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Incipit prologus libri decimi

On breid or this was warp and maid patent
The hevynly hald of God omnipotent.
The kyng of men and fader of goddis all
Ane consale or a sessioun maid do call,
Amang the spretis abufe and goddis gret,
Within hys sterrit hevyn and mylky set:
Quharfra, amyd hys trone sittand full hie,
Our all the erd he mycht behald and se
The Troianys castellys and the pepill Latyne.
Down sat the goddis in thar segis dyvyne,
The faldyn ȝettis baith vp warpyt braid.
First Iove hym self begouth, and thus he said:
“O hevynly wightis, of gret power and mycht,
Quhou is betyd ȝour myndis bene sa lycht,
That ȝour decreit fatale and sentens hie
Retretit thus and turnyt bakwartis suldbe?
Or quhy with frawart myndis now of layt
Aganys ȝour ressonabill oraclys ȝe debait?
My will was not at the Italianys
In batale suld concur contrar Troianys.
Quhat maner discord be this at we se,
Express agane our inhibitioun?” said he,
“Quhat dreid or reuerens thame, or thame, hess movyt
To ryn till armys, and rasys weir controvit?
Or hes sic wyss persuadyt to bargane,
With bludy wapynnys rent, and mony slane?
Haist not the sesson to provoke nor prevene;
Of batale cum sal detfull tyme bedene,
Heirefter, quhen the ferss burgh of Cartage
To Romys boundis, in thar feirfull rage,
Ane huge myscheif and gret qualm send sall,
And thyrll the hie montanys lyke a wall:
Than war iust tyme in wreth to mak debait,
Than war the tyme to rug and reif thus gait.
Now of sic thingis leif and desist; with me
Glaidly do makis frendly amyte.”
A few wordis on this wyss Iupiter said,
Bot not in quhoyn wordis him answer maid
The fresch goldyn Venus: “O thou,” quod sche,
“Fader of all, O eternal powste,
Regnand abufe all men, and goddis eik,
To the I cum, the rewthfully beseik,
Sen thar nane other maieste bene ne glor
That in sik neid may help ws to implor.
Thow seys quhou, with bost and felloun feir,
The Rutilianys makis gret derray and steir,
And quhou Turnus, pransand on semly stedis,
Throw owt the ostis rydis in steill wedis,
And quhou orpyt and prowdly ruschis he
Amyd Troianys, be fawour of Mars,” quod sche,
“The strenth of wallys, nor the portis schet,
May nocht salf Troianys; lo, within the ȝet,
Amyd the closs muralȝeis and paill
And dowbill dikis, quhou thai thame assaill,
Quhill the fowceis of blude rynnys on spait;
Eneas absent of this na thing wait.
Quhidder gif that thou list suffir neuermar
Thar sege scalit, nor thame fre of dangar?
Behald agane abowt New Troys wall,
Ȝit bot begyn to byg, and not closs all,
Quhou inverioin musteris thar ennemyiss;
Ane other ost and sege abowt thame lyis,
And newly, lo, Tedeus son, not far
From Arpos cite into Calabar,
To wery Troianys movis, Diomed.
I feill agane my wondis newly bleid,
And I, thy blude, thi get and douchter schene,
Ȝit mortale wapynnys mon thoil eik and sustene!
Gyf the Troianys, but thy benevolens,
Or repungnant to thy magnificens,
Hess socht onto the cost of Italy,
Lat thame be punyst and thar cryme aby,
And I sall suythly stand content for me,
Thou mak thame na kynd help nor ȝit supple.
Bot gif thai followit haue for thar behufe
Sa feill responsis of the goddis abufe,
With syndry admonitions, charge and redis
Of the infernal wightis and spretis that ded is,
Than wald I knaw the causs or resson quhy
That ony mycht pervert or ȝit bewry
Thy commandmentis? How, or quharfor, may thai
New fatys mak and the ald do away?
Quhat nedis to reherss, quhou on the cost
Of Scycilly thar schippis brynt war lost?
Or quharto suld I dwel, to schaw ȝou thus,
Quhou be the god of tempest, Eolus,
The rageand wyndis send war our alquhar,
Or Iris catchit throw clowdis of the ayr?
Now movyt eyk bene fendlych wightis affrayt:
Befor, only that chance was onassayt,
Bot now Alecto newly is furth sent
Into the ovir warld, that fell torment,
With Bacchus fury enragit by and by,
Walkand throu all citeis of Italy.
Na thyng I pauss on the empyre,” quod sche,
“All thocht we hoip had at sic thing suld be,
Quhen fortoun schew tharof sum apperans:
Lat thame be victour quham thou lyst avans.
And gif na realm in this warld remanys,
Quhom thy stern spouss list geif to the Troianys,
I the beseik of Troy by the rewyne,
By that subuersioun rekand, and huge pyne,
Suffyr that ȝyng Ascanyus mot be
Salf fra all wapynnys, and of perrell fre;
And, at the lest, in this ilk mortall stryve
Suffir thy nevo to remane alyve.
As for Ene, forsuyth, I mak na cair:
Thoill hym in onkowth stremys, as he was ayr,
Be dryve and warpyt euery sey abowt,
To follow furth in danger and in dowt
Quhat curss and went at fortoun lyst hym sent;
Most it pless the fader omnipotent
That I may bot defend ȝon litill page,
And hym withdraw from this ferss weris rage.
I haue in Cipyr the cite Amathus,
And the hie standand burgh that hayt Paphus,
And eik the ille yclepyt Cythera,
The hallowyt hald als of Idalya,
Quhar, rendryt vp all armys in that stede,
Duryng hys age he sobir lyfe may led.
And command eik with gret forss and mastry
The burgh of Cartage down thryng Italy;
Fra thyne sall na thyng resist nor gaynstand
Contrar citeis of Tyre or Affrik land.
Quhat proffit hass it done, or avantage,
Of Troys batale to haue eschape the rage,
And throw amyd the Grekis fyrys eik
Haue fled away, and throw the sey haue seik,
Sa feill dangeris bywent and ourdryve
Our streym and landis; gyf that thus belyve
Troianys hes socht till Itaill, to vpset
New Troys wallys, tobe agane doun bet?
Had not bene bettir thame in thar natyve hauld
Have syttyn still amang the assys cauld,
And lattyr isillys of thar kynd cuntre,
Or barrand soyll quhar Troy was wont tobe,
Than thus, fra ded to ded, from payn to payn,
Be catchit on, and euery day be slane?
Restor, I pray the, to thai wrachit wightis
Xanthus and Symoes, fludis quhilk of rychtis
Was wont tobe thar propyr herytage.
O fader, suffir the fey Troiane barnage
To seik agane quhat hard myschance befallys
To Troy or Ilyon with thar brokyn wallys.”
The queyn Iuno than, but mair abayd,
Prykkyt with felloun fury thus furthbrayd:
“Quhy doys thou,” said sche, “to me sik offens,
Constrenyng me brek closs profund sylens,
And with thy wordis, quhar ayr I was koy,
Prouokis to publyss and schaw myne hyd ennoy?
Quhat maner man, or quhilk of goddis, lat se,
To move batale constrenyt hess Ene,
Or to engyre hym self to Latyn kyng
As mortal fa, within hys proper ryng?
I geif the cace, to Italy socht he
Of the fatys by the autoryte,
Provokyt tharto be the wyld dotage
Of wod Cassandra in hir fury rage.
Lat se, for all this, gyf that anys in sport
To leif hys strenthis we dyd hym exhort,
Or forto put hys lyfe in ony danger,
To sayll, or submyt hym to wyndis seir?
Lat se, gyf we hym causyt to walk at large,
And till ane bab commyt the batellys charge,
And governance haill of hys cite wallys?
Lat se gyf we, how evir the chance befallys,
Persuadyt hym forto commove and steir
Other quyet pepill with hym to rayss the weir,
Or till adione vp frendschip and ally
With Tyrrhene pepill and folk of Tuscany?
Quhat god amovit hym with sic a gawd
In hys dedis to oyss sik slyght and frawd,
Or quhilk of our hard poweris wrocht sic thyng?
Quhar was Iuno with all, this lady ȝyng?
Or quhar was sche also quhen, ȝistir nycht,
Irys was send down throu the clowdis brycht?
Is this a thing ful onlesum, but let,
Thocht Italianys with flambys ombeset
The new cite of Troy vprysand, lo?
And is it not full gret dispyt also
That, in hys natyve land and faderis ryng,
Turnus remane, or pretend tobe kyng,
Quhamto the god Pylumnus grandschir is,
And haly nymphe Venylia moder, I wyss?
Quhat, thinkis thou lesum is at Troianys infeir
Violens to mak with brandis of mortall weir
Agane Latynys, syk onkouth heritage
Tyll occupy and subdew in bondage,
And thar catale in spreth to dryve away?
Quhat, haldis thou lesum als, I pray the say,
From otheris to withdraw sa thyftuusly
Thar eldfaderis and maist tendyr ally,
Or, from betwix thar breist and armys tway,
Thar treutht plyght spowsys forto reif away?
Tocum and beseik trewys in strange landis,
With syng or takyn of paix born in thar handis;
And netheless, to mak reddy for weir,
Purvay thar schippis, provide armour and geir?
To salf Ene, hess thou not power and mycht
From Grekis handis hym to withdraw be slycht,
And set in sted of that man, light as lynd,
Owder a clowd or a waist puft of wynd?
And eik thou may transform the schippis,” quod sche,
“Intil alsmony goddessis of the see.
Bot, be the contrary, Rutilyanys ofspryng
We suld support, that is forbodyn thyng!
Thy son Ene, mysknawyng this deray,
As thou allegis, is absent now away:
And quhat iniurys, absent mot he remane,
And ignorant for ay of this bargane?
Thow hass Paphos, thyne is Idalia,
And thyne mot be the ile of Cithera.
Sen thou hess all thir at command and will,
Lat other folkis in paix and rest dwell styll.
Quharto assalȝeis thou a strang cite,
That hess bene oft exercyt in melle,
And lyst invaid pepill with hartis kene?
I can not fynd quhat occasioun ȝe meyn.
Haue we etlyt the Phrigyane febill geir
Down from the grund to welt our into weir?
Quhidder was it we, or than Parys, that faltyt,
That wrachit Troianys by Grekis war assaltit?
Quhat was the causs that Europ and Asya
To rayss the weir in armys war sa thra
Aganyst otheris, and thar auld allyans
With thiftuus reif to brek on sic myschans?
Was I not governour and cheif ledar thar,
The tyme quhen that the Troiane adulterar
Ombesegyt the cite of Spartha,
And the queyn Heleyn reft and brocht awa?
Or quhidder gif I evir into that weir
Mynysterit dartis, wapynnys or sic geir?
Or ȝit that bargane stuffyt or bet, lat se,
With Cupydis blynd lust and subtilite?
Than had bene honest tyme, and ganand baith,
Till haue previdit for thy frendis skaith.
Now, al to layt, with thyne iniust complantis
Aganyst ws thou rysis, and attantis
Forto warp owt thy vane wordis chydyng,
Quhilk certis may avale the in na thing.”
With siclyke wordis Iuno fra end to end
Gan hir querrell sustene and als defend,
And all the hevynly wightis dyd quhyspir and rown,
In opynyonys full diuerss, vp and down—
Lyke as first, or wyndis blast be persave,
The swouch is hard within the woddis waif,
With frasyng soundis quhisland, ȝit onknaw
Quharof cumis this bruyt owt throw the schaw,
All thocht it be to maryneris a syng,
Of wyndis blast to follow sur taknyng.
The fader than omnipotent maist hie
That our all thingis hess souerane maieste,
Begouth to say, and quhen he spak, all cessyt,
The hevynly heich howss of goddis was pecyt,
The erthis grund schuke trymlyng for feir,
And still but movyng stud the hevynnys cleir,
The wyndis eik thar blastis lownyt sone,
The sey calmyt hys fludis playn abone.
“Ressaue,” quod he, “my sawis, and tak tent,
And thir my wordis within ȝour myndis enprent.
Sen that algatis ȝit may not sufferit be
Latynys confidir with Troianys and Ene,
Nor ȝe can nocht mak end of ȝour debait,
I sal me hald indifferent, the meyn gait,
And as for that, put na diuersyte
Quhiddir so Italianys or Troianys thai be;
Quhow evir this day the fortoun with thame standis,
Bruke weill thar chance and werd on athir handis,
Lat ich of thame hys hoip and forton sew:
Quhidder so the fatys hess determyt of new
Troianys to be assegit with Italianys
To thar myscheif, or wraik of the Troianys,
Quhilkis with frawart admonytions sa lang
Peraventour hess errit and gane wrang—
Nowder Troianys nor Rutilianys freith will I.
Lat athir of thame thar awin fortoun stand by,
And bruke thar wark thai haue begun; but faill,
Kyng Iupiter salbe to all equale.
