that they should keep the strait ways of the mountains, and so the
children of Israel did as the priest had ordained. Then Eliachim, the
priest, went about all Israel and said to them: Know ye that God hath
heard your prayers, if ye abide and continue in your prayers and
fastings in the sight of God. Remember ye of Moses, the servant of God,
which overthrew Amalek trusting in his strength, and in his power, in
his host, in his helmets, in his chariots, and in his horsemen; not
fighting with iron, but with praying of holy prayers. In like wise shall
it be with all the enemies of Israel if ye persevere in this work that
ye have begun. With this exhortation they continued praying God. They
persevered in the sight of God, and also they that offered to our Lord
were clad with sackcloth, and had ashes on their heads, and with all
their heart they prayed God to visit his people Israel. It was told to
Holofernes prince of the knighthood of the Assyrians that the children
of Israel made them ready to resist him, and had closed the ways of the
mountains, and he was burned in overmuch fury in great ire. He called
all the princes of Moab and dukes of Ammon and said to them: Say ye to
me, what people is this that besiege the mountains, or what or how many
cities have they? And what is their virtue, and what multitude is of
them? Or who is king of their knighthood? Then Achior, duke of all of
them of Ammon, answering said: If thou deignest to hear me I shall tell
thee truth of this people that dwelleth in the mountains, and there
shall not issue out of my mouth one false word. This people dwelled
first in Mesopotamia, and was of the progeny of the Chaldees, but would
not dwell there for they would not follow the gods of their fathers that
were in the land of Chaldees, and going and leaving the ceremonies of
their fathers, which was in the multitude of many gods, they honored
one, God of heaven, which commanded them to go thence that they should
dwell in Canaan. Then after was there much hunger, that they descended
into Egypt, and there abode four hundred years, and multiplied that
they might not be numbered. When the king of Egypt grieved them in his
buildings, bearing clay tiles, and subdued them, they cried to their
Lord, and he smote the land of Egypt with divers plagues. When they of
Egypt had cast them out from them, the plagues ceased from them and then
they would have taken them again and would have called them to their
service, and they fleeing, their God opened the sea to them that they
went through dry-foot, in which the innumerable host of the Egyptians
pursuing them were drowned, that there was not one of them saved for to
tell to them that came after them. They passed thus the Red Sea, and he
fed them with manna forty years, and made bitter waters sweet, and gave
them water out of a stone. And wheresoever this people entered without
bow or arrow, shield or sword, their God fought for them, and there is
no man may prevail against this people but when they departed from the
culture and honor of their God. And as oft as they have departed from
their God and worshipped other strange gods, so oft have they been
overcome with their enemies. And when they repent and come to the
knowledge of their sin, and cry their God mercy, they be restored again,
and their God giveth to them virtue to resist their enemies. They have
overthrown Cananeum the king, Jebusee, Pheresee, Eneum, Etheum and
Amoreum, and all the mighty men in Esebon, and have taken their lands
and cities and possess them, and shall, as long as they please their
God. Their God hateth wickedness, for tofore this time when they went
from the laws that their God gave to them, he suffered them to be taken
of many nations into captivity, and were disperpled. And now late they
be come again and possess Jerusalem wherein is sancta sanctorum, and be
come over these mountains whereas some of them dwell. Now therefore, my
lord, see and search if there be any wickedness of them in the sight of
their God, and then let us go to them, for their God shall give them
into thy hands and they shall be subdued under the yoke of thy power.
And when Achior had said thus, all the great men about Holofernes were
angry and had thought for to have slain him, saying each to other: Who
is this that may make the children of Israel resist the king
Nebuchadnezzar and his army and host? Men cowards and without might and
without any wisdom of war. Therefore that Achior may know that he saith
not true, let us ascend the mountains, and when the mighty men of them
be taken let him be slain with them, that all men may know that
Nebuchadnezzar is god of the earth, and that there is none other but he.
