Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/219

 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; and  Christ  is  my  witness  that  neither  he  nor  any  man hath defiled  me  unto  this  day;  but  Christ  the  Living  one  preserved my chastity. Now that  I  have  said  all  this  as  it  happened,  now  I pray  thee,  by  the  great  power  of  our  Lord,  that   thou   tell    me whether  thou  know  this.'

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 said  she, 'Let us  give  thanks  to  Christ;  I  believe  verily,  that  like  as  God hath granted  us  that  we  two  should  find  each  other,  that  He likewise  will  grant  that  we  two  may  discover  our  bairns.'

Then said  Eustace,  '  But  did  I  not  tell  thee,  that  the  wild  beasts caught them? '    Then  said  she,  '  Yesterday  I  sat  within  my  hall, when I  heard  how  two  young  knights  spake  betwixt  themselves about their  childhood;  now  know  I,  of  a  truth,  that  they  are  our bairns;   neither   knew    they  themselves  that  they  were  brothers save through  the  narrative  which  the  elder  brother  related  to  the younger. Understand   now   how    great   is    God's    mercy,    which granted them  to  know  that  they  are  brothers.'     Then  bade  Eustace to call  them  to  him,  and  asked  who  they  were;  and  they  immediately related to  him  even  as  we  said  above;  and  he  then  knew  that  they were his  sons,  and  took  them  to  him,  and  embraced  and  kissed them, and  they  then  all  bowed  their  knees  to  Christ,  and  with weeping and  fervour  made  thanksgiving  for  their  meeting  from  the second hour  of  the  day  until  the  sixth  hour.