Page:The Elene of Cynewulf.djvu/20



Then the Lord of men straight summoned the wisest to council, those who had pondered the craft of wisdom in writings of old and held nobly to the rede of scholars. And the prince of the people, victory-inspired king, asked through the vast assembly if there were any man there could tell and declare unto him truly who the god was, giver of good gifts, ‘whose sign this was which appeared unto me so bright, the most gleaming of tokens, saved my people, and gave unto me glory and war-speed against my foes through the holy tree.’

But no one of them could give him any answer in return, nor knew they full well what to say about the victor-tree. Then spake the wisest before the multitudes, and said that it was a sign from the King of heaven, and of that there could be no doubt.

But they who had learned the truth, who were taught through baptism, were joyful in soul, and their hearts were light that they might declare before the emperor the grace of the gospel: how the Saviour of souls, revered in threefold majesty, was born; how God’s own Son was hung upon the cross in bitter agony before the multitudes; how He freed the children of men and souls of the careworn from the snares of devils, and gave unto them grace through the very thing that had been disclosed to his own sight as a sign of victory against the onrush of foes; and how on the third day the Glory of men and Lord of all mankind rose from the tomb and from death, and ascended into heaven.