Hero-Myths & Legends of the British Race
bustle and clamour of preparation, for Elene was to travel with the
pomp and retinue befitting the mother of the Emperor of Rome.
"There by the Wendel Sea stood the wave-horses.
Proudly the plunging ships sought out the ocean path.
Line followed after line of the tall brine-ploughs.
Forth went the water-steeds o'er the sea-serpent's road
Bright shields on the bulwarks oft broke the foaming surge.
Ne'er saw I lady lead such a fair following!"
_Elene._
She Comes to Judaea
Queen Elene had a prosperous voyage, and, after touching at the land
of the Greeks, reached in due time the country of Judaea, and so, with
good hope came to Jerusalem. There, in the emperor's name, she
summoned to an assembly all the oldest and wisest Jews, a congregation
of a thousand venerable rabbis, learned in all the books of the Law
and the Prophets and proud that they were the Chosen People in a world
of heathens, aliens from the True God. These she addressed at first
with a blending of flattery and reproach--flattery for the Chosen
People, reproach for their perversity of wickedness--and, finally,
peremptorily demanded an answer to any question she might ask of them.
The Jews withdrew and deliberated sadly whether they durst refuse the
request of so mighty a person as the emperor's mother, and, deciding
that they durst not, returned to the hall where Elene sat in splendour
on her throne and announced their readiness to reply to all her
questions. Elene, however, bade them first lessen their numbers. They
chose five hundred to reply for them, and on these she poured such
bitter reproaches that they at last exclaimed:
"Lady, we learnt of yore laws of the Hebrew folk
Which all our fathers learnt from the true ark of God.
Lady, we know not now why thou thus blamest us;
How has the Jewish race done grievous wrong to thee?"
_Elene._
She Cross-questions the Rabbis
Elene only replied: "Go ye away, and choose out from among these five
hundred those whose wisdom is great enough to show them without delay
the answer to all things I require"; and again they left her presence.
When they were alone, one of them, named Judas, said "I know what
this queen requires: she will demand to know from us where the Cross
is concealed on which the Lord of the Christians was crucified; but if
we tell this secret I know well that the Jews will cease to bear rule
on the earth, and our holy scriptures will be forgotten. For my
grandfather Zacchaeus, as he lay dying, bade me confess the truth if
ever man should inquire concerning the Holy Tree; and when I asked how
our nation had failed to recognise the Holy and Just One, he told me
that he had always withdrawn himself from the evil deeds of his
generation, and their leaders had been blinded by their own
unrighteousness, and had slain the Lord of Glory. And he ended:
"'Thus I and my father secretly held the Faith.
Now warn I thee, my son, speak not thou mockingly
Of the true Son of God reigning in glory:
For whom my Stephen died, and the Apostle Paul.'
_Elene._
"Now," said Judas, "since things are so, decide ye what we shall
reveal, or what conceal, if this queen asks us."
One Appointed to Answer her
The other elders replied: "Do what seems to thee best, since thou
alone knowest this. Never have we heard of these strange secrets. Do
thou according to thy great wisdom."
While they still deliberated came the heralds with silver trumpets,
which they blew, proclaiming aloud:
"The mighty Queen calls you, O men, to the Council,
That she may hear from you of your decision.
Great is the need ye have of all your wisdom."
_Elene._
Slowly and reluctantly the Jewish rabbis returned to the
council-chamber, and listened to Elene as she plied them with
questions about the ancient prophecies and the death of Christ; but to
all her inquiries they professed entire ignorance, until, in her
wrath, the queen threatened them with death by fire. Then they led
forward Judas, saying: "He can reveal the mysteries of Fate, for he is
of noble race, the son of a prophet. He will tell thee truth, O Queen,
as thy soul loveth." Thus Elene let the other Jews go in peace, and
took Judas for a hostage.
She Threatens him
Now Elene greeted Judas and said:
"Lo, thou perverse one, two things lie before thee,
Or death or life for thee: choose which thou wilt."
_Elene._
Judas replied to her, since he could not escape:
"If the starved wanderer lost on the barren moors
Sees both a stone and bread, easily in his reach,
Which, O Queen, thinkest thou he will reject?"
_Elene._
Thereupon Elene said: "If thou wouldst dwell in heaven with the
angels, reveal to me where the True Cross lies hidden." Now Judas was
very sad, for his choice lay between death and the revealing of the
fateful secret, but he still tried to evade giving an answer,
protesting that too long a time had passed for the secret to be known.
Elene retorted that the Trojan War was a still more ancient story, and
yet was still well known; but Judas replied that men are bound to
remember the valiant deeds of nations; he himself had never even heard
the story of which she spoke. This obstinacy angered the queen
greatly, and she demanded to be taken at once to the hill of Calvary,
that she might purify it, for the sake of Him who died there; but
Judas only repeated:
"I know not the place, nor aught of that field."
_Elene._
Queen Elene was yet more enraged by his stubborn denials, and
determined to obtain by force an answer to her questions. Calling her
servants, she bade them thrust Judas into a deep dry cistern, where he
lay, starving, bound hand and foot, for seven nights and days. On the
seventh day his stubborn spirit yielded, and Judas lifted up his voice
and called aloud, saying:
"Now I beseech you all by the great God of heaven
That you will lift me up out of this misery.