Then when they ceased to speak, Holofernes having indignation said to
Achior: Because thou hast prophesied to us of the children of Israel
saying, that their God defend them, I shall show to thee that there is
no god but Nebuchadnezzar, for whom we have overcome them all and slain
them as one man, then shalt thou die with them by the sword of the
Assyrians, and all Israel shall be put into ruin and perdition, and then
shall be known that Nebuchadnezzar is lord of all the earth, and the
sword of my knighthood shall pass through thy sides. And thou shalt
depart hence and go to them, and shalt not die unto the time that I have
them and thee. And when I have slain them with my sword thou shalt in
like wise be slain with like vengeance. After this Holofernes commanded
his servants to take Achior, and lead him to Bethulia and to put him in
the hands of them of Israel. And so they took Achior and ascended the
mountains, against whom came out men of war. Then the servants of
Holofernes turned aside and bound Achior to a tree hands and feet with
cords, and left him and so returned to their lord. Then the sons of
Israel coming down from Bethulia loosed and unbound him, and brought him
to Bethulia, and he being set amid the people was demanded what he was,
and why he was so sore there bounden. And he told to them all the matter
like as it is aforesaid, and how Holofernes had commanded him to be
delivered unto them of Israel. Then all the people fell down on to their
faces worshipping God, and with great lamentation and weeping, with one
will made their prayers unto our Lord God of heaven, and that he would
behold the pride of them, and to the meekness of them of Israel, and to
take heed to the faces of his hallows and show to them his grace and not
forsake them, and prayed God to have mercy on them and defend them from
their enemies. And on that other side, Holofernes commanded his hosts to
go up and assail Bethulia, and so went up, of footmen one hundred and
twenty thousand, and twelve thousand horsemen, and besieged the town,
and took their water from them, insomuch that they that were in the town
were in great penury of water, for in all the town was not water enough
for one day, and such as they had was given to the people by measure.
Then all the people young and old came to Ozias which was their prince,
with Charmis and Gothoniel, all with one voice crying: God the Lord deem
between us and thee, for thou hast done to us evil what thou spakest not
peaceably with Assyrians, for now we shall be delivered into the hands
of them. It is better for us to live in captivity under Holofernes and
live, than to die here for thirst, and see our wives and children die
before our eyes. And when they had made this piteous crying and yelling,
they went all to their church, and there a long while prayed and cried
unto God knowledging their sins and wickedness, meekly beseeching him to
show his grace and pity on them. Then at last Ozias arose up, and said
to the people: Let us abide yet five days, and if God send us no rescue
ne help us not in that time that we may give glory to his name, else we
shall do as ye have said. And when that Judith heard thereof, which was
a widow and a blessed woman, and was left widow three years and six
months.
After that Manasses her husband died, anon she went into the overest
part of her house in which she made a privy bed, which she and her
servants closed, and having on her body a hair [hair cloth], had fasted
all the days of her life save Sabbaths and new moons, and the feasts of
the house of Israel. She was a fair woman and her husband had left her
much riches, with plentiful meiny, and possessions of droves of oxen and
flocks of sheep, and she was a famous woman and dreaded God greatly. And
when she had heard that Ozias had said, that the fifth day the city
should be given over if God helped them not, she sent for the priests
Chambris and Charmis and said to them: What is this word in which Ozias
hath consented that the city should be delivered to the Assyrians if
within five days there come no help to us? And who be ye that tempt the
Lord God? This word is not to stir God to mercy but rather to arouse
wrath and woodness. Ye have set a time of mercy doing by God, and in
your doom ye have ordained a day to him. O good Lord, how patient is he,
let us ask him for forgiveness with weeping tears; he shall not threaten
as a man, ne inflame in wrath as a son of a man, therefore meek we our
souls to him and in a contrite spirit and meeked, serve we to him, and
say we weeping to God, that after his will he show to us his mercy, and
as our heart is troubled in the pride of them, so also of our humbleness
and meekness let us be joyful. For we have not followed the sin of our
fathers that forsook their God and worshipped strange gods, wherefore
they were given and be taken into hideous and great vengeance, into
sword, ravin, and into confusion to their enemies; we forsooth know no
other god but him. Abide we meekly the comfort of him, and he shall keep
us from our enemies and he shall make all gentiles that arise against
him, and shall make them without worship the Lord our God. And now ye
brethren, ye that be priests, on whom hangeth the life of the people of
God, pray ye unto Almighty God that he make me steadfast in the purpose
that I have proposed. Ye shall stand at the gate and I shall go out with
my handmaid. And pray ye the Lord that he steadfast make my soul, and do
ye nothing till I come again.
And then Judith went into her oratory, and arrayed her with her precious
clothing and adornments, and took unto her handmaid certain victuals
such as she might lawfully eat, and when she had made her prayers unto
God she departed in her most noble array toward the gate, whereas Ozias
and the priests abode her, and when they saw her they marvelled of her
beauty. Notwithstanding they let her go, saying: God of our fathers give
thee grace and strengthen all the counsel of thine heart with his virtue
and glory to Jerusalem, and be thy name in the number of saints and of
righteous men. And they all that were there said: Amen, and, fiat! fiat!
