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