The fatis sal provyd a way mair habill.”
And with that word, fortill hald ferm and stabill
Hys godly aith and promys, sworn hess he
Be Stix the flude, Pluto hys broderis see,
Be that ilk pykky layk with brays blak,
And laithly golf, to kepe all that he spak,
And, til afferm hys aith, at hys lykyng
The hevynnys all maid trymbill, for a syng.
Thus endit was the consale, and al doyn,
And Iupiter rayss fra hys goldyn troyn,
Quham hevynly wightis amyddis thame with ioy
Ontill hys chymmys ryall dyd convoy.
Duryng this quhile, all the Rutilianys stowt
The cite portis lappit rownd abowt,
Forto down bet the Troianys, euery syre,
Inveroin all the wallys with hait fyre.
Eneas barnage, at myschefis huge
Thus ombeset, and segyt but refuge,
Inclusyt war but hop to wyn away,
And sobyrly at defens, as thai may,
On the hie towris hedis stud on raw.
Ful thyn the cirkyllys of the wallys law
Thai mannyt abowt, for in the first front stude
Iasyus, Imbrasus son, and eik the gude
Tymetes, son of strang Icetoan,
And by thame alsso the Assaracus twane,
The eldar Thybrys with Castor full wroth,
Brethir germane to Kyng Sarpedon boith,
Quham Clarus had and Hemon, ferys twa,
Followyt from the hie realm of Lycya.
Ane Agmon of Lyrnesya fast thar by
Presys with all the forss in hys body
A felloun stone to welt the wallys tyll,
Quhilk semyt be a gret part of a hyll;
Na less of statur than hys fader Clytyus
Was he, nor ellys hys brother Mnestheus.
With dartis thai assaill the cite fast,
And thai defend with slungis and stane cast;
Sum presys thik the wyld fyre into slyng,
The arrowys flaw spangand fra euery stryng.
The Dardane child, the ȝyng Ascanyus,
Principall thocht and cuyr of Dame Venus,
Amyd the rowtis, in covert quhar he ȝeid,
Thar mycht be seyn in hys fresch lustyhed,
Lyke as ane gem, with hys brycht hew schynyng,
Departis the gold set amydwart the ryng,
Or in the crownell pyght, or rych hynger,
Quhilk doys the nek array or the hed ger;
And mair semly than evor bane to se,
Craftely closyt within the box of tre,
Or than amyd the blak terbynthyn
Growys by Orycia; and, as the geit dois schyne,
Hys curland lokkis hyngis down weill dek
About hys schuldris our hys mylk quhyte nek,
Ane circulet of plyabill gold so bryght
Abuf hys haris apon hys hed weil pyght.
Thow Ismarus, of magnanymyte
Fulfyllit, eik thar myght men the se,
Invnctand venemus schaftis the ilk tyde,
Address dartis, and wyrk wondis full wyde;
Cummyn of the gentill blude of Meony,
In Lyde cuntre born thou was, fast by
The plentuus sulȝe quhar the goldyn ryver
Pactolus warpys on grund the gold vre cleir.
Reddy at hand was Mnestheus wight,
Quham the renowne of this ȝistir nycht,
For that he Turnus our the dychys drave,
Full prowd maid in hys curage our the laif.
With hym was Capys thar alsso, quham by
The town Capua is namyt in Champany.
Thus athir party into hard barganyng
Stude at debait, quhill Eneas the kyng,
With all hys ferys, baith day and mydnycht
Slydis throw owt the salt famys lyght.
For efter that fra Kyng Evander he
Departit was, as heir abufe said we,
And entrit in amyd the Tuscane tentis,
The kyng he socht, and tald hym hys ententis,
Hys name to hym rehersyng and hys blude,
And hys desyre, fully to conclude,
Hess schawyn planely, twychand quhat he socht,
And quhat supple alsso with hym he brocht,
And tald quhat army prowd Meȝentyus
Had convenyt, and how the bald Turnus
So violent and ferss was in hys will,
Exhortyng hym to tak gude heyd heirtill,
And how instabill was all warldis chance,
All manis surte hyngand in ballance;
And onto this hys request and prayer
Adionyt hess on ful gudly maner.
Thar was na mair delay, bot Tarchon kyng
All reddy was to fulfyll hys lykyng,
With moblys and all ryches at command,
And vp gan knyt thar fordward and cunnand
Of amyte and perpetuall ally.
Than of the fatys fre, in thar navy,
At command of the goddis, pepill Tuscane
Ar entrit in thar schyppys euerilkane,
Submytting thame ontill a strange duke.
Eneas barge than furth the vayage tuke
Befor the laif, as almeral of the flote,
And in hir stevyn kervyn full weil, God wot,
The lyonys that the Phrygyane armys bene,
Abufe the quhilkis porturat fair and greyn
Was Ida forest, to fugytyve Troianys
Thar best belovyt forest and natyve wanys.
In hyr was set the gret prynce Eneas,
That with hym self can mony thing cumpas
Twychyng the chancis of batal in that tyde.
Pallas adionyt sat by hys left syde,
And he at hym dyd wysly ask and speir
The curss and namys of the starnys cleir,
Quhilk in the styl hevyn schynys on the nycht;
Now speris he, franand with all hys myght,
To knaw Eneas wandryng be the see,
And quhou huge payn he had on landis dre.
Ȝhe Musys now, sweit goddessis ychone,
Oppyn and oncloss ȝour mont of Helycon,
Reveil the secretis lyand in ȝour mycht,
Entone my sang, address my style at rycht,
To schaw quhat pyssance, ostis and army
At this tyme from the boundis of Tuscany
In falloschyp com with the prynce Ene,
And stuffyt schippys of weir set to the see.
Fyrst, Prynce Massycus cummys with hys rowt,
Into hys barge Tygrys, with stelyt snowt,
Sowchand throw owt the fludis quhar scho went,
A thowsand stowt ȝong men of hys talent
Vndir hym ledyng, for the batale bown,
From Clusyum com vmquhile, that nobill town,
And fra the Tuscane cite of Cosa;
Baith castyng dartis and flanys vsyt tha,
With arrow casys and other quavyrris lycht,
And mortal bowys buklyt for the fyght.
Sammyn furth salys Abas, and hym by
Hys barnage stud enarmyt rychly;
Hys weirlyke schip our the fludis ilkane
Of god Appolloys goldyn statw schane.
The rych cyte of Populonyas,
Hys natyve cuntre, quharof born he was,
Sax hundreth men of armys in wer expert
With hym hess send, and the ile in that part
Illua callyt, within the Tuscane see,
Sa rych of steill it may nocht wastyt be,
Thre hundreth eik hess send with hym to pass.
The thryd capitane, worthy Asylas,
Of goddis eik and men interpretur,
Of euery spayng craft that knew the cuyr,
Quhat the hart pypis and bestis entralys ment,
Quhat signyfeit the starnys, quhar thai went
Thar rycht cursis abufe the hevynnys hie,
And euery byrdis vocis weil knew he,
And quhat betaknyt, schynyng from the hevyn,
Thyr fyry blastis or this thundris levyn;
A thousand men assemlyt with hym ledis,
With awful speris and scharp grundyn hedis;
Quham the Hetruscane cite, Pysa gud,
Inhabyt first from Alpheus that flude,
Send tyll obey hym as thar capitane.
Syne followys Astur, the semlyast of ane,
Astur, maist sovyr horsman forto seik,
Of variant cullour was hys armour eik;
Thre hundreth walyt men with hym he led.
All of a will, furth to the batal sped
The folkis alhail dwelt in the cite sweit
Of Agelyn, otherwyss callyt Cerete,
And thai that dwellys in tha feldis, I wyss,
Endlang the bankis of flud Mynyonys,
Or intill ancyent Pyrgus town alssua,
Or inhabytis the cyte Grauyssa,
Ful contagius of tempest and grewss ayr.
Suld I the pretermyt, sen thou was thar,
I meyn the, Cygnus, of Lygurianys
The cheif ledar, amang other capitanys
Ane the maist forcy into batal sted?
Ne wil I not forȝet, suld I be ded,
The, strang Cupauus, with thy few menȝe,
Fra quhais tymbret rysys apon hie
The lusty swannys fedrame, brycht and scheyn
(The cryme and cawss of all ȝour woful teyn
Was luf and amouris), or pompus array
Schrowd in ȝour faderis connysans al to gay.
For, as thai tell, quhil dolorusly Cygnus
Maid hys complant amang the scroggy buss
Of poppill tre branschis lang and squar,
Quharin the twa systeris transformyt war,
And gan bewail Phaeton, hys best belovyt;
Quhil that he sang and playt, as hym behwyt,
The dolly tonys and lays lamentabill,
With sic regrate to comfort and astabill
Hys hevy amorus thochtis ennoyus,
In quhite canoss soft plumys ioyus
Became ourheld, in lyknes of a swan,
And led hys age na mar furth lyke a man,
Bot tuke hys flycht vp from the erd in hy
And with a swouchand voce socht in the sky.
Hys son, this tyde, havand hys falloschippys
Distribut equaly into syndry schippys,
Amang the navy and the flote at large,
With ayris rollys furth hys bustuus barge,
Clepyt Centaurus, and ithandly syne he
Dryvys throu fludis of the stormy see.
Byg of statur stude he lyke to feght,
Bostand the streme with ballast of huge weght,
And with hys lang and lusty ballyngar
Ourslydis the deip fludis in thar fair.
The nobill Ocnus from hys natyve land
A fair army assemlyt brocht at hand,
Son of god Tibris, the Tuscane ryver,
Beget apon Manthus the lady cleir,
That was baith nymphe and famus prophetes.
Thys Ocnus was the ilk man quhilk express
Of Mantua the cite dyd he wall,
And eftir hys said moderis name can call
Mantua, myghty of ald ancystry
And forfaderis. Bot hys geneology
Was not of ane kynrent cummyn all,
For that town had thre clannys principall,
And, vnder euery clan or trybe of tha,
War other sobyr famyllis twyss twa;
Mantua eik was cheif and principall hed
Till all thir pepill wonnyng in that sted,
Takand thar forss and hardyment ilkane
From the lynage and nobill blude Tuscane.
Meȝentius, throu hys auld tyrranny,
Furth of this cite aganyst hym in hy
Fyve hundreth men till armys maid do steir;
Quham Myncyus, the fresch rynnand ryver,
That from the lowch of Bennacus ischis down,
And is ourheldyt all with redis brovn,
Hess careit to the braid seys large
Within thar weirly schip and awfull barge.
Furth held the stowt and degest Aulestes,
Quhilk with gret strenth of rowaris in that press,
Rasyng thame on thar thoftis for the nanys,
The fludis smate with hundreth arys at anys,
Quhill that the fomy stowr of stremys le
Vpweltis from the braid palmys of tre.
The mekill howke hym bair was Tryton callyt,
For in hir forstam was the monstre stallyt,
With watry trumpe fleyand the fludis gray;
Quhar as scho salyt, men mycht se hym ay
With byrsy body porturyt, and vissage
All rowgh of harys, semyng of cullage
In mannys form fra hys cost to hys crown,
Bot from hys belly, and thens fordwart dovn,
The remanent straucht lyke a fyschis tayll,
In symylitud of huddon or a quhaill;
Vndre the breist of this ilk bysnyng thyng
The sey wallys bulrand makis murnyng.
Sa mony walyt capitanys, nobill men,
In help of New Troy, with schippys thryss ten,
Slydis throw the salt stremys of the see
With stelyt stevynnys and bowand bylge of tre.
Be this declynyt was the days lyght;
The moyn intill hyr waverand cart of nycht
Held rollyng throw the hewynnys myddil ward,
As Eneas, the Troiane prynce and lard,
For thochtis mycht na wyss hys membris rest,
Samony curys in hys mynd he kest,
Bot sat in proper person, and nane other,
To steir hys carvell and to rewle the ruther,
And forto gyde the salys takand tent.
Onone, amyd hys curss, thar as he went,
Recontyris hym hys falloschip in hy
Of nymphis, quham of schippys and his navy
The haly moder, clepyt Cybele,
Maid to becum goddessys in the see.
All sammyn swam thai, hand in hand yfeir,
And throw the wallys fast dyd sewch and scheir,
Als feill in numbyr nymphys throu the flude,
Als laitly with thar stelyt stevynnys stude
Of Troiane schippys by the costis syde.
A weil far way, as our the streme thai glyde,
Thar kyng thai knaw, and all in carralyng
About hys schyp went circulyt in a ryng,
Amangis quham, in speche the maist expert,
Cymodocea to the wail astart,
And with hir rycht hand can the eft casteill
Do gryp onon, that all hir bak ilk deill
Abuf the sey watir dyd appeir;
Beneth the calmyt stremys fair and cleir
With hir left hand craftely swymmys sche;
Syne on this wyss spekis till Enee,
That of this wonderus mervell knew na thing:
“Walkis thou or not, thou verray goddis ofspryng,
Our prynce and master Eneas? Now awaik,
Takill thy schippys, and thy schetis sclaik.
