De laudibus sancte crucis

Thus he casts off the harbor. He gives Jesus on the Cross and follows
Him, for this was given to you, O always chaste and pious
Caesar, in a generous way by sight; but you terrify the camps
Of the enemy, and deep fear, putting enemies to flight, gives hope.
You are pious and very pleasing, this people asks with a prone mind
To go toward pardon, our soul is for the commands of the father:
For I wrote a little book a long time ago in praise of Christ
In verse and prose, which now I, O emperor,
Offer to you, holy one, willingly, whose image precedes,
Standing armed with faith, it shows the victor everywhere.

EXPLANATION.

O Christ the Savior, King of kings and Lord of lords, who govern the world by your own power, and by holding the incorruptible scepter reign over all things by perennial law: you deleted the many sins of our parents on the Cross: since you established the reins of justice for the human race, and gave your faithful the power to hope for a blessed life in the heavens and to obtain it swiftly. Therefore, it is of your most generous gift and of your most powerful Father, that the most pious prince now wears that ineffable name of yours, terrible to all ages for a long time, on his head with honest religion, which was celebrated by all. From this it is also shown: that by your authority and defense he firmly holds the Augustum imperium Imperial power, and to every greedy person and one contrary to the Christian religion, power is taken away through just judgment: so that the whole world may be ruled by the will of the religious prince. For the most ample distribution of his gift comes forth everywhere: provoking the peoples of the lands to the praise of the venerable emperor, so that all together may seek his defense by common counsel. Which indeed we, your humble servants, O Christ, mild Savior, ask as suppliants, so that through the banner of the holy Cross, your most sacred virtue may help the right hand of the same man with divine art, and confer triumph everywhere for justice. This also clothes him in a breastplate of faith harder than adamant, which is most decent in ornament, and confers the strongest protection. Wherefore it is necessary that we, together with all the Christian people, seek the grace of his friendship: whom the Lord Christ thus protecting guards, so that no ambush can harm him in any way: nor can any crime stain his most just fame: but the omnipotent defender, the helper of his good study and good will, always proposes to us the constancy and the form of true innocence in him as something to be imitated, and wishes that the Caesar of the most noble name should have every happy act, and from here his empire may remain safe by land and sea. For the nations bring the most precious gifts of the Greeks to him, and the kingdoms of the Persians stand there, and also other nations together frequent the side of him and his offspring, especially the nation of Germany and the people of the Franks (from whom his noble lineage drew its origin) sing together in his praises, wishing him life and continuous prosperity; also every exile who in former times wandered from his own seat, now hopes for a swift return by loving his triumphs: because by holding the scepters he spreads the word of faith everywhere until he purges his people from the ancient custom of crimes, and with the help of Christ he will hold the laws of the Catholic faith firmly: lest he bring forth the spears of the word in vain,

but let them be powerful weapons for God in every good work, and let them tame the insolence of the flesh, being strengthened by the faith of Christ. O how solid in faith and stable in the Christian religion he remains, who diligently guards the sheep commended to him at every hour, and strenuously seeks the sense of the Lord's service and divine worship from all who obey him, while he shows that the banner of the supreme King must be honored by all, and directs his teachers everywhere to preach the Gospel of Christ: so that they may soften the hard-hearted with their speeches, and lead them to perceive the good odor of virtues with the help of divine grace: so that they may despise the luxury of the world, and placing their hope in Christ, may desire to communicate in his passions. Behold, O most clement and most happy emperor, I offer this present gift to you, subject with all devotion: you who stand terrible to adversaries, pursuing the backs of enemies, and are peaceful to the devoted, mercifully granting pardon to those who have turned. Every race, every nation seeks to do your will: and we, your wretched servants, desire to approach your clemency with perennial services, and we desire to obey your vows in all things. For the little book which I composed a long time ago in prose and meter in honor of the holy Cross, I now offer as a suppliant to your serenity, praying that you, who are decently adorned with the shield of faith, the breastplate of justice, and the helmet of salvation: may deign to protect us, who are soldiers for Christ under your defense, and with the help of the Lord lead us to the harbor of eternal salvation for the increase of your rewards. Moreover, the present image of the most serene emperor Louis contains fifteen verses written in dactylic tetrameter in this manner, "Jesus Christ, may your sign on the head provide a nurturing helmet to the Augustus, and may it make his right hand the best and unconquered. May your virtue, O Jesus, grant triumph, and let the breastplate of justice clothe the just man and the always pleasing friend. Which no enemy may crush with a spear. But let every omen of the Caesar remain firm. And let the whole empire be safe through every age. And thus let the joyful progeny of his offspring remain succeeding him by holding the scepters. As long as the ages shall hold their own laws, and the solid globe of the earth remains. While he remembers the name of Christ everywhere, and preaches the word of the Lord of his own accord." Moreover, in the circle which surrounds his head, these two verses of Adonic meter are contained, "Do you, O Christ, crown Louis." Indeed, the Cross which his right hand carries holds these verses of Asclepiad meter, "In your Cross, O Christ, is true victory and salvation; you rule all things rightly." The shield which the left hand holds is written in elegiac meter in this manner, "For the shield of faith drives away wicked spears, it protects the Augustus by preparing clear trophies. The devoted heart, relying on the divine gift. Unharmed, it always puts the enemy camps to flight."