Jews, men of misfortune,
it was a most bitter grief and most hated
of fates that they could change neither it nor the
joy of the Christians in the world. Then the queen 980
bade messengers from her noble company make
them ready with haste, for they were to seek the
lord of the Romans over the deep sea, and declare
unto that warrior in person the best of glad tidings--how
the tree of victory, that had been hidden a long 985
time before to grieve the holy ones, the Christian
people, had been discovered and found in the earth
through the grace of the Creator.

Then was the soul of the king rejoiced at that 990
fair news, and his heart filled with gladness. And
in the city there was no want of richly-clad questioners
concerning what was come from afar. The
greatest comfort in the world, a joyful soul, was 995
come unto him at those glad tidings which the messengers,
leaders of the army, brought to him over
the eastern ways, how the warriors with the glorious
queen had made a prosperous voyage over the sea
into the land of the Greeks. The emperor bade
them prepare themselves again for the journey with 1000
the greatest haste. The warriors made no delay
when once they heard the answer, the message of
the prince. He bade them, heroes hardy of soul,
give greeting to Elene, renowned in war, if they
should survive the sea and make a prosperous 1005
voyage unto the holy city. And Constantine furthermore
bade the messengers charge her to build
a church there on the mountain-slope for the weal
of them both, a temple of the Lord on Calvary for 1010
the joy of Christ and the solace of men, there
where the holy rood was found, fairest of all trees
the dwellers on earth have ever known. 1015

15. THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE.

And thus she did when her friends brought many
a kind greeting over the fastness of waters from the
west. Then the queen bade seek far and near those 1020
skilled in the arts, the best of those who could work
most wondrously in the laying of stone upon stone,
that they might raise a temple of God upon that
place. As the Lord of spirits counseled her from
the heavens, she bade deck out the rood with gold
and with gems, adorn it most artfully with precious 1025
stones; then to seal it with locks in a casket of silver.
There hath the rood of life, best tree