Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/419

 and the  soles  of  her  feet,  by  foul  dogs.

Then the  servants  told  that  to  the  king,

and he  said  in  answer,  that  it  had  been   so  prophesied  beforehand.

There were  in  Samaria  seventy  princes,

sons of  Ahab,  the  old  king,

Joram's brethren. Then the  bold  Jehu  commanded

the citizens  that  they  should  choose  a  prince

from among  those  seventy,  to  be  their  king,

and fight  against  him  in  defence  of  their  lords.

Then the  citizens  sent  to  the  renowned  Jehu,

promising him  obedience  to  all  his  commands.

Then Jehu  ordered  them  to  bring

all the  heads  of  the  princes  on  the  morrow,

and he  destroyed  afterward  every  one  of  the  race.

Then he  returned  to  Samaria,  the  aforesaid  city,

and bade  men  call  to  him  the  false  idolaters,

who worshipped  Baal,  desiring  [them]  to  speak  with  him.

Then he  bade  [call]  the  ministers  of  the  devil's  temple,

saying that  he  wished  to  worship  him  as  God,

even as  Ahab  did,  and. even yet  more.

Then all  the  priests  came: to  the  king,

and he  bade  them  enter  in  unto  the  god  Baal,

and offer  to  him  their  devout  sacrifices.

Lo then! Jehu commanded  men  to  slay  them  all,

and burn  up  Baal,  and  break  down  his  temple.

They turned  it  into  a  draught-house,  where  the  god  Baal

before was  wickedly  worshipped  until  that  time.

Then came  God's  word  to  the  king  thus,

'Because thou  hast  zealously  executed  my  will

on Ahab's  offspring,  and  hast  destroyed  them  all,

thy sons  shall  sit  on  the  throne  of  Israel

until the  fourth  generation,  in  lineal  succession.'