Scottish Text Society publications > Third series > Thomas Hudson's historie of Judith

92
THE HISTORIE OF JUDITH.
Graunt that some sleepie drink I may prouide.
To dull this tyrants hart and daunt his pride,
to thend that I may free thy congregation
Vnto thy honour, and our consolation.
This prayer done, she looked round about.
And hard this dronken prince in sleeping rout,
then stept she to his sword that by him stood,
which oft had bathd the world with humain blood
But as she preast this tyrant for to quell,
Feare, reft the sword from her, & down she fell,
and lost at once the strength of hart and corse.
O God (quoth she) now by thy mightie forse,
Restore my strength. This said (with pale annoy)
she rudly rose, and stroke this sleeping Roy
so fell, that from his shoulders flew his powle,
and from his body fled his Ethnique sowle
hye way to hell. His bulk all blood bestaind
Lay still, his head in ludiths hand remaind.
The which her mayd put vp into a sack,
thus throw the camp they close away do pack
Empecht of none. For those that had her scene,
Suposde she went (as she had wonted bene
the nights before) vnto the valley wheare,
they thought she went to serue Diana cleare.
Whew ludith chast came near the Hebrew wall :
Let in (quoth she) for our great god of all
hath broke this night the whole Assyrian powre,
and raisd the home of Izak at this howre.
Then men amazde of her vnhoped state.
About her ran assembling at the gate,
where holy ludith on a hill was mounted,
And all her chaunce from point to point recounted.
And there, discovring drew out of the sack.
The bloody head of th’enmie 1 of Izak,
The Citezins that saw how she did stand
with th’ead of Assurs head in her right hand :
1 1S84, th enmie.