,,yale ,,studies ,,in ,,english         
,,albert ,s4 ,,cook1 ,,editor      ,,xxi
      ,,the    ,,elene ,,of ,,cynewulf  
,,translated ,,into ,,english ,,prose   
,,by    ,,lucius ,,hudson ,,holt        
,,porter ,,fellow ,,in ,,english ,,in   
,,yale ,,university      ,,new ,,york   
,,henry ,,holt ,,and ,,company    #aijd 
,,facsimile          ,,preface          
,this translation was made from the     
edition of the ,elene issued by         
,charles ,w4 ,kent in #ahhi 7,ginn      
,co41 ,boston74 ,his text is 'that of   
,zupitza's second edition1 carefully    
compared with ,wlker's edition and      
,zupitza's third edition1 in which the  
results of ,napier's collation are      
contained4'    ,the aim of this         
translation is to give an accurate and  
readable modern  ,english prose         
rendering of the ,old ,english poetry4  
,the translation of  ,richard ,francis  
,weymouth1 entitled ,a ,literal         
,translation of ,cynewulf's  ,elene1 has
 been at hand1 but ,i owe it practically

 nothing in this work4  ,while ,i trust 
that my rendering has not departed so   
far from the text  that it will be      
valueless to the student1 yet at places 
it will be found  that ,i have to some  
extent expanded or contracted the       
literal  translation in the hope of     
benefiting the modern ,english version4 
,my thanks are due to ,dr4 ,robert ,k4  
,root and ,dr4 ,chauncey ,b4 ,tinker of 
,yale ,university1 and to ,dr4 ,charles 
,h4 ,whitman of ,lehigh ,university1 for
  examining part of the work in         
manuscript1 and to ,dr4 ,albert ,s4     
,cook of  ,yale ,university for a       
careful reading of the proof4           
,,lucius ,,hudson ,,holt4    ,,new      
,,haven1  ,january #a1 #aijd4           
,,elene      #a4 ,,the ,,emperor        
,,constantine4    ,there had passed in  
the turn of years1 as men  mark the tale
 of time1 two hundred and thirty and    
three winters over the world since the  
,lord ,god1  the ,glory of kings and    
,light of the faithful1 was  born on    

earth in human guise2 and it was the    
sixth                #e  year of the    
reign of ,constantine since he was      
raised  in the realm of the ,romans to  
lead their army1 a  prince of battles4  
,he was a bulwark to his people1        
#aj  valiant with the shield1 and       
gracious to his heroes2  and the        
prince's realm waxed great beneath the  
heavens4 ,he was a just king1 a war-lord
 of men4  ,god strengthened him with    
majesty and might till                  
#ae  he became a joy to many men        
throughout the world1  an avenger for   
his people when he raised aloft his     
spear against their foes4      #b4 ,,the
 ,,war ,,with ,,the ,,barbarians4       
,and battle was brought on him1 the     
tumult of  strife4 ,the people of the   
,huns and famous ,goths                 
#bj  gathered a host together2 and the  
,franks and  ,hugas marched forth1 men  
fierce in fight and ripe  for war4 ,the 
spears and woven mail-coats glittered1  
as with shouts and clash of shields they

  lifted up on high the standard of     
battle4 ,openly                 #be  the
 fighters gathered all together1 and the
 throng  marched forth4 ,the wolf in the
 wood howled his  war-song1 and hid not 
his secret hopes of carnage2  and at the
 rear of the foe the dewy-feathered     
eagle              #cj  shrieked his    
note on high4    ,a mighty host hastened
 to war through the cities1  gleaned    
from all the men the ,hunnish king could
  summon from the near-lying towns4 ,a  
vast army  sallied forth--bands of      
picked horsemen strengthened            
#ce  the force of the                   
foot-soldiers--until within a  foreign  
land upon the bank of the ,danube these 
stout-souled brandishers of the spear   
pitched their  camp near the water's    
flow1 amid the tumult of the  army4     
,they longed to overrun the realm of the
                    #dj  ,romans1 and   
lay it waste with their hordes4    ,then
 were the dwellers in the cities aware  
of the  ,huns' coming4 ,and the emperor 

straightway bade  summon with the       
greatest speed by dispatch of the  arrow
 his heroes to war against the foes2    
bade lead  out to battle the warriors   
beneath the heavens4                    
#de  ,their hearts inspired by victory1 
the ,roman heroes  were soon girt with  
weapons for the fight1 though  they had 
a lesser host for battle than circled   
about  the proud king of the ,huns4     
,then the shields                       
#ej  rang1 the wood of war clashed2 the 
king with the  host1 his army1 marched  
forth to strife1 and over  their heads  
the raven wailed1 dark1 and thirsting   
for  the slaughter4 ,the army was       
moving--trumpeters  leaped1 heralds     
shouted commands1 and horses  stamped   
the earth4 ,hastily the multitude       
enranked                #ee  itself for 
strife4    ,but the king was            
fear-smitten1 awed with terror1  as he  
looked upon the hostile host1 the army  
of the  ,huns and ,goths1 that upon the 
river's bank at the  boundary of the    

,roman realm was massing its            
#fj  strength1 an uncounted multitude4  
,the king of the  ,romans suffered      
bitter grief of soul1 and hoped not  for
 his kingdom because of his small host2 
he had  too few warriors1 trusty thanes1
 to encounter the  overmight of brave   
men in battle4                          
#fe      #c4 ,,the ,,dream4    ,the army
 encamped near at hand beside the river1
  nobles about their prince1 for the    
space of a single  night after they     
first beheld the course of their foes4  
,then unto the emperor himself in his   
sleep1 as he                #gj         
slumbered among his retinue1 was        
disclosed the  marvel of a dream1 shown 
unto him with soul  uplifted in the hope
 of victory4 ,him thought  there        
appeared before him in the form of a man
  a certain warrior1 radiant1           
resplendent1 brilliant1  more glorious  
than he ever beheld 'neath the  heavens1
 before or since4 ,then1 dight with his 
#ge  boar-crested helmet1 he started up 

from slumber1  and straightway the      
messenger1 a bright herald of  glory1   
spake unto him and called him by his    
name1  while the veil of night parted   
asunder3 ',o ,constantine1  the ,king of
 angels1 ,wielder of fates and  ,lord of
 hosts1 hath commanded to offer thee a  
#hj  covenant4 ,fear thou not1 though   
foreign peoples  threaten thee with     
terror and bitter strife4 ,look  to     
heaven1 unto the ,lord of glory4 ,there 
shalt  thou find aid and the token of   
victory4'                         #he   
,he was soon ready at the holy one's    
behest2 he  opened wide the secret      
places of his heart2 he gazed  on high1 
as the messenger1 faithful weaver of    
peace1  had bidden him4 ,over the roof  
of clouds he saw  the beauteous tree of 
glory1 gleaming with treasure  and      
decked with gold--and the gems shone    
#ij  brightly4 ,the shining tree was    
inscribed with letters  of brilliance   
and light3 ',by this sign thou  shalt   
overcome the foe in the dread peril2 by 

this  thou shalt stay the hated host4'  
,then the light vanished1 ascended up on
 high1                    #ie  and      
together with it the messenger1 unto the
 throng  of the pure ones4 ,and the     
king1 the leader of men1  was the       
blither and the freer from grief in his 
heart  by reason of that fair vision4   
#d4 ,,the ,,battle4    ,then            
,constantine1 bulwark of heroes and     
giver  of gifts1 battle-prince of armies
 and glorious king1            #ajj     
bade fashion with greatest haste a token
 like unto  that sign he had seen1 which
 had been disclosed  before him in the  
heavens1 the cross of ,christ4  ,and at 
dawn1 with the first gleam of day1 he   
bade               #aje  rouse the      
warriors and make ready for the stress  
of  fight1 lift up the emblem of battle1
 take the holy  tree before them1 and   
bear the sign of ,god into  the press of
 their foes4    ,the trumpets rang loud 
at the army's front4                    
#aaj  ,the raven rejoiced at the move2  

the dewy-feathered  eagle scanned the   
march1 the strife of battle-heated  men2
 and the wolf1 fellow of the forest1    
raised his  song4 ,rife was the dread   
terror of battle4    ,then there was the
 clash of shields and the shock  of men1
 the bitter hand-to-hand struggle and   
the                #aae  slaughter of   
hosts1 when once they had passed within 
an arrow's flight4 ,on the fated folk   
dire enemies  hurled a shower of darts1 
and with might of arm  sent their       
spears1 biting battle-adders1 over the  
yellow  shields into the midst of their 
foes4 ,but with                  #abj   
courage undaunted the other host        
advanced2 from  time to time they surged
 forward1 broke the rampart  of shields1
 thrust their swords between1 and       
sternly kept their way4    ,then was the
 standard1 the token1 raised before  the
 armies1 and they chanted the victors'  
song4  ,over the field of battle gleamed
 spears and helmets             #abe  of
 gold4 ,the pagan host was conquered2 in