We beyn thy navy and thy flote,” quod sche,
“Bowyt sum tyme of fyr and bych tre,
Grew in the haly top of mont Ida,
And now, as present thou behald ws may,
Nymphes we beyn, and salbe euermor.
For, as ȝon faithles Turnus by the schor
Invadyt ws with glavys and with fyre,
On forss constrenyt for the flambys schire,
Thy cabillys we in sundyr brak in haist,
To seik the throw the sey, as we war chaist;
And than the moder of goddis, Cybele,
Havand of ws compassioun and piete,
In this figour hass ws all translait,
For euermar tobe deificat,
As goddessys, quhar so ws lykis best,
Amangis the fludis forto leif and lest.
Bot thy deir child, ȝyng Ascanyus stowt,
Besegyt is, and closyt rownd abowt
With wallys, fowcy and trynschis, ather syde,
Amyd dartis or quarrellys fast doys glyde,
And dreidfull hostis of stern pepill Latyne,
By weir enforsyng to distroy all thyne.
Evandrus horsmen, clepyt Arcadanys,
Mydlyt sammyn with Hetrurianys,
Quham in thy help thou sendis by the land,
Thai placis now, quhar as thou gaue command,
Can occupy, abydand thy cummyng:
Bot Turnus hess determyt, as certane thing,
Gret garnysonys to send betwix thame sone,
That ȝour hostis sall not togidder ioyn.
Get vp, haue done, and sone in the mornyng,
Alsswyth as the brycht day begynnys to spryng,
Thy ferys haill thou fyrst to harnes call,
And with thy scheild invynsibill tharwithall
Thy selvyn schrowd, quham mychty god of fyre
To the, as ane maist souerane lord and syre,
Hass wrocht and gevyn, and with gold sa brycht
The bordouris hass ourgylt and forgit at rycht.
Gyf thou belevys not my sawys invayn,
The lyght of day to morn, I schaw the playn,
Huge hepys sal behald in feld dung down
Of Rutilianys by fell occisioun.”
Thus said sche, and, departand with a skyp,
By hir rycht hand schowys furth the schyp
As scho that was in that craft rycht expert,
And throw the wallys on the tother part
Glydys away vndir the fomy seys,
Als swyft as ganȝe or feddyrrit arrow fleys,
That stryvys forto pyngill with the wynd:
The remanent hir followys fast behynd.
Anchises son, the gret Troiane Ene,
Awondris, onwyttyng quhat this mycht be,
And, netheless, hys curage dyd avance
With this ilk fatale augury or chance;
Syne schortly, lukand to the hevyn abone,
On this maner can pray and maid hys boyn:
“O blyssyt moder of the goddis,” quod he,
“That hallowyt art in the montane Ide,
Quhamto the toppys of mont Dyndymane,
And eik the towryt citeis mony ane,
With renyt lyonys ȝokkyt to the char,
Ful tendyr bene and hartly euermar;
Be thou in batall now my president,
Be my protectrix, dewly takand tent
At this orakyll be hastyt to our weill;
O haly goddess, with happy fute of seill
Cum and assistis to thyne awyn Troianys.”
No mor he spak, bot, with that word atanys,
In the meyn quhile vpspryngis the brycht day,
Chasand the clowdis of the nycht away.
And fyrst Eneas gan hys ferys command
Thar baneris to displayt and follow at hand,
Thar curage eik and curace to address,
And graith thame for the batail all express.
For he, be than, hys Troianys mycht behald,
And of the eft schyp into hys town and hald
Men mycht hym se and knaw, quhar at he stude,
Hys schynand new scheild from amyd the flud
Into hys left hand rasyt hie on hyght.
The Troianys from the wallys of that sycht
War sa reiosyt, vp thai rasyt a cry
That rerdis to the starnys in the sky.
The hoip of hys returnyng hait as fyre
Dowblyt thar curage, and vprasyt thar ire,
That with thar handis fast thai dartis slyng,
With sic a dyn of clamour and crying,
And trumpys blast rasyt within the town
Sik maner bruyt, as thocht men hard the sovn
Of crannys crowplyng, fleand in the ayr
With spedy fard in randoun heir and thar;
As from the flude of Trace, hait Strymone,
Vndre the dyrk clowdis, oft we se,
Thai fle the weddris blast and rak of wynd,
Thar glaidsum soundis followand thame behynd.
Bot quhat mycht meyn this affeir and deray
A gret farly and wondyr was, perfay,
To Turnus, kyng of Rutuleis, that tyde,
And the Italiane dukis hym besyde,
Quhill thai at last beheld towart the cost,
And saw the navy cum and mekill ost,
Semand the sey of schippys all ourflet.
The creist or schynand tymbret that was set
Abufe Eneas helm and top on hyght
Kest byrnand flambys with a glytterand lycht,
And eyk the goldyn boyss of hys bukleir
Large fyry stremys on breid schew fair and cleir—
Lyke as the comete stern sanguynolent,
With hys red cullour tryst and violent,
Schynys sum tyme apon the donk nycht;
Or frawart Syrius, that fervent star brycht,
Quhilk with the scaldand heyt at hys rysyng
Byrnys the erth of drowth, and is the syng
Pretendand tyll all mortale folk, I gess,
Contagyus infirmyteis and seiknes,
That with hys schrewyt lyght canicular
Infekkyt all the hevynnys and the ayr.
Bot Turnus hardy stalwart hie curage,
For all this feir, demynyst nevir a stage,
Quhilk manfully schup thame to withstand
At the cost syde, and dyng thame of the land,
That on na wyss thar thai suld arryve;
And with glaid semlant gan his folk belyve
Exortyng forto rayss thar spretis on hie,
And with hys wordis forthirmar eik he
Gan thame repreif of thar sa hasty feir.
“Lo! now present,” says he, “is cummyn heir
The mater quhilk ȝe lang desyrit haue;
The tyme is now to gryp in hand ȝour glaif;
The tyme of batale reddy is at hand,
Quhar strenth beis schawyn in stalwart stowr to stand.
Now euery man ramembir on his spowss,
Thynk on thar natyve land and dwellyng howss;
Reduce ȝe now onto ȝour mynd, ilkane
The worthy actis of ȝour eldris bygane,
Thar lovabyll fame, and ȝour awyn renowne;
And lat ws formest haist ws to the see,
And thar recontyr our fays, or thai land,
Quhill as thai first set fut apon the sand,
With slyde tocummyn, half deil in effray,
Or thai thar fut steppis ferm, and tak array.
Hap helpis hardy men, be myne avyss,
That weil dar tak on hand stowt interpryss.”
Thus said he, and tharwith in hys thocht
Devisys quham maist ganandly he mocht
Led with hym, to resist and meit his fays,
Or quham he suld not from the sege vprays,
Bot styll remane to ferm and closs the town,
The wallys and the trynschis enveroun.
In the meyn sesson, the Troiane Ene
Begouth hys folkis from thar schippis hie
On bryggis and on plankis set on land:
Mony abaid the ebbyng of the sand,
Quhill the swarf fard wallys abak dyd draw,
Than in the schaldis dyd thai leip on raw;
And sum with ayris into coggis small
Etlyt to land. But tho amang thame all
The prynce Tarchon can the schor behald,
Thar as hym thocht suldbe na sandis schald,
Nor ȝit na land bryst lyppyrryng on the wallys,
Bot quhar the flude went styll, and calmyt all is
But stowr or bullyr, murmour or movyng;
Hys stevynnys thydder steryng gan the kyng,
And on this wyss hys ferys dyd exort:
“Now, O ȝe walyt flour of weir, at schort,
Bend vp ȝour ayris styth, and rayss ȝour schippys.
Haist owr the flude, bair to the schoyr with skyppys,
And with ȝour stelyt stevynnys, ane and all,
Thys ground onfrendly to ws and inimicall
Do scheir and cleif in sundyr lyke a stok,
Lat euery barge do prent hir self a dok:
Na forss I not in sik port by this meyn
To brek the schyp, sa we the land atteyn.”
Fra Tarchon had thir wordis said, but mair
Hys feris startis ilk man till ane ayr.
The stowrand famy bargis dyd rebound,
Inrowand fast towart the Latyn grond,
Quhyl that thar stammys tuke the bankis dry,
And thar kelys stak in the slyke fast by,
Bot ony harm or danger, euery one.
Bot sa tyd not onto thy schyp, Tarchon,
For in the schald scho stoppys, and dyd stand
Apon a dry chyngill or bed of sand,
A lang tyme all to schakyng with the flude,
Quhill fynaly, thar rokkand as scho stude,
To brystis scho, and ryvys all in sondyr,
Warpyt the men amyd the faym thar vndir;
The plankis, hechis and mony brokyn ayr,
That on the streym went flotand heir and thar,
Maid to thar landing gret impediment,
And slyddry glar so from wallys went
That oft thar feyt was smyttyn vp on loft;
Bot finaly, all drowkyt and forwrocht,
Thai salwyt war, and warpyt to the cost.
Than na delay of sleuth nor feir ne bost
With held Turnus, bot with hys haill armee
Aganyst Troianys by the cost of the see
He dyd array all sammyn in that stound.
The trumpettis blew thar bludy weirlyke sownd.
And fyrst, in syng of gud luk in the weris,
Ene the rowtis of the lauboreris,
Or rurall husbandis, invadis and ourset,
And hess the Latyn commonys haill doun bet,
By slauchter fyrst of thar chiftane, Theron,
Amang all otheris the biggast man of one,
Quhilk set apon Eneas or he wyst;
Bot he throw owt hys syde hys swerd hes thryst,
Persyt the stalwart platit scheild of steill,
And throw the schynand hawbrek euery deill;
The giltyn mailȝeis makis hym na sted,
For in the cost he tholys dynt of ded.
Syne smate he Lychas, and hym hess al to torn,
That of hys ded moderis waym was furth schorn,
And onto Phebus god was consecrait,
And was sa chancy in hys ȝong estait
That he the swerd eschapit by hys hap;
Bot not at this tyme so the dedis clap.
And not far thens this douchty Eneas
Kyllyt the dowr and stalwart Cysseas,
And put to deth the bustuus Gyas strang,
That with hys burdoun down haill rowtis dang:
Thar strenthy handis helpyt thame na thyng,
Nowder Hercules wapynnys nor armyng
Mycht thame defend, nor ȝit thar syre, that heght
Melampus, and companȝeon was in feght
To Hercules in hys sair iourneis feill,
Quhil he in erth was levand and in heill.
And lo, as Pharon cryis and dois rowst
With haltand wordis and with mekill woust,
Eneas threw a dart at hym that tyde,
Quhilk, as he gapyt, in hys mowth dyd glyde.
And thou also, the fey Greyk, Cydon,
Quhilk strangly luffyt thir ȝong childer ichone,
As thou the ȝyng Clytius dyd persew,
Quhais ȝallow berd begouth to spryng of new,
And was alhaill thy new lust and desyre,
Be the rycht hand of this ilk Troiane syre
Thar had bene maid end of thy amouris greyn,
And wrachitly had lyin ded, I weyn,
War not the brethir of the clan Phorcanys
Apon Eneas assemblit all atanys;
In numbyr sevyn thai war, and dartis sevin
Alsammyn thai kest, forcy as fyry levin,
Of quham sum dyd but harm or other deir
Stot from hys scheild, his hewmet or hed geir,
And sum, that wald haue hyt hys corpss in hy,
Venus hys haly moder choppyt by.
Than to the traist Achates said Ene:
“Reik me dartis and castyng speris,” quod he,
“That in the Grekis bodeis fixit stude,
Quhylum in Troys planys bedyit with blude,
And my rycht hand sall thraw thame so ilkane
On Rutulanys, that nane sal fle invane.”
A bustuus schaft with that he grippyt hass,
And incontrar hys aduersaris gan tayss
Quhilk flaw towartis Meonyus fast by;
Owt throw the scheild platit with steill in hy
Duschyt the dynt, and throw the corslettis glydis,
Gyrd throw the cost persyng baith the sydis.
Onto hym startis Alcanor, hys brothir,
To beir hym vp, quhen that he saw hym schuddir,
With hys rycht arm, bot throw hys gardy sone
The grundyn hed and bludy schaft ar done,
Furth haldand the self randoun as it went;
The ryght arm, from the schulder al to rent,
Apon the mankyt sennonys hyngis by,
As impotent, quyte lamyt, and dedly.
Than Numytor furth of hys brotheris corps
Ruggis the trunschon, and with all hys forss
It swakkis at Ene, bot he na mycht
Had till attane ne wond the nobill knycht;
Ȝyt with the dynt the gret Achates thee
He hurt and strenȝeit hass a litill wee.
