they went, they recked not of life;                    260
+Gan then his followers valiantly fight,
+Spear-bearers grim, and to God they prayed,
+That they might avenge their own dear lord,
+And upon their foes slaughter fulfil.
+Then gan the hostage eagerly help:                                   265
+He was 'mong Northumbrians of valiant race,
+The son of Ecglaf, his name was AEscferth:
+Ne'er wavered he in that play of war,
+But he hastened forth many a dart;
+At times shot on shield, at times killed a chief,                    270
+Ever and anon inflicted some wound,
+The while that he weapon was able to wield.
+Then still in front stood Edward the long,
+Ready and eager; boastingly said
+That he would not flee a foot-breadth of land,                       275
+Backwards withdraw, when his better lay dead:
+Broke he the shield-wall and fought 'gainst the warriors,
+Till he his ring-giver upon the seamen
+Worthily avenged, ere he lay on the field.
+So [too] did AEtheric, noble companion,                               280
+Ready and eager, earnestly fought he;
+Sigebryht's brother and many another
+Cleft the curved[22] board, them bravely defended;
+Shield's border burst, and the byrnie sang
+A terrible song. In battle then slew                                 285
+Offa the seaman that on earth he fell,
+And the kinsman of Gadd there sought the ground;
+Quickly in battle was Offa hewn down:
+He had though fulfilled what he promised his lord,
+As he before vowed in face of his ring-giver,                        290
+That both of them should ride to the borough,
+Hale to their homes, or in battle should fall,
+Upon the slaughter-place die of their wounds;
+He lay like a thane his lord beside.
+Then was breaking of boards; the seamen stormed,                     295
+Enraged by the fight; the spear oft pierced
+The fated one's life-house. Forth then went Wigstan,
+Son of Thurstan, fought 'gainst the foes:
+He was in the throng the slayer of three,
+Ere Wigelin's bairn lay dead on the field.                           300
+There fierce was the fight: firmly they stood,
+Warriors in war, the fighters fell,
+Weary with wounds; fell corpses to earth.
+Oswald and Ealdwald during all the while,
+Both of the brothers, emboldened the warriors,                       305
+Their kinsman-friends bade they in words,
+That they in need should there endure,
+Unwaveringly their weapons use.
+Byrhtwold [then] spake, uplifted his shield,--
+Old comrade was he,--his spear he shook,                             310
+He very boldly exhorted the warriors:
+"The braver shall thought be, the bolder the heart,
+The more the mood,[23] as lessens our might.
+Here lieth our lord, all hewn to pieces,
+The good on the ground: ever may grieve                              315
+Who now from this war-play thinketh to wend.
+I am old in years: hence will I not,
+But here beside mine own dear lord,
+So loved a man, I purpose to lie."
+So AEthelgar's bairn them all emboldened,                             320
+Godric, to battle: oft let he his spear,
+His war-spear wind amongst the wikings;
+So 'midst the folk foremost he went,
+Hewed he and felled, till in battle he lay;
+This was not that Godric who fled from the fight.                    325
+*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *
+
+   [1] Dear.
+
+   [2] Or, 'maintained.'
+
+   [3] Bank.
+
+   [4] Bold.
+
+   [5] Destroy.
+
+   [6] Lit., 'old.'
+
+   [7] Lit., 'announce.'
+
+   [8] Money.
+
+   [9] Bank of the stream.
+
+   [10] i.e., 'battle-array,' Sw., but the word is uncertain; Kr.
+        suggests 'fascines'; Zl. merely gives '_Prunk_.'
+
+   [11] i.e., Byrhtnoth.
+
+   [12] i.e., Byrhtnoth.
+
+   [13] i.e., the phalanx with interlocked shields.
+
+   [14] Some such word as _grame_, or _grimme_, seems needed for
+        the alliteration.
+
+   [15] i.e., battle-axes.
+
+   [16] Chamberlain.
+
+   [17] Inserted by Kr. to fill the _lacuna_, whom W. follows;
+        Sw. and Zl. omit.
+
+   [18] Lit., 'suffer,' 'endure.'
+
+   [19] Lit., 'bold.'
+
+   [20] Lit., 'He was both my kinsman and my lord.'
+
+   [21] i.e., 'sword.'
+
+   [22] i.e., 'hollow shields.' _Cellod_ is found only here and
+        in Finnsburg, 29.
+
+   [23] i.e., 'courage.'
+
+
+
+
+THE DREAM OF THE ROOD.
+
+
+Lo! choicest of dreams I will relate,
+What dream I dreamt in middle of night
+When mortal men reposed in rest.
+Methought I saw a wondrous wood
+Tower aloft with light bewound,                                        5
+Brightest of trees; that beacon was all
+Begirt with gold; jewels were standing
+Four[1] at surface of earth, likewise were there five
+Above on the shoulder-brace. All angels of God beheld it,
+Fair through future ages; 'twas no criminal's cross indeed,           10
+But holy spirits beheld it there,
+Men upon earth, all this glorious creation.