  merciless strife they fell4 ,as the   
king of the ,romans1  dauntless in      
battle1 bade raise that holy tree1  the 
peoples of the ,huns straight fled away1
 and  their warriors were scattered far 
and wide4 ,some                #acj     
perished in the fight1 some saved       
themselves hardly  on the march1 some1  
with life half-ebbed1 fled to           
fastnesses and nursed their strength    
behind barren  rocks1 some seized the   
land near the ,danube1 and              
#ace  some were finally drowned in the  
river's current4  ,then was the army of 
valiant heroes rejoiced1 and  from break
 of day until eve they followed hard    
upon the foreign foe1 while the spears  
flew1 biting             #adj           
battle-adders4 ,the horde of hated      
shield-bearers  was lessened2 but few of
 the army of ,huns returned  thence home
 again4    ,then was manifest from that 
day's deed that  the ,king ,almighty    
gave unto ,constantine victory1         
#ade  glorious honor1 and a realm       

beneath the heavens1  through his holy  
rood4 ,and he1 renowned in battle1  a   
bulwark of armies1 returned thence home 
again when the war was decided1 exulting
 in his  spoil4 ,famed in the fight1 a  
defense for heroes1 the            #aej 
king came with a throng of thanes to    
visit his  cities and stud his shield   
with jewels4      #e4 ,,the ,,assembly4 
,then the ,lord of men straight summoned
 the  wisest to council1 those who had  
pondered the craft  of wisdom in        
writings of old and held nobly to       
#aee  the rede of scholars4 ,and the    
prince of the people1  victory-inspired 
king1 asked through the vast assembly   
if there were any man there could tell  
and declare  unto him truly who the god 
was1 giver of good                      
#afj  gifts1 'whose sign this was which 
appeared unto  me so bright1 the most   
gleaming of tokens1 saved  my people1   
and gave unto me glory and war-speed    
against my foes through the holy tree4' 
#afe    ,but no one of them could give  

him any answer  in return1 nor knew they
 full well what to say about  the       
victor-tree4 ,then spake the wisest     
before the  multitudes1 and said that it
 was a sign from the ,king              
#agj  of heaven1 and of that there could
 be no doubt4      #f4 ,,the            
,,conversion ,,of ,,constantine4    ,but
 they who had learned the truth1 who    
were  taught through baptism1 were      
joyful in soul1 and  their hearts were  
light that they might declare before    
#age  the emperor the grace of the      
gospel3 how the  ,saviour of souls1     
revered in threefold majesty1 was  born2
 how ,god's own ,son was hung upon the  
cross  in bitter agony before the       
multitudes2 how ,he freed               
#ahj  the children of men and souls of  
the careworn from  the snares of devils1
 and gave unto them grace  through the  
very thing that had been disclosed to   
his own sight as a sign of victory      
against the onrush  of foes2 and how on 
the third day the ,glory                

#ahe  of men and ,lord of all mankind   
rose from the  tomb and from death1 and 
ascended into heaven4  ,men wise in the 
mystic things of the ,spirit thus said  
unto the victory-inspired monarch as    
they had                   #aij  learned
 from ,silvester4 ,and at their hands   
the  prince of the people received      
baptism1 and held to  the faith         
according to the will of the ,lord from 
that  time forth throughout the length  
of his days4    ,then was the giver of  
gifts content1 the king  stern in       
battle2 a new joy was come into his     
heart4             #aie  ,the ,lord of  
the kingdom of heaven was his greatest  
solace and his highest hope4 ,through   
the grace  of the ,spirit he began      
zealously to show forth the  law of the 
,lord both day and night1 and this ruler
  of men devoted himself1 far-famed and 
weariless1                #bjj  unto the
 service of ,god4 ,then the prince1     
bulwark  of peoples1 brave in battle and
 bold with the spear1  found in the     

books of ,god with the aid of his       
teachers that country where1 amid the   
shouts of multitudes1  the ,ruler of the
 heavens was crucified upon             
#bje  the cross through sinful hate2    
even as the ancient  enemy with lying   
craft led astray the people1 deceived   
the race of the ,jews1 until they       
crucified ,god  himself1 the ,lord of   
hosts2 wherefore they shall             
#baj  suffer a direful curse in misery  
through a long-enduring  life4      #g4 
,,the ,,journey ,,of ,,elene4    ,then  
was the laud of ,christ in the heart of 
the  emperor1 and he was ever mindful of
 that glorious  tree4 ,and he bade his  
mother fare unto the ,jews  upon a      
journey with a throng of people1 and    
zealously           #bae  with her band 
of heroes to seek where the  holy tree  
of glory1 the rood of the ,king1 was hid
  beneath the earth4    ,nor would      
,elene slight such a journey1 nor be    
#bbj  heedless of the word of the prince
 her son2 but  the woman was soon ready 

for the welcome way1  as the bulwark of 
heroes and mail-clad warriors  had      
bidden her4 ,and thereupon throngs of   
nobles                 #bbe  made ready 
for the voyage over the ocean4 ,the     
ships stood ready by the shores of the  
sea1 bound  ocean-coursers resting on   
the deep4    ,and the journey of the    
queen was plainly manifest  when she    
sought the swell of the ocean with      
#bcj  her company2 many a noble stood   
there1 near to  the water's edge1 and   
from time to time crowds of  men pressed
 across the way4    ,then they loaded   
the ships with battle-dress1  shields   
and spears2 mail-clad warriors and men  
and              #bce  women embarked   
thereon4 ,and they let the steep        
ocean-speeders course over the foamy    
deep2 often  the hull bore the shock of 
the billows on the ocean-way1  and the  
sea raised her song4 ,never heard       
#bdj  ,i before nor since of woman      
leading a fairer force  upon the paths  
of the ocean1 the streams of the deep4  

,there one might see1 if he beheld that 
voyage1 ships  cleave the watery way and
 haste beneath swelling                 
#bde  sails1 sea-coursers leap1 and     
wave-floaters speed ahead4  ,the proud  
warriors were glad2 the queen rejoiced  
in the journey4    ,when the ring-prowed
 ships had reached their  harbor in the 
land of the ,greeks over the fastness   
#bej  of flood1 they left their vessels1
 their olden water-homes1  lashed by the
 sea1 bound with anchors1 to  await upon
 the surging deep the fate of the men1  
when the warrior queen with her band of 
heroes                  #bee  should    
again seek the eastern ways4 ,many a    
woven corselet1 trusty sword1 and       
glittering battle-sark1  many a helmet  
and glorious boar-crest1 were  there to 
be seen among the warriors4 ,the        
spearmen1              #bfj  heroes     
about their queen1 were eager for the   
march4 ,the brave fighters1 heralds of  
the emperor1  warriors clad in armor1   
went forth rejoicing  into the land of  

the ,greeks4 ,many a gold-set  jewel1   
the gift of their prince1 was to be seen
 there  among the company4              
#bfe    ,but the blessed ,elene1 zealous
 and earnest of purpose1  was mindful of
 her lord's will that over fields  of   
battle she should seek the land of the  
,jews with  her trusty band of          
shield-bearers1 her company of          
#bgj  spearmen2 and so it befell within 
a little space  thereafter that the     
multitude of men1 heroes famed  in war  
and chieftains of spear-renown1 entered 
into  the city of ,jerusalem in a vast  
throng with the  noble queen4           
#bge      #h4 ,,the ,,councils ,,of     
,,the ,,jews4    ,then she bade summon  
the wisest of the dwellers  in the      
cities among the ,jews1 far and wide1   
each  man of them1 to come unto a       
council for deliberation1  those who    
knew how to expound justly and  fully   
the hidden things of ,god4 ,and there   
was                   #bhj  gathered    
together from far ways no small         

multitude  of those who could expound   
the law of ,moses4  ,they were in number
 three thousand men1 chosen             
#bhe  for teaching4    ,then the        
well-beloved woman spake unto the  men  
of the ,hebrews in these words3--',this 
have ,i  learned well by the mystic     
sayings of prophets in  the books of    
,god1 that in days of yore ye were      
#bij  dear unto the ,king of glory1     
loved of the ,lord  and strong in his   
service4 ,and lo6 ye of this  knowledge 
unwisely and perversely cast ,him forth 
when ye cursed ,him who thought to loose
 you from  your curse1 your torture of  
fire1 your servile bondage1         #bie
  through the might of ,his glory4      
,foully ye  spat upon the face of ,him  
who by his noble spittle  wrought anew  
the light of your eyes1 the cure of     
#cjj  your blindness1 and saved you oft 
from the unclean  spirits of devils4 ,ye
 doomed ,him to death who  among a      
multitude of men roused from death      
itself  unto their former life a number 

