radiance:

"With this shalt thou conquer the foe in the conflict,
And with it shalt hurl back the host of the heathen."

_Elene._

Constantine is Cheered

Constantine read these words with awe and gladness, for indeed he knew
not what deity had thus favoured him, but he would not reject the help
of the Unknown God; so he bowed his head in reverence, and when he
looked again the cross and the angel had disappeared, and around him
as he woke was the greyness of the rising dawn. The emperor summoned
to his tent two soldiers from the troops, and bade them make a cross
of wood to bear before the army. This they did, greatly marvelling,
and Constantine called a standard-bearer, to whom he gave charge to
bear forward the Standard of the Cross where the danger was greatest
and the battle most fierce.

The Morning of Battle

When the day broke, and the two armies could see each other, both
hosts arrayed themselves for battle, in serried ranks of armed
warriors, shouting their war-cries.

"Loud sang the trumpets to stern-minded foemen
The dewy-winged eagle watched them march onward,
The horny-billed raven rejoiced in the battle-play,
The sly wolf, the forest-thief, soon saw his heart's desire
As the fierce warriors rushed at each other.
Great was the shield-breaking, loud was the clamour,
Hard were the hand-blows, and dire was the downfall,
When first the heroes felt the keen arrow-shower.
Soon did the Roman host fall on the death-doomed Huns,
Thrust forth their deadly spears over the yellow shields,
Broke with their battle-glaives breasts of the foemen."

_Elene._

The Cross is Raised

Then, when the battle was at its height, and the Romans knew not
whether they would conquer or die fighting to the last, the
standard-bearer raised the Cross, the token of promised victory,
before all the host, and sang the chant of triumph. Onward he marched,
and the Roman host followed him, pressing on resistless as the surging
waves. The Huns, bewildered by the strange rally, and dreading the
mysterious sign of some mighty god, rolled back, at first slowly, and
then more and more quickly, till sullen retreat became panic rout, and
they broke and fled. Multitudes were cut down as they fled, other
multitudes were swept away by the devouring Danube as they tried to
cross its current; some, half dead, reached the other side, and saved
their lives in fortresses, guard