Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/99

 had commanded  (men)  to  rear  there,  in  the  heathen  wise.

And they  went  thereunto,  and  did  away  the  filth

out of  the  house  of  God,  and  raised  up  the  praise  of  God

after Moses'  law,  with  much  joy,

and offered  to  God  sacrifice  with  belief  and  song.

V. Judas  then  turned  himself,  and  fought  against  the  heathen,

because that  they  wished  to  destroy  the  Jews;

but Judas  overcame  them,  and  ever  drove  them  away,

and burnt  up  their  cities,  and  treated  them  with  insult.

Verily, then,  on  a  certain  day,  people  sent  to  Judas

written messages,  from  the  people  of  Israel,

and made  known  that  the  heathen  had  beset  them,

and had  put  to  death  about  a  thousand  men.

Eke, on  the  other  side,  messengers  came  to  him

from the  Galilsean  land,  despairing  of  their  lives,

and told  that  the  heathen  came  against  them  on  all  sides,

and desired  to  overwhelm  them,  and  destroy  their  country.

Judas then  asked  his  comrades  for  their  counsel,

and quoth  to  Simon-,  his  discreet  brother,

' Choose  thee  now  assistance,  and  go  to  Galilee,

and help  thy  relations,  whom  the  wicked  ones  harass.

I and  Jonathan,  my  younger  brother,

will go  to  Galaad  to  defeat  the  heathen.'

He appointed  then  captains  to  keep  the  folk,

and bade  that  they  should  not  go  to  any  fight

against the  heathen,  till  he  should  come  home.

Simon then  took  three  thousand  with  him,

and Judas  and  Jonathan  eight  thousand;

and Simon  fought  often,  and  defeated  the  heathen,

and delivered  his  kindred  against  their  cruelty,

and brought  them  to  the  land  with  much  bliss.