With this come Clawsus, full of vassalage,
Confidand in hys ȝouth and florist age,
The Curytanys with hym brocht in the press,
And with a lang styf speir ane Dryopes
Smate in the halss, vnder the chyn, sa sair
That hym byreft was in the place rycht thar
Baith voce and spreit of lyfe, and that na wonder,
For hys nek bayn and throte war carf in sondir,
That doun he duschys with a felloun rerd,
Quhil that hys forret raschit on the erd,
And of hys mouth, a petuus thing to se,
The lopprit blude in ded thraw voydis he.
Thre otheris syne this ilk Clawsus hass slane,
Born into Trace of the clan Boryane;
And thre com fra the cite of Idas,
And other thre of cite Ismaras,
By diuerss chancis put he al to ded.
Alesus hym recontris in that sted,
And all the barnage com from Aurunca,
That auld cite; and thame followys alssua
To that melle the son of Neptunus,
That is to knaw, the worthy Mesapus,
Quhilk into horsman craft was maist expert.
Now presys this syde, and now ȝonderwart,
To reill abak and to expell in fyght
Thar aduersaris, and mak thame tak the flycht.
Thus by the cost Ausonya that tyde
Hard wolx the batale apon athir syde.
As thocht sum tyme amyd the large ayr
The contrar wyndys stryvys heir and thar,
With brethfull blastis in thar equale nychtis,
Nane lyst obey tyll other, all sa wight is,
Nowder thai amang thame self, nor ȝit the clowdis,
Ne ȝit the rageand seys, quhilkis sa lowd is;
So that the bargane lang standis in dowt,
Quha salbe victor, and quha vnderlowt,
Sa forcyly remanys the elementis
Contrary otheris to thar awin ententis—
Nane other wyss the Troiane hostis in feild,
And Latyn rowtis ȝokkit vnder scheild,
Metys in the melle: ionyt sammyn than
Thai fewtyr fut to fut, and man to man.
Bot quhen that Pallas at ane owtyr syde
Persavyt hys Arcad army that tyde
In sic a place had takyn land attanys,
Quhar as a burn had warpyt rowand stanys,
And buskis with the brays down had bet,
That thai war in sa hard myscheif ourset,
As men nocht vsyt forto go feght on fute,
And than, constrenyt, knew nane other buyt,
For scharpness of that sted, bot leif thar horss;
That weil persauyt he how that on forss
Thai gave the bak, and schupe to tak the flycht,
The Latynys followand thame in all thar mycht:
Than, quhile with prayer, now with wordis sowr,
Thar curage he enflambis to the stowr,
Quhilk maner havyngis, suyth as is the creid,
As vtir poynt remedy at sik a neid.
“My ferys,” say he, “quhidder do ȝe fle?
I ȝou beseik, be ȝour gret renowne,
And be ȝour forcy dedis done of ald,
And by ȝour pryncis fame, Evander bald,
And be the ostis and mony victoryss
That ȝe in weir and batale wan feill syss,
And be my gude beleif and hoyp, that now
With haill confidens restis fixt in ȝow,
As to atteyn onto my faderis glor,
To ondertak sik dedis done befor;
Do nevir, for schame, onto ȝour self that lak,
To lyppyn in speid of fute and gyf the bak.
With swerdys dynt behuffis ws, perfay,
Throw amyddis our ennemys red owr way.
Quhar ȝondir sop of men thikkis in a rowt,
Ȝondir is the passage quhar we moste wyn owt;
Ȝondir ȝour nobill cuntre wyl ȝe pass;
Ȝon way to wend exhortis ȝour duke Pallas.
Heir is na power of dyvynyte,
Nor goddis myght gaynstandyng ws,” quod he,
“Nane other bargane haue we in thir fyghtis
Bot agane dedly and with mortale wightis:
Alsmony mortale bodeis heir haue we,
And als feill handis to debait the melle.
Behaldis, quhou the sey with obstakill gret
Inclusys ws, and at our bak can bet;
On land is left ws heir na place to fle.
Quhat, wald ȝhe ryn to Troy owt throw the see?”
Thus said he, and furthwith, or he wald cess,
Amyd hys fays ruschit in the press,
Quhar as the rowtis thikast war in stowr.
And first of other, to hys fatale howr,
Hym metys Lagus, a Rutilyane,
Quham fyrst ourrollyt with a mekill stane,
Throw gyrd hys cost syne with a castyng dart,
Persyng hys rybbys throuch, at the ilk part
Quhar beyn the cupplyng of the ryg bone,
And the ilk schaft stak in hys corss onone.
Pallas it ioggillit, and furth drew in hy;
Quham ane Hysbon, standand neir tharby,
Wenyt to have kawcht, bot the gryp he falyt;
For as onwar he stowpyt, and devalyt
Wod wroth for wo of this myschewss ded
Of hys deir fallow, in the ilk sted
Pallas hym keppyt syk wyss on hys brand
That all the blaid, vp to the hylt and hand,
Amyd hys flaffand longis hyd hass he,
On sik maner that na man mycht it se.
Syne Pallas set apon Anchemolus
And Sthenelus, that of the kyng Rhetus
Prynce of Marrubyanys, ancyent pepill, beyn;
The quhilk Anchemolus was that ilk, I weyn,
Defowlyt hys faderis bed incestuusly,
And had forlayn hys awyn stepmoder by.
And ȝe alsso, stowt gemel brether twa,
Childir and sonnys onto hym Dawcya,
Tymber, I meyn, and thy brother Laryde,
Amyd the feild Rutiliane dyd abyde;
Ȝe war sa lyke in form and symylitude
Nane mycht decern betwix ȝou quhar ȝe stude
(Quhilk maner errour, or sik mysknawyng,
To fader and mother is oft plesand thyng.
Seand thar childer resembill ane lykness);
Bot at this tyme hass Pallas, as I gess,
Markyt ȝou swa with sic rud differens,
That by hys keill ȝe may be knaw fra thens.
For swa stud with the, Tymber, thou art ded,
Evandrus swerd hess swepyt of thy hed;
And thy rycht arm of smyttyn, O Laryd,
Amyd the feild lyis the besyde,
And half lyfless thi fyngyrris war sterand,
Within thy neif doys gryp and faik the brand.
Than schame and dolour, mydlit baith ourane,
Baldis the pepill Arcad eueryane
To the bargane aganyst thar ennemyss,
For Pallas wordis maid thar curage ryss,
And eik, for thai beheld befor thar eyn
Hys dowchty dedis, thai hym love and meyn.
For Pallas than throw gyrd Rhethus the kyng,
As he on cace glaid by on char fleyng:
Na mair space was of tary ne delay
That Ilus deth prolongit the ilk day;
For as agane the, Ilo, with fell feir
Pallas addressyt had a stalwart speir,
Rhetheus start in betwix, and cawch the dynt,
As he on cace was fleand ferss as flynt
From thy handis, the maist forcy Teutras,
And thy brother Tyres, that by the was:
Ourweltis Rethus in ded thrawys atanys,
And with hys helys smayt the Rutilian planys,
Tumlyt from hys hie cart chargit quhar he sat,
And on the grund rebundis with a sqwat.
And lyke as sum tyme in the symmyris drowth,
Quhen wyndis rysys of the north or sowth,
In seir placis the hyrd, at hys desire,
Amang the scroggy rammell settis the fyre;
Wlcanus hostis of brym flambys red
Spredand on breid, vpblesys euery sted;
Than he that set the kyndillyng glaid and gay
Behaldis quhou that the low doys mak deray,
Blesand and crakand with a nyce reuery—
Non other wyss, the Archadanys in hy
All sammyn socht in feild with all thar mycht,
And maid debait to help Pallas in fyght.
Bot tho Alesus, keyn into batale,
Thame to recontyr etlys, and assaill,
And gan hym self weil schrowd vnder his scheild,
Syn manfully ruschit amyd the feild,
Quhar that he slew ane Lacon, and Pheres,
And Demodocus eftir in the press
As hym Strymonyus by the gorget grippyt,
With hys brycht brand hys rycht hand he of quhyppyt;
And Thoas syne sa smayt apon the hed
With a gret stane, quhil myxt of blud all red
The harnys poplit furth on the brayn pan.
Thys ilk Alesus fader, as witty man,
Forto eschew hys sonnys fatys strang,
Hyd hym prevely the thik woddis amang;
Bot, fra the auld Alesus lay to de,
And ȝeldis vp the breth with wawland e,
The fatale systeris set to hand onon,
And can this ȝong Alesus so dispon,
That by Evandrus wapynnys, the ilk stownd,
He destinat was to caucht the dedis wond;
Towart quham Pallas bownyt hass ful sone,
And in hys renk on this wyss maid hys boyn:
“Now grant, thou god and fader Tyberyne,
Gude chance and forton to this hed of myne
The quhilk I tayss apon this castyng speir,
That it may throw Alesus body scheir;
And ȝon harness, cote armour and spulȝe brycht,
Quhilk now sa weirly schynys on ȝon knycht,
Sall hyng apon ane ayk fast by thi bra.”
The god hys askyn hard as he dyd pray,
For quhil Alesus onavisytly
Cled with hys scheild Imaonus, hym by,
That was to hym hys frend and fallow deir,
Hys breist stud nakyt, but armour or geir,
Quharin he Pallas dedly schaft ressauyt.
Bot Lawsus, wilfull hys syde to haue savyt,
As he that was a gret part of the ost,
And lyst not suffir, with sik feir na bost,
Or slauchter maid be Pallas and deray,
At his cumpanȝeis suld caucht mair affray,
Ruschit in the melle; and first in hys teyn
Slew Abas, that gret bargane dyd sustene.
The thikast sop or rowt of al the press,
Thar as maist tary was, or he wald cess,
Thys Lawsus alto sparpillyt and invadys:
Down bettyn war the barnage of Archadyss,
Down bettyn eik war the Hethruryanys,
And ȝhe also, feil bodeis of Troianys,
That war not put by Grekis to vtyrrans.
Than all the ostis semlyt with speir and lans,
The chiftanys all ionyt with hail poweris,
The hyndmast wardis swarmyt al yferis;
So thik in staill all marryt wolx the rowt,
Oneyss mycht ony turn hys hand abowt
To weild hys wapyn, or to schuyt a dart.
Full douchtely Pallas on the ta part
Inforcis hym to greif hys fays that tyde;
Lawsus resistis on that othir syde.
Thar agis was not far indifferent,
And of maist semly statur, quhar he went,
Thai war excellent of bewte baith tway;
Bot so it stude, at fortoun, walloway,
Wald nother suffir to hys realm resort.
And netheless to meyt sammyn at schort,
As into feild to preif thar hardyment,
The governour of hevyn omnipotent
Lyst na way thoill; for, belyve eftir this,
To athir of thame thar dedly fatys, I wyss,
To ane far grettar aduersar remanys,
As heir onon doys follow vnder anys.
Duryng this fervour of the bargane swa,
The haly nymphe, clepit Iuturna,
Hir brother Turnus dyd monyss and exhort
To succur Lawsus, and hys folk support;
The quhilk Turnus, as in hys spedy char
The myd rowtis went sloppand heir and thar,
Beheld hys ferys debatand with Pallas:
“Lo, now is tyme to desist, and lat pass
All sic bargane,” quod he, “cessis in hy;
For I will set on Pallas anerly;
Only to me, and to nane other wight,
The victory pertenys of sik a knycht;
Glaidly I wald hys fader stude heirby,
This interpryss to dereyn and aspy.”
Thus said he, and hys feris at command
Voydit the feild, and all plane left the land.
Than ȝong Pallas, seand Rutylianys
Withdraw the feild sa swith, and rovm the planys,
At the prowd byddyng of thar prynce and kyng,
Amervellit full gretly of this thing,
And farly can on Turnus to behald,
Our all hys bustuus body, as he wald,
Rollyng hys eyn, and all hys corps in hy
With thrawyn luke on far begouth aspy;
Syne movyng fordwart, with sic wordis on hie,
To answer Turnus speche, thus carpys he:
“Owthir now”, quod he, “for ay be lovyt I sall
Of rych kyngly spulȝe triumphall,
Quhilk heir I sall rent from myne aduersar,
Or than salbe renownyt evirmar
Of ane excellent end moist gloryus.
Do wa thy bost and mannance maid to ws,
For my fader, quhom thou desyris besyde,
Reputtis all elyke, quhou evir the chance betyde.”
And sayand thus, amyd the plane furth startis:
The blude congelyt abowt Archadyane hartis.
Turnus down lepys from hys twa quhelit char,
And bownys fast towartis his aduersar.
