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PLACIDAS: SAINT EUSTACE, by                    
First Line: "all who love god's holy lore, / old and young, and less and more"
Last Line: "with sweet jesu, mary's son, / dwell there, without end"
Subject(s): "eustace, Saint (2d Century);


ALL who love God's holy lore,
Old and young, and less and more,
Hearken now this stound,
Of a knight of heathen-ness,
Who had much of earthly bliss,
Many a golden pound.

And this knight, named Placidas,
With the Emperor Trajan was,
A wise man of rede;
With the rich that knight was good,
With the poor, of generous mood,
Righteous in his deed.

He of hunting knew enow,
In thick wood, 'neath forest bough,
On wild field and wold;
Thus, while hunting on a day
He a hart found, as he lay,
Right fair to behold.

Fairest of his kind was he,
There in wood, 'neath linden tree,
Great was he and tall;
Many a hart and hind also,
Great and small, did with him go,
Stateliest he of all.

That great hart, he fled away;
Placidas, by night and day,
Followed him alone,
To another monarch's land,
There the hart did, waiting, stand
On a rock of stone.

High his horns he holdeth now,
There, beneath the woodland bough,
And spake: "Placidas,
Art a knight who huntest free,
Dost me chase, I fly from thee,
Ride a gentler pace!

"If betwixt my horns wilt look
Fairest sight aye writ in book
Thou forthright shalt see,
'T is the Cross of Christ I wis,
That shall bring thee unto bliss,
Christ, He hunteth thee!"

Of the light of Heaven, a gleam,
Brighter than the sunshine's beam,
O'er that hart was poured,
Spake that hart with tongue forthright
To that good and gentle knight,
Trow me, 't was Our Lord.

"Placidas, I tell thee now
Changed shall be thy name, and thou
Shalt a Christian be;
Jesus Christ, of Heaven, He is
Who with thee doth speak, I wis,
Tarry not from Me.

"Take thy children, and thy wife,
Get thee forth withouten strife,
Swift baptized be;
And for ye I'll henceforth care,
Thou and she must sorrow bear
All for love of Me."

Bairns and wife he took straightway,
Gat him forth without delay
To the font of stone,
There to be baptized was fain,
With his wife and children twain,
He was not alone.

Placidas, of old he hight,
Eustace, they baptized that knight --
"So I heard Christ say!"
To the woodland forth they fare,
All about they wander there,
Thank Our Lord alway.

As the knight, with comrades three,
Sat beneath a linden tree,
Fain to rest that stound,
There, beneath the greenwood bough
Tidings good he heard, I trow,
Brought from heaven to ground.

Spake to him an Angel bright:
"Hearken, Eustace, God's own knight,
Blessed may'st thou be,
These thy children and thy wife,
They shall each one win to life,
Endless bliss shall see.

"Tho' from land and folk did'st fly,
Hall and bower, and station high,
For that, sorrow not,
Since to Christendom hast ta'en
Oft the Fiend will seek full fain
This thy harm, I wot."

Quoth the Angel: "Wend God's way,
Watch thy soul by night and day,
And my rede believe,
One and all shall suffer thus,
For the love of Christ Jesus
Martyrdom receive."

To his house I trow, anon,
Swift as may be, hath he gone,
Wife and bairns also,
All his sheep to death were bitten,
And his steed by thunder smitten,
He afoot must go.

All he loved, they went him fro'
Save his wife and children two,
They from land must wend;
Ere had dawned the light of day
Silent, went they on their way
By a woodland end.

Thus toward Egypt did they fare,
Sorely were they bowed with care,
Love and sorrow bore
For the Christ Who all things made,
Who on earth was lowly laid,
With spear smitten sore.

To the sea-shore have they gone,
And a ship they found anon,
Would the water brave;
He aboard the ship would go
With his wife and children two.
Dark and stern the wave;

Saw the shipman that good knight
And his gentle lady bright,
Saw her fair and sheen,
Straightway saith unto him there:
"Whence had'st thou this woman fair?
She'll be mine, I ween!"

From the ship the knight he threw,
And with him his children two,
Woe for that he bore;
Loudly cried the lady there,
From her lord full loath to fare,
Wept and sorrowed sore.

Sat the knight down on a stone,
Saw his wife from him was gone,
Ta'en from him with wrong,
Quoth: "Alas that I was born!"
Deemed himself well nigh forlorn,
He had lived too long!