+Strange was that victor-tree, and stained with sins was I,
+With foulness defiled. I saw the glorious tree
+With vesture[2] adorned winsomely shine,                              15
+Begirt with gold; bright gems had there
+Worthily decked the tree of the Lord.[3]
+Yet through that gold I might perceive
+Old strife of the wretched, that first it gave
+Blood on the stronger [right] side. With sorrows was I oppressed,     20
+Afraid for that fair sight; I saw the ready beacon
+Change in vesture and hue; at times with moisture covered,
+Soiled with course of blood; at times with treasure adorned.
+Yet lying there a longer while,
+Beheld I sad the Saviour's tree                                       25
+Until I heard that words it uttered;
+The best of woods gan speak these words:
+"'Twas long ago (I remember it still)
+That I was hewn at end of a grove,
+Stripped from off my stem; strong foes laid hold of me there,         30
+Wrought for themselves a show, bade felons raise me up;
+Men bore me on their shoulders, till on a mount they set me;
+Fiends many fixed me there. Then saw I mankind's Lord
+Hasten with mickle might, for He would sty[4] upon me.
+There durst I not 'gainst word of the Lord                            35
+Bow down or break, when saw I tremble
+The surface of earth; I might then all
+My foes have felled, yet fast I stood.
+The Hero young begirt[5] Himself, Almighty God was He,
+Strong and stern of mind; He stied on the gallows high,               40
+Bold in sight of many, for man He would redeem.
+I shook when the Hero clasped me, yet durst not bow to earth,
+Fall to surface of earth, but firm I must there stand.
+A rood was I upreared; I raised the mighty King,
+The Lord of Heaven; I durst not bend me.                              45
+They drove their dark nails through me; the wounds are seen upon me,
+The open gashes of guile; I durst harm none[6] of them.
+They mocked us both together; all moistened with blood was I,
+Shed from side of the man, when forth He sent His spirit.
+Many have I on that mount endured                                     50
+Of cruel fates; I saw the Lord of Hosts
+Strongly outstretched; darkness had then
+Covered with clouds the corse of the Lord,
+The brilliant brightness; the shadow continued,[7]
+Wan 'neath the welkin. There wept all creation,                       55
+Bewailed the King's death; Christ was on the cross.
+Yet hastening thither they came from afar
+To the Son of the King[8]: that all I beheld.
+Sorely with sorrows was I oppressed; yet I bowed 'neath the hands of men,
+Lowly with mickle might. Took they there Almighty God,                60
+Him raised from the heavy torture; the battle-warriors left me
+To stand bedrenched with blood; all wounded with darts was I.
+There laid they the weary of limb, at head of His corse they stood,
+Beheld the Lord of Heaven, and He rested Him there awhile,
+Worn from the mickle war. Began they an earth-house to work,          65
+Men in the murderers'[9] sight, carved it of brightest stone,
+Placed therein victories' Lord. Began sad songs to sing
+The wretched at eventide; then would they back return
+Mourning from the mighty prince; all lonely[10] rested He there.
+Yet weeping[11] we then a longer while                                70
+Stood at our station: the [voice[12]] arose
+Of battle-warriors; the corse grew cold,
+Fair house of life. Then one gan fell
+Us[13] all to earth; 'twas a fearful fate!
+One buried us in deep pit, yet of me the thanes of the Lord,          75
+His friends, heard tell; [from earth they raised me],[14]
+And me begirt with gold and silver.
+Now thou mayst hear, my dearest man,
+That bale of woes[15] have I endured,
+Of sorrows sore. Now the time is come,                                80
+That me shall honor both far and wide
+Men upon earth, and all this mighty creation
+Will pray to this beacon. On me God's Son
+Suffered awhile; so glorious now
+I tower to Heaven, and I may heal                                     85
+Each one of those who reverence me;
+Of old I became the hardest of pains,
+Most loathsome to ledes[16] [nations], the way of life,
+Right way, I prepared for mortal men.[17]
+Lo! the Lord of Glory honored me then                                 90
+Above the grove,[18] the guardian of Heaven,
+As He His mother, even Mary herself,
+Almighty God before all men
+Worthily honored above all women.
+Now thee I bid, my dearest man,                                       95
+That thou this sight shalt say to men,
+Reveal in words, 'tis the tree of glory,
+On which once suffered Almighty God
+For the many sins of all mankind,
+And also for Adam's misdeeds of old.                                 100
+Death tasted He there; yet the Lord arose
+With His mickle might for help to men.
+Then stied He to Heaven; again shall come
+Upon this mid-earth to seek mankind
+At the day of doom the Lord Himself,                                 105
+Almighty God, and His angels with Him;
+Then He will judge, who hath right of doom,
+Each one of men as here before
+In this vain life he hath deserved.
