alliteration.

IV.

Bade she then order the dwellers-in-city
Most skilled in lore, those far and wide
Among the Jews, each one of men,
For council-talk in meeting to come,
Who most deeply the secrets of God 280
By righteous law were able to tell.
Then was assembled from distant ways
No little crowd who Moses' law
Were able to tell. In number there were
Of thousands three of those [learned] men 285
Chosen for lore. The lovely woman
The men of the Hebrews with words gan address:
"I that most surely have learnt to know
Through secret words of prophets [of old]
In the books of God, that in days of yore 290
Ye worthy were of the glorious King,
Dear to the Lord and daring in deed.
Lo! ye that wisdom [very, Gn.] unwisely,
Wrongly, rejected, when him ye condemned
Who you from the curse through might of his glory, 295
From torment of fire, thought to redeem,
From fetters' force. Ye filthily spat
On his fair face who light of the eyes
From blindness [restored], a remedy brought
To you anew by that noble spittle, 300
And often preserved you from the unclean
Spirits of devils. This one to death
Ye gan adjudge, who self from death
Many awakened 'mong host of men
Of your own race to the former life. 305
So blinded in mind ye gan conjoin
Lying with truth, light with darkness,
Hatred with mercy, with evil thoughts
Ye wickedness wove; therefore the curse
You guilty oppresses. The purest Might 310
Ye gan condemn, and have lived in error,
In thoughts benighted, until this day.
Go ye now quickly, with prudence select
Men firm in wisdom, crafty in word,
Who your own law, with excellence skilled, 315
In thoughts of their minds most thoroughly have,
Who to me truly are able to say,
Answer to tell for you henceforth
Of each one of tokens that I from thee seek."
They went then away sorry-in-mind, 320
The law-clever earls, oppressed with fear,
Sad in their grief, earnestly sought
The wisest men in secrets of words,
That they to the queen might answer well
Both of good and of ill, as she from them sought. 325
Then they 'mong the host a thousand of men
Found clever in mind who the old story
Among the Jews most readily knew.
Then they pressed in