[let it be done]. Then she praising god passed through the gate, and her
handmaid with her. And when she came down the hill, about the springing
of the day, anon the spies of the Assyrians took her saying: Whence
comest thou, or whither goest thou? The which answered: I am a daughter
of the Hebrews and flee from them, knowing that they shall be taken by
you, and come to Holofernes for to tell him their privities, and I shall
show him by what entry he may win them, in such wise as one man of his
host shall not perish. And the men that heard these words beheld her
visage and wondered of her beauty, saying to her: Thou hast saved thy
life because thou hast founden such counsel, come therefore to our Lord,
for when thou shalt stand in his sight he shall accept thee. And they
led her to the tabernacle of Holofernes. And when she came before him
anon Holofernes was caught by his eyes, and his tyrant knights said to
him: Who despised the people of Jews that have so fair women, that not
for them of right we ought to fight against them? And so Judith seeing
Holofernes sitting in his canape that was of purple, of gold, smaragdos
and precious stones within woven, and when she had seen his face she
honored him, falling down herself unto the earth. And the servants of
Holofernes took her up, he so commanding. Then Holofernes said to her:
Be thou not afeard ne dread thee not. I never grieved ne noyed man that
would serve Nebuchadnezzar. Thy people soothly, if they had not despised
me, I had not raised my people ne strength against them. Now tell to me
the cause why thou wentest from them, and that it hath pleased thee to
come to us. And Judith said: Take the words of thine handmaid, and if
thou follow them, a perfect thing God shall do with thee. Forsooth
Nebuchadnezzar is the living king of the earth, and thou hast his power
for to chastise all people, for men only serve not him, but also the
beasts of the field obey to him, his might is known over all. And the
children of Israel shall be yielded to thee, for their God is angry with
them for their wickedness. They be enfamined and lack bread and water,
they be constrained to eat their horse and beasts, and to take such holy
things as be forbidden in their law, as wheat, wine, and oil, all these
things God hath showed to me. And they purpose to waste such things as
they ought not touch, and therefore and for their sins they shall be put
in the hands of their enemies, and our Lord hath showed me these things
to tell thee. And I thine handmaid shall worship God, and shall go out
and pray him, and come in and tell thee what he shall say to me, in such
wise that I shall bring thee through the middle of Jerusalem, and thou
shalt have all the people of Israel under thee, as the sheep be under
the shepherd, insomuch there shall not an hound burk against thee. And
because these things be said to me by the providence of God, and that
God is wroth with them, I am sent to tell thee these things.
Forsooth, all these words pleased much to Holofernes, and to his people,
and they marvelled of the wisdom of her. And one said to another. There
is not such a woman upon earth in sight, in fairness, and in wit of
words. And Holofernes said to her: God hath done well that he hath sent
thee hither for to let me have knowledge, and if thy God do to me these
things he shall be my God, and thou and thy name shall be great in the
house of Nebuchadnezzar. Then commanded Holofernes her to go in where
his treasure lay, and to abide there, and to give to her meat from his
feast, to whom she said that she might not eat of his meat, but that she
had brought meat with her for to eat. Then Holofernes said: When that
meat faileth what shall we give to thee to eat? And Judith said that she
should not spend all till God shall do in my hands those things that I
have thought. And the servants led her into his tabernacle, and she
desired that she might go out in the night and before day to pray, and
come in again. And the lord commanded his cubiculers that she should go
and come at her pleasure three days during. And she went out into the
valley of Bethulia and baptized her in the water of the well. And she
stretched her hands up to the God of Israel, praying the good Lord that
he would govern her way for to deliver his people; and thus she did unto
the fourth day. Then Holofernes made a great feast, and sent a man of
his, named Bagoas, for to entreat Judith to come eat and drink with him.
