Hieronimus, se wisa mæssepreost, awrát on dære bec de we hátað'Ecclesiastica Historia,' þæt sum Romanisc casere wæs Constantinus gehâten, se was eawfæst on deawum and árfæst on dædum, cristenra manna fultumigend, and næs deah gýt gefullod. pa wann him ongean sum wælhreow heretoga, Maxentius gehâten, mid micclum drymme, wolde him benæman his lifes and his rices. pa ferde se casere swide carful mid fyrde, and gelome beheold wið heofonas weard, biddende georne godcundne fultum. Da geseah he on swefne, on dam scinendan east-dæle, Drihtnes rõde-tácn deorwurɣlice scinan; and him sædon da to gesewenlice englas, "pu casere Constantine, mid disum tácne oferswið dine widerwinnan." And he awốc da bliðe for ðære gesihðe and for dan behátenan sige, and mearcode him on heafde halig róde-tácu, and on his guðfanan, Gode to wurðmynte. He het eac smiðian of smætum golde ane lytle rõde, ða he lædde on his swiðran, biddende georne pone Ælmihtigan Wealdend, þæt seo swidre ne wurde æfre gewemmed ðurh readum blode Romaniscre leode, dam de he geude ælcere dugede, gif Maxentius ana him wolde abugan, de da burh geheold mid hételum geðance. pa hết Maxentius mid micclum swicdome oferbricgian da eâ, eal mid scipum, and syððan dylian swa swa odre bricge, þæt se casere sceolde dær-on becuman; ac him sylfum getimode swa swa hể dam oðrum gemynte. Se ârleasa gewende ana of dære byrig, and hết done here him æfter ridan; he ne gemunde da, for dam micclum graman, dæære leasan bricge, pe hê alecgan hết, ac rấd him ána to ormate caflice. pa scipu toscuton, and he done grund gesohte mid horse mid ealle, and se here ætstód ahred fram frecednysse for his ânes deade. Swa weard gefylled pæs caseres ben, þæt his hand næs besmiten, þe da rõde heold, mid agōtenum blode his âgenre burhware. Ɖa wearð eal þæt fole micclum gegladod, þæt hí moston gesunde cyrran to dære byrig; and underfengon done casere, swa swa him ge

Jerome, the wise mass-priest, wrote in the book which we call Ecclesiastica Historia,' that there was a Roman emperor called Constantine, who was pious in morals and honourable in deeds, a supporter of christian men, and was yet not baptized. Then a bloodthirsty general, named Maxentius, warred against him with a great host, he would take from him his life and his empire. Then the emperor departed very full of care with the army, and frequently looked heavenwards, fervently praying for divine support. He then saw in a dream, in the shining east region, the sign of the Lord's rood preciously shining, and visible angels said to him, "Thou emperor Constantine, with this sign overcome thine adversaries." And he awoke then blithe on account of the vision and the promised victory, and marked on his head the holy sign of the rood, and on his gonfanon, in honour to God. He bade then be forged of beaten gold a little rood, which he laid on his right hand, fervently praying the Almighty Ruler that his right hand might never be polluted with the red blood of the Roman people, to whom he would grant every good, if Maxentius only would submit to him, who held the city with hostile thought. Then Maxentius with great fraud commanded the river to be bridged over, all with ships, and then to be floored as any other bridge, that the emperor might come thereon; but it befell himself as he had intended for the other. The impious one went alone to the bridge, and commanded the army to ride after him; he did not then, in his great fury, remember the false bridge, which he had ordered to be laid, but rode to it alone with boundless speed. The ships parted asunder, and he sought the ground with horse and all, and the army stopt, saved from peril by the death of him alone. So was fulfilled the emperor's prayer, that his hand, which had held the rood, was not sullied with the shed blood of his own citizens. Then was all the people greatly gladdened, that they might return whole to the city; and they received the emperor as it was congenial to them;

HOM. VOL. II.

X

cynde was; and he mid sige gesæt siððan his cynestől, gefullod on Criste, be his folc geheold.

His modor wæs cristen, Elena gehâten, swiðe gelyfed mann, and dearle eawfæst. pa ferde heo to Hierusalem, mid fullum geleafan, wolde da rode findan de Crist on drowade. Heo becom to pære stowe, swa hire geswutelode God, purh heofenlicere gebicnunge, and afunde dreo róda, án wæs dæs Hælendes, and da odre dæra deofa. Da nyste heo gewiss hwile wære Cristes rod, ærðan de he mid tacnum hí geswutelode. pa wearð seo cwen micclum gegladod, þæt heo moste done maồm on moldan findan, and siððan ðurh tacnum swutelunge oncnawan. Arærde da cyrcan on dære cwealm-stowe, þær seo rod on læg, þam leofan Drihtne, and bewaud ænne dæl ære halgan rode mid hwítum seolfre, and hí dær gesette, and done oðerne dæl lædde to hire suna, and ða isenan næglas, pe wæron adrifene purh Cristes folman, ðaða hé gefæstnod wæs.