+No one may there be free from fear                                   110
+In view of the word that the Judge will speak.
+He will ask 'fore the crowd, where is the man
+Who for name of the Lord would bitter death
+Be willing to taste, as He did on the tree.
+But then they will fear, and few will bethink them                   115
+What they to Christ may venture to say.
+Then need there no one be filled with fear[19]
+Who bears in his breast the best of beacons;
+But through the rood a kingdom shall seek
+From earthly way each single soul                                    120
+That with the Lord thinketh to dwell."
+Then I prayed to the tree with joyous heart,
+With mickle might, when I was alone
+With small attendance[20]; the thought of my mind
+For the journey was ready; I've lived through many                   125
+Hours of longing. Now 'tis hope of my life
+That the victory-tree I am able to seek,
+Oftener than all men I alone may
+Honor it well; my will to that
+Is mickle in mind, and my plea for protection                        130
+To the rood is directed. I've not many mighty
+Of friends on earth; but hence went they forth
+From joys of the world, sought glory's King;
+Now live they in Heaven with the Father on high,
+In glory dwell, and I hope for myself                                135
+On every day when the rood of the Lord,
+Which here on earth before I viewed,
+In this vain life may fetch me away
+And bring me then, where bliss is mickle,
+Joy in the Heavens, where the folk of the Lord                       140
+Is set at the feast, where bliss is eternal;
+And may He then set me where I may hereafter
+In glory dwell, and well with the saints
+Of joy partake. May the Lord be my friend,
+Who here on earth suffered before                                    145
+On the gallows-tree for the sins of man!
+He us redeemed, and gave to us life,
+A heavenly home. Hope was renewed,
+With blessing and bliss, for the sufferers of burning.
+The Son was victorious on that fateful journey,                      150
+Mighty and happy,[21] when He came with a many,[22]
+With a band of spirits to the kingdom of God,
+The Ruler Almighty, for joy to the angels
+And to all the saints, who in Heaven before
+In glory dwelt, when their Ruler came,                               155
+Almighty God, where was His home.
+
+   [1] _Feowere_, B.'s emendation for MS. _faegere_, 'fair.'
+
+   [2] Silken cords, or tassels, W.; sailyards, ropes, in Hall
+       and Sweet.
+
+   [3] _Wealdendes_, S.'s emendation for MS. _wealdes_, 'wood';
+       so Kl.
+
+   [4] Sty, 'mount,' common in Middle English.
+
+   [5] Here and below W. gives the corresponding verses from the
+       Ruthwell Cross. They will also be found in Stopford
+       Brooke's "Early English Literature," p. 337, q.v.
+
+   [6] Gr. changes MS. _naenigum_ to _aenigum_ and others follow;
+       W. as MS.
+
+   [7] _Foreth-eode_, not _for-etheode_, 'overcame,' as Sw. W.'s note
+       is an oversight.
+
+   [8] MS. _to žam aeethelinge_. Sw. follows Ruthwell Cross, _aeethele
+       to anum_.
+
+   [9] _Banan_ must be taken as gen. pl.; B. reads _banana_; Sw.
+       thinks it "a mistake for some other [word], possibly
+       _beorg_," and takes _banan_ as gen. sing. referring to the
+       cross, though he adds, "this is very improbable." Truly so,
+       as the cross is speaking.
+
+   [10] _Maete werode_, lit., 'with a small band,' but it means
+        'by himself.'
+
+   [11] _Greotende_ is Gr.'s emendation for MS. _reotende_; B.
+        _hreotende_; K. _geotende_; Sw. as Gr.
+
+   [12] _Stefn_ is Kl.'s emendation to fill _lacuna_. W. prefers
+        it, but does not think it convincing.
+
+   [13] _Us_ here must refer to the _three_ crosses, that of
+        Christ and those of the two thieves.
+
+   [14] This half-line is Gr.'s emendation to fill _lacuna_ in
+        MS. Sw. and W. leave it blank.
+
+   [15] Or, 'of the wicked,' 'of criminals.'
+
+   [16] I have used this Middle English word for sake of the
+        alliteration.
+
+   [17] Sw.'s text ends here. It was translated a few years ago
+        in _Poet-Lore_ as if it were the whole poem.
+
+   [18] MS. _holmwudu_; K. _holtwudu_, and so Gr. with (?).
+
+   [19] MS. _unforht_, but Gr.'s _anforht_ suits the sense
+        better.
+
+   [20] i.e., 'by myself.' See on 69.
+
+   [21] Lit., 'speedy,' 'successful.'
+
+   [22] A company, a crowd; common in Middle English.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Elene; Judith; Athelstan, or the Fight
+at Brunanburh; Byrhtnoth, or the Fight at Maldon; and the Dream of the Rood, by Anonymous
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