And Judith said: What am I that should gainsay my lord's desire. I am at
his commandment, whatsomever he will that I do, I shall do, and please
him all the days of my life. And she rose and adorned herself with her
rich and precious clothes, and went in and stood before Holofernes, and
Holofernes' heart was pierced with her beauty, and he said to her: Sit
down and drink in joy, for thou hast found grace before me. Judith said:
I shall drink my lord, for my life is magnified this day before all the
days of my life. And she ate and drank such as her handmaid had ordained
for her. And Holofernes was merry and drank so much wine that he never
drank so much in one day in all his life, and was drunken. And at even,
when it was night, Holofernes went into his bed, and Bagoas brought
Judith in to his chamber and closed the door. And when Judith was alone
in the chamber, and Holofernes lay and slept in overmuch drunkenness,
Judith said to her handmaid that she should stand without forth before
the door of the privy chamber and wait about, and Judith stood before
the bed praying with tears and with moving of her lips secretly, saying:
O Lord God of Israel, conform me in this hour to the works of my hands,
that thou raise up the city of Jerusalem as thou hast promised, and that
I may perform this that I have thought to do. And when she had thus
said, she went to the pillar that was at his bed's head, and took his
sword and loosed it, and when she had drawn it out, she took his hair in
her hand and said: Confirm me God of Israel in this hour, and smote
twice in the neck and cut off his head, and left the body lie still, and
took the head and wrapped it in the canape and delivered it to her maid,
and bade her to put it in her scrip, and they two went out after their
usage to pray. And they passed the tents, and going about the valley
came to the gate of the city, and Judith said to the keepers of the
walls: Open the gates, for God is with us that hath done great virtue in
Israel. And anon when they heard her call, they called the priests of
the city, and they came running for they had supposed no more to have
seen her, and lighting lights all went about her.
She then entered in and stood up in a high place and commanded silence,
and said: Praise ye the Lord God that forsaketh not men hoping in him;
and in me his handwoman, hath fulfilled his mercy that he promised to
the house of Israel, and hath slain in my hand the enemy of his people
this night. And then she brought forth the head of Holofernes and showed
it to them, saying: Lo! here the head of Holofernes, prince of the
chivalry of Assyrians, and lo! the canape of him in which he lay in his
drunkenhood, where our Lord hath smitten him by the hand of a woman.
Forsooth God liveth, for his angel kept me hence going, there abiding,
and from thence hither returning, and the Lord hath not suffered me, his
handwoman, to be defouled, but without pollution of sin hath called me
again to you joying in his victory, in my escaping and in your
deliverance. Knowledge ye him all for good, for his mercy is
everlasting, world without end. And all they, honoring our Lord, said to
her: The Lord bless thee in his virtue, for by thee he hath brought our
enemies to naught. Then Ozias, the prince of the people, said to her:
Blessed be thou of the high God before all women upon earth, and blessed
be the Lord that made heaven and earth, that hath addressed thee in the
wounds of the head of the prince of our enemies. After this Judith bade
that the head should be hanged up on the walls, and at the sun rising
every man in his arms issue out upon your enemies, and when their spies
shall see you, they shall run into the tent of their prince, to raise
him and to make him ready to fight, and when his lords shall see him
dead, they shall be smitten with so great dread and fear that they shall
flee, whom ye then shall pursue, and God shall bring them and tread
them under your feet. Then Achior seeing the virtue of the God of
Israel, left his old heathen's customs and believed in God, and put
himself to the people of Israel, and all the succession of his kindred
unto this day. Then at the springing of the day they hung the head of
Holofernes on the walls, and every man took his arms and went out with
great noise, which thing seeing, the spies ran together to the
tabernacle of Holofernes, and came making noise for to make him to
arise, and that he should awake, but no man was so hardy to knock or
enter into his privy chamber. But when the dukes and leaders of
thousands came, and other, they said to the privy chamberlains: Go and
awake your lord, for the mice be gone out of their caves and be ready to
call us to battle. Then Bagoas went into his privy chamber and stood
before the curtain, and clapped his hands together. And when he
perceived no moving of him, he drew the curtain and seeing the dead body
of Holofernes, without head, lying in his blood, cried with great voice,
weeping and rending his clothes, and went in to the tabernacle of Judith
and found her not, and started out to the people and said: A woman of
the Hebrews hath made confusion in the house of Nebuchadnezzar, she hath
slain Holofernes, and he is dead, and she hath his head with her.
And when the princes and captains of the Assyrians heard this, anon they
rent their clothes, and intolerable dread fell on them, and were sore
troubled in their wits and made a horrible cry in their tents. And when
all the host had heard how Holofernes was beheaded, counsel and mind
flew from them, and with great trembling for succor began to flee, in
such wise that none would speak with other, but with their heads bowed
down fled for to escape from the Hebrews, whom they saw armed coming
upon them, and departed fleeing by fields and ways of hills and valleys.
