720
the wiles of the devil the holy rood lay hid beneath
the earth, nor where it rested in its tomb, safe in a
secret place, long hidden from men.

After a little while he lifted up his voice with
unwonted power and spake in Hebrew:--'O Lord 725
Jesus, thou who dost possess the power of judgment,
thou who didst form the heaven and the earth and
the sea, the broad expanse of waters, and all created
things, by the might of thy glory; thou who didst
measure out with thine own hands all the sphere of 730
this earth and of the firmament above; thou who
dost sit in person, the King of victories, over the
most glorious angel-kind; thou who in a mantle
of light dost fare through space in surpassing
majesty, the nature of man cannot rise in the flesh 735
from the earth-tainted ways unto the bright throng
of the pure, the heralds of glory. Thou didst form
that host, holy and heavenly, and didst ordain it
unto thy service. Six of their number are called 740
by name in joy without end, and they are clothed
about with six wings; they are adorned, and gleam
brightly. And there are four of their number
ever in flight that perform the service of glory 745
before the sight of the eternal Judge, and they continually
sing in holiness with clear voices the laud
of the King of heaven, fairest of songs, and they
chant these words in pure tones--their name is 750
cherubim:--"Holy is the holy God of the archangels,
the Lord of hosts. Heaven and earth are
full of His majesty, and all His exceeding might is
marked with His glory." And there are two among
their number in the heavens, the victorious race, 755
whereon man bestoweth the name of seraphim.
With flaming sword they are to keep sacred the field
of Paradise and the tree of life. And fast in
their grasp the drawn sword, sharp of edge, quivers,
trembles, and changes its hue. For thou dost rule, 760
O Lord God, eternally, and thou didst hurl thy sin-stained
foes, the workers of iniquity, from the
heavens, and the unhappy host fell to the dark
abodes, into the pains of hell. There now they suffer 765
the agony of death in a sea of fire, encompassed
about with darkness, in the embrace of the dragon.
He withstood thy kingly rule, and therefore in
misery, abhorred, the vilest of the vile, shall he
suffer and endure the servile yoke. He cannot ther