of your own race4               #cje    
,ye blind of soul1 thus have ye         
confounded false  with sooth1 light with
 darkness1 hate with reverence1  and    
have woven a crime from your evil       
thoughts4  ,therefore doth this curse   
weigh you down in your  sin--ye judged  
that pure ,power1 and until this day    
#caj  ye have lived with clouded        
thoughts in heresy4 ,go  ye now quickly1
 and think upon the men most sage  in   
wisdom and skilled in speech1 who1      
versed in the  knowledge of your law1   
hold it foremost in their               
#cae  hearts1 and who may declare unto  
me truly and  devise an answer for each 
token whereof ,i may  ask them4'        
,then1 sorely grieved and saddened1 and 
burdened                 #cbj  with     
fear1 the men wise in law went apart1   
and earnestly  sought the deepest mystic
 words wherewith  they might answer the 
queen whatsoever she asked  of them1    
whether of good or of bad4 ,and they    
#cbe  found among their number a        

thousand of exceeding  wisdom1 who most 
fully knew the traditions of old  among 
the ,jews4 ,in a great crowd they       
hastened  to where1 upon a royal throne 
in majesty1 the kinswoman         #ccj  
of the emperor waited1 a stately queen  
of  battle adorned with gold4 ,and      
,elene spake before  the                
folk3--',hearken1 ye wise of soul1 unto 
a holy  mystery1 the word and the       
wisdom4 ,lo6 ye had the  teaching of    
prophets how the ,prince of life and    
,lord            #cce  of might should  
be born in the likeness of a child4  ,of
 him sang ,moses1 leader of the         
,israelites1 and  spake this            
word3--,unto you is born a child of     
wondrous might in mystery1 for his      
mother conceived             #cdj  him  
not through the love of man4 ,of him    
king ,david1 father of ,solomon1 ruler  
of men1 a  prophet with the wisdom of   
age1 chanted a psalm  and spake this    
word3--,in times afore ,i beheld the    
#cde  ,god of creation1 the ,lord of    

victories4 ,he was  before my sight upon
 my right hand1 the ,king of  might and 
,prince of majesty4 ,thence will ,i     
never  turn my eyes more unto life4     
,likewise again                    #cej 
,isaiah the prophet1 deeply moved by the
 ,spirit of  ,god1 spake concerning you 
before the multitudes in  these words3  
,i raised up sons and ,i begat children1
  and unto them ,i gave possessions1 and
 holy balm  for their souls2 but they   
scorned me1 loathed me                  
#cee  with their hate1 and they had no  
forethought1 no  skill of wisdom4 ,even 
the wretched oxen1 which  man doth each 
day drive and beat1 know their          
well-wisher1  and in their revenge for  
wrong hate not  their friend who giveth 
them fodder4 ,but never                 
#cfj  would the men of the ,israelites  
take knowledge of  me1 though ,i wrought
 many wonders for them  throughout my   
life in the world4 ,lo6 this have  we   
learned in holy books1 that ,god the    
,creator  gave unto you spotless glory  

and wealth of power1               #cfe 
and said unto ,moses how ye should      
hearken unto  the ,king of heaven1 and  
follow ,his teaching4 ,but  ye soon     
became weary of this1 and withstood that
  righteous one2 ye scorned the pure    
,maker of all1  the ,lord of lords1 and 
pursued error against the               
#cgj  law of ,god4 ,now go ye quickly   
and find once  more those who know best 
by wisdom's craft the  ancient          
scriptures1 your righteous law1 that    
with               #cge  depth of soul  
they may give me answer4'    ,then a    
throng of the proud leaders1 saddened in
  heart1 went forth as the queen had    
bidden them1  and found five hundred    
wise men of their own race  who held    
learning in their memory1 most wisdom   
#chj  in their mind4 ,and again within a
 little space the  lords of the city    
were summoned unto the hall4 ,and  the  
queen1 looking upon them all1 spake unto
 them               #che  in these      
words3--',oft have ye wrought foolish   

deeds1 ye wretched in misfortune1 and   
scorned the  ,scriptures1 the lore of   
your fathers1 but never worse  than now 
when ye have refused the cure of your   
blindness1 and withstood the truth and  
the right--that          #cij  the ,son 
of the ,mighty ,one1 the only-begotten  
,ruler and ,king of kings1 was born in  
,bethlehem4  ,though ye knew the law1   
the words of the prophets1  yet because 
of your sin ye have not been willing to 
confess the truth4'                     
#cie    ,and with one accord they       
answered3--',lo6 we  have learned the   
,hebrew law that from the ark  of ,god  
our fathers knew in days of yore2 but we
  know not in sooth wherefore1 ,o lady1 
thou hast  become thus angry with us4   
,we know not the sin                    
#djj  that we have wrought in this      
province1 the wrong  we have ever done  
to thee4'    ,then ,elene spake before  
the people openly1 before  the          
multitudes this woman spake aloud3--',go
 ye                  #dje  now quickly1 

and seek far and near those who have    
the power of wisdom and the most skill  
of thought  among you1 that they may    
show forth to me without  reserve       
whatsoever ,i ask of them4'             
#daj    ,and they went forth from the   
council as the  mighty queen1 strong in 
her cities1 had bidden them1  and       
earnestly pondered1 sad of heart1 and   
sought  shrewdly what that sin might be 
that they had                   #dae    
wrought in the province against the     
emperor1 wherewith  the queen reproached
 them4      #i4 ,,the ,,speech ,,of     
,,judas4    ,and there spake before the 
people one learned in  ancient writings 
and wise of speech 7his name was        
,judas73--',i know well that she wishes 
to ask concerning         #dbj  that    
victor-tree whereon suffered the ,lord  
of hosts1 ,god's own ,son1 guiltless of 
all evil1 ,him  whom1 unspotted with any
 sin1 our fathers in days               
#dbe  of yore hung upon the high cross  
through hate--fearful  was that thought6

 ,now is there great need  that we      
steadfastly fortify our minds not to    
betray  that murder1 nor declare where  
the holy tree was  hid after the stress 
of strife1 lest thereby the wise        
#dcj  writings of old be cast aside1 and
 the lore of our  fathers forsaken4 ,for
 if this shall be known1 it will  not be
 long that the race of the ,israelites  
and the  faith of the ,jews shall hold  
sway over the world4               #dce 
,thus once my father's father1 prophet  
with the wisdom  of age and far-famed in
 victory--his name was  ,zaccheus--gave 
like counsel unto my father and  spake  
this word1 which in after times he      
himself told  to his son1 as he turned  
him from the world3--,if in             
#ddj  the days of thy life it happen    
that thou hear sage  men ask of the holy
 tree and stir up strife concerning  the
 rood of victory whereon the true ,king 
was crucified1 ,lord of heaven and      
,child of all                  #dde     
peace1 then do thou1 my dear son1 ere   

death snatch  thee off1 quickly declare 
that never shall the people  of the     
,hebrews1 taking wise counsel together1 
hold  sway and rule over men1 but the   
glory and kingdom               #dej    
shall endure of those who1 filled with  
gladness from  age to age1 revere and   
love the crucified ,king4'    ',then ,i 
boldly gave answer unto my father1 the  
#dee  aged counselor3--,how came it to  
pass in the  kingdom of the world that  
with wrathful intent  our fathers laid  
hands on the ,holy ,one to put him  to  
death1 if they had knowledge that he was
 ,christ1             #dfj  the ,king   
upon the cross1 true ,son of the        
,creator1  and ,saviour of souls8'      
',and my parent gave answer unto me1    
wisely my  father spake3--,recognize1 ,o
 youth1 the surpassing  power of ,god1  
the name of the ,saviour which  may not 
be expressed by any man4 ,no man on     
#dfe  earth can search it out4 ,never   
would ,i visit the  council which this  
people held1 but ,i ever kept  myself   

aloof from their sin1 nor wrought shame 
#dgj  unto my soul in any way4 ,many    
times ,i earnestly  withstood the       
unrighteous act when the wise men  sat  
in council1 and sought in their heart   
how they  might crucify the ,son of the 
,creator1 the ,bulwark                  
#dge  of men and ,lord of all1 of angels
 and of mortals1  the most noble of     
heroes4    ',but these foolish and      
wretched men could not  bring death upon
 ,him as they weened1 nor beset ,him    
about with agony1 though ,he1 the       
victorious ,son of  ,god1 for a little  
while yielded up ,his ghost upon        
#dhj  the cross4 ,then the ,king of the 
heavens1 the ,glory  of all glory1 was  
raised from off the rood1 and abode     
three nights in the tomb1 within the    
place of darkness2  and upon the third  
day ,he arose living1 ,light            
#dhe  of all light and ,lord of angels1 
and revealed himself  unto ,his         
followers1 the true ,prince of victory1 
resplendent in glory4 ,then after a     

