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thare as þai war suyornand,
in gret hast com tyþand
þat traiane emperour wes ded
& adriane in til his sted
wes chosine, þat was mykil ware
to cristine men þan he, be fere.
bot he þat þan, as custome wes,
went to met sir placydas,
with þame of rom, beuth þe ton,
with honorabil processione,
& hyme resawit Ioyfully,
nocht anerly for þe wictory
of þar fele fais at he wan,
bot for he had recoueryt þane
bath wyf & barnis he tynt had,
& þane fundine ware but bad.
& rom in þis wyse
þai enterit, as I herd dewyse.
ay god! quhat Ioy in rom was,
quhen þai had gottyn sir placydas!
for þame thocht þai had no dout
of fais, war þai neuir sa stout.
for-þi þai sat hale þar cure
til worschipe hyme & til honoure.
þane mycht be sad of hyme rycht
as of Iob, þat to mare hicht
of riches & of honour wan,
þane befor hyme fandit sathan.
sa tyd of eustace; for he,
eftyr fandinge, of mar degre
wes & of mycht & of riches
be fer cyse mar þan first he wes;
for god, þat can do quhat he wil,
þat he had hicht hym can fulfil.
sone eftir [þat] sir adriane
thocht sir placydas ȝet had nocht tane
honour Inuch; for-þi gert he
cal hyme with solempnite
til het with hyme in-[to] his hal,
& wyf & barnis with hym al,
& mad þaim richt wele to fare,
& al þe lawe þat with þaim ware,
& gaf hyme mony gyftis gret,
hyme & his menȝe to rehet.
& eftyr [þat] on þe thrid day
he gert cri but mare delay,
al suld be gadryt gret & smal
in-to þe tempil principal,
til ydolis to sacrify
for honoure of victory,
þat placydas ham brocht had
eftyr þe trawal þat he mad.
& quhen al com, & one þat wyse
til ydolis mad sacrifice,
þe emperoure persauit has
þat þare com nocht sir placydas.
for-þi he send for hyme [al]-son,
& bad hyme cum but ony hon,
& sacrify, as vthire did,
for þe gret honoure hym betyd.
þan come eustace, & sad clere,
& sad: “sir, I sacrify but were
to Ihesu crist, my god werray
& anely god is, I þe say,
þat al þis warld mad of nocht,
Hel & hewine, as hym gud thocht.”
þane wes þe emperoure rycht wa
þat he herd eustace sa say,
& commandit his men ful rath
to tak hym, wyf, and barnis bath,
& bynd þame in a place quhare þai
one na maner mycht chape away,
& lyons loss lat to þaim ga,
þat rathly suld þaim ryf in twa.
& quhen þai don had as he bad,
& þe lyons losit hade,
to þaim suyth in a ras þai rane,
& to þar fet fel done þane,
as for til honoure þaim mekly;
syne held þare way deliuerly.
syne gert þe emperoure be mad
vndir þe ox of bras but bad
a mykil fyr of matir sere.
& quhen it brynnand wes al clere,
he gert þir foure in be don,
in hope þai suld be ded son.
bot þai þare-of na redur had,
but enterit in, & gud chere mad,
commendand þaim to god mychtty,
þat þar saulis þan in hy
resawit, & þame reward mad,
as befor he to þame sad.
þan eftyr [þat] þe thryd day
þe emperour com til assay
In hou smal poudir þai ware mad.
& quhen þai þe ox hopynit had,
þai saw þaim on þar kneis stand,
as þai quyk ware, to god lowand,
for-out weme in hyd or har,
bot fresch as euir þai ware,
outakine þat þai ware al ded.
þane tuk men þaim of þat sted.
& cristine men com þat same nycht
& for þai martiris can dicht
Ful reuerently fare sepulture,
& layd þaim in with gret honour;
& eftyre in process of tyme
mad þar a kirk of stane & lyme,
quhare þai sanctis restis ay,
& sal do to domyse-day,
& þane resawe þe cron of lyf,
þat þai wan here in gret strif,
as is befor sad in þis buk,
gyf ȝe tent þar-to tuk.
for-þi to þaim foure I pray,
agane þe feynd strif I may,
out of þis warld þat I wyne
but schame, det, & dedly syne.