Lyke as ane lyoun from the hillys hycht,
Amyd the valle had scharply gottin a sycht
Of sum prowd bull, with hys horn in the plane
Addressand hym reddy to mak bargane,
Cummys bradand on the best fast in a lyng—
On siclyke wyss was Turnus tocummyng;
And quhen that Pallas saw hym cum sa neir
He mycht areke to hym a casting speir,
Formast he bownys to the ionyng place,
Gyf sa betyd that forton, of hir grace,
Hys interpryss for stowt ondertakyng
Wald help, or hym support in ony thing,
As he that ȝong was, and of strenth all owt
Na wyss compeir to Turnus stern and stowt;
And to the gret goddis in hevyn abone
Apon this maner prayand said he sone:
“I the beseik, thou myghty Hercules,
Be my faderis gestnyng, and the ilk dess
Quhar thou strangear was ressauyt to herbry,
Assist to me, cum in my help in hy,
To perform this excellent fyrst iourne,
That Turnus in the ded thraw may me se
Bereif fra hym hys bludy armour red,
And ȝaldand vp the breth in the ilk sted,
Mot with hys eyn behald me hym befor
In hie tryumphe, with ourhand as victor.”
Gret Hercules the ȝong man hard onon,
And from the boddum of hys hart can gron,
Hydand hys smart for rewth of Pallas ȝyng,
Seand the fatys wald haue hys endyng;
And for ennoy salt terys, all invayn,
Furth ȝettyng our hys chekis thyk as rayn.
Tho Iupiter, hys curage to astabill,
Thus to hys son spak wordys amyabill:
“Tyll euery mortale wofull wight, perfay,
Determyt standis the fixit lattir day;
Ane schort and onrecoverabill term is set
Of lyfe, quhen all most neydlyngis pay that det:
Bot, to prolong thar fame by nobill dedis,
Fra vertuus wark that cumys and procedis.
Quhou mony sonnys and deir childryn,” said he,
“Of goddis kyn, vnder Troy wallys hie
War done to ded, and brytnyt blude and bone,
So that amangis all otheris Sarpedon,
My tendir get, my kyn and blude, lyis slane.
Forsuyth also, I say the into plane,
The fynale fayt awatis Turnus in feild,
The dait and methis approchis of hys eild.”
Of this wyss spak gret Iove to Hercules,
And with that word, hys eyn towart the press
On the Rutilian feild addressis he.
And, the ilk stownd, ȝong Pallas lattis fle
With mekill forss at Turnus a gret speir,
And syne onon hys brycht brand burnyst cleir
Hyntis furth of the scheith to mak debait.
The schaft flaw towart Turnus, and hym smait
Apon the schulder, abuf the gardis hie
That rysys vmast therapon we se,
And throw the bordour of the scheild swa persyt
Quhill fynaly in sum deill it traversyt,
And hurt a part of Turnus byg body.
Than Turnus smyttyn, full of felony,
A bustuus lance with grundyn hed ful kene,
That lang quhile taysyt he in proper teyn,
Leyt gyrd at Pallas, and thus wyss said he:
“Considir ȝongkeir, gyf our lancis be
Bettir of tempyr and mair penytratyve.”
And, with the word, the schaft flaw furth belyve,
So that the scharp poynt of the brangland speir
Throw owt amyddis of the scheild can scheir,
Persand sa mony platis of irne and steill,
And sa feill plyis of bull hydis ilk deill,
All sammyn cowchit in hys target strang,
The bustuus strake throw all hys armour thrang,
That styntit na thing at the fyne hawbryk,
Quhil throu the cost thyrlyt the dedly pryk.
Pallas, nocht schrynkand for the mortale dynt,
Invane the hait schaft of hys wond hess hynt,
For al togidder by the sammyn way
The blude and sawle passys hyne bath tway.
Apon hys wond onon he ruschis down,
Abuf hym rang hys harness with a sovn,
And that onfrendly erth ennymycall
That in hys deth he suld not scryk nor call,
As was the gyss, with bludy mowth bait he.
Turnus, abufe hym standand, carpys on hie:
“O ȝhe pepill of Arcaid, takis tent,
And my wordis do reherss and present
To Kyng Evandar, sayand hym playnly,
That hys son Pallas to hym send haue I
In sik array as that he hess deservyt;
And, of my gentryss, wil he be preservit
To all estait and honour funerall,
With all solace pertenyng beryall
Of tumbe and of entyrment, as efferis.
Na lytill thyng, perfay, into thir weris
Hes hym bycost the frendschip of Ene.”
And sayand thus, with hys left fut hes he
Pallas ded corps ourwelt, or euer he stent,
And syne abowt hys sydis sone hass rent
Hys goldyn gyrdill, pasand a gret deill,
Quharin was gravyn craftely and weill
Of Danavs douchteris the iniquyte,
Quhou that the fyfty ȝong men, schame to se,
War fowlly murthuryt on the first nycht,
As thai war spowsyt to thar ladeis brycht;
The chalmeris portyrit war bysprent with blude;
Quhilk historeis Eurition, warkman gude,
Had carvyt weill and wroch full craftely
In weghty platis of the gold massy,
Of quhais spulȝe now is Turnus glaid,
Ioyfull and blyth that he it conquest had.
O manis mynd, so ignorant at all
Of thingis tocum and chancis quhilkis may fall!
Vpheit sone in blynd prosperyte,
Can not be war, nor myssour hald with the!
The tyme sall cum quhen Turnus sall, perfay,
Hait and wary this spulȝe and this day,
Desyrand he mycht by for mekill thing
That he had nevir twichit Pallas ȝyng.
Abowt the corps assemblit tho his feris,
With mekill murnyng and huge plente of terys;
Apon a scheild Pallas body thai laid,
And bair hym of the feild, and thus thai said:
“O Pallas, quhou gret dolour and wirschyp
To thy fader, and all hys falloschip,
Sall thou rendir and bryng hame,” said thai.
“Thys was to the in weyrfar the first day,
Quhilk first in bataill dressyt the to go;
The ilk for ay hass the bereft tharfro!
And, not the less, thy swerd leiffis in the planys
Gret hepys ded of the Rutilianys.”
Tho nane incertane rumour nor demyng,
Bot sovyr boydword cam thar, and warnyng,
Ontill Eneas of this gret myschance,
Schawand quhou that his folkis stud in ballance,
As bot in litill distans all from ded;
The tyme requiryt forto set remeid,
And succur Troianys quhilkis had tane the flycht.
Than, as wod lyon, ruschit he in the fight,
And all quham he arekis nerrest hand
Without reskew dovn mawis with his brand;
The bytand blaid abowt hym inveroum
Amyd the rowtis reddis large rovm.
Enragit and inflambit thus in ire
Throw owt the ostis Turnus, that prowd syre,
Quhilk had this new slauchtir maid, socht he,
Ay prentand in his mynd befor hys e
The gudly Pallas, was sa stowt and ȝyng,
And the gret gentryce of Evander kyng,
The cheir and fest hym maid bot a stranger,
Per ordour all thing, quhou and quhat maner
He was ressauyt and tretit thankfully,
Syne of hys band of frendschip and ally
With athis sworn and interchangit handis,
Remembryng tho his promyss and cunnandis.
Amovit in this heit, or euer he stynt,
Four ȝong men quyk he hess in handis hynt,
That born was of the cite hecht Sulmon;
Alsmony syne he takyn hass onon
Bred and vpbrocht besyde the flude Vfens,
Quham that he etlys forto send from thens
To Pallas lykewalkis and obsequeis,
To strow his funeral fyre of byrnand treis,
As was the gyss, with blude of presoneris,
Eftir the ald rytis into mortale weris.
Syne hynt Eneas a perellus lance in hand,
And it addressis far furth on the land
To ane Magus, that subtell was and sle,
And iowkit in vnder the speir hass he;
The schaft schakand flaw furth abufe hys hed;
And he Eneas in that sammyn sted
Abowt the kneis grippyt humylly,
With petuus voce syne thus begouth to cry:
“By thy deir faderys gost I the beseik,
And be that gud beleif quhilk thou hass eik
Of Ascanyvs vprysyng to estait,
Thys silly sawle of myne, sa faynt and mayt,
Thow salf to my a son and fader deir.
I haue a howss, rych, full of mobillis seir,
Quharin bedelvyn lyis a gret talent,
Or charge of fyne siluer, in veschell quent
Forgyt and punsyt wonder craftely;
Ane huge weght of fynast gold tharby,
Oncunȝeit ȝit, ne nevir put in wark:
Sa thou me salf, thy pyssans is so stark,
The Troianys glory nor thar victory
Sall na thyng change nor dymynew tharby,
Nor a puyr sawle, thus hyngand in ballance,
May sik diuisioun mak nor discrepans.”
Thus said this silly Magus, all invane,
Quhamtill Eneas answeris thus agane:
“Tha mony talentis of fyne siluyr and gold,
Quhilkis thou rehersand heir befor hess told,
Do kepe onto thi small childyr and ayris;
Lat thame bruke weill, I consent it be tharis.
All interchange and ransonyng, perfay,
In this batale Turnus hess done away,
Now laitly slayand ȝong Pallas, allace!
That rewthfull harm, and that myschews cace,
Felys baith Ascanyus and my faderis gost,
For thai na litill thyng tharby hess lost.”
Thus sayand, by the helm hym grippys he
With hys left hand, and fast as he mycht dre
Writh down hys nek, quharin, but mair abaid,
Hys bludy brand vp to the hyltis slaid.
Not far thens stude Hemonydes allane,
Prest onto Phebus and the thrynfald Dyane,
On quhais hed wympillit holy garlandis
With thar pendentis lyke to a mytyr standis,
Hys habyt as the scheyn son lemand lycht,
And all hys armour quhite and burnyst brycht;
Quham Eneas assalyt myghtyly,
And gan to chayss owt throw the feld in hy,
That fleand stummyrryt and to grond went sone;
The Troiane prynce down lowtis hym abone,
And with hys brand hym brytnys at devyss,
In maner of ane offerand sacryfyss.
The large schaddow of Eneas in feild
Dyd haill the ded corps of this preist ourheld.
Serestus sortis vp hys armour gay,
And on hys schuldris careit hess away,
To hyng as trophe or syng victoriall
Tyll Mars the god, quhilk Gradyus is call.
Ceculus, discendit of Wlcanus blude,
And Vmbro eyk, the stalward chiftane rude,
That cum was fra the montanys Marsyane,
The bargane stuffis, relevand in agane.
Bot Eneas, discend from Dardanus,
Ganstandis thame, ful brym and furyus,
And onto ane, hech Anxurus, in the feild
Of strak the left arm all dovn with the scheld;
Quhilk had maid sum gret vant, spekand prowdly,
Wenyng that in hys sawys by and by
Thar had bene gret effect and hardyment,
As thocht he wald extoll in hys entent
Hys manhed to the hevyn and starnys hie,
And promyss to hym self, for hys bonte,
Agit cannos hayr and lang process of ȝeris:
Lo, now he lyggis law, for all hys feris!
Syne baldly with glaid curage, as I gess,
Agane Eneas can Tarquytus dress,
In schynand armour wonder prowd and gay,
Of Dryope born, the nymphe or schene may,
To Fawnus wonnyng in the woddis greyn;
And, to recontyr Ene inflambyt in teyn,
Kest hym selvyn; bot the tother, but feir,
Buyr at hym mychtyly with a lang speir
Throw owt hys scheild of payss and hawbrik fyne,
That to the grund gan dovn hys hed declyne;
All thocht he than full humylly hym besocht,
And schupe to say mekill, all was for nocht;
Hys pallat in the dust bedowyn stude,
And the body baithit in the hait blude
Ene ourweltis, sayand thir wordis withall,
With trublit breist and mynd inimicall:
“Now ly thou thar, that wenyt the so wight
That thou was feirfull ontill euery wight.
Thy best belovit mother sall the not haue
To erd, as custum is, nor delf in grave,
Na do thy bonys honour with sik cuyr
As thame to lay in fadyrris sepultur;
Bot salbe left to the wild bestis fuyd,
Or than the spait watir of this flude
Sal bair the in the deip, and thar on raw
With empty throtis sal thy banys gnaw
Thir sey monstreys in thar wod rage,
And lape thy blude thar hungir to asswage.”
Syne, but delay, Antheus and Lycas,
Quhilkis that of Turnus first ward ledaris was,
Persewys he, and also Numa bold,
And Camerthes, brycht schynand all of gold,
Son of the manly Volscens capitan;
In all the fertill grond Ausonyane
The richast man, and kyng was this Volscens
Of Amyclys the cite of silens.
And lyke as Egeon, the kyng of gyandis,
Quhilk had, thai say, ane hundreth armys and handis,
And fyfty mowthys, of quham the fyre dyd schyne,
As he into the batale gigantyne
Incontrar Iovis thundir and fyre flaucht
With alsmony scharp drawyn swerdis fawght,
Clatterand in bargane with samony scheildis—
The sammyn wyss, enragent throw the feildis
Went Eneas, as victor with ourhand,
Fra tyme that anys bedyit hys burnyst brand
And wet he had in hait Rutiliane blude.