little space1  ,stephen1 thy brother1   
received the bath of baptism1           
#dij  the faith of joy1 and for the love
 of the ,lord he  was stoned4 ,yet he   
gave not evil for evil1 but in  patient 
suffering made intercession for his     
ancient  foes1 and prayed the ,king of  
glory that ,he would  not lay to their  
charge this evil deed1 that they        
#die  deprived of life a man innocent   
and free from guile  through hate and   
the teachings of ,saul4    ',and this   
,saul in enmity was dooming many a      
follower of ,christ to torture and      
death1 yet the                #ejj      
,lord showed mercy unto him so that he  
became a  solace for many men4 ,and in  
after times the ,god  of creation1      
,redeemer of men1 changed his name1  and
 he was called ,saint ,paul1 and of the 
teachers of            #eje  the law no 
one of all those1 or man or woman born  
into the world1 was ever better than he 
beneath the  span of the heavens1 even  
though upon the hill he  bade crush     

,stephen1 thy brother1 with stones4     
#eaj    ',now thou canst understand1 my 
dear son1 how  merciful is the ,lord of 
all1 if we straightway purge  ourselves 
of our evil deeds and cease again from  
the unrighteous act1 though many times  
we transgress            #eae  against  
,him1 and wound ,him with our sins4     
,wherefore ,i1 in sooth1 and in after   
times my dear  father1 believed that the
 ,god of all glory1 ,giver of  life1    
suffered' bitter agony for the          
surpassing need            #ebj  of     
mankind4 ,and now ,i counsel thee in    
secret1 my  dear son1 that thou never   
offer scorn1 nor blasphemy1  nor        
wrathful opposition to the ,son of ,god4
 ,then                 #ebe  shalt thou 
deserve that unto thee be granted       
eternal  life in heaven1 the best reward
 of victory4'    ',thus in days of yore1
 while ,i was still a youth1  my father 
instructed me1 and taught me with these 
true words1 a man wise in sorrow--,simon
 was his                 #ecj  name4    

,and now that ye know my heart and mind1
  ye perceive clearly what ye had best  
declare if the  queen ask us concerning 
that tree4'                             
#ece    ,and the wisest spake together  
before the assembly  in these           
words3--',never heard we any other man  
save now thee declare thus among this   
people concerning         #edj  such a  
hidden thing4 ,act as thou thinkest1  ,o
 thou wise in the lore of old1 if thou  
art questioned  among the multitude1 for
 there is need of wisdom1  of artful    
words1 and the learning of a seer1 that 
shall give answer to this noble woman   
before such a             #ede  throng  
met together4'    ,then words increased3
 men thought1 reflected1  and pondered  
on either side1 some this way and  some 
that4 ,and there came a band of thanes  
to  the assembly2 and heralds1          
messengers of ,csar1                    
#eej  trumpeted3--',o ye counselors1 the
 queen doth summon  you unto the royal  
hall1 that ye may show  forth rightly   

the judgments of your synod4 ,ye  have  
need of prudence in the council1 of     
wisdom in  mind4' ,and they1 the leaders
 of the people1 grieved             #eee
  in soul1 were ready as they were      
summoned by the  bitter edict1 and went 
unto the palace to show forth  the power
 of craft4    ,then the queen spake unto
 the ,hebrews and asked  them1 their    
hearts sorely burdened1 how once the    
#efj  prophets1 holy men1 sang in the   
world concerning  the ,son of ,god2 and 
where the ,lord suffered1 true  ,son of 
the ,creator1 for the love of souls4    
,but they  were obdurate and mute as    
stones1 nor would they                  
#efe  show forth the true secret1 nor in
 the hardness of  their hearts would    
they give any answer to what  she sought
 of them1 but1 set in purpose1 they     
withstood  each word that she asked1 and
 said that never                   #egj 
in their lives had they heard1 before   
nor since1 one  whit of any such thing4 
,then ,elene spake and answered them in 

anger3--',i  shall say unto you truly1  
and never in your life  will this be    
false1 that if ye who stand before me   
#ege  persist long in this falsehood    
with lying craft1 ye  shall be burned   
upon the hill in the hottest fury of    
fire1 and leaping flames shall consume  
your flesh1 so  that for you this lie   
shall be changed into utter destruction4
  #ehj  ,nor can ye prove those words   
which now  in your guile ye cover up    
under the cloak of evil4  ,ye cannot    
hide the deed1 nor conceal its mystic   
power4'      #aj4 ,,elene ,,and ,,judas4
    ,then were they in the fear of      
death1 of the  funeral-pyre1 and the end
 of life2 and there they                
#ehe  thrust forth one of exceeding     
wisdom in the lore  of old1 whose name  
was ,judas1 sprung from noble  lineage2 
and they gave him up unto the queen1    
and called him a man of wondrous        
learning3 ',he  can show forth to thee  
the truth1 unlock the secret  of the    
fates1 expound the just law from the    

beginning           #eij  even to the   
end1 according as thou dost ask  him4   
,he is of noble race in the world1 wise 
in  speech1 the son of a prophet1       
outspoken in council4  ,and it is his   
nature to have sage answers and wisdom  
of soul4 ,he shall show forth to thee   
before                     #eie  the    
multitude with his great power the gift 
of wisdom1  even as thy heart desireth4'
    ,then she let each man seek his own 
home in peace1  and took ,judas alone as
 hostage4 ,and she earnestly            
#fjj  bade him tell the truth concerning
 the cross1  which had been long buried 
in a secret place4 ,then  ,elene1 the   
glorious queen1 drew him aside by       
himself1  and thus spake to the lonely  
man3--',two ways                    #fej
  are ready for thee1 either life or    
death1 whichsoever  thou shalt please to
 choose4 ,declare quickly  now which one
 thou wilt accept4'    ,and ,judas made 
answer unto her--nor could he  rid      
himself of sorrow and turn away the     

wrath of  his ruler1 but he was in the  
power of the queen--3              #faj 
',how shall it be with him who treadeth 
the moor  in a desert1 weary1 without   
food1 and tortured  with hunger1 if     
before his eyes a loaf and a stone      
together seem hard and soft1 and he     
knoweth them  not apart1 but taketh the 
stone to ward off his                   
#fae  hunger1 and marketh not the loaf1 
turneth to want  and forsaketh the food1
 refuseth the better when  he hath the  
choice of both8'    ,then openly before 
the people the blessed ,elene  gave him 
answer3--',if thou wouldst have thy life
                #fbj  in the world and a
 home with the angels in the  kingdom of
 heaven1 the reward of victory in the   
sky1 tell me straightway where the holy 
rood of  the ,king of glory lieth under 
the earth1 which ye               #fbe  
have hid now for a while from men       
because of the  unrighteous murder4'    
,judas answered1 and his heart was heavy
 within  him2 there was grief in his    

soul1 and woe either  way1 whether thus 
he forsook the joy of the               
#fcj  heavenly realm and this present   
kingdom beneath  the skies1 or disclosed
 the rood3--',how can ,i  reveal that   
which came to pass so long ago in the   
course of years8 ,two hundred or more in
 number  are now vanished away--,i know 
not the sum of                    #fce  
them1 and ,i cannot declare the event4  
,many of  wisdom1 of virtue1 and of     
learning1 who were before  our time1 are
 told among the dead4 ,in days long     
after was ,i born1 and in my childhood1 
and in my  youth4 ,i may not discover in
 my heart that which                #fdj
  ,i know not1 and which came to pass so
 long ago4'    ,then ,elene bespake him 
in answer3--',whence  cometh it that ye 
bear in mind so many things1  every     
wondrous deed1 such as those which the  
,trojans            #fde  wrought in    
battle8 ,that far-famed war of  old was 
further in the course of years than this
  holy event1 and yet ye know that      

fully1 how to  declare at once the      
number of all that were slain           
#fej  there1 and of the spearmen who    
fell in death beneath  their shields4   
,ye set forth in writing the  tombs     
beneath the rocky cliffs1 and likewise  
the  places and the tale of years4'     
,then ,judas answered--he suffered      
bitter grief3--',we             #fee    
are mindful of that war from very need1 
my  dear lady1 and we set forth in      
writing the fierce  strife and the deeds
 of the nations1 but never have  we     
heard this declared unto men from the   
mouth                  #ffj  of any save
 here and now4'    ,and the noble queen 
gave him answer3--',too  mightily dost  
thou withstand the truth and the right  
concerning the tree of life1 insomuch as
 thou spakest           #ffe  verily of 
the rood of victory before thine own    
people but a little time ago1 and now   
dost turn  to falsehood4'    ,judas     
again spake unto her1 and said that he  
uttered those words in sorrow and       

