JUDITH IS INVITED TO THE BANQUET.

413

Having finished her prayer, she attired herself and went by night with her maid carrying a basket of provisions, down the hill to the Assyrian camp. Early in the morning they met the watch of the Assyrians, who stopped them, and asked them who they were. Judith answered that she was a daughter of the Hebrews, and that she had fled from the city, knowing that it must fall; that wishing to save her own life, she was come into their camp, and moreover, that she had secret intelligence to give to Holofernes, how the city might be taken.

The watch immediately accompanied her to the tent of Holofernes, into whose presence she was introduced. Here she repeated her story more at length, saying that the words of Achior had convinced her that the safety of the city was hopeless; and that she was come to them to save her own life, and to tell how things were in the city. Her words pleased Holofernes greatly, and he said: "There is not such another woman upon earth in look, in beauty, and in sense of words."

Judith had asked liberty to go out with her maid at an early hour before day to prayer, and Holofernes commanded his chamberlains that she might go out and in as she pleased for three days. Judith went out by night to the valley of Bethulia, to pray to the Lord her God, to direct her in the delivery of her people. On the fourth day, Holofernes made a supper for his servants, and sent to invite Judith to be present. Judith, though she had refused to eat of the Assyrian meats, consented to come, stipulating that she should

eat and drink of such things as her maid should prepare for her. Holofernes became so exceedingly merry at this banquet, that he drank more wine than he had ever drunk before in his life, and at length he lay drunk and motionless on his bed. Judith was now alone with him in the chamber, all the guests having retired. She told her maid to stand before the chamber and watch, and then praying with tears, her lips moving in silence, she said:

PRAYER OF JUDITH.

Strengthen me, O Lord God of Israel, and in this hour look on the works of my hands, that as thou hast promised, thou mayest raise up

Jerusalem thy city; that I may bring to pass that which I have purposed, having a belief that it might be done by thee.

Having said this, she reached down his sword from the pillar where it hung, and taking him by the hair, she struck twice and cut off his head.

§ 49. Judith returns to Bethulia. Her canticle of thanksgiving. In the morning Judith stood before the walls of Bethulia, her maid carrying the head of Holofernes in her bag, and cried, " Open the gates, for God is with us." She was soon brought before the elders of the city, who on seeing the head of their enemy, Holofernes, gave glory to God for their deliverance. Achior was now called for, and Judith said to him, "The God of Israel, to whom thou gavest testimony, that He revengeth himself of His enemies, He hath cut off the head of all the unbelievers this night by my hand. And that thou mayest find that it is so, behold the head of Holofernes, who in the contempt of his pride despised the God of Israel, and threatened thee with

THE VICTORY OVER THE ENEMY.

415

death, saying: 'When the people of Israel shall be taken, I will command thy sides to be pierced with a sword.'" Achior seeing the head of Holofernes, was seized with a great fear, and fell on his face upon the earth, and his soul swooned away.

There was no time to be lost to seize the occasion which God had given them: Judith said to the people, Hang the head upon the walls, and rush down as if making an assault; the watchmen must then needs run to awake their prince for the battle, and when the princes shall run to the tent of Holofernes, and find him wallowing in his blood, fear shall fall upon them, and when you shall know that they are fleeing, go after them securely, for the Lord will destroy them under your feet."

It happened as Judith foresaw. The dismay of the Assyrians on finding the body of Holofernes, lying in his tent without his head, was such, that they were seized with a panic, and thought of nothing but how to save themselves by flight. Immense numbers were slain, and all the spoils of the army fell into the hands of the children of Israel.

After this the high priest of Jerusalem came to visit Judith, and all the ancients who came with him said with one voice, "Thou art the glory of Jerusalem,

EXPLANATION OF THE TYPE OF JUDITH.-Judith is one of the most remarkable of the types of the Blessed Mother of God. Judith offered herself up to the Divine will to accomplish the deliverance of her people. The first prophecy said of the Blessed Virgin, "Thou shalt crush the serpent's head"; Judith cut off the head of Holofernes, the enemy of her people, who came against them to put every living soul to the sword. The blessed Mary, the mother of Jesus, by her Divine Son, has crushed the head of the devil, who having himself blasphemed against the Most High, now seeks to draw every living soul with him into eternal perditio