University of Virginia Library

Be this the Troianys in thar new cite
A dusty sop vprysand gan do se,
Full thik of stowr vp thryngand in the ayr,
And all the feildis myrknyt mair and mair.
Caycus first cryis, as he war wod,
Dovn from the hie garrat quhar he stude:
“O citesanys, how gret ane ost,” quod he,
“Is lappit in ȝone dusty stew I se!
Swith hynt ȝour armour, tak ȝour wapynnys all,
Bryng hydder dartis, speil vp on the wall!
Our ennemys cummys at hand, but dowt!”
“Hay, hay, go to!” than cry thai with a schowt,
And with a huge bruyt Troianys at schort
Thar wallys stuffyt and closyt euery port,
For sa Eneas, maste expert in armys,
At hys departing, dredand for thir harmys,
Gaif thame command, gif thai assalȝeit wer
Or hys returnyng, be hard fortoun of weir,
That thai ne suld in batale thame array,
Nor in the plane thar ennemys assay,
Bot bad thai suld alanerly withhald
Thar strenth within thar fowseis, as he wald,
And kepe thar wallys forsely and weill,
With fowcy dichis and wapynnys styfe of steill.
Tharfor, all thocht baith schame and felloun ire
Thar breistis had enflambyt hait as fyre,
In the plane feild on thar famen to set,
Ȝit neuertheless thar portis haue thai schet
Fortill obey the command of Enee;
On boss turrettis and on towris hie
Enarmyt stude thar fays till abyde.
Turnus the chiftane on the tother syde
Come to the cite, or that ony wist,
Furth fleand swipperly, as that hym best list,
Befor the ost, quhilk went bot esy pass,
With hym a twenty chosyn men he hass;
Apon a sterand steid of Trace he sat,
Of cullour dapill gray and wail fat,
Full hie rysand abuse his knychtly hed
Hys goldin helm, with tymbrel al blude rede.
“Go to, ȝyng gallandis, quha that list,” quod he,
“Thar ennemyss assailȝe first with me!”
And, with that word, threw a dart in the air,
As he to geif batale all redy war,
Syne in plane feild with browdyn baneris gay
Bargane to byde drew hym till array.
Hys feris all ressauyt the clamour hie,
And followand thar chiftane, he and he,
The bruyt rasyt with grisly sound attanys,
And gan to mervell the dolf hartit Troianys,
That durst nocht, as thame semyt, in plane feild
Thame self aventour, nor ȝit with sper and scheld
Mach with thar fa men in patent bargane,
Bot hald thame in thar strenthis euery ane.
And all commovit, brym and full of ire,
Baith heir and thar Turnus the grevyt syre
Went on horsbak, seirsand abowt the wall
Every dern way and secret passagis all,
Gyf ony entre or tocome espy
He myght, fortill assail the cite by.
Lyke as we se, wachand the full scheip fald,
The wild wolf ourset with schowris cald
Of wynd and rane, at myddis of the nycht,
Abowt the bowght plet all of wandis tyght
Brays and gyrnys; tharin bletand the lammys
Full sovirly liggis vnder thar dammys;
He brym and felloun his rageand furour
Aganys the absentis, reddy to devour,
Rasys in ire, for the wod hungris lyst;
Hys wysnyt throt, havand of blude sic thrist,
Gendris of lang fast sic ane appetyte
That he constrenyt is in extreme syt—
Nane other wyss, the feirfull fervent ire
In Turnus breist vpkyndillis hait as fyre,
Seand thir wallys and fortressis attanys;
The huge ennoy byrnys hym throu the banys,
Imagynand by quhat resson or way
Hys ennemyss he mycht wyn till assay,
And on quhat wyss the Troianys fra thar strenth
He mycht expell, and in plane feild on lenth
Mak thame to ische in patent batale place.
And as he musand was heiron, percace,
The navy of thar schippys he dyd invaid,
That fastby ionyt to the wall was layd,
With dychys and with fowseis dern abowt,
In the flude watir, as neir owt of dowt;
Quham fra he had espyit, but abaid
At hys feris, quhilkis wilfull war and glaid,
Eftir the fyre and kyndillyng dyd he cry,
And in hys awin handis hyntis vp in hy
A blesand fyre brand of the fyrryn tre.
Than byssely Rutilyanys, he and he—
So the presens of Turnus dyd thame steir,
That euery man the rekand schydis in feir
Rent fra the fyris and on the schippis slang;
The semys crakkis, the watir byssyt and sang,
The tallowynt burdis kest a pikky low,
Vpblesis owrloft, hechis, wrangis and how,
Quhill myxt with reik the fell sparkis of fyre
Heich in the air vpglydis byrnand schire.