exceeding doubt1  that he had weened    
bitter hardship for himself4    ,quickly
 the kinswoman of ,csar answered        
him3--',lo6  we have heard it declared  
unto men from                           
#fgj  the holy book that the noble      
,child of the ,king1 the  ,son of ,god1 
was crucified on ,calvary4 ,thou shalt  
reveal thy knowledge perfectly          
concerning the field  where this place  
,calvary is1 according to the teaching  
#fge  of the ,scriptures1 ere death and 
utter destruction  snatch thee away for 
thy sins1 that ,i may thereafter        
cleanse the cross to be a solace for    
men1 according  to the will of ,christ4 
,thus shall the ,holy ,god1  the ,lord  
,almighty1 ,glory-giver of hosts and    
,helper              #fhj  of souls1    
fulfill for me my desire and my inmost  
longing4'    ,but with stubborn heart   
,judas answered her3--',i  know not the 
place1 nor aught of the field1 nor  know
 ,i the event4'    ,then ,elene spake   
with wrath in her heart3--',i           

#fhe  swear by the ,son of the ,creator1
 by the crucified  ,god1 that thou shalt
 be starved to death before the  people 
of thine own race1 save thou forsake    
this  falsehood and fully declare unto  
me the truth4'                 #fij     
,then she bade men take him alive1 and  
throw  him1 guilty as he was1 into a    
dried-up well--nor did  her subjects    
hesitate4 ,and there1 joyless and       
famished1  weighed down with chains1 was
 he to abide  in his grief for the space
 of seven nights4 ,and  upon the seventh
 day1 weakened by sorrow1 weary1        
#fie  and without food--his strength was
 broken--he  began to call aloud3--',i  
beseech you by the ,god  of the heavens 
that ye release me from this misery1    
#gjj  for ,i am brought low by the pangs
 of starvation4  ,joyfully will ,i show 
forth the holy tree--no longer  can ,i  
hide it now by reason of my hunger4     
,this  durance is too fearful1 this need
 too great1 and this  torture too bitter
 day by day4 ,no longer can ,i          

#gje  endure to suffer1 and conceal my  
knowledge concerning  the tree of life1 
though before ,i was filled  with folly1
 and confess the truth too late4'       
#aa4 ,,the ,,finding ,,of ,,the         
,,crosses4    ,when she who there held  
sway over the heroes  understood the    
changed bearing of the man1 she         
#gaj  straightway bade release him from 
his prison1  his dungeon1 his narrow    
cell4 ,then quickly they  did so1 and   
took him out of the pit with care1 as   
the queen had bidden them4 ,and they    
resolutely                  #gae  took  
their way to that place upon the hill   
where  the ,lord was crucified on the   
cross1 the ,son of  ,god and ,prince of 
the heavenly realm4 ,weakened  by       
hunger1 he knew not yet clearly where   
through                #gbj  the wiles  
of the devil the holy rood lay hid      
beneath  the earth1 nor where it rested 
in its tomb1 safe in a  secret place1   
long hidden from men4    ,after a little
 while he lifted up his voice with      

unwonted power and spake in             
,hebrew3--',o ,lord                     
#gbe  ,jesus1 thou who dost possess the 
power of judgment1  thou who didst form 
the heaven and the earth and  the sea1  
the broad expanse of waters1 and all    
created  things1 by the might of thy    
glory2 thou who didst  measure out with 
thine own hands all the sphere of       
#gcj  this earth and of the firmament   
above2 thou who  dost sit in person1 the
 ,king of victories1 over the  most     
glorious angel-kind2 thou who in a      
mantle  of light dost fare through space
 in surpassing  majesty1 the nature of  
man cannot rise in the flesh            
#gce  from the earth-tainted ways unto  
the bright throng  of the pure1 the     
heralds of glory4 ,thou didst form  that
 host1 holy and heavenly1 and didst     
ordain it  unto thy service4 ,six of    
their number are called                 
#gdj  by name in joy without end1 and   
they are clothed  about with six wings2 
they are adorned1 and gleam  brightly4  

,and there are four of their number     
ever in flight that perform the service 
of glory                #gde  before the
 sight of the eternal ,judge1 and they  
continually  sing in holiness with clear
 voices the laud  of the ,king of       
heaven1 fairest of songs1 and they      
chant these words in pure tones--their  
name is                  #gej           
cherubim3--,holy is the holy ,god of the
 archangels1  the ,lord of hosts4       
,heaven and earth are  full of ,his     
majesty1 and all ,his exceeding might is
  marked with ,his glory4 ,and there are
 two among  their number in the heavens1
 the victorious race1               #gee
  whereon man bestoweth the name of     
seraphim4  ,with flaming sword they are 
to keep sacred the field  of ,paradise  
and the tree of life4 ,and fast in      
their grasp the drawn sword1 sharp of   
edge1 quivers1  trembles1 and changes   
its hue4 ,for thou dost rule1           
#gfj  ,o ,lord ,god1 eternally1 and thou
 didst hurl thy sin-stained  foes1 the  

workers of iniquity1 from the  heavens1 
and the unhappy host fell to the dark   
abodes1 into the pains of hell4 ,there  
now they suffer           #gfe  the     
agony of death in a sea of fire1        
encompassed  about with darkness1 in the
 embrace of the dragon4  ,he withstood  
thy kingly rule1 and therefore in       
misery1 abhorred1 the vilest of the     
vile1 shall he  suffer and endure the   
servile yoke4 ,he cannot there          
#ggj  neglect thy commandment2 he is    
fettered in torture1  bound in agony1   
the author of all sin4 ,if it be thy    
will1 ,o ,king of angels1 that ,he who  
was on the  cross1 and was born of ,mary
 into the world in the                  
#gge  form of a child1 the ,lord of the 
heavenly host1 shall  rule--and were ,he
 not thy ,son1 free from guile1  never  
could ,he have wrought such a multitude 
of true miracles day after day in the   
world2                    #ghj  nor     
wouldst thou1 ,o ,lord of the peoples1  
so gloriously  have raised ,him from the

 dead before the  nations1 were ,he not 
thy ,son in glory by that holy          
maid--then do thou1 ,o ,father of       
angels1 now show  forth thy sign4 ,even 
as thou didst hearken unto              
#ghe  the words of that holy seer1      
,moses1 in prayer1 when  thou1 ,o ,god  
of power1 didst reveal unto the noble   
man in due time the bones of ,joseph    
beneath the  mountain-side1 so would ,i1
 ,o ,god of hosts1 if it be  thy will1  
beseech thee in the name of that fair   
being           #gij  that thou1        
,creator of souls1 wilt disclose unto me
  this treasure-house that long has been
 hidden from  men4 ,do thou now1 ,o     
,prince of life1 let rise up  beneath   
the span of the heavens from this       
smiling               #gie  field a     
misty smoke4 ,then shall ,i trust in    
thee  better1 and the more firmly       
establish my soul in  undoubting joy    
upon the crucified ,christ1 that ,he  is
 truly the ,saviour of souls1 eternal1  
omnipotent1  and ,king of the           

