Then was the standard, the token, raised before the armies, and they chanted the victors’ song.  Over the field of battle gleamed spears and helmets 125 of gold.  The pagan host was conquered; in merciless strife they fell.  As the king of the Romans, dauntless in battle, bade raise that holy tree, the peoples of the Huns straight fled away, and their warriors were scattered far and wide.  Some 130 perished in the fight, some saved themselves hardly on the march, some, with life half-ebbed, fled to fastnesses and nursed their strength behind barren rocks, some seized the land near the Danube, and 135 some were finally drowned in the river’s current.  Then was the army of valiant heroes rejoiced, and from break of day until eve they followed hard upon the foreign foe, while the spears flew, biting 140 battle-adders.  The horde of hated shield-bearers was lessened; but few of the army of Huns returned thence home again.

Then was manifest from that day’s deed that the King Almighty gave unto Constantine victory, 145 glorious honor, and a realm beneath the heavens, through his holy rood.  And he, renowned in battle, a bulwark of armies, returned thence home again when the war was decided, exulting in his spoil.  Famed in the fight, a defense for heroes, the 150 king came with a throng of thanes to visit his cities and stud his shield with jewels.

5.  The assembly.

Then the Lord of men straight summoned the wisest to council, those who had pondered the craft of wisdom in writings of old and held nobly to 155 the rede of scholars.  And the prince of the people, victory-inspired king, asked through the vast assembly if there were any man there could tell and declare unto him truly who the god was, giver of good 160 gifts, ’whose sign this was which appeared unto me so bright, the most gleaming of tokens, saved my people, and gave unto me glory and war-speed against my foes through the holy tree.’ 165

But no one of them could give him any answer in return, nor knew they full well what to say about the victor-tree.  Then spake the wisest before the multitudes, and said that it was a sign from the King 170 of heaven, and of that there could be no doubt.

6.  The conversion of Constantine.

But they who had learned the truth, who were taught through baptism, were joyful in soul, and their hearts were light that they might declare before 175 the emperor the grace of the gospel:  how the Saviour of souls, revered in threefold majesty, was born; how God’s own Son was hung upon the cross in bitter agony before the multitudes; how He freed 180 the children of men and souls of the careworn from the snares of devils, and gave unto them grace through the very thing that had been disclosed to his own sight as a sign of victory against