PREFACE


This translation was made from the edition of the _Elene_ issued by
Charles W. Kent in 1889 (Ginn & Co., Boston). His text is 'that of
Zupitza's second edition, carefully compared with Wülker's edition and
Zupitza's third edition, in which the results of Napier's collation are
contained.'

The aim of this translation is to give an accurate and readable modern
English prose rendering of the Old English poetry. The translation of
Richard Francis Weymouth, entitled _A Literal Translation of Cynewulf's
Elene_, has been at hand, but I owe it practically nothing in this work.
While I trust that my rendering has not departed so far from the text
that it will be valueless to the student, yet at places it will be found
that I have to some extent expanded or contracted the literal
translation in the hope of benefiting the modern English version.

My thanks are due to Dr. Robert K. Root and Dr. Chauncey B. Tinker of
Yale University, and to Dr. Charles H. Whitman of Lehigh University, for
examining part of the work in manuscript, and to Dr. Albert S. Cook of
Yale University for a careful reading of the proof.

LUCIUS HUDSON HOLT.

NEW HAVEN,