# File rexml/quickpath.rb, line 107
    def QuickPath::axe( elements, axe_name, rest )
      matches = []
      matches = filter( elements.dup, rest ) if axe_name =~ /-or-self$/u
      case axe_name
      when /^descendant/u
	elements.each do |element|
	  matches |= filter( element.to_a, "descendant-or-self::#{rest}" ) if element.kind_of? Element
	end
      when /^ancestor/u
	elements.each do |element|
	  while element.parent
	    matches << element.parent
	    element = element.parent
	  end
	end
	matches = filter( matches, rest )
      when "self"
	matches = filter( elements, rest )
      when "child"
	elements.each do |element|
	  matches |= filter( element.to_a, rest ) if element.kind_of? Element
	end
      when "attribute"
	elements.each do |element|
	  matches << element.attributes[ rest ] if element.kind_of? Element
	end
      when "parent"
	matches = filter(elements.collect{|element| element.parent}.uniq, rest)
      when "following-sibling"
	matches = filter(elements.collect{|element| element.next_sibling}.uniq,
			 rest)
      when "previous-sibling"
	matches = filter(elements.collect{|element| 
			   element.previous_sibling}.uniq, rest )
      end
      return matches.uniq
    end