The Elene of Cynewulf/Chapter 8
8. The Councils of the Jews.
Then she bade summon the wisest of the dwellers in the cities among the Jews, far and wide, each man of them, to come unto a council for deliberation, those who knew how to expound justly and fully the hidden things of God. And there was280 gathered together from far ways no small multitude of those who could expound the law of Moses. They were in number three thousand men, chosen285 for teaching.
Then the well-beloved woman spake unto the men of the Hebrews in these words:—‘This have I learned well by the mystic sayings of prophets in the books of God, that in days of yore ye were290 dear unto the King of glory, loved of the Lord and strong in his service. And lo! ye of this knowledge unwisely and perversely cast Him forth when ye cursed Him who thought to loose you from your curse, your torture of fire, your servile bondage,295 through the might of His glory. Foully ye spat upon the face of Him who by his noble spittle wrought anew the light of your eyes, the cure of300 your blindness, and saved you oft from the unclean spirits of devils. Ye doomed Him to death who among a multitude of men roused from death itself unto their former life a number of your own race.305 Ye blind of soul, thus have ye confounded false with sooth, light with darkness, hate with reverence, and have woven a crime from your evil thoughts. Therefore doth this curse weigh you down in your sin—ye judged that pure Power, and until this day310 ye have lived with clouded thoughts in heresy. Go ye now quickly, and think upon the men most sage in wisdom and skilled in speech, who, versed in the knowledge of your law, hold it foremost in their315 hearts, and who may declare unto me truly and devise an answer for each token whereof I may ask them.’
Then, sorely grieved and saddened, and burdened320 with fear, the men wise in law went apart, and earnestly sought the deepest mystic words wherewith they might answer the queen whatsoever she asked of them, whether of good or of bad. And they325 found among their number a thousand of exceeding wisdom, who most fully knew the traditions of old among the Jews. In a great crowd they hastened to where, upon a royal throne in majesty, the kinswoman330 of the emperor waited, a stately queen of battle adorned with gold. And Elene spake before the folk:—‘Hearken, ye wise of soul, unto a holy mystery, the word and the wisdom. Lo! ye had the teaching of prophets how the Prince of life and Lord335 of might should be born in the likeness of a child. Of him sang Moses, leader of the Israelites, and spake this word:—“Unto you is born a child of wondrous might in mystery, for his mother conceived340 him not through the love of man.” Of him king David, father of Solomon, ruler of men, a prophet with the wisdom of age, chanted a psalm and spake this word:—“In times afore I beheld the345 God of creation, the Lord of victories. He was before my sight upon my right hand, the King of might and Prince of majesty. Thence will I never turn my eyes more unto life.” Likewise again350 Isaiah the prophet, deeply moved by the Spirit of God, spake concerning you before the multitudes in these words: “I raised up sons and I begat children, and unto them I gave possessions, and holy balm for their souls; but they scorned me, loathed me355 with their hate, and they had no forethought, no skill of wisdom. Even the wretched oxen, which man doth each day drive and beat, know their well-wisher, and in their revenge for wrong hate not their friend who giveth them fodder. But never360 would the men of the Israelites take knowledge of me, though I wrought many wonders for them throughout my life in the world.” Lo! this have we learned in holy books, that God the Creator gave unto you spotless glory and wealth of power,365 and said unto Moses how ye should hearken unto the King of heaven, and follow His teaching. But ye soon became weary of this, and withstood that righteous one; ye scorned the pure Maker of all, the Lord of lords, and pursued error against the370 law of God. Now go ye quickly and find once more those who know best by wisdom’s craft the ancient scriptures, your righteous law, that with375 depth of soul they may give me answer.’
Then a throng of the proud leaders, saddened in heart, went forth as the queen had bidden them, and found five hundred wise men of their own race who held learning in their memory, most wisdom380 in their mind. And again within a little space the lords of the city were summoned unto the hall. And the queen, looking upon them all, spake unto them385 in these words:—‘Oft have ye wrought foolish deeds, ye wretched in misfortune, and scorned the Scriptures, the lore of your fathers, but never worse than now when ye have refused the cure of your blindness, and withstood the truth and the right—that390 the Son of the Mighty One, the only-begotten Ruler and King of kings, was born in Bethlehem. Though ye knew the law, the words of the prophets, yet because of your sin ye have not been willing to confess the truth.’395
And with one accord they answered:—‘Lo! we have learned the Hebrew law that from the ark of God our fathers knew in days of yore; but we know not in sooth wherefore, O lady, thou hast become thus angry with us. We know not the sin400 that we have wrought in this province, the wrong we have ever done to thee.’
Then Elene spake before the people openly, before the multitudes this woman spake aloud:—‘Go ye405 now quickly, and seek far and near those who have the power of wisdom and the most skill of thought among you, that they may show forth to me without reserve whatsoever I ask of them.’410
And they went forth from the council as the mighty queen, strong in her cities, had bidden them, and earnestly pondered, sad of heart, and sought shrewdly what that sin might be that they had415 wrought in the province against the emperor, wherewith the queen reproached them.