,israelites1 and that ,he shall rule    
#hjj  for ever in glory without end the 
everlasting dwellings  in the heavens4' 
,then from that place a mist rose up    
beneath the  skies1 like unto smoke4    
,thereupon was the soul  of the man     
exalted1 and he clapped his hands unto  
#hje  the heavens1 wise and blessed4    
,and ,judas spake1  sage in             
thought3--',now have ,i truly perceived 
in  the hardness of my heart that thou  
art the ,saviour  of the world4         
,thanksgiving without end be thine1     
#haj  ,o ,god of might1 who sittest in  
majesty1 that unto  me in my misery and 
my sin thou dost uncover the  secrets of
 the fates by thy glory4 ,now ,i would  
pray thee1 ,o ,son of ,god1 ,giver of   
gifts to men1  inasmuch as ,i know thou 
art revealed and born the               
#hae  ,glory of all kings1 that thou    
never more be mindful  of my guilt1 ,o  
my ,creator1 which ,i have wrought  not 
a few times against thee4 ,let me1 ,o   
,god of  power1 dwell with holy joy     

among the number of                     
#hbj  the kingdom in that fair city     
where my brother is  exalted in glory1  
for he1 ,stephen1 held covenant with    
thee1 even though he was stoned4 ,he    
hath the  reward of the fight1 joy      
unceasing1 and the wonders              
#hbe  that he wrought are set forth in  
books4'    ,then1 glad and zealous1 he  
digged in the earth  under the sod for  
the tree of glory until he uncovered    
and came upon three crosses together in 
a  mournful home1 hid twenty feet below1
 concealed                 #hcj  in     
their dark grave beneath the steep      
cliff1 and covered  over with sand1 even
 as in days of yore the                 
#hce  host of the sinful1 the race of   
the ,jews1 had clothed  them over with  
earth4 ,they stirred up hatred  against 
the ,son of ,god1 as they would not have
  done had they not hearkened to the    
teachings of  the prince of evil4       
,and his soul was gladdened with great  
joy1 and                  #hdj  his     

heart strengthened by that holy tree1   
and his  spirit exalted within him as he
 beheld the holy sign  in the earth4    
,with his hands he seized upon the      
wondrous tree of glory1 and in the midst
 of the  people raised it aloft from its
 earthy grave4 ,then              #hde  
strangers and heroes entered into the   
town4      #ab4 ,,the ,,miracle ,,of    
,,the ,,true ,,cross4    ,thereupon the 
glad and zealous man set forth  the     
three trees of victory before ,elene in 
open view4           #hej  ,the queen   
rejoiced in her heart at the deed1 and  
asked on which of those trees the ,son  
of the ,king1  ,giver of joy to men1 was
 crucified3 ',lo6 we heard  it declared 
from the holy book that two suffered    
with ,him1 and ,he ,himself was the     
third on the                   #hee     
cross4 ,all the heavens grew dark in    
that woful  hour4 ,say1 if thou knowest1
 on which of these  trees the ,lord of  
angels and ,prince of glory suffered4'  
,but ,judas could not declare unto her  

fully concerning           #hfj  that   
tree of victory1 on which the ,saviour1 
the conquering ,son of ,god1 was hung1  
for he wist  it not assuredly4 ,then he 
bade set the crosses with  tumult in the
 midst of the fair city1 there to abide 
#hfe  until the ,king ,almighty should  
show forth a miracle  before the people 
through that tree of glory4  ,with souls
 uplifted in their victory1 they sat    
themselves  down about the rood1 and    
with earnest  thought raised their      
voices in song until the ninth  hour1   
when they had new joy1 gloriously       
gained4                 #hgj  ,for many 
came there1 no small multitude1 and     
among the press of men close by on a    
bier they  brought one who was dead1 a  
young man1 lifeless2  and it was the    
ninth hour4    ,and there was the heart 
of ,judas gladdened with                
#hge  great joy4 ,he bade them set down 
upon the earth  him whose soul had fled1
 the body forsaken of life1  the dead   
man1 and he himself1 wise and earnest   

revealer of truth1 raised up in his arms
 two of those           #hhj  crosses   
over the lifeless frame4 ,but the body1 
fast  on its couch1 was dead as before4 
,the limbs were  cold1 enwrapped with   
their dire fate4 ,then the  third1 the  
holy one1 was raised aloft4 ,the body   
#hee  waited until the rood1 the cross  
of the ,king of  heaven1 the true sign  
of victory1 was laid upon the  man2 then
 he straightway rose up1 restored in    
spirit1  both body and soul together4   
,and there was great                #hij
  laud raised among the people2 they    
revered the  ,father1 and honored the   
true ,son of the ,king in  their speech4
 ,to ,him be glory and thanksgiving     
without end from all creatures4         
#ac4 ,,judas ,,and ,,the ,,devil4       
,then1 as ever should be1 was the       
miracle which                  #hie  the
 ,lord of hosts1 ,giver of life1 had    
wrought for  the salvation of mankind1  
impressed upon the minds  of the people4
 ,but there the fiend1 the devil from   

hell1 dire monster mindful of evil1     
sinning with his            #ijj  lies1 
rose up into the air1 flying1 and spake 
thus3--',lo6  what man is this who doth 
again in the  ancient enmity destroy my 
following1 swell the  olden hatred1 and 
waste my possessions8 ,continual        
#ije  strife is this4 ,no longer may the
 souls of them  that work evil dwell    
among my possessions1 since  now a      
stranger hath come1 whom ,i counted fast
  in his sins1 and hath robbed me of my 
every right               #iaj  and of  
all my wealth4 ,this is not a just deed4
  ,the ,saviour1 who was raised up in   
,nazareth1 hath  done me many an evil1  
acts of deep hatred4 ,as he  grew up    
from childhood1 he ever turned to       
himself               #iae  my          
possessions1 nor now can any justice    
succeed  against him4 ,his kingdom is   
broad over the  world1 while my teaching
 is weakened beneath the  heavens4 ,i   
dare not despise this cross with        
scoffing  laugh4 ,lo6 the ,saviour hath 

again shut me into                  #ibj
  my narrow home1 smitten with woe4     
,once ,i was  filled with joy by a      
,judas3 but now1 again by a  ,judas1 am 
,i humbled1 bereft of possessions1      
abhorred1  and friendless4 ,but ,i know 
how to discover                         
#ibe  again by my sin a way of return   
hereafter from  the home of the damned4 
,i shall incite against thee  another   
king who shall persecute thee1 and shall
  forsake thy teaching and follow my    
ways of                      #icj  evil2
 then will he cast thee into the darkest
 and  worst of terrors1 that thou1      
racked with pain1 mayst  vehemently     
renounce the crucified ,king1 whom thou 
didst formerly obey4'    ,then the wise 
,judas1 daring hero in strife1          
#ice  answered him 7the ,holy ,spirit   
was granted unto  him with strength1 a  
love hot as fire1 a knowledge  welling  
up through the learning of a warrior72  
and  he spake this word1 filled with    
wisdom3--',thou  needst not so mightily1

 ever mindful of evil1 renew            
#idj  sorrow and enkindle strife1 ,o    
sinful prince of murder1  inasmuch as   
the mighty ,king1 who hath awakened     
with ,his word many of the dead1 doth   
thrust  thee into the nether depths1    
thou worker of iniquity1           #ide 
into the abyss of torture1 bereft of    
joy4 ,know thou  full clearly that thou 
in folly didst forsake the  brightest of
 lights and the love of the ,lord and   
that  glorious faith1 and that thou hast
 since dwelt in a             #iej  bath
 of fire1 burdened with tortures and    
seared with  flame1 and that there1 with
 hatred in thy soul1 thou  shalt ever   
suffer woe and misery without end4'     
,elene heard how the foe and the friend 
struggled  together1 the glorious and   
the foul on opposite sides1             
#iee  the sinful and the blessed4 ,and  
she was the gladder  in heart as she    
heard that the hellish enemy1 the       
,prince of evil1 was vanquished2 she    
marveled at  the wisdom of the man1 how 

in so little time  he was so filled with
 faith1 and how he who had              
#ifj  ever been so ignorant was imbued  
with knowledge4  ,and she thanked ,god1 
the ,king of glory1 that  through the   
,son of ,god the joy of both these      
things  was come unto her--on the one   
hand at the sight                 #ife  
of the tree of victory1 and on the other
 at this  faith which she so clearly    
understood as a glorious  gift in the   
breast of this man4      #ad4 ,,the     
,,embassy ,,to ,,constantine4    ,then  
was the fair news of the morning        
manifest  among the nation1 spread far  
throughout the people1  to the vexation 
of many who would keep secret the       
#igj  law of the ,lord4 ,it was heralded
 through the cities1  as far as the sea 
embosoms the land1 through every  town1 
that the rood of ,christ1 buried of yore
 in the  earth1 had been found1 best    
emblem of victory of  them that were    
raised aloft before or since1 holy      
#ige  beneath the heavens4 ,unto the    