On the ship his eyes he cast,
When from out his sight 't was passed,
Saw his children two,
Quoth: "Methinks my heart will bleed,
Motherless, how may I feed
Ye? full sore my woe!"

So long fared he at that same
That he to a water came
Must thereover fare;
Wade he must, the stream was cold,
Wild, on either side, the wold,
Greater was his care.

Thus one child he takes on arm,
Wot ye well, it took no harm,
Bare it to the strand;
To himself in grateful mood
Saith: "God's help is ever good,
That I understand!

"Sit thee still, my son so dear,
I will fetch thy brother here,
Give thee meed this stead;
I will come to thee alway
E'en as quickly as I may,
Be thou not in dread."

He to wade the stream was fain,
To deep water came again,
Saw the further side;
How a lion fierce there came
Seized his young son at that same
With jaws gaping wide.

Thus the child away with him
Bare the lion, gaunt and grim,
Nigh he swooned there!
There was he in water deep,
'T was no wonder he must weep,
Had enow of care!

When he came from out his swoon
Looked he up, and then right soon
Back to land turned he,
And a wonder saw he there,
For a wolf his child forth bare,
Down he fell on knee.

When he from his swoon uprose,
Looking up, he forward goes,
Nigh of wit forlorn,
Ever thought he of Christ's Pain,
How He died, and rose again,
Who for us was born.

"God of Might, my grief Thou know'st,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
Here I make my moan,
Of my wife who was so true,
Fair and gracious, bright of hue --
Now am I alone!

"Of my children twain forlorn,
Whom wild beasts away have borne
None with me may bide!
To what land now shall I go?
How long must I live in woe?
Where my head may hide?

"I of Job must think, I ween,
Who in bliss long time had been,
Sithen fell in care,
Lord, I pray, for love of Thee
Let me ne'er too sorry be,
Howsoe'er I fare.

"Soul, now hast thou wept thy fill,
Weep no more, but hold thee still,
God's Help is full nigh."
With that came an Angel bright,
With soft voice unto the knight
Spake of God on high:

"Be thou still and glad, Eustace,
God in Heaven prepares thy place,
Joyful shalt thou be;
These thy children and thy wife
They shall have eternal life,
Heaven's Bliss shall see."

So long hath he gone his way
Saying prayers both night and day
Till a town he found,
Toil and travail knew anon
Since his money all was gone
This his task that stound.

With his arrows, bow, and horn,
Was he guardian of the corn
Eke by day and night,
Toll to take, and cattle mind;
Little knew he of that kind,
Hayward he, and knight!

Fifteen years abode he there
Ere that men wist who he were,
Sought had he been long;
Those the Emperor sent to seek
Were wise men, who well could speak,
Knights both stern and strong.

Thro' the corn one day came three
Riding, men alike to see,
There he did them meet;
Rode those knights on horses tall,
Mild their words and fair withal,
They the hayward greet.

Then the hayward blew his horn,
He was warden of the corn,
Toll he bade them yield,
Asked them what had brought them there?
What they sought? And why they fare
Over that wide field?

"Sir, three knights are we, and ride
On a quest both far and wide
After one we seek;
Emperor's counsellor, I ween,
Far and near he sought hath been,
None of him can speak.

"Of us all the wisest knight,
Placidas, by name he hight,
Hunting did he go,
Never since his home hath sought,
Ne'er were tidings of him brought,
None his fate might know.

"Here, methinks, he found shall be,
We deem surely thou art he,
By thy goodly cheer,
And thy nose a scar doth show
By the which we rightly know
Thee for comrade dear!"

"Nay," quoth he, "how may that be?
How may I be mate to ye
Who of goods have none?"
"To the Emperor must thou fare
And again that honour bear
Which was thine anon."

Eustace took his leave that tide,
With his comrades doth he ride,
To the court again;
Joy and bliss were his that while,
Trajan doth upon him smile
With knight, groom, and swain.

To his lord he told his care,
His hard life, his scanty fare,
Even to the end;
Of the ventures he must meet,
Whether they were sad or sweet,
That God did him send.

Afterward, ere it was long,
War brake out both fierce and strong,
'Gainst that Emperor brave,
Thither went full many a knight,
Right well armed for the fight,
Fain his realm to save.

Thither came two knights that day,
Very good in fight were they,
Had good horse and brand;
There was no man on the field
Who with either spear or shield
Durst their dints withstand.

