Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/151



For the  confirming  of  our  faith,  and  to  the   glory  of  our  Lord,

we honour  with  songs  of  praise  two  days  in  the  year,

on account  of  the  Holy  Rood,  (ever)  since  it  was  discovered.

The Jewish  folk  hid  it  (the  cross)  with  evil  intention;

they would  not  that    this    treasure  (the  cross)  should   become  a comfort  to  men.

But the  blessed  Helena  afterwards  discovered  it  there,

through the  revelation  of  Christ,  even  as  He  marvellously  manifested it;

and she  divided  the  rood  as  the  Lord  had  instructed  her,

and left  one  portion  in  that  same  city

in which  Christ  had  suffered,  as  the  writings  inform  us,

enclosed in  silver;    and  she  went  home  afterwards

with the  other  portion  of  the  precious  tree

to her  dear  son  (Constantine),  to  strengthen  his  faith.

Now we  celebrate  the  day  on  which  it  (the  cross)  was  found

in honour  of  our  Saviour,  who  deigned  to  suffer  on  it;

it is  after  Easter  in  the  year's  course  [viz. May 3 ].

And we  observe  in  harvest-time  with  holy  ministrations

a second  festival — that  on  which  it  (the  cross)  was  brought

again to  Jerusalem,  as  we  shall  hereafter  relate.

It happened,  unfortunately,  as  very  often  it  still  does,

that the  heathen  nations  invaded  the  land;

and an  impious  king  called  Cosdrue

came with  a  great  army  to  the  Holy  Rood

where Helena  had  placed  it,  in  the  aforesaid  Jerusalem.