, and when she had been taught the truth, had been converted and
baptized, he told her of his heart's desire, and begged her to journey
to Jerusalem and seek the sacred Cross.

Elene herself, when she heard Constantine's words, was filled with
wonder, and said: "Dear son, thy words have greatly rejoiced my heart,
for know that I, too, have seen a vision, and would gladly seek the
Holy Cross, where it lies hidden from the eyes of men."

Elene's Vision

"Now will I tell thee the brightest of visions,
Dreamt at the midnight when men lay in slumber.
Hovering in heaven saw I a radiant Cross,
Gloriously gold-adorned, shining in splendour;
Starry gems shone on it at the four corners,
Flashed from the shoulder-span five gleaming jewels.
Angels surrounded it, guarding it gladly.
Yet in its loveliness sad was that Cross to see,
For 'neath the gold and gems fast blood flowed from it,
Till it was all defiled with the dark drops."

_Dream of the Rood._

In this dream of Elene's the Cross spoke to her, and told her of the
sad fate which had made of that hapless tree the Cross on which the
Redeemer of mankind had released the souls of men from evil, on which
He had spread out His arms to embrace mankind, had bowed His head,
weary with the strife, and had given up His soul. All creation wept
that hour, for Christ was on the Cross.

"Yet His friends came to him, left not His corpse alone,
Took down the Mighty King from His sharp sufferings--
Humbly I bowed myself down to the hands of men.
Sadly they laid Him down in His dark rock-hewn grave,
Sadly they sang for Him dirges for death-doomed ones,
Sadly they left Him there as His fair corpse grew cold.
We, the three Crosses, stood mournful in loneliness,
Till evil-thinking men felled us all three to ground,
Sank us deep into earth, sealed us from sight of man."

_Dream of the Rood._

She Undertakes the Quest

As Constantine had been guided by the heavenly vision of the True
Cross, so now Elene would journey to the land of the Jews and find the
reality of that Holy Cross. Her will and that of her son were one in
this matter, so that before long the whole city resounded with the
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