So that alsso, in this ilk fury wod,
He draif at Nypheus amyd the breste bane,
Set in hys fourquhelit chariot allane;
Bot fra the horss on far dyd hym aspy
Sa grym of cheir stalkand sa bustuusly,
For feir thai start abak, and furth can swak
The duke Nypheus wyd oppyn on hys bak,
And brak away with the cart to the schor,
With stendis feill and mony bray and snor.
The self stound, amyd the press fut hoyt
Lucagus entyris in hys chariote,
With quhyte horss drawyng wonder lustely,
Hys brother Lyger sittand neir hym by;
This Lyger led the renȝeis with hys hand,
Bot bald Lucagus swakkis a burnyst brand.
Eneas mycht nocht suffir nor sustene
Of thame sic fervour in thar felloun teyn,
Bot ruschit furth, and with a gret speir
Forganyst thame can into feght appeir;
Quhamto this Liger carpys upon hie:
“Thou seys nocht Dyomedis stedis heir,” said he,
“Nor ȝit Achillis char persavis draw,
Thocht athir venquyst the in feild, we knaw;
Nor ȝit the Troiane planys behaldis thou.
The end of thyne age and of bargane now
Salbe maid in thir landis on this grond.”
Sic wordis vayn and omsemly of sovnd
Furth warpys wyde this Lyger fulychly,
Bot the Troian barroun onabasitly
Na wordis pressis to rendir hym agane,
Bot at hys fa leyt fle a dart or flayn,
That hyt Lucagus, quhilk, fra he felt the dynt,
The schaft hyngand into hys scheild, but stynt
Bad dryf hys horss and char al fordwart strecht,
As he that hym addressit to the fecht,
And strekit furth hys left fut in hys char;
Bot sone Eneas speir was reddy thar,
Beneth hys schynand scheild reversyt law,
So that the grondyn hed the ilk thraw
At hys left flank or leisk persyt tyte,
Quhill clar owt our the charyot is he smyte,
And on the grond weltis in the ded thrawys;
Quham on this wyss with sowr wordis and sawys
The petuus Eneas begouth to chyd:
“Lucagus,” said he, “forsuyth as at this tyde
Na slaw curss of thy horssys onweldy
Thy cart has rendryt to thyne ennemy,
Nor ȝit na vayn wrathys nor gaistis quent
Thi char constrenyt bakwart forto went,
And malgre thyne withdraw thi fays gryppys;
Bot lo now, of thy fre will, as thou skyppys
Owtour the quhelys of thy cart, God wait,
Levand the renys and horss all desolat.”
Thys beand said, the horss renys he hynt.
The tother fey brother, or evyr he stynt,
Lap fra the cart, and kneland petuusly,
Vphevand hys bayr handis, thus dyd cry:
“O Troiane prynce, I lawly the beseik,
Be thyne awyn vertuus and thy thewys meyk,
And be thy parentis maist of renowne,
That sik a child engendryt hess as the,
Thow spair this wofull sylly sawle at lest,
Haue rewth of me, and admyt my request.”
With wordis feill as he thus can requer,
Ene at last on this wyss maid answer:
“Syk sawys war langer furth of thy mynd.
Sterve the behuffis, less than thou war onkynd
As for toleif thy broder desolait
All hym allane, na follow the sam gait.”
And tharwithall the hyrnys of hys gost
He rypyt with the swerd amyd hys cost,
So tyll hys hart stoundis the pryk of deth;
He weltis our, and ȝaldis vp the breth.
Thys Dardane prynce as victor thus in weir
Samony douchty corpsis brocht on beir,
Amyd the planys reddand large gait,
As doys a rowtand ryver red on spait;
That for hys dyntis wolx hys fays agast,
As for the feirfull drumly thundris blast;
Quhil fynaly Ascanyus the ȝyng page,
And the remanent of Troian barnage,
Quhilk war, as said is, besegyt invane,
Thar strenth hess left and takyn hess the plane.
The ilk stound, of hys awyn fre volunte,
Iove callys Iuno, and thus carpys he:
“O thow my syster german and my feir,
My best beluffyt spowss, most leif and deir,
Thyne opynyon hass not dissauyt the,
As thou belevyt: now may thou not se
Quhow Venus doys susteyn and fortyfy
The Troiane rowtis and pyssans by and by?
Nane actyve handis, nor stowt myndis, I weyn,
Nor bodeys reddy all perrellys to sustene,
Haue thai, thou may se be experiens.”
Quhamto Iuno, with humyl reverens,
Answeryt: “My sweit and mast gudly husband,
Quharto lyst the renew my sorow at hand,
As cayrfull wight, that lykis nocht sic bourdis?
All efferd of thy fatal dreidfull wordis
I am bestad; bot war I now, I weyn,
Als strangly belovyt as I sum tyme haue bene—
Thocht ȝit, God wait, accordyt so tobe
Baith to myne honour and thy dignyte—
I say, war I beluffyt as I was ayr,
Thou Iove almyghty ryngand euermar
Suld not deny me sa sobyr a thyng,
Bot at I mycht withdraw, at my lykyng,
Furth of the feild Turnus, and hym save
Onto hys fader Dawnus, that our the lave
Belovyt hym, as rayson wald,” quod sche.
“Now sall he perysch, and now sal he de,
And sched hys gentyll blude sa pacient,
In grewss panys be Troianys tort and rent;
And netheless hys kyn origynall
Is renownyt of godly stok ryall,
Discendit of our seid and hevynly clan,
Fra god Pylumnus to rekkyn the ferd man;
And eik thow wait, full oft with large hand,
With mony oystis and ryght fair offerand,
Thy templys and thyne altaris chargit hass he,
In wirschyp of thy myghty maieste.”
The souerane kyng of hevyn imperiall
In few wordis maid answer thus at all:
“Gif thow askis a resput or delay,
Bot for a tyme or tyll a certane day,
Of thys evident deth of Turnus ȝyng,
Desyrand I suld grant the sik a thyng,
All thocht he mortale be rycht sone we knaw,
I leif the to remove hym and withdraw,
And from this instant perrellus hard fayt
Steill hym away, and gyde hym by the gait,
For so lang space ȝyt restis at will of me
To lenth hys lyfe, quhilk I the grant,” quod he.
“Bot gif sa beys, that vndre thy request
Mair hie pardon lurkis, I wald thow cest;
For gif thou wenys that all the victory
Of the batale, and chancis by and by,
May be reducyt and alterat clar agane,
A mysbyleve thou fosteris all invane.”
To quham Iuno on this wyss said wepyng:
“Quhat harm mycht fall, thocht be sum takyn or syng
Thow schew thy mynd, and grantit that,” quod sche,
“Quhilk be thy wordis of fatale destane
Now grunschis thou to geif or to conceid?
That is to say, quhat forss, thocht thou in deid
Waldyst appreif and ratyfy agane
That Turnus lyfe a lang tyme suld remane?
Bot now approchis to that innocent knycht
A feirfull end—he sal to ded be dicht,
Or than my sawys ar voyd of veryte.
And O, wald God at rathar sa suldbe
That I dissauyt war bot with fals dreid,
And at thou list, as thou has mycht in deid,
Thy fatale promyss and thy statutis strange
In bettir purposs to translait and change!”
Fra scho thir wordis had said, the ilk tyde
Dovn from the hevyn scho leyt hir selvyn slyde,
Befor hyr dryvand a tempestuus wynd,
And all abowt, befor and eik behynd,
Within a clowd of myst circulyt cleyn:
So throw the air bownyt furth this queyn
Towart the Troiane hostis in the planys,
And to the tentis socht of Lawrentanys.
Thys goddes than furth of ane boyss clowd
In lyknes of Ene dyd schaip and schrowd
A voyd figur, but strenth or curage bald,
The quhilk wondyrus monstre tobehald
With Troiane wapynnys and armour grathis sche,
With scheild and helm and tymbret set on hie,
Be semlant lyke Eneas godlyhed;
And tharto ekis scho in euery sted
Quent fenȝeit wordis, fant and contyrfait,
With voce, but mynd, or ony other consait;
And fenȝeis eik hys concernans and pacis
(Syklyke as that, thai say, in diuerss placis
The wraithis walkis of goistis that ar ded,
Or as the slepy dremys, fra sted to sted
Fleand in swevyn, makis illusionys,
Quhen mennys myndis oft in dravillyng gronys);
And all befor the forfront of the feild
Richt haltandly, as curageus vnder scheild,
Musturis this ymage, that with dartis keyn
Aggrevyt Turnus, and dyd hym chyde in teyn,
Prouocand hym to bargane and tyl ire.
And Turnus tho als hoyt as any fyre
Thys figur dyd invaid, and tharat he
In gret dispyte a quhirrand dart leyt fle;
Bot this ilk schaddo, as sum deill addred,
Turnyt abowt, and gaif the bak and fled.
Than Turnus, wenand Ene had tane the flycht,
And al awondryt of that selcouth syght,
Within hys mynd a vayn comfort kawch he,
And cryis lowd: “Quhydder fleys thou now, Ene?
Leif nevir, for schame, thus dissolait and waist
Thy new allyans promyst the in haist,
Of Lavynya the spousyng chalmyr at hand,
And all this ilk regioun and this land,
Quhilk thou sa far hass socht owt our the se:
My rycht hand sal the saysyng geif,” quod he.
With sik wordis he schowtand dyd persew,
And ay the glymmyrand brand baith schuke and schew,
Nathyng persavand quhou this myrth and blyss
Away quyte with the wynd bewavit is.
On cace thar stude a mekill schip that tyde,
Hyr wail ionyt til a schor rokis syde,
With plankis and with bryggis layd on land,
The entre reddy grathit weill thai fand;
In the quhilk schyp Osynyus kyng, I wyss,
Come laitly from the cite of Clusys.
Thydder went this wrath or schaddo of Ene,
That semyt, all abasyt, fast to fle,
And hyd hyr dern vndre hychis tharin.
Na slawar Turnus hastis hym to ryn,
That but delay he spedis to this schyp,
Ran owr the bryg, and inwith burd can skyp;
And scars was entrit in the forcastell,
Quhen Saturnys douchter saw hir tyme befell;
Than soyn the cabyll in sondir smytis sche,
And fra the schor draif the schip throu the see.
Bot Turnus absent thus that sammyn howr
Eneas seyrssys throw amyd the stowr,
And in hys renk quham euer be met lay ded;
Full mony a man he kyllit in that sted.
And tharwithall hys lycht and fenȝeit gost,
Fra tyme the schip was chargyt fra the cost,
No langar sekis hyrnys hir to hyde,
Bot flaw vp in the ayr the sammyn tyde,
And al dissoluyt into a dyrk clowd.
The meyn sesson, can forss of wyndis lowd
Turnus far furth amyd the deip sey dryve;
He dyd behald abowt hym tho belyve,
All ignorant quhat wyss this chance was wrocht,
And of hys lyfe salvyng na thyng he rocht;
With handis iunct vphevit towart hevyn,
Syk wordis he furth braid with drery stevyn:
“Almychty fader of the hevynnys hie,
Hass thou me reput on sic wyss tobe
Confusyt in this schame for myn offens?
And will I suffyr syk torment and pennans?
Quhidder am I dryve, and from quhens am I cumyn?
Quhat maner eschewyng or fleyng haue I nummyn?
In quhat estait sall I return agane?
Sall I evir se the wallys Lawrentane,
Or evir eft my tentis sall I se?
Quhat may ȝon ost of men now say of me,
Quhilkis my querrell and me followit to feild,
Quham now, allace, lo, feghtand vnder scheild
Ȝondir (schame to say the harm) sa wikkytly
Reddy to myschews deth beleft haue I?
Lo, I behald thame fleand paill and wan,
And heris the granyng of mony douchty man
In my defalt falland fey to grond.
Quhat sal I do, allace the wofull stond,
Or quhilk land (thocht a thousand tymys I stervit)
May swelly me sa deip as I haue servyt?
Bot, O ȝe wyndis, rathar haue mercy,
On rowkis and on craggis by and by
Do swak this schyp, sen heir na erth I se,
And haue of wrachit Turnus sum pyete,
Quhilk of hys fre will, stad in this maner,
Besekis ȝow with all hartly prayer;
Do warp my body on the schaldis onkend,
Far furth on Syrtys at the warldis end,
Quhar Rutilyanys me nevir fynd agane,
Sa that na fame nor rumour may remane
Eftir my deth of this schaymfull trespass.”