I will tell all I know of that True Holy Cross,
Now I no longer can hide it for heavy pain.
Hunger has daunted me through all these dreary days.
Foolish was I of yore; late I confess it."
_Elene._
He Guides her to Calvary
The message was brought to Elene where she waited to hear tidings, and
she bade her servants lift the weakened Judas from the dark pit; then
they led him, half dead with hunger, out of the city to the hill of
Calvary. There Judas prayed to the God whom he now feared and
worshipped for a sign, some token to guide them in their search for
the Holy Cross. As he prayed a sweet-smelling vapour, curling upwards
like the incense-wreaths around the altar, rose to the skies from the
summit of the hill. The sign was manifest to all, and Judas gave
thanks to God for His great mercy; then, bidding the wondering
soldiers help him, he began to dig. By this time all men knew what
they sought, and each wished to uncover the holy relic, so that all
dug with great zeal, until, under twenty feet of earth, they
uncovered three crosses, so well preserved that they lay in the earth
just as the Jews had hidden them.
Three Crosses Found
Judas and all rejoiced greatly at this marvel, and, reverently raising
the three crosses, they bore them into the city, and laid them at the
feet of Queen Elene, whose first rapture of joy was speedily turned to
perplexity as she realised that she knew not which was that sacred
Cross on which the King of Angels had suffered. "For," she said, "two
thieves were crucified with him." But even Judas could not clear her
doubts.
"Lo we have heard of this from all the holy books,
That there were with him two in His deep anguish.
They hung in death by Him; He was Himself the third.
Heaven was all darkened o'er at that dread moment.
Say, if thou rightly canst, which of these crosses
Is that blest Tree of Fate which bore the Heaven's King."
_Elene._
A Miracle to Reveal our Saviour's Cross
Judas, however, suggested that the crosses should be carried to the
midst of the city, and that they should pray for another miracle to
reveal the truth. This was done at dawn, and the triumphant band of
Christians raised hymns of prayer and praise until the ninth hour;
then came a mighty crowd bearing a young man lifeless on his bier. At
Judas's command they laid down the bier, and he, praying to God,
solemnly raised in turn each of the crosses and held it above the dead
man's head. Lifeless still he lay as Judas raised the first two, but
when he held above the corpse the third, the True Cross, the dead man
arose instantly, body and soul reunited, one in praising God, and the
whole multitude broke out into shouts of thanksgiving to the Lord
of Hosts, and the sacred relic was restored to the loving care of the
queen.
The Nails Sought for
Nevertheless Elene's longing was still unsatisfied. She called Judas
(whose new name in baptism was Cyriacus) and begged him to fulfil her
desires, and to pray to God that she might find the nails which had
pierced the Lord of Life, where they lay hidden from men in the ground
of Calvary. Leading her out of the town, Cyriacus again prayed on
Mount Calvary that God would send forth a token and reveal the secret.
As he prayed there came from heaven a leaping flame, brighter than the
sun, which touched the surface of the ground here and there, and
kindled in each place a tiny star. When they dug at the spots where
the stars shone they found each nail shining visibly and casting a
radiance of its own in the dark earth. So Elene had obtained her
heart's desire, and had now the True Cross and the Holy Nails.
Good News Brought to Constantine
Word of his mother's success was sent to the Emperor Constantine, and
he was asked what should be done with these glorious relics. He bade
Elene build in Jerusalem a glorious church, and make therein a
beautiful shrine of silver, where the Holy Cross should be guarded for
all generations by priests who should watch it day and night. This was
done, but the nails were still Elene's possession, and she was at a
loss how to preserve these holy relics, when the devout Cyriacus, now
ordained Bishop of Jerusalem, went to her and said: "O lady and queen,
take these precious nails for thy son the emperor. Make with them
rings for his horse's bridle. Victory shall ever go with them; they
shall be called Holy to God, and he shall be called blessed whom that
horse bears." The advice pleased the queen, and she had wrought a
glorious bridle, adorned with the Holy Nails, and sent it to her son.
Constantine received it with all reverence, and ordained that April
24, the day of the miracle of revelation, should henceforth be kept in
honour as "Holy Cross Day." Thus were the Emperor's zeal and the royal
mother's devotion rewarded, and Christendom was enriched by some of
its most precious treasures, the True Cross and the Holy Nails.
CHAPTER IV: THE COMPASSION OF CONSTANTINE
Youth of Constantine
Constantine the Great was the eldest son of the Roman Emperor
Constantius and the British Princess Helena, or Elena, and was brought
up as a devout worshipper of the many gods of Rome. The lad grew up
strong and handsome, of a tall and majestic figure, skilled in all
warlike exercises, and, as he fought in the civil wars between the
various Roman emperors, he showed himself a bold and prudent general
in battle, a friendly and popular leader in time of peace. The
popularity of the youthful Constantine was dangerous to him, and he
needed, and showed, great skill in evading the deadly jealousy of the
old Emperor Diocletian, and the hatred of his father's rival,
Galerius. At last, however, his position became so dangerous that