,jews1 men of misfortune1  it was a most
 bitter grief and most hated  of fates  
that they could change neither it nor   
the  joy of the ,christians in the      
world4 ,then the queen              #ihj
  bade messengers from her noble company
 make  them ready with haste1 for they  
were to seek the  lord of the ,romans   
over the deep sea1 and declare  unto    
that warrior in person the best of glad 
tidings--how  the tree of victory1 that 
had been hidden a long                  
#ihe  time before to grieve the holy    
ones1 the ,christian  people1 had been  
discovered and found in the earth       
through the grace of the ,creator4      
,then was the soul of the king rejoiced 
at that                  #iij  fair     
news1 and his heart filled with         
gladness4 ,and  in the city there was no
 want of richly-clad questioners        
concerning what was come from afar4 ,the
  greatest comfort in the world1 a      
joyful soul1 was               #iie     
come unto him at those glad tidings     

which the messengers1  leaders of the   
army1 brought to him over  the eastern  
ways1 how the warriors with the glorious
  queen had made a prosperous voyage    
over the sea  into the land of the      
,greeks4 ,the emperor bade  them prepare
 themselves again for the journey with  
#ajjj  the greatest haste4 ,the warriors
 made no delay  when once they heard the
 answer1 the message of  the prince4 ,he
 bade them1 heroes hardy of soul1  give 
greeting to ,elene1 renowned in war1 if 
they  should survive the sea and make a 
prosperous                   #ajje      
voyage unto the holy city4 ,and         
,constantine furthermore  bade the      
messengers charge her to build  a church
 there on the mountain-slope for the    
weal  of them both1 a temple of the     
,lord on ,calvary for              #ajaj
  the joy of ,christ and the solace of  
men1 there  where the holy rood was     
found1 fairest of all trees  the        
dwellers on earth have ever known4      
#ajae      #ae4 ,,the ,,building ,,of   

,,the ,,temple4    ,and thus she did    
when her friends brought many  a kind   
greeting over the fastness of waters    
from the  west4 ,then the queen bade    
seek far and near those                 
#ajbj  skilled in the arts1 the best of 
those who could work  most wondrously in
 the laying of stone upon stone1  that  
they might raise a temple of ,god upon  
that  place4 ,as the ,lord of spirits   
counseled her from  the heavens1 she    
bade deck out the rood with gold  and   
with gems1 adorn it most artfully with  
precious            #ajbe  stones2 then 
to seal it with locks in a casket of    
silver4  ,there hath the rood of life1  
best tree of  victory1 dwelt since then1
 indestructible in its nobleness4       
,there shall it be ever ready1 a solace 
for                     #ajcj  the ill  
of any disease1 affliction1 or sorrow4  
,then  straightway shall men find aid   
and divine grace  through that holy     
form4      #af4 ,,the ,,conversion ,,of 
,,judas4    ,then after a little space  

,judas received the bath  of baptism1   
and1 cleansed of his sins1 was true to  
#ajce  ,christ1 dear to the ,lord of    
life4 ,his faith was  steadfast in his  
heart when the ,spirit of comfort  had  
taken up his dwelling in the breast of  
the man1  and had urged him unto        
repentance4 ,he chose the  better       
course1 the gladness of glory1 and      
forsook the          #ajdj  worse1 the  
way of the idolater1 and cast aside his 
heresy1 the law of unrighteousness4     
,god1 the eternal  ,king1 ,creator1 and 
,wielder of power1 was  gracious unto   
him4    ,then he was baptized who many  
times had  scorned the light2 444#a his 
heart was inspired               #ajde  
unto the better life2 he was turned unto
 glory4  ,verily fate decreed that he   
should become thus filled  with faith1  
thus dear unto ,god and beloved of      
,christ  in the kingdom of the world4   
,this was made manifest            #ajej
  when ,elene bade bring unto the holy  
city  ,eusebius1 the bishop of ,rome1   

exceeding wise amid  the councils of    
men1 to aid in her deliberation1 and  to
 ordain ,judas into the priesthood at   
,jerusalem               #ajee  as      
bishop for the people in the cities1    
prudently  chosen through the grace of  
the ,spirit for the temple  of ,god4    
,and in later times upon a new occasion 
she wisely named him ,cyriacus4         
,henceforth                      #ajfj  
the name of the man was changed for the 
better  throughout the cities--',the law
 of the ,lord'4    ,footnote #a3 ,a     
manuscript lacuna4      #ag4 ,,the      
,,finding ,,of ,,the ,,nails4    ,then  
again was the mind of ,elene concerned  
about that fair mystery with regard to  
the nails               #ajfe  which    
pierced the feet and hands of the       
,saviour1  wherewith the ,king of the   
heavens1 the mighty  ,prince1 was bound 
upon the cross4 ,the queen of  the      
,christians began to ask concerning     
them4 ,she  bade ,cyriacus that he1     
through the might of the                

#ajgj  ,holy ,spirit1 fulfil her desire 
still further regarding  the wondrous   
mystery1 and that he unlock the secret  
by his holy grace4 ,and she spake this  
word unto  the bishop--boldly she       
addressed him3--',o bulwark  of heroes1 
thou didst rightly show forth unto me   
#ajge  that noble tree1 the cross of the
 heavenly ,king1  whereon by heathen    
hands was crucified ,god's own  ,son1   
the ,helper of souls1 the ,saviour of   
men4 ,now  further the longing for      
knowledge doth make me  mindful of the  
nails4 ,i would thou shouldst find      
#ajhj  those that are hidden1 buried    
deep in the earth and  shrouded in      
darkness4 ,ever doth my heart mourn1    
sorrow in sadness1 and rest not1 until  
the ,father  ,almighty1 the ,lord of    
hosts and ,saviour of men1  the ,holy   
,one from on high1 shall fulfill unto me
 my            #ajhe  desire through the
 finding of these nails4 ,now  with all 
reverence do thou forthwith1 ,o best of 
mediators1 send up thy petition unto    

that glorious  ,being1 unto the ,king of
 majesty4 ,do thou pray                 
#ajij  the ,glory of men that ,he1      
,almighty ,king1 show  forth unto thee  
the treasure beneath the earth that     
still lieth hidden1 secret and concealed
 from men4'  ,then the holy man1        
inspired in heart1 the bishop  of the   
people1 made steadfast his soul1 and    
joyfully           #ajie  went forth    
with a throng of men singing praises    
unto ,god4 ,zealously ,cyriacus bowed   
his head upon  ,calvary1 nor made he any
 secret of his thoughts1 but  through   
the might of the ,holy ,spirit he called
 upon            #aajj  ,god with all   
reverence1 and prayed the ,lord of      
angels to reveal the unknown mystery in 
his new  trouble1 where in that field he
 might earnestly seek  out the nails4   
,then the ,father1 the ,spirit of       
comfort1 there as               #aaje   
they were watching1 caused a sign in the
 form of  fire to rise up where the     
precious nails were cunningly  hid in   

the earth by the devices of men4        
,forthwith there came a leaping flame   
brighter than             #aaaj  the    
sun4 ,the people beheld a miracle shown 
forth  unto their queen1 where1 like    
unto the stars of heaven  or gems set in
 gold1 out of the darkness glittered    
the nails brightly1 gleaming from their 
burial-place           #aaae  beneath   
the surface of the earth4 ,the people   
rejoiced1  the throng were glad of      
heart2 and they said  with one accord   
that the miracle was of ,god1  although 
hitherto they had been long in heresy   
and  turned from ,christ1 through the   
death-wielding  power of the devil4     
,thus they spake3--',now do             
#aabj  we ourselves behold the sign of  
victory1 the true  miracle of ,god1 whom
 we formerly withstood with  falsehood4 
,now is the course of the mystery come  
into light and revealed4 ,wherefore may 
the ,god of  the heavenly kingdom have  
glory in the highest4'                  
#aabe    ,then was the bishop of the    

people rejoiced anew1  he who had turned
 with repentance through the  ,son of   
,god4 ,awe-struck he took the nails1 and
  bore them unto the revered queen4     
,cyriacus had                 #aacj     
fulfilled all the woman's wish1 even as 
his noble  mistress bade him4 ,then was 
there the sound of  lamentation1 and hot
 tears welling over their faces--yet    
not at all for sorrow2 her tears fell   
over the  nails4 ,wondrously was the    
desire of the queen fulfilled4          
#aace  ,with joyous faith she laid them 
upon her  knees1 and1 rejoicing in her  
happiness1 revered the  gift that was   
brought unto her as a solace for her    
sadness4 ,she gave thanks unto ,god1 the
 ,lord of  victories1 that now she knew 
the truth which had oft           #aadj 
been foretold long before from the      
beginning of the  world as a comfort for
 the nations4 ,she was filled  with the 
grace of wisdom1 and the ,holy ,spirit  
of               #aade  heaven held the 
dwelling of her body1 and guarded  her  

both heart and soul4 ,thus the almighty1
 victorious  ,son of ,god had care for  
her thereafter4      #ah4 ,,elene',s    
,,disposal ,,of ,,the ,,nails4    ,then 
she began zealously through the         
mysteries  of the ,holy ,spirit to      
search out the truth and the  way to    
glory4 ,verily the ,lord of hosts1 ,king
                   #aaej  ,almighty1    
gave aid that the queen might win her   
wish in the world4 ,from the beginning  
all the  prophecy was chanted in times  
before by the seers  of old1 and thus it
 happened in every respect4             
#aaee  ,through the grace of the ,holy  
,spirit the queen  zealously began to   
search out with great care wherefor  she
 might best and most fitly for the      
solace of  men use the nails1 and what  
was the will of the                #aafj
  ,lord4 ,then bade she bring at once   
unto a secret  council an exceeding wise
 man1 who1 learned in  mind1 by his wise
 power knew fully the rede of  sages2   
and she began to inquire of him what he 

