.I.-lad mi lif in mikel kare, [And lede my lyue in mykyll care,]
Ich wot, and nouht ne wene. [I tell ȝou now by|dene. Darauf hat A. eine Strophe mehr: Fro the I was take with a schypman, And wened I schulde haue be his leman, He was not of my laye. A knyght þer was in þat schyppe, That fro þe schypmane he dyde me helpe And brouȝht me safe awaye.]
Mi lefman, wille we gon [Suete lord, wyll ȝe gone.]
Line 385
To þis nekste house a-non, [nexte hous anone.]
Þere hy ben hole and sounde! [Ȝour chylder þer they be]
And make we Joye and mikel blis! [And make grete Joye in þat house]
Þonked be swete Jhesus, [And thanke owre lorde, suete Jhe|sus,]
Of kare we ben ounbounde." [And gode in trinyte.]
Line 390
Boþe hy wenten þidere anon, [þi went þeder.]
So swiþe so hy miȝten gon. [Also swyth as þi myȝht gone]
Welcomed hy weren fayre. [And come into þe halle. Darauf hat A. folg. 6 Verse mehr: And when þat þi there sonnes se, Þi thankyd god in trinyte And also suet seynt Palle. The two knyȝhtys þer fader knew And sone onne kneys sone þi flewe And thankyd god all|myght. Dann folgt: Fore joye þat they togeder wer mette All fowre full faste þi dyde wepe, And so dyde many a wyght.]
Men beden hem sitten and drinken vin
Wiþ coupe and eke wiþ maselin,
Line 395
And maden hem chere fayre.
Sire Ewstace tolde hem of his kare,
His stronge lif, his harde fare.
Þe kniȝttes wepen for blisse — [397—9) Syre Eustas ganne to telle tho Of his Joy & of hys wo Þat he hade bene inne.]
Ne miȝtte here non wiþ oþer speke,
Line 400
Ne no word out of hem atbreke,
Bote wepe and cluppe and cusse. [Ms. þa.] , [400—2) Than þer was none at þat borde That fore wepynge myght speke a worde, Nor none in þat Inne. Darauf hat A. noch folg. Strophe: So glad of odour Ichone þi were: Þi kyssed & made gode chere And fyllede þe wyne anone, And tolde how þi wer crystinde And thouȝht þer care was with-stond And sorow was fro theme gone.]
Þe enperovr .I.-herde þis [herd telle of þis]
Þat hy maden ioye and blis, [How þi wer in Joy & blysse.]
And cristine þat hy were. [crystinde. þi.]
Line 405
He sente kniȝttes sone anon,
For to fecchen euer-ich on [To seke theme vp euerych-one.]
Þat hy founden þere. [þi. were st. þere.]
He let hem don in prisoun strong, [Statt 409—14 hat A. folg. V.: When þi wer before hym brouȝht, Them to scle it was his thouȝht: And so fore-sothe he dyde. Fore all-myȝhty godys sake The deth to þem þi wolde take, What deth as he them bedde.]
Liouns and leuparz hem among
Line 410
And bestes suiþe fele.
Þe bestes, þa(t) weren stronge and wilde,
Þey weren of hem glade and milde:
Ne miȝtten hoe hoem qvelle.
He let hem don in bolen of bras,
Line 415
Euerich in his, wel soþ hit was, [415—6) He dyde them in a panne of brasse, Also hote as euer it was,]
And beten fuir abouten. [And made fyere abowtyne.]
Alle hy weren þere .I.-brende, [All fowre þerin he brente.]
Þe soules in to heuene wende — [Þer saulys onto h. wente.]
Of pine hy weren wiþhouten. [Of payne þi wer w.]
Line 420
Bidde we alle seint Eustace [Beseke. all.]
Þat he do hous hauen grace, [graunte vs all g.]
To heuene for to wende,
And þat we moten þere wone
Wiþ Jhesu, seinte Marie sone,
Line 425
Euere wiþ-houten hende. Amen. [424—6) To Jhesu, seynt Mary sonne, And þer withouten ende to wonne. God þat grace vs sende. Amen. Explicit vita sci Eustachii.]