And the sons of Israel, seeing them fleeing, following them, crying with
trumps and shouting after them, and slew and smote down all them that
they overtook. And Ozias sent forth unto all the cities and regions of
Israel, and they sent after all the young men and valiant to pursue them
by sword, and so they did unto the uttermost coasts of Israel. The other
men soothly, that were in Bethulia, went in to the tents of the
Assyrians, and took all the prey that the Assyrians had left, and when
the men had pursued them were returned, they took all their beasts and
all the movable goods and things that they had left, so much that every
man from the most to the least were made rich by the prey that they
took. Then Joachim the high bishop of Jerusalem came unto Bethulia, with
all the priests, for to see Judith, and when she came tofore them all,
they blessed her with one voice, saying: Thou glory of Jerusalem, thou
gladness of Israel, thou the worship doing of our people, thou didst
manly, and thy heart is comforted because thou lovedst chastity and
knewest no man after the death of thy husband, and therefore the hand of
God hath comforted thee. And therefore thou shalt be blessed world
without end, and all the people said: Fiat! fiat! be it done, be it
done. Certainly the spoils of the Assyrians were unnethe gathered and
assembled together in thirty days, of the people of Israel, but all the
proper riches that were appertaining to Holofernes and could be found
that had been his, they were given to Judith as well gold, silver, gems,
clothes, as all other appurtenances to household; and all was delivered
to her of the people, and the folks, with women and maidens, joyed in
organs and harps. Then Judith sang this song unto God saying: Begin ye
in timbrels, sing ye to the Lord in cymbals, mannerly sing to him a new
psalm. Fully joy ye, and inwardly call ye his name, and so forth. And
for this great miracle and victory all the people came to Jerusalem for
to give laud, honor, and worship unto our Lord God. And after they were
purified they offered sacrifices, vows, and behests unto God, and the
joy of this victory was solemnized during three months, and after that,
each went home again into his own city and house, and Judith returned
into Bethulia, and was made more great and clear to all men of the land
of Israel. She was joined to the virtue of chastity, so that she knew no
man all the days of her life after the death of Manasses, her husband,
and dwelled in the house of her husband an hundred and five years, and
she left her demoiselle free. After this she died and is buried in
Bethulia and all the people bewailed her seven days. During her life
after this journey was no trouble among the Jews, and the day of this
victory of the Hebrews was accepted for a feastful day, and hallowed of
the Jews and numbered among their feasts unto this day.
THE VISION OF BELSHAZZAR
The King was on his throne,
The Satraps throng'd the hall;
A thousand bright lamps shone
O'er that high festival.
A thousand cups of gold,
In Judah deem'd divine--
Jehovah's vessels hold
The godless Heathen's wine.
In that same hour and hall
The fingers of a Hand
Came forth against the wall,
And wrote as if on sand:
The fingers of a man;--
A solitary hand
Along the letters ran,
And traced them like a wand.
The monarch saw, and shook,
And bade no more rejoice;
All bloodless wax'd his look,
And tremulous his voice:--
"Let the men of lore appear,
The wisest of the earth,
And expound the words of fear,
Which mar our royal mirth."
Chaldea's seers are good,
But here they have no skill;
And the unknown letters stood
Untold and awful still.
And Babel's men of age
Are wise and deep in lore;
But now they were not sage,
They saw--but knew no more.
A Captive in the land,
A stranger and a youth,
He heard the king's command,
He saw that writing's truth;
The lamps around were bright,
The prophecy in view;
He read it on that night,--
The morrow proved it true!
"Belshazzar's grave is made,
His kingdom pass'd away,
He, in the balance weigh'd,
Is light and worthless clay;
The shroud, his robe of state;
His canopy, the stone:
The Mede is at his gate!
The Persian on his throne!"
_--Lord Byron_
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
As Joseph was a-walking,
He heard an angel sing,
"This night shall be the birth-time
Of Christ, the heavenly king.
"He neither shall be born
In housen nor in hall,
Nor in the place of paradise,
But in an ox's stall.
"He neither shall be clothed
In purple nor in pall,
But in the fair white linen
That usen babies all.
"He neither shall be rocked
In silver nor in gold,
But in a wooden manger
That resteth on the mould."
As Joseph was a-walking,
There did an angel sing,
And Mary's child at midnight
Was born to be our king.
Then be ye glad, good people,
This night of all the year,
And light ye up your candles,
For his star it shineth clear.
ON THE MORNING OF CHRIST'S NATIVITY
This is the month, and this the happy morn
Wherein the Son of heav'n's eternal king
Of wedded Maid, and Virgin Mother born,
Our great redemption from above did bring;
For so the holy sages once did sing,
That He our deadly forfeit should release,
And with His Father work us a perpetual peace.