Ælfric

“ I ween, master, that thou art Placidas, tribune of the soldiers, and wert afterwards in baptism named Eustace, whom likewise the Saviour Himself vouchsafed, by means of the hart, to call to His mercy so that he believed on Him; and he then, because of manifold trials which came to him, took his wife, who I am, and his two sons, Agapitus and Theodistus, and journeyed to the land of Egypt; and, as we rowed, then the ship-master took me by compulsion from him, because he was heathen, and he held me captive in his country ”

“ After they had subdued all their enemies' land, and they, with great victory, had returned home, and carried with them great plunder and many captives, then it happened that the Emperor Trajan was dead before Eustace came from the fight, and there was appointed another king, called Adrian, who was heathen, and worse in ferocity. "When Eustace came again from the fight, then went the emperor to meet him, as is the custom with the Romans, and proclaimed a great solemnity for the victory which he had gained, and asked him about the fight and about his wife and his sons, how he had heard of them. ”

“ He was indeed very noble in righteousness, and strong in fight, so that the heathen were much subdued by him. He was also well skilled in hunting, and practised it continually every day. But the merciful and benign God, who always calleth to Himself those who are worthy of Him, did not despise his good works, nor would He that his benevolent disposition, very deserving in God's sight, should be let go without meed, and be covered over by the darkness of devil-worship ”

“ Then the emperor became filled with great rage, and commanded men to ungird and disarm him, and that he should stand up before his face with his wife and his children as being a transgressor of his lord's commands ”

“ Of a surety I know that my bairns on account of my sins are devoured by wild beasts. Grant to me. Lord, that I may at least see them in the day of resurrection,' To him then, thus speaking, came a voice from above, saying to him; 'Trust, Eustace; truly in this present time thou shalt return to thy former dignity, and thou shalt receive both thy wife and thy children ”

“ When Eustace had heard this, then he beheld her and recognised her by her beauty, and for great bliss wept and kissed her, and thanked God Who comforteth all those that trust in Him, and delivereth from all anguish. Then said she to him, ' Lord, where are the sons of us two?' He answered, ' Wild beasts caught them.' And then he related to her how they were taken. ”

“ Then the bishop was filled with much bliss, and glorified God, Who willeth that all men should be whole and come to the way of truth; and he thereupon christened them all, and instructed them in the mysteries of the holy faith, and baptized them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; and named Placidas Eustachius, and his wife Theophistis, and his first son Agapetus, and the second Theophistus, and gave them the holy sacrament of Christ's body and blood ”

“ Of a truth the lion kept the child unharmed, by God's ordinance; the shepherds of the country, seeing that the lion bare the child thus alive, ran after and rescued it; and also the husbandmen rescued the other child from the wolf. ”

“ Then was the emperor exceeding troubled on account of the invasion, and remembered Placidas, and sorely lamented for his sudden departure; he assembled then all his army to him, .and diligently asked about him, and commanded that men should go as widely as his dominion was, and enquire earnestly for him; and he also promised to those who should find him great honour and benefit. Then went two soldiers who were named Antiochus and Achaius, who formerly were under Eustace's hands, and went through all the lands which obeyed Rome until they came where he dwelt. ”

“ He then related in order to him and to all his nobility, all his journey, and his wife's, and his children's. Then the emperor, and all, were very blithe at his return, and besought him that he would again assume the authority which he had formerly; and he did so. He then bade men assemble an army; and when he reviewed the army, he then perceived that there was not a sufficient army to meet their enemies. Then he bade men collect from every city and town more soldiers. ”

“ Placidas went home thence at night, and told his wife all that he had seen. As soon as she heard it, then she said; ' My lord, thou sawest the God Who was crucified. Whom Christian men worship; He truly is the one true God Who by such signs calleth to Him those who believe on Him ”

“ Let not thy courage fail, neither look thou back to thy former glory; but even as thou hast desired to please men and the mortal king by thy victorious fight, so likewise it behoveth thee to hasten that thou mayest keep thy troth with Me, the immortal King, and at this time to be tried by sufferings and labour, even as my beloved servant Job, and (be) the devil's vanquisher through patience. ”

“ PASSION OF ST. EUSTACE AND HIS COMPANIONS.
[See Gesta Romanorum; Tale CX.]
In the reigning days [days of the reign] of Trajan the Emperor there was a certain military tribune (who was) a worshipper of idols, whose name was Placidas; very nobly born as to this world, and greatly thriving in his works, and excelling all in honour. Truly he was greatly adorned with works of righteousness and with all good works; the oppressed he helped, and protected those who were condemned; and likewise he assisted very many who were unjustly sentenced by evil judges. The naked he clothed ”