Thro' the day they valiant fought,
'T was well done, so each one thought,
To their inn they went,
Comrades good became that tide,
In one house would they abide
Without ill intent.

Eat together of one dish,
Were it flesh, or were it fish,
Mickle mirth they make;
After meat they tales would tell,
Of adventures that befell
In their lives they spake.

Then the younger of the twain
Of his comrade asked again
What his kin might be?
Still he sat, and sighed full sore,
Little spake, but thought the more,
Dismal cheer made he:

"Sir, wilt keep my secret well
If I of my welfare tell
And my woe this tide?
Of a rich man's race I came,
Placidas, my father's name,
Who had journeyed wide.

"He, my sire, was goodly knight,
And my mother, lady bright,
Dwelling fair did own,
Children twain they had, none other,
I, and but one younger brother,
Dwelt in tower of stone.

"Taken by my sire were we,
Mother, brother, yea, all three,
Thro' God's Grace one day,
To the font he hath us led,
There were we baptized that stead,
In God's Name alway.

"Sithen, so it seemeth me,
We fell into poverty,
Went from out that land,
O'er a water broad and deep
Sailed, my mother sore did weep,
Wailed and wrung her hands.

"Very fair my mother, she
In that land should fairest be
Both of skin and hue,
And the shipman in that day
Bare her from us all away,
Waxed our grief anew;

"We went thro' the wilderness
Weeping sore, in heaviness,
To a river came,
O'er the stream my father bare
Me, and left my brother there
Till again he came.

"Came a lion fierce that tide
Caught me in its jaws so wide,
Bare me in its mouth;
Shepherds did the beast espy,
Scared him with their horn blasts high
Eke by North and South.

"Gently took they me that stead,
Bare me softly to a bed,
Blessed be God's Might!
And a rich man of that land
All I needed, free of hand
Gave, and dubbed me knight."

"Brother, hearken now to me,
Came a wolf, and seized me,
Forth in mouth he bare,
Ploughmen did the same espy,
Blew their horns both loud and high,
Very strong they were.

"Took me softly in that stead,
And a lady hath me fed,
And hath dubbed me knight,
Palfrey gave she me, and steed,
Helm and birnie, other weed,
Sword and spear so bright."

She, their mother, heard that tide
In an orchard there beside,
Wept for very bliss,
To her bower she fain had gone
Swiftly as she might, anon,
Glad was she, I wis.

Riding then Sir Eustace came
Where his wife dwelt at that same,
Fain those knights to see;
She beheld that goodly knight,
He, that lady fair and bright,
Blithe of cheer was she.

Quoth he: "Lady, tell to me
What men in that inn may be,
Here, in this next house?"
"Sir," she said: "two knights there be,
Who should be well known to thee,
Welcome, dear, my spouse!"

"Ah, my lord, art known to me
By the scar that well I see
On thy nose, I ween;
Love, I must full hardly fare,
Passed my life in mickle care,
As may well be seen."

"He who did me from thee take
Fain would me his leman make,
Pagan he, alway;
In that ship there was a knight,
Freed me from the shipman's might,
Bare me safe away.

"True love, without more delay
To this next house go our way,
For our sons be there,
And with joy and mickle bliss
Give we thanks to Christ, I wis,
Who hath cured our care."

Thither then the twain have gone,
Swiftly as they might, anon,
Found a welcome fair;
Bade them sit, and drink there wine
In gold cups, with spices fine,
Good cheer made they there.

Spake Sir Eustace of his care,
His hard life, his scanty fare,
Wept the knights for bliss,
Never one with other spake,
From their lips no word might break,
Could but clasp and kiss.

To the Emperor news they bare
How with joy and bliss they fare,
Christians were that stound;
Then he sendeth knights anon
For to fetch them every one,
All whom there they found.

Shut them all in prison strong,
Lions and leopards fierce among,
And beasts fierce and fell;
Yet those beasts so strong and wild
Glad of them they were, and mild,
Would them no wise quell.

Then, in bowls of brass that day,
One in each, ('t is sooth I say
Fire was made below,)
One and all to death they burn,
But their souls to Heaven they turn,
And no pain they know.

Pray we all to Saint Eustace,
That he gain for us such grace
That to heaven we wend,
And when we its bliss have won
With Sweet Jesu, Mary's Son,
Dwell there, without end.





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