Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/103

 except through  the  city,  and  then  they  prayed  earnestly

that they  might  in  peace  pass  through  the  town,

because they  could  not  turn  aside;    but  the  burghers  would  not

permit them  the  passage,  but  fastened  the  gate

with great  hewn  stones,  and  J;rusted  to  the  wall.

Then would  not  Judas  meatless  abide  there,

but bade  (them)  break  down  the  wall,  though  it  was  broad.

Then went  all  in,  and  slew  all  the  heathen,

and destroyed  the  borough,  and  turned  them  homeward,

until that  they  came  safe  to  (their)  land,

and offered  their  offerings  to  the  living  God,

thanking His  protection  that  they  all  (thus)  sound

had come  again  to  their  country  out  of  so  great  danger.

But their  comrades  at  home  fought  unwarily

against the  heathen  people,  transgressing  Judas'  leave,

the while  that  he  was  away,  and  were  then  slain,

very many  men,  when  they  fought  without  wisdom.

The   Second    Book    tells    us    [2. Macc. xii. 39]   that    they fought  on  one  occasion,

when some  of  them  were  deceived  with  covetousness,

so that  they  took  spoil,  and  wickedly  hid  it,

in their  bosoms,  of  the  devilish  offerings,

against God's  law;    and  they  all  fell  there

that hid  the  spoil,  slain  in  the  battle.

And their  comrades  found  the  spoil  in  their  bosoms,

and said  that  God  Himself  manifested  their  sin,

and praised  God's  doom,  who  discovered  their  secrets.

Judas then  gathered  a  good  deal  of  spoil,

that amounted  to  twelve  thousand  shillings,  all  of  white  silver,

and sent  to  Jerusalem  to  offer  for  their  sins

for the  release  of  the  souls  of  them  that  were  there  slain.