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of Rome emperoure wes ane
þane callyt sir Adryane,
to cristine treutht a fellon fa,
& mony cristine gert he sla.
& a knycht callit placydas
prynce of his knychted was,
þat wes man of gret pousté
of warldis gudis and dingnite,
& þare-with wycht and hardy,
wyse, lele, & rycht wordy;
&, as paianys, mad sacrifice
til ydolis in til syndry wyse;
nocht-þan þe dedis of mercy
he oysit to do Ithandly,
& gud wil had to do gud
til al man þat ned bestud;
& had a wyf of þe sammyne ryt,
þat to do mercy had delyt;
& twa barnis with hyre had he,
þat he gert wele fosteryt be.
& for he mercyful was,
he wane to way of suthfastnes.
& syne tyd a day, he went to hont
þe auld bestis, as he wes wont,
with mony knychttis & squyeris,
& mony hundis & hunteris,
& fand a gret herd of dere,
& presit to nycht þame nere.
þai war red & skalyt wyd,
& þame fast presit til hyd.
& as þe herd brokine was,
quha best mycht rane to þe chas,
& to þar lord heid tuk nan.
bot he fulfast be hyme [al]ane
þane chasit a gret hart,
þat fled fast, for he wes smert,
til a crag wonnyn he had
hye & schore, & þare abad.
& placydas with incre wil
presit fast to cum hym til;
bot he mycht nocht—sa strat þe place
wes quhare þe best bydand wes.
bot he saw betwen his tyndis brycht
a verray croice schenand lycht,
& one þat croice þe liknes
of Ihesu crist saw, mare na les.
þane spak þe hart to placydas,
as to balame quhil dyd his as—
bot sum men sais It is to lak
þat þe hart to þe knycht spak,
bot erar þat men suld treu
þat in hyme spak swet Ihesu—
& sad til hyme: “þu placydas,
quhat mowis þe me to chas?
& I for cause of þe apere
in-to þis best þat þu seis here;
þat I am crist I now þe say,
to quham vnwitynly ay
þou has enplesit, & has wele sene
hou þou has cherytabil bene
til al þame [þat] þu saw haf nede,
& helpyt þame in word & ded.
& þi gud dedis causis me,
as þou [me] huntis, to hont þe.
sa sal þu now wonnyn be,
& pas til hewine & wyn with me.”