Elene; Judith; Athelstan, or the Fight at Brunanburh; Byrhtnoth, or the Fight at Maldon; and the Dr

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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: ISO-8859-1
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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 "BÉOWULF."
THIRD EDITION.
BOSTON, U.S.A.:
GINN & COMPANY, PUBLISHERS.
The
Athenæum 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
CORYPHÆUS 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. Ælfwine 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