And, sayand thus, in mynd dyd he cumpass
Full mony chancis rolland to and fro,
Quhiddir gif he suld, for proper lak and wo,
Into this fury smyte hym with hys brand,
And thryst the bludy blaid in with hys hand
Throw owt hys rybbys and sched his hart blude,
Or than to swak hym self amyd the flude,
Swymmand to seik the nerrest costis bay,
In feild agane the Troianys to assay.
Athir way till assay thryss presyt hes he,
And thryss hym styntis Iuno, queyn mast hie,
Havand compassioun of this ȝong man bald,
And can asswage hys mynd, and hand withhald.
Furth held the schip, slydand owt our the fludis,
With prosper wynd and followand tyde sa gude is,
Quhill he is careit suyrly throw the see
Tyll Ardea, hys faderis auld cite.
Durand this quhile, in fatis marciall,
Meȝentyus movyt with ardour bellycall,
Be instigatioun of Iove in that neid,
Can to the batale in hys place succeid,
And the Troianys to invaid na thing sparis,
That semyt prowd as all the feild war tharis.
Than sammyn to recontyr hym atanys
Semlyt haill ostis of Hethrurianys,
And all assailȝeit Meȝentyus allon;
Aganyst a man thai rowtys euery one,
Inflambyt all in malyce, maid persutys,
And thik as haill schour at hym schaftis schutis.
Bot he, lyke to a ferm rowk, quhilk we se
Strekyt on lenth amyd the large see,
Sytuat aganys the rageand wyndis blast,
And brym wallys boldynnand wondyr fast,
From all that violens doys hym self defend,
And haill the forss sustenys to the end
Baith of the hevynnys and byr of seys rage,
Remanand onremovyt ferm in hys stage:
Als stern standis Meȝentyus in that stound.
And first he hes fellit and laid to the grond
Hebrus, the son of ane Dolycaon,
And hym besyde Latagus slew onon,
And Palmus eik, accustumat to fle:
Bot with a stane Latagus brytnyt he
Quhilk of a montane semyt a gret nuke,
With quham hym on the vissage he ourtuke;
And Palmus howgh sennonys smait in tway
Maid hym sa slaw he mycht nocht fle away;
Thar armour syne to Lawsus gevyn hess he
To weir on hys schuldris, and crovn on hie
Thar creistis set, the quhilk sa rychly schane.
He slew also Evantus a Troiane,
And Mynas syne he kyllys in the feild,
Quhilum to Parys companȝeoun and evin eild;
Quham on a nycht Theana, gude and fair,
To hys fader Amycus in Troy bair,
Quhen Heccuba, douchter of Cisseus,
Dremyt scho was gret, the story tellis thus,
With a fyre broynd, and the self samyn nycht
Was delyver of Parys, the fey knycht,
Quhilk in hys natyve cite maid hys end:
Bot thir feildis Lawrentan ombekend
Withhaldis now the body of Mynas.
So brym in stowr that stond Meȝentyus was,
Lyke to the strenthy sangler or the bor,
Quham hundis quest with mony quhryne and ror
Down dryvyng from the hightis maid discend,
Quhilk mony wyntyr tofor had hym defend
In Vesulus, the cauld montane hie,
That is ourheldyt with mony fyr tre;
Or than the bustuus swyne weil fed, that bredis
Amang the buskis rank of ryspe and redis,
Besyde the layk of Lawrens, mony ȝheris,
Quham that he is betrappyt fra his feris
Amyd the huntyng ralys and the nettis,
Standis at the bay, and vp his byrsys settis,
Grasland hys tuskis with astern fyry eyn,
With spaldis hard and harsk, awfull and teyn,
That nane of all the huntmen thar present
Hym to engreif hass strenth or hardyment,
Nor dar approchyng within hys byt neir,
Bot standand far on dreich with dart and speir,
Assoverit of hys reik, the beste assays,
With felloun schowtis, bustuus cryis, and brays.
Nane other wyss stud all the Tuscane rowt
This stalwart knycht Meȝentius abowt,
And, thocht thai iust cawss had of wreth and feyd,
Thar was nane of thame durst hym put to ded,
Nor curage had with drawyn swerd in hand
Hym till assaill, nor mach apon the land;
Bot with takillis and castyn dartis on far
Thai warp at hym, bot durst not ane cum nar,
And with huge clamour hym infestis that tyde;
He, onabasyt, abowt on euery syde
Behaldis, gyrnand full of proper teyn,
And with hys scheild choppyt by schaftis bedene.
Furth of the ancyent boundis of Coryt tho
Was cum a Greik, quhilk clepyt was Acro,
That fugityve into his lusty heyt
Had left hys spowsal trewth plicht oncompleit;
Quham as Meȝentius saw amyd the rowt
Hym grevand soir, as weriour stern and stowt,
And saw the plesand plomys set on hycht
Of hys tymrell, and eik the purpour brycht,
Quhilk of his trewthplycht lufe he bair in syng;
Than lyke a hungry lyon rumysyng,
Constrenyt by hys rageand empty maw,
The beistis dennys circuland all on raw,
Gif he on cace aspyis a swyft ra,
Or the ȝyng hart with spryngand tyndis twa,
Ioyful he bradis tharon dispytuusly,
With gapand gowle, and vprasys in hy
The lokkyrris lyand in his nek rowght,
And all the bestis bowellis thrymlys throwght,
Hurkylland thar on, quhar he remanyt and stude,
Hys gredy gammys bedyis with the red blude—
On the sammyn wyss, Meȝentyus rycht baldly
Mydwart hys fays rowt ruschit in hy;
Down smytis fey Acron amyd the ost,
That in the ded thraw, ȝaldand vp the gost,
Smate with hys helys the grond in maltalent,
And brokkyn schaftis with hys blude bysprent.
This ilk Meȝentius eik dedenȝeit nocht
To sla Orodes, quhilk than was onflocht,
That is to knaw, quhill frawart hym he went,
And reput na wyss, as by hys entent,
Syk ane fleand to wond into the bak,
Onawarnyst, quhen he na defens mycht mak,
Bot ran abowt and met hym in hys rayss;
Than athir man assemblit face for face.
Orodes mair of prattik was all owt,
Bot the tother in dedis of armys mair stowt,
That to the erth ourthrawyn he hess his feir,
And possand at hym with hys stalwart speir,
Apon hym set hys fut, and thus he said:
“O now my feris, beys blyth and glaid;
Lo, a gret party of this weir, but less,
Heir lyis at erd, the douchty Orodes.”
Hys feris sammyn rasyt vp a cry,
With ioyus sound in syng of victory,
And blew the pryss triumphall for his deth;
Bot this Orodes, ȝaldand vp the breth,
Onto Meȝentyus carpys thus on hie:
“Me onrevengit, thou sal nocht victour be,
For weill I wait that sone I salbe wrokyn,
Na, for all thy prowd wordis thou hass spokkyn,
Thow sall nocht lang endur into sik ioy;
Bot siclyke chancis and semblant ennoy
Abydis the, thocht thou be nevir sa bald,
Thys sammyn feild sall thy ded corps withhald.”
To quham Meȝentyus smyland said in teyn:
“Thou sall de first, quhat evyr to me forseyn
Or previdyt hass myghty Iove,” quod he,
“Quham fader of goddis and kyng of men cleip we.”
And sayand thus, the schaft the ilk thraw
Furth of hys wond and body dyd he draw.
Tho Orodes the hard rest doith oppress,
The cauld and irny slepe of dethys stress,
And vp the breth he ȝald onon rycht
With eyn closyt in evir lestand nycht.
Cedicus altotrynschit Alcathous,
And Sacrator to grund laid Hydaspus;
Rapo, ane Arcaid, hass Parthenyus slane,
And Orses, wondir byg of blude and bane;
And Mesapus kyllyt the stowt Clonyvs,
And Erycates with Lychaonyus;
The formast lyggand at the erd he ourraucht,
That by hys hedstrang horss a fall had cawcht,
And Lychaonyus eik, a fut man, he
Lyghtit on fut and slew in the melle.
Aganys hym than went a man of Arge,
Hait Lycyus, bodyn with speir and targe;
Bot by the way Valerus, gude in nedis,
Nocht inexpert in douchty eldris dedis,
Recontryt hym, and put hym to the ded;
Salyus a Troiane in that sammyn sted
Atronyus slew; and Nealces, expert
To schut the fleand arrow or castyng dart,
Quhilk invadis a man or he be war,
Slew Salyus with schot, beand on far.
Thus awfull Mars equaly with hys brand
The sorow rasyt apon athir hand:
Huge slauchter mayd was and seir woundis wyd,
Thai kyll and ar bet down on euery syde,
That sammyn in the feild thai fall infeir,
Baith the victouris, and thai that venquyst weir,
And nother party wist, nother he nor he,
To salf hym self quhar away to fle:
So that the goddis in Iovys hevynly hald
Had compassioun and rewth for tobehald
The wroith and ire of athir in the fightis,
That sik distress rang amang mortal wightis.
Venus towart the Troiane syde tuke tent;
Aganyst quham, all full of maltalent,
Saturnus douchter Iuno, that full bald is,
Towart the party aduersar behaldis;
And the pail furour of Tysiphone
Walkis wod wroth amydwart the melle.
Bot pryncipaly Meȝentyus all engrevyt,
With a gret speir, quharwith he feill myschevit,
Went brangland throu the feild all hym allon;
Als bustuus as the hydduus Orion,
Quhen he on fut woyd throu the mekill see,
Scherand the streym with hys schuldris hie,
Abufe the wallys of the flude apperis;
Or lyke ane ancyent ayk tre, mony ȝheris
That grew apon sum montane toppys hycht,
Semand so hie to euery manis sycht,
Quhilk, thocht hys rutis spred in the grond all sydis,
Hys crop vpstraucht amyd the clowdis hydis—
Syk lyke Meȝentius mustyrris in the feild,
With huge armour, baith speir, helm and scheild,
Aganyst quham Eneas fast hym hyis,
Fra tyme amyd the rowt he hym aspyis.
The tother, onabasyt, all reddy thar
The cummyng of hys douchty aduersar
Abydis stowtly, fermyt in hys forss,
And massely vpstude with bustuus corss:
And, mesurand with hys e als large spaiss
As he mycht thraw a castyng speir, thus says:
“My rycht hand, and this fleand dart mot be,
Quhilk now I tayss, as verray God to me!
Assistyng to my schot I ȝou beseik;
For I awow, and heir promittys eyk,
In syng of trophe or triumphall meith,
My lovit son Lawsus forto cleith
With spulȝe and all harness rent,” quod he,
“Of ȝondir rubbaris body, falss Enee.”
Thus said he, and fra hys hand the ilk tyde
The castyng dart fast byrrand lattis glyde,
That fleand sclentis on Eneas scheild,
Syne, standand far onrovm ȝond in the feild,
Smate worthy Anthores the ilk thraw,
Betwix the bowellys and the rybbys law:
Anthores, ane of gret Hercules ferys,
That com from Arge into hys lusty ȝheris,
Inherdand to Evander the Arcaid,
And had hys dwellyng and hys residens maid
In Palentyn, cite Italian,
Onhappely now lyggis thus down slane,
All of a wound and dynt quhilk in the fycht
Addressit was towart ane other knycht.
Ȝit, deand, he beheld the hevynnys large,
And can ramembir hys sweit cuntre of Arge.
Than the reuthfull Eneas kest hys sper,
Quhilk throu Meȝentius armour all dyd scher;
Throw gyrd hys targe platyt thryss with steill,
And throw the cowchit lynnyn euery deill,
And thrynfald plyis of the bullys hydis,
That law down in hys flank the dynt abydis;
Bot it byreft hym nowder lyfe ne mycht.
Eneas tho, quhilk was expert in fyght,
Ioyfull quhen that Meȝentius blude saw he,
Furth hynt hys swerd at hang law by hys thee,
And fervently towart hys fa can pass,
Quhilk, for the dynt, sum deill astonyst was.
Quhen Lawsus saw this aventour of weir,
He wepyt wail sair for hys fader deir;
Sa wobegone becam this lusty man
That salt teris fast our hys chekis ran.
Forsuyth, I sall not ourslyp in this sted
Thy hard myschance, Lawsus, and fatale ded,
And thy maist dowchty actis bellycall:
O fresch ȝongker, maist dyng memoriall
I sall reherss, gyf ony faith may be
Gevyn to sa gret dedis of antiquyte.
With this Meȝentyus menȝeit drew abak,
Harland hys leg quharin the schaft stak,
That quhar he went he baris our the feild
Hys ennemyss lance fixit in hys scheild.
Betwix thame ruschys in the ȝong Lawsus,
Amyd thar wapynnys, stern and curagus,
Hym self hass set forto sustene the fyght;
Vnder Eneas rycht hand rasyt on hycht,
That reddy was to smyte a dedly wond,
In steppis he, and baldly the ilk stound
The bytand brand vphevyt keppyt he,
And can resist and stynt the gret Enee.
