greater need than now.
Avenge, O mighty Lord, the thing whereof I wot,
Which is anger in my soul, and in my breast burns hot.
Then the Judge most high He gave her the courage she prayed Him for,
As yet to each He giveth, who seeketh Him, as of yore,
With faith and understanding, his help for evermore.

And then,

Enlarged was the woman's soul, the holy one's hope sprang new.

And she smites the evil general with the strength she had prayed for,
and goes forth victorious with her handmaiden, to bear the tidings to
her people of the deliverance wrought for them, ascribing the glory to
God and His might. Judith leaves the camp of the Assyrians, with her
waiting-woman, who carries the head of Holofernes in a bag. Men and
women in great multitudes flock to the fortress-gate, pressing and
running to meet God's handmaid, glad of heart to know of her
home-coming. They let her in reverently, and the trophy she has brought
is shown them. Judith beseeches them to go forth to the fight, as soon
as the Maker of the beginning of all things, the King of high honour,
hath sent the bright light from the East; to go forth bearing shield and
buckler and the bright helmet, to meet the thronging foemen, and fell
the folk-leaders, the doomed spear-bearers. Their foes are doomed to
death, and they shall have glory and honour in battle. Then follows a
great battle, with full victory to Israel.

The poet has varied from the Biblical story, in representing the
officers of Holofernes' army as drunk; and also in telling of a battle
after the return of Judith to Bethulia. It also may seem strange that
Judith should address the Holy Trinity and each separate Person thereof.
The old Christian poet carried his belief along with him, and the
handmaid of God, the brave Judith, was to him a follower of Our Lord.
The brave Judith, yes! St Dominic's Third Order was at first, as we
know, called "The militia of Jesus Christ." How Judith would have loved
the name! And we may think, may we not? how, looking from her place
among the glorified, she smiled on the great warrior Maiden Saint who
went in the might of the Lord, to deliver her country from the rule of
the stranger.

The story of Judith would especially appeal to people living at a time
when incursions of foreigners were well known, and later on, still
unforgotten. Abbot AElfric, about whose work I have to tell you something
presently, in writing a short account of the Old