Dus wrat Hieronimus, se wisa trahtnere, be dære halgan rode, hu heo weard gefunden. Gif hwa elles secge, we sceotað to him.

Cristene men sceolon soðlice abúgan to gehalgodre rode, on æs Hælendes naman, forðan de we nabbað da de hê on drowade, ac hire anlicnys bið halig swa-peah, to dære we abugað on gebedum symle to dam Mihtigan Drihtne, þe for mannum drowade; and seo rod is gemynd his mæran prowunge, halig ðurh hine, deah de heo on holte weoxe. We hî wurðiað á for wurdmynte Cristes, sede ús alysde mid lufe ðurh hí, þæs we him danciað symle on life.

and he victoriously afterwards possessed his throne, baptized in Christ, whom his people followed.

His mother was a christian, called Helena, a very faithful person, and very pious. She went to Jerusalem, with full belief, she wished to find the rood on which Christ had suffered. She came to the place, as God had manifested to her, through a heavenly sign, and found three roods, one was that of Jesus, and the others those of the thieves. She then knew not for certain which was Christ's rood, ere that he by signs manifested it. Then was the queen greatly gladdened, that she was permitted to find the treasure in the earth, and afterwards by signs to know its manifestation. She raised then a church to the dear Lord, on the place of execution, in which the rood lay, and encircled a part of the holy rood with white silver, and placed it there, and brought the other part to her son, and the iron nails, that were driven through Christ's palms, when he was fastened.

Thus wrote Jerome, the wise expositor, concerning the holy rood, how it was found. If any one say otherwise, we refer to him.

Christian men truly should bow to the hallowed rood in the name of Jesus, for although we have not that on which he suffered, its likeness is, nevertheless, holy, to which we ever bow in our prayers to the Mighty Lord, who suffered for men; and the rood is a memorial of his great passion, holy through him, though it grow in a wood. We ever honour it for the honour of Christ, who redeemed us with love through it, for which we thank him ever in life.

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EODEM DIE.

SCORUM ALEXANDRI, EUENTII ET THEODOLI.

ON ðisum dæge prowode sum árwurde papa Alexander gehâten, mid twâm mæssepreostum, EUENTIUS and THEODOLUS, ætforan dam casere, Aurelianus genamod, þe hí gemartirode. He was wælhreaw cwellere cristenra manna, and fela belífode gelyfedra manna. pa het he gelangian þone halgan lareow, and cwæð him sona to mid særwigendum mode,"Alexander papa, ic sece ærest æt þe, pæt þu me ardlice secge hwæt se intinga sy pæt ge wyllað sweltan sylfwilles for Criste, ærðan de ge æfre his geleafan wiðsacan.” pa andwyrde se papa dam cwellere dus, "þæt þæt ðu axast is swide halig ding; ac Crist ús forbead þæt hundum to syllanne." Da cwæð Aurelianus, "Eom ic hund geðuht?" Alexander ða wiscte, "Eala gif du wære hund! Hund is sawulleas, and on helle ne drowað. Se man þe forsihð his Scyppend on life, sceal æfre drowian on ecum tintregum." pa dywde se casere hine to swingenne, gif he him ne sæde swa hwæs swa he axode. Alexander cwæð, þæt he ondrede God, and nænne oderne, on andwerdum life. "pu dwelast, casere, purh dyrstignysse, gif du buton geleafan æt us leornian wylt da halgan gerynu, ðurh heardum swinglum." Aurelianus andwyrde orgelice swide, "Ic ana gewealde ealles middaneardes, and du specst dus dyrstiglice swilce to sumum deman; ac din sawul sceal, swide getintregod, gewitan of dam lichaman ær ic de forlæte." Alexander sæde, "Hwæt dest du niwes nu? Đa âne ætwundon þinum wælhreawum handum, de for dinum tintregum heora Drihten wiosocon. Ic soðlice sceal æt de sweltan deade, forðan de ic nelle næfre Crist wiðsacan."

Æfter Sisum wordum hết se walhreowa hine hồn on heardre hengene, and his sidan bærnan mid hátum ligum, and mid hengene rawan to langere hwile; ac he naht ne ge