Page:The Elene of Cynewulf.djvu/34

 Quickly the kinswoman of Cæsar answered him:—‘Lo! we have heard it declared unto men from the holy book that the noble Child of the King, the Son of God, was crucified on Calvary. Thou shalt reveal thy knowledge perfectly concerning the field where this place Calvary is, according to the teaching of the Scriptures, ere death and utter destruction snatch thee away for thy sins, that I may thereafter cleanse the cross to be a solace for men, according to the will of Christ. Thus shall the Holy God, the Lord Almighty, Glory-giver of hosts and Helper of souls, fulfill for me my desire and my inmost longing.’

But with stubborn heart Judas answered her:—‘I know not the place, nor aught of the field, nor know I the event.’

Then Elene spake with wrath in her heart:—‘I swear by the Son of the Creator, by the crucified God, that thou shalt be starved to death before the people of thine own race, save thou forsake this falsehood and fully declare unto me the truth.’

Then she bade men take him alive, and throw him, guilty as he was, into a dried-up well—nor did her subjects hesitate. And there, joyless and famished, weighed down with chains, was he to abide in his grief for the space of seven nights. And upon the seventh day, weakened by sorrow, weary, and without food—his strength was broken—he began to call aloud:—‘I beseech you by the God of the heavens that ye release me from this misery, for I am brought low by the pangs of starvation. Joyfully will I show forth the holy tree—no longer can I hide it now by reason of my hunger. This durance is too fearful, this need too great, and this