University of Virginia Library

“lord Ihesu, gyf þi willis be,
þu opynly no[v] schau to me,
as þu me hicht, quhat sal I do!”
þane Ihesu mad ansuere hym to,
& sad til hyme on þis manere:
“fathful son to me & dere,
ful happy art þu now, eustace,
þat in þe watir of myn grace
has gert wesch þe, quhare-thru þou
þe fals feynd has ourcumyn nov,
þat slichtfully begylyt þe,
& is dishonoryt now thru þe,
& ourcumyne al vtrely;
blyth ma þu be for-þi!
& now þi treutht sal wel apere;
for þe feynd sal of sere manere
fand til ourcum þe on al wise,
for at þu lewit has his seruice,
with al his falset & his slycht.
for-þi mon þu, as stalawrt knycht,
to resist hym mak þe bown,
þat þu of Ioy ma wyn þe cron,
& wyne to þat herytag
þat to man I hicht & his lynag.
for-þi first mon þu lawit be
fra þe sicht of al wanyte,
& pryd, & wantones of wil,
sic rewarde to wyne til;
& syne sal þu cum to þe hycht
of gastly gud & hewynis lycht,
& bruk þat herytag but were,
þat we spak of a lytil here,
with gret Ioy & angel gle,
quhare euir-lestand glore sal be,
& eschewine of al payne,
þat men ma of think or sayne;
for inpossible is but dred
aduersite to be in þat sted
or ony kynd of displesance,
bot happy of al gud & habundans.
& se þat þu fal nocht,
na of þi first Ioy haf na thocht,
for þat þe behofis fayndit be
as wes Iob in sum degre,
& sa be þe I sal assay
quheþir þu be stedfast or nay.
bot quhen þu art mekit wele,
I sal cum to þe, drede na dele,
& to þi fyrst stat þe restore.
quheþir þu wil, tel me þarfore,
be fandit now & thole sic strife,
or at þe hending of þi lyf?”
quod eustace: “lord, gyf þat mon be,
in-to my ȝouthed fand þu me,
sa þat þu be my defence,
gyfand vertu of pacience!”
sad crist: “ay stedfast þu be,
for my grace sal wele helpe þe
þat þe feynd sal haf na powere
in ony thing þi sawle to dere.”
& quhen þis wes sad ewin,
god resawit hyme-self in hewin,
& eustas til his house can hald,
& þis tale al til his wyf tald.
þane wes þe feynd wondir wa,
þat placydas lewit hym sa
& ȝet on crist; þare-for he thocht
to reweng hyme, gyf he mocht,
& þar-to dide his payne hale
to bring hym to butlas bale.
& forton, þat wont wes quhile
as teyndir frend on hyme [to] smyle,
turnyt hyr bak one hym wrathly,
& hyme dissawit sudandly.
& with þat come hard pestilence,
quham agane wes na defence,
& al his douchty men sleu done,
quhare-euir þai war, in feld or ton,
bath knycht, squiare, page, & swane,
in lytil tyme clenly ware slane,
sa þat of al his worthi men
with hyme wes left nan lyfand þen,
þat mycht hyme ony seruice ma,
outane his wyf & barnis twa.
bot ȝet þane wes he nocht Irk,
þe fend, oure þis hym wa to wirk,
bot al his bestiale sleu in hy,
wyld hors & tayme, oxine & ky,
assis, mulis, schepe & swyne,
& syndry rulalis syne,
& alkine best quhat-euir it ware
þe feynd strak don in þat sithware.
& ȝet of þis he wes nocht content
Inucht, bot distroyt his rent,
& kist don castellis in hast,
& towne & tilth al mad wast,
sa þat of his wes hale na thing,
outane quhare he wes þe begyn[g].
þane þe feynd be his fals slycht
gert wykit men cum be nycht
& it ourtyrwit tyt & tolȝeit,
& of his tresoure hym dispoilyt,
& lewit hyme nocht of warldis gud
þat hym mycht fynd a day[is] fud.
na wondir wes þo he wes mad,
quhen he saw hym-self sa sted
þat wont wes til haf welful fare!
na wondir wes his hart wes sare!
