More from Juliana, part III

Yet more from Juliana. I am rapidly approaching the halfway mark, and feel that I am hitting my stride with the voice and language.

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She swiftly asked then, she who was unafraid, pleasing to Christ,
whence his origins were. To her the wrack-kin replied:
I am an angel of God sailing from above,
a noble thane, and to you sent holy from the heights.
For you severe tortures with slaughter-grim wounds are decreed
as deadly punishment. God orders you be commanded,
child of the Wielder, to protect yourself from them." (258-66)

Juliana was then, on account of its fearful message to her,
terrified by that monster, the terror that spoke in words,
the adversary of glory. Then she firmly fastened her spirit,
the young and innocent woman, and called out to God:
“Now I wish to ask you, O Shelter of Warriors, Eternal Almighty,
by the noble creation that you, Father of Angels, established at the start,
do no permit me to turn aside from the praise of your blessed gift,
as this herald who stands before me bids me with his fear-spell.
So I wish to ask you, gentle Lord, the Glory of Kings, to reveal
what this thane might be, bouncing in the breeze,
and who instructs me upon a rough road away from you.” (267-86)

Then the heart of Juliana was gladdened, judgment-blessed.
She grabbed that devil… (287-8)

[at least one folio is missing from the Exeter Book at this point]

…. to sell the King of All Kings unto his death.
Moreover, I contrived it so that champion wounded the Wielder
while the multitude watched, so that both blood and water
sought the earth together there. Moreover, I incited
Herod in his heart so that he ordered the head of John the Baptist
be cut off when the holy man rebuked him wordfully
for his wife-love and his unlawful marriage.*
Also I instructed, guile-minded, Simon Magus to raise strife
against Christ’s chosen thanes and stretch out slander
to the holy men through deep error saying that they were sorcerers. (289-301)

“I endeavored with evil tricks when I seduced Nero
to order Christ’s thanes Peter and Paul be killed and,
before, Pontius Pilate with my teachings to hang
the Wielder of Heaven upon the cross, the Mighty Maker.
Likewise I instructed Ægias to unwisely order
Andrew to be hung upon a high tree, so that he sent
his spirit up from the gallows into the Face of Glory.
Thus have I performed so many wrathful bales with my brothers,
dark with sins, that I cannot relate them all or tell them fully
nor count the number of torments, the grim hate-thoughts. (302-16a)

The holy woman answered him by the Spirit's gift, Juliana:
“You must speak further yet, Enemy of Mankind,
of your mission here, and of who send you to me.” (315b-8)