Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/207

 wife  and  with  his  two  sons. When evil  men  had  learned  that they were  so  bereaved,  then  went  they,  and  took  their  gold  and silver, and  all  that  was  there;    and  so  all  their  goods  were  lost through the  devil's  artifices. In those  days  it  happened  that  all people  were  worshipping  in  solemn  assembly  with   the  Emperor for the  victory  which  he  had  gained  over  the  Persian  nation. It was  also    the    custom   that   Placidas   should   be   foremost   in  this solemnity, because  he  was  the  master  and  leader  of  the  soldiers. Then was  he  sought,  and  no  man  could  find  him. Then all  men wondered that  in  so  little  space  (i.  e.  at  so  short  notice)  no  one could  find  him,  nor  anything  which  belonged  to  him;    and  the emperor  and    all    his   servants  were   very    sorry  for   his    sudden departure. Then said  his  wife  to  him,  '  How  long  abide  we  here'? Let us  take  our  two  children  and  go  hence,  else  we  shall  be  a reproach  and  taunting  to  all  that  know  us.'     Then,  at  night,  they took their  two  sons,   and   went  to  the  Egyptians'  land. Verily after they  had  travelled  two  days,  they  came  to  the  sea,  and  there found a  ship  standing,  and  they  went  on  it  and  rowed  with  them.

When the  ship-master  saw  that  Eustace's  wife  was  very  fair, he desired  to  have  her,  and  demanded  the  ship-toll;  but,  as they  had  nothing  to  offer,  he  demanded  the  wife  for  the  toll.

When Eustace  knew  that,  he  would  not  let  her  go;  then  the ship-master beckoned  to  his  men  that  they  should  throw  him  overboard. When Eustace  perceived  their  artifices,  then  he  left  the woman and  took  his  two  children,  and  went  lamenting  and  saying — '  Woe  to  me  and  to  you! for your  mother  is  delivered  over to a  foreign  man.'     And  he  went  thus,  sighing,  until  he  came  to  a certain  river,  and  durst  not,  on  account  of  the  great  size  of  the river, go  in  with  the  two  children;  but  bare  one  child  first,  and set it  on  the  other  side  of  the  bank,  and  went  again  to  fetch  the second. When he  was  in  the  midst  of  the  water,  he  saw  that a lion  took  the  child  and  went  to  the  wood  with  it. Then he despaired  of  the  child,  and  returned  patiently,  having  hope  of  the other; but  when  he  was  (turned)  thitherward,  he  saw  that  a  wolf took it. Then he  tare  his  locks,  lamenting,  and  desired  to  drown