þar-for with wyf & barnis twa
be nycht he of þe town can ga,
for schame þat þai poure war sen
þat in sa gret welth had bene.
for ded & pouerte seldine quhen
has frend, þat we suld kene.
for-þi he thocht he walde be
of egipe in þe cunctre,
& ydir sone hild þe way.
& quhen þe emperoure herd say
þat placydas wes priuely
went of þe town, & he ne wist quhy,
he wes anoyt, & mad wa,
& al þe hale senat alsa,
for sa gud a knycht as he
þai wist nocht quhare mycht fundyn be.
& al rom sa gret regret mad þane,
fra þai myssit þat worthi man,
þat for þame wes ay scheld & spere,
quhene ony mowit to þaim were,
& quhat-euir þai had to do
þe victory he brocht þame to.
bot eustace of þis had na thocht,
na of hyme-self bot lytil rocht,
bot for schame fast can fle
with wyf & barnis to þe se;
& fand a schipe til saile al ȝare,
& he in went but ony mare.
bot ay þe tyme þai war sayland,
ay wes þe schipmaster gowand
a-pon þe laydy brycht of ble,
& thocht scho suld his leman be.
& quhen þai to þe land ware brocht,
sir eustace þe fraucht had nocht
to pay for hym & his menȝe.
& quhen þe mastir þat can se,
he bad þe laydy suld be lacht,
& haldine with hyme for þe fracht.
bot sir eustace, þat wes wa,
wald nocht consent It suld be sa.
þane þe mastir wes angry,
& beknyt til his men in hy
to swak sir eustace in þe se,
þat he mycht brok þe laydy fre.
þan wes þe knycht wondir wa,
quhen hyme worth do ane of þa,
othyr for to tyne þe lyf
or depart þare fra his wyf.
bot I treu deme cuth nane
quhilk of þai suld erare be tane;
bot I treu he had als lef be ded
as lef his wyf but remed.
for-þi cuth nan tel half þe wa.
nocht-þan, war þaim neuir sa wa,
þe master cane þe laydy ta.
& eustace with drery chere
tuk his barnis þat ware hym dere,
& gretand sar sad: “wais me
þat losit has It þat lyf suld be
& al my solace & my blis!
hou suld I luf, & þat lele mys?”
syne wald he til his barnis sa:
“na war ȝour sak, but delay
I suld my-self here sla but mare,
& neuir a fut ga forthyrmare;
bot þane suld ȝe be tynt al quyt,
& for ȝou I suld ber þe wyt.
for-þi wa tyd is ȝou I-wis
þat ȝoure gud modir now mon mys.”
& ay with þis he held his gat,
of his wikyt werd makand regrat,
til he com til a watir-syd,
þat depe was & wele wyd,
sa þat he mocht ber but ane
of his barnis our þat fame,
for dut þai suld peryst be.
þar-for þe tane of þaim lewit he
on þat half on þe bank sittand,
thinkand to cum agane on hand,
& þe toþir on his bak lacht,
& bar hyme on our stracht,
& on þe farrere land hym set,
til he mycht his bruthir fet.
& þan a-gayn son he wod
rycht to þe mydis of þe flud,
til his vthyre son ay gowand
þat he lewit on þe land,
& saw a wold wolf hym ta,
& to þe forest with hyme ga.
& for he wes al wtrely
disparyt til helpe hym, in hy
he turnyt hym, & rath has sene
a lyon, þat wes bald & kene,
tak þe toþir & held his way.
þan wist he nocht quhat to do or say,
bot oft-tyme wes in to wil
hyme-self in-to þe flud to spil,
& dang his handis on his face,
& his flesch don cane rase,
þat he wes born þat sicht to se,
his barnis bath but helpe tynt be.
bot sa lang witlas stil he stud,
til þat nere he dronyt in þat flud,
gyf ne war god of his grace
sawit hyme in-[to] þat place.
& of þe bankis for þe hicht
of þe barnis he tynt þe sicht,
& wist na thing of þame mare,
bot wane to land with gret care.