Virgil's Aeneid translated into Scottish verse by Gavin Douglas Coldwell |
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1. | The Rubric in the Formast Cheptour of the First Buke |
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Virgil's Aeneid translated into Scottish verse | ||
The Rubric in the Formast Cheptour of the First Buke
Declaris Iunois wreth and mailtalent.
Fra Troyis boundis first that fugitive
By fait to Ytail come and cost Lavyne,
Our land and sey katchit with mekil pyne
By forss of goddis abufe, from euery steid,
Of cruell Iuno throu ald remembrit fede.
Gret pane in batail sufferit he alsso
Or he his goddis brocht in Latio
And belt the cite fra quham, of nobill fame,
The Latyne pepill takyn heth thar name,
And eik the faderis, princis of Alba,
Cam, and the wallaris of gret Rome alswa.
O thou my muse, declare the causis quhy,
Quhat maieste offendit schaw quham by,
Or ȝit quharfor of goddis the drery queyn
Sa feil dangeris, sik travell maid susteyn
Is thare sik greif in hevynly myndis on hie?
Thare was ane ancyant cite hecht Cartage,
Quham hynys of Tyre held intill heritage,
Ennymy to Itail, standand fair and plane
The mouth of lang Tibir our forgane,
Myghty of moblys, full of sculys seyr,
And maist expert in crafty fait of weir,
Of quhilk a land Iuno, as it is said,
As to hir special abuf al otheris maid;
Hir native land for it postponyt sche
Callit Same—in Cartage sett hir see;
Thar war hir armys and here stude eik hir chair.
This goddes ettillit, gif werdis war nocht contrar,
This realme tobe superior and mastress
To all landis, bot certis netheless
The fatale sisteris reuolue and schaw, scho kend,
Of Troiane blude a pepill suld discend,
Wailliant in weir, to ryng wydquhar, and syne
Cartage suld bryng ontill finale rewyne,
And clene distroy the realme of Lybia.
This dredand Iuno, and forthirmor alswa
Remembring on the ancyant mortell weir
That for the Grekis, to hir leif and deir,
At Troy lang tyme scho led befor that day
(For ȝit the causys of wreth war nocht away
Nor cruell harm forȝet ne out of mynd—
Ful deip engravyn in hir breist onkynd
The iugement of Parys, quhou that he
Preferrit Venus, dispisyng hir bewte;
Als Troiane blude till hir was odyus,
For Iupiter engenderit Dardanus
And Ganymedes revist abuf the sky,
Maid him his butler, quhilk was hir douchteris office),
Iuno inflambit, musyng on thir casis nyce
The quhile our sey that salit the Troianys
Quhilkis had the ded eschapit and remanys
Onslane of Grekis or of the ferss Achill,
Scho thame fordryvis and causys oft ga will
Frawart Latium, quhilk now is Italy,
By fremmyt werd ful mony ȝeris tharby
Catchit and blaw wydquhar all seys about.
Lo quhou gret cure, quhat travell, pane and dowt
Was to begyn the worthy Romanys blude!
And as the Troianys frakkis our the flude,
Skarss from the sycht of Sysilly the land,
With bent sail full, rycht merely saland,
Thar stevynnys scowrand fast throu the salt fame,
Quhen that Iuno, till hir euerlestand schame,
The etern wound hyd in hir breist ay greyn,
Ontill hir self thus spak in propir teyn:
“Is this ganand that I my purposs faill
As clene ourcum, and may nocht from Itaill
Withhald this kyng of Troy and hys navy?
Am I abandonyt with sa hard destany
To byrn thar schippis and all for anys saik
Drowne in the sey, for Aiax Oilus wrang?
From Iupiter the wild fyre down scho slang
Furth of the clowdis, distroyt thar schippis all,
Ourquhelmyt the sey with mony wyndy wall,
Aiax breist persit, gaspand furth flawmand smoke,
Sche with a thud stikkit on a scharp roke.
Bot I, the quhilk am clepit of goddis queyn
And onto Iove baith spouss and sistir scheyn,
With a pepill sa feill ȝheris weir sall lede,
Quha sal from thens adorn in ony stede
The power of Iuno, or altaris sacryfy,
Gif I ourcummyn be thus schamefully?”
Virgille reherssis not Eneas naim, bot callis him “the man” be excellens, as thocht he said “the mast soueran man.”
Lavyn, Lavinium, Lawrentum stud viii mylis fra the mowth of Tibyr, and was cyte of the king Latynus, of quham eftyr in the vii buyk, quhill the end of this volume.
Quhat is Latium, or Latio, luyk eftyr in the vi c. of the viii buyk. The cite of quham heir is mention was New Troy, quham Eneas biggit at the mouth of Tibir; and fra Ene bein namyt the Latynis, and nowdir fra the cyte nor the land.
Musa in Grew signifeis an inuentryce or inuention in our langgage, and of the ix Musis sum thing in my Palyce of Honour and be Mastir Robert Hendirson in New Orpheus.
The poet inqueris quhat maieste or power offendyt of Iuno, quhilk is fenyeit to haf many poweris. She is clepit queyn of goddis, mastres and lady of realmys, precident of byrthis, spouss and sistir to Iupiter &c.
Samo is an ile in Trace quhar Iuno was weddit and born, as sais Seruius, and ther, as vitnessyth Sanct Ierom, stud the farest tempil of Grece, dedicat to Iuno.
Lybia or Liby is the thrid part of the warld, callit Affryk, quham now we call the land or cost of Barbary.
Hebe, douchter of Iuno and goddes of Ȝouth, seruyit Iupiter of his covp; quhilk at a fest amang the goddis makand hir seruice, slaid and schew hir schame in al thar presens, for the quhilk lak Iupiter gaif to this Ganymedes, son to Kyng Troyus, hir office. Of the ravisyng of this Ganymede, ȝe haf benayth, in the v c. of the v buyk, and of this Hebe sum thyng in the prolog of the vij buyk.
“And as the Troianys, &c.” First abuyf the poete proponis his entent, sayand, “The batellis and the man, &c.”; nyxt makis he inoucation, calland on his muse to tech hym thar, “O thou my Muse, &c.”; and ther, lyke as his muse spak to hym, declaris the caussis of the feid of Iuno, sayand, “Ther was ane anchient cyte hecht Cartage.” Now heir thridly proceidis he furth on his narration and history, and beginnys at the sevint ȝeir of Eneas departyng of Troy, as ȝe may se in the end of this first buyk, and efter the decess of his fadir Anchises, quham he erdit in Sycill at Drepanon, as ȝe haf in the end of the thrid buyk. The remanent of his auenturis beyn reseruyt, be craft of poetry, to the banket of Queyn Dido, quhar thai be then lenth rehersit by Eneas in the secund and thryd.
This offence was the ravising of Cassandra furth of the tempill of Pallas, as ȝe haue in the vij cheptour of the secund buke following. And sum says this Aiax oppressit hir in the tempill; quhilk Aiax was son to Kyng Oylus, prince of Locria, or Locrida, and his pepyll beyn nammyt Locri or Locranys.
Thoght in verite Iuno was bot ane woman, dochter of Saturn, sistir and spows to Iupiter, King of Crete, ȝit quhen poetis namys hir swa, thai ondirstand sum tyme by Iuno the erth and the watir, and by Iupiter the ayr and the fyr; and for alss mekyll as