#aafe  deemed best to be done about     
this4 ,and obediently  she chose his    
advice4    ,earnestly he answered       
her3--',it is fitting that  thou hold in
 thy heart the word of the ,lord1  ,his 
holy mystery1 ,o best of queens1 and    
zealously              #aagj  fulfil the
 bidding of the king1 now that ,god1    
,redeemer  of men1 hath given unto thee 
good speed  for thy soul1 and the skill 
of wisdom4 ,do thou  bid that these     
nails be set upon the bridle1 as a bit  
#aage  for the horse of the most noble  
among castle-ruling  kings4 ,it shall   
become famed to many throughout  the    
world when he shall overcome each of his
  enemies thereby in the contest1 as    
with brave hearts  and brandished swords
 they seek the battle on either         
#aahj  side1 and strive for the mastery 
there1 foe against  foe4 ,he shall have 
good speed in war1 victory in  battle1  
and peace everywhere1 the calm following
 the  strife1 who holds the bridle      
before him upon a white           #aahe 

steed when his trusty heroes1 far-famed 
in the fight1  bear shield and spear    
into the press of weapons4  ,for any man
 shall this be a guard invincible       
against stress in war4 ,concerning it   
sang the  prophet1 wise in thought1 his 
mind saw deeply                  #aaij  
the understanding of wisdom4 ,these     
words he  spake3--,it shall be known    
that the horse of a king  is to be in   
the midst of brave heroes1 decked with  
bit and bridle-rings4 ,it shall be      
called a holy sign           #aaie  of  
,god1 and he shall be hardy and honored 
in war  who guides the horse4'      #ai4
 ,,conclusion4    ,then straightway in  
the presence of the nobles  ,elene      
accomplished all4 ,she bade deck the    
bridle  of the prince1 gift-giver of    
men1 and unto her own  son she sent the 
glorious present over the stream        
#abjj  of the ocean as an offering4     
,then she bade assemble  together in the
 town1 in that holy city1 those  whom   
she knew as the best among the ,jews1   

that  race of heroes4 ,and the queen    
began to teach the               #abje  
throng of her dear subjects that they   
should steadfastly  hold to the love of 
the ,lord1 and maintain  peace one with 
another1 and that they should hearken   
#abaj  unto the lore of the teacher1 and
 the customs of the  ,christians1 which 
,cyriacus1 wise in the knowledge  of    
books1 should declare unto them4 ,the   
bishopric  was well established4 ,often 
there came to  him from afar the lame1  
the halt1 the weak1 the                 
#abae  maimed1 the bleeding1 the        
leprous1 the blind1 the  poor1 the sad  
in heart1 and ever found they health    
and relief there at the hands of their  
bishop during  all of their life4 ,and  
again ,elene gave unto him  gifts of    
great worth when she was ready for the  
journey back to her own land1 and when  
she bade                #abbj  all those
 who glorified ,god in that kingdom1    
both  men and women1 to honor in their  
thought with  heart and strength that   

great day on which the holy  rood was   
found1 most wondrous tree of them that  
#abbe  have grown up from the earth1    
laden with leaves4  ,and1 save for six  
nights ere the coming of summer  on the 
kalends of ,may1 the spring was gone4   
,may  hell's portal be closed and       
heaven's opened1 may the           #abcj
  eternal kingdom of the angels be      
revealed with joy  unceasing1 and may   
their part be assigned with  ,mary1 to  
each man who keepeth in memory the  most
 sacred festival of the cross beneath   
the heavens1         #abce  which the   
almighty ,king over all protected with  
his arm6 ,finit4      #bj4 ,,epilogue4  
,old and ready for death by reason of   
this failing  house1 ,i thus have woven 
a web of words and  wondrously have     
gathered it up2 time and again  have ,i 
pondered and sifted my thought in the   
prison  of the night4 ,i knew not fully 
the truth concerning            #abdj   
the cross#a until wisdom revealed a     
broader  knowledge through its marvelous

 power o'er the  thought of my heart4 ,i
 was stained with deeds of  evil1       
fettered in sins1 torn by doubts1 girt  
round with        #abde  bitter needs1  
until the ,king of might wondrously     
granted learning unto me as a comfort   
for my old  age2 until he gave unto me  
his spotless grace1 and  imbued my heart
 with it1 revealed it as glorious1 in   
time broadened it1 set free my body1    
unlocked my               #abej  heart1 
and loosed the power of song1 which     
joyfully  and gladly ,i have used in the
 world4 ,not one time  alone1 but often 
had ,i thought upon the tree of  glory1 
before ,i had the miracle revealed      
regarding  the glorious tree1 as in the 
course of events ,i found          #abee
  related in books and in writings      
concerning the sign  of victory4 ,ever  
until that time was the man buffeted  in
 the surge of sorrow1 was he a weakly   
flaring  torch 7,c7#b1 although he had  
received treasures  and appled gold in  
the mead-hall2 wroth in heart           

#abfj  7,y71 he mourned2 a companion to 
need 7,n71 he  suffered crushing grief  
and anxious care1 although  before him  
his horse 7,e7 measured the miles and   
proudly ran1 decked with gold4 ,hope    
7,w7 is  waned1 and joy through the     
course of years2 youth                  
#abfe  is fled1 and the pride of old4   
,once 7,u7 was the  splendor of         
youth7872 now after that alloted time   
are the days departed1 are the pleasures
 of life  dwindled away1 as water 7,l7  
glideth1 or the rushing  floods4 ,wealth
 7,f7 is but a loan to each beneath     
#abgj  the heavens2 the beauties of the 
field vanish  away beneath the clouds1  
most like unto the wind  when it riseth 
loud before men1 roameth amid the       
clouds1 courseth along in wrath1 and    
then on a sudden          #abge         
becometh still1 close shut in its narrow
 prison1  crushed by force4    ,footnote
 #a3 ,supplying rode4    ,footnote #b3  
,these letters are the runes which spell
 out ,cynewulf's  name4    ,thus shall  

all this world pass away1 and in like   
manner devouring flame shall seize upon 
whoever  was born into it1 at that time 
when the  ,lord himself 'with a host of 
angels shall come                 #abhj 
unto judgment4 ,there shall each man    
hear the  doom on all his deeds from the
 mouth of the judge1  and likewise shall
 pay the penalty for all the  foolish   
words ever spoken by him1 and all his   
overbold         #abhe  thoughts4 ,then 
shall the people divide into  three     
parts for the embrace of the flame1     
every man  who hath ever lived          
throughout the broad earth4  ,those who 
have clung fast to the truth shall be   
highest in the flame1 the throng of the 
blessed1 the           #abij  host of   
them that yearn for glory1 the multitude
 of  the righteous1 and thus may they   
endure and suffer  more lightly without 
distress4 ,he tempers for  them all the 
glare of the flame as shall be most easy
  for them and most mild4 ,the sinful   
men1 those                  #abie       

stained with evil1 heroes sad of heart1 
shall be in the  middle place1 shrouded 
with smoke amid the hot  surge of fire4 
,the third part1 accursed sinful foes1  
false haters of men1 the host of the    
wicked1 shall be  in the depth of the   
surge1 bound fast in flame by           
#acjj  reason of their former deeds1 in 
the gripe of the  glowing coals4 ,nor   
shall they come thereafter  from the    
place of punishment to the memory of    
,god1  ,king of glory1 but they shall be
 cast forth1 ,his  wrath-stirring foes1 
from that fierce flame into the         
#acje  depths of hell4 ,unlike this     
shall it be with the  other two parts3  
they may look upon the ,prince of       
angels1 the ,god of victories4 ,they    
shall be refined  and freed from their  
sins1 like pure gold that is all        
#acaj  cleansed from every alloy1       
refined and melted in the  surge of the 
furnace's fire4 ,thus shall each of     
those  men be separated and purified    
from all their guilt1  their deep       

transgressions1 by the fire of the      
judgment4  ,and thereafter they may     
enjoy peace and                         
#acae  eternal well-being4 ,the ,lord of
 angels shall be  merciful and gracious 
unto them1 inasmuch as they  abhorred   
each sin1 each work of guile1 and called
  upon the ,son of the ,creator in their
 prayers4  ,wherefore now their forms   
shall shine like unto the  angels1 and  
they shall enjoy the heritage of the    
,king          #acbj  of glory for ever 
and ever4 ,amen4