Hys feris followys with a felloun schowt;
Quhill that Meȝentius of the feild wan owt,
Diffend and coverit with hys sonnys scheild,
Thai cast dartis thikfald thar lord to held,
With schaftis schot, and flanys gret plente,
Perturband thar stern aduersar Ene,
That all enragyt hys sovir targe erekkit,
And thar vndre hym haldis closly dekkyt.
And lyke as sum tyme clowdis brystis attanys,
The schowr furthȝettand of hoppand hailstanys,
That all the plewmen and thar hynys inhy
Fleis of the croftis and feildis by and by;
And eik the travellour ȝond vnder the wald
Lurkand withdrawys to sum sovir hald,
Owdir vnder watyr brays and bankis dern,
Or in sum craggis clyft, or deip cavarn,
So lang as that the schour lestis on the plane,
That he may, when the son schynys agane,
Exers hys iourne, or hys wark alsfast—
Syk wyss Ene with schoit and dartis cast
Was all ourheld, and ombeset ilk syde,
Quhil he the press of batale styntis that tyde,
And all thar forss sustenyt and deray;
Reprevand Lawsus, thus begouth to say,
And mannansyt hym with brand of blude all red:
“Quhidder hastis thou sa fast apon thy ded?
Or quhou dar thou ondertak into fyght
Syk interpryss, quhilk is abuf thy mycht?
Thou art nocht wyss; thy tendir hart,” quod he,
“And rewthfull mynd all owt dissavis the.”
Bot for all thys ȝong Lawsus, vail que vaill,
Wald no wyss cess Eneas till assaill.
Than hyear rayss the wraith and felloun ire
Of the ilk manfull Troiane lordly syre,
And eyk the fatale sisteris tho in deid
Had wymplyt vp this Lawsus lattyr threid:
For so Eneas stokis hys styf brand
Throw owt this ȝongker, hard vp to hys hand,
That swerd, befor maid mannansyng and bost,
Throw gyrd that gentill body and hys cost,
Hys target persand and hys armour lycht,
And eik hys cote of goldyn thredis brycht
Quhilk hys moder hym span; and, to conclude,
Hys bosum all is fillyt of hait blude;
Sone efter is the spreit of lyfe furth went
Down to the goistis law with sad entent,
And left the body ded, and hyne dyd pass.
Bot quhen Anchises son, ferss Eneas,
Beheld hys wlt and contenans in deyng,
Hys sweit vissage sa in the ded thrawyng
Becummyn wan and paill on diuerss wyss,
He sychit profundly owder twyss or thryss,
And drew abak hys hand, and rewth hass hynt;
For sa into hys mynd, eftir the dynt,
The ymage of hys faderly piete
Imprentit wass, that on this wyss said he:
“O douchty ȝynglyng, worthy tobe menyt,
Worthy tobe bewalyt and complenyt,
Quhat sall the reuthfull compacient Ene
For sa gret lovabill dedis rendir the?
Or quhat may he the ȝeld sufficient
For sik natural and inborn hardyment?
Thyne armour, quharof sumtyme thou reiosyt,
With the I leif, for ay tobeyn eniosyt;
Onto thy parentis handis and sepulcre
I the belief tobe entyrit,” quod he,
“Gyf that sic maner of triumphe and cost
May do thame plesour, or eyss onto thy gost.
Bot thou, onsilly child, sa will of red,
Do comfort heirwith thy lamentabill ded,
That thou ourmatchit art and thus lyis slane
By the gretast Eneas handis twane.”
Syne he hys feris can repreif and chyde
That thai sa lang delayt hym besyde,
Makand na haist to bair hys corps away;
And he hym self betwix hys armys tway
The ded body vplyftis fra the grond,
That with red blude of his new grene wond
Besparklyt had hys ȝallow lokis brycht,
That ayr war kemmyt and addressyt rycht.
The meyn sesson, hys fader with his feris,
Down at the fludis syde of Tyberis,
Stanschit his wondis with watyr by and by,
Weschand the blude and swait from hys body.
Hys helm of steil besyde hym hang weil ne
Apon a grayn or branch of a grene tre;
Hys other weghty harness, gud in neid,
Lay on the gyrss besyde hym in the meid;
Hys trasty chosyn verlettis hym abowt;
And he ful sor wondyt, all in dowt,
Stude lenand with hys wery nek and bonys,
Owt our a bowand tre, with sair gronys;
Hys weil kemmyt berd, hyngand ful straucht
Apon his breist, onto hys gyrdill raucht;
And feill tymys on Lawsus menys he,
Prayand full oft he mycht hym salfly se,
And mony messyngeris onto hym hess send,
To withdraw hym the feild, and to defend
That he abyde na langar in bargane
And schaw quhat sorow for hym hys fader had tane.
Bot than Lawsus ded owt of the feild
Hys wofull feris careit apon a scheild,
Wepand sa gret a man was brocht to grond,
And discumfyt with sa grysly a wond.
Meȝentius mynd and consait, the ilk tyde,
Suspekand the harmys quhilkis war betyde,
Onfar considerit the causs of thar murnyng,
And on hys canos hair the dust gan slyng,
With mekill powdir fyland hys hasart hed;
And baith hys handis in that sammyn sted
Towart the hevin vphevis in a fary,
And he the goddis and starnys fast dyd wary;
Syne, lenand on hys sonnys corps, thus cryis:
“O my deir child and tendir get heir lyis!
Had I sa gret appetit and delyte
Onto this wrachit lyfe, sa ful of syte,
That I the sufferit to entyr in my sted
Vndre our fays hand, and with thy ded
My lyfe is salfit? Ha, I thy fader heir,
Quhilk the begat, my only son sa deir,
Suld I be salf and lyfand eftir the,
Throu tha sa grisly wondis that I se?
Allace, onto me, wrachit catyve thing,
Myne exill now at last and banysyng
Becummyn is hard and insufferabill!
The stound of deth, the panys lamentabill,
Is deip engravyn in my hart onsound;
Now am I smyttyn with the mortal wond!
I, the self man was the causs of thy ded,
With my trespass, my child, in euery sted
Filyt the glor and honour of thy name,
Thy hie renovn bespottand with my schame,
As I that was, by invy and haitrent
Of my awin pepill, with thar haill assent,
Expellit from my ceptre and my ryng,
And was adettyt, for my mysdoyng
Onto our cuntre, till haue sufferit pane:
I aucht and worthy was to haue bene slane,
And to haue ȝald this wikkyt sawle of myne
Be all maner of turment and of pyne,
Fortill amend myne offencis and fed.
Ha, now I lyf, allace, and thou art ded!
Ȝit want I not off men the cumpany,
Nowder lyght of lyfe, ne cleirness of the sky,
Bot soyn I sal thame leif and part thar fra.”
And sayand thus, sammyn with mynd ful thra
He rasyt hym vp apon hys wondit thee,
And determyt to revenge hym or de;
For thocht the violens of hys sair smart
Maid hym onfery, ȝit hys stalwart hart
And curage ondekeit was gude in neid.
He bad go fech Rhebus, hys ryall steid,
Quhilk was hys wirschip and hys comfort haill,
And hys support hys fays to assaill;
For by this horss in euery gret iourne
Hame fra the feild victour eschapit he.
Quhamto Meȝentyus, but mair abaid,
Seand the steid drowpand and sad, thus said:
“Rhebus, we twa hess levit lang yfeir,
Gyf that to mortal wightis in this erd heir
Ony tyme may be reput lang,” quod he.
“Owder this day beys thou revengear with me
Of Lawsus dolorus deith, and wrek our schame,
And sall as victour with the bryngyn hame
Ȝon bludy spulȝe, and Eneas hed;
Or, gif na fors nor strenth into that sted
Will suffir ony way that it be so,
We sal in feild sammyn de baith two.
For, O moist forcy steid, my lovyt foill,
I can na wyss beleif at thou may thoill
Tobe at ony otheris commandment,
Nor that the list dedeyn, gif I war schent,
Till obey ony master or lord Troiane.”
And sayand thus, ful towartly onane
The steid bekend held to hys schulder plat,
And he at eyss apon hys bak doun sat,
And baith hys fystis fillyt with dartis keyn,
With helm on hed burnyst brycht and scheyn,
Abuf the quhilk hys tymbret buklyt was,
Lyke till a lokryt mayn with mony fass.
And into sik array with swyft curss he
Furth steris hys steid, and draif in the melle.
Deip in hys hart boldynnys the felloun schame,
Myxit with dolour, angir and defame;
The fervent luf of hys son ȝyng of age
Gan catchyng hym into the furyus rage;
Tharto alsso persuadis to the fyght
Hys forss weil knawin, hys hardyment and mycht;
And, in sik poynt, throw owt the rowtis all
With mychty voce thryss dyd Eneas call.
Eneas hard hym cry, and weil hym knew,
And glaid tharof can towartis hym persew,
And prayand says: “The fader of goddis hie,
And eik mychty Apollo, that grant to me,
Thou wald begyn in bargan on this land
To mell with me, and to meyt hand for hand.”
Thus carpyt he, and with stern lance, but tary,
Furth steppys forto meyt hys aduersary.
Bot Meȝentius, seand hym cumand,
Cryit to hym onon and bad hym stand:
“O thou maist cruell aduersar,” said he,
“Quhat wenys thou so to effray and bost me,
Sen thou my son hass me bereft this day,
Quhilk was only the maner and the way
Quharby thou myght ourcum me and distroy?
Now, sen that I haue tynt all warldis ioy,
Nowdyr I abhor the ded, to starve in fycht,
Nor rak I ocht of ony goddis mycht.
Desist, and cess to bost me or mannass,
For I am cum to de in this ilk plass;
Bot first I bryng the thir rewardis,” quod he.
With that word, at his fa a dart leyt fle,
And efter that ane other hass he cast,
And syne ane other hass he fixit fast,
About hym prekand in a cumpas large:
Bot all thir dyntis sustenyt the goldin targe.
Thryss on the left half fast, as he war wod,
About Eneas raid he quhar he stude,
Thik with hys handis swakkand dartis keyn;
And thryss this Troiane prynce our all the greyn,
Intil hyss stalwart stelyt scheild stikand owt,
Lyke a hair wod the dartis bair abowt.
At last, as he ennoyt of this deray,
This irksum traysyng, iowkyng and delay,
And cumryt wolx samony dartis invane
Thus oft to draw furth and to cast agane,
As he that was matchit that tyme, but faill,
With hys fa man in bargane inequale,
Quhilk ay was at avantage and onflocht,
Full mony thing revoluyt he in thocht;
Syne on that weirman ruschit he in teyn;
In the forhed, betwix the horsys eyn,
He kest hys speir with all his fors and mycht.
Vpstendis than the stalwart steid on hycht,
And with his helys flang vp in the ayr;
Down swakkis the knycht sone with a fellon fair,
Foundris fordwart flatlyngis on hys spald,
Ourquhelmyt the man, and can hys feit onfald.
Than the Latynys, and eik pepill Troianys,
The hevynnys dyndlit with a schowt at anys.
Eneas gyrd abufe hym with a braid,
Hynt furth hys swerd, and forthir thus he said:
“Quhar is he now, Meȝentius, sa stern?
Quhar is the ferss stowt curage of that bern?”
Quhamto Meȝentius, this ilk prynce Tyrrheyn,
Fra that he mycht alyftyn vp his eyn
To se the hevynnys licht, and draw hys braith,
And hys rycht mynd agane recoverit haith,
Thus answeris: “O thou dispetuus fo,
Quharto me chydis thou reprochand so,
And mannancis me to the ded by and by?
Of my slauchter I think na villany,
Nor on sik wyss heir com I not in feild,
That I stand aw to swelt vnder my scheild;
Nor, I beleif, na frendschip in thy handis,
Nane syk trety of sawchnyng nor cunnandis,
My son Lawsus band vp with the, perfay.
Bot of a thyng I the beseik and pray,
Gif ony plesour may be grantit or beld
Till aduersaris, that lyis venquyst in feild;
That is to knaw, suffir my body haue
Ane sepultur, and with erd be bygrave.
I knaw abowt me standand in this sted
My folkis byttyr haitrent and gret feid:
Defend me from thar furour, I requeir,
And grant my corps, besyde my sonnys infeir,
Into sum tumbe entyrit for tobe.”
And sayand thus, knawand at he most de,
Befor hys eyn persavyt the burnyst brand,
That throuch hys gorge went from Eneas hand;
Within hys armour, schortly to conclude,
Furth bruschit the sawle with gret stremys of blude.
Be this the son declynyt was almost,
So that the Latynys and Rutilian ost,
Quhat for the absens of thar duke Turnus,
And new slauchter of bald Meȝentius,
Withdrew thame to thar raset in affray,
And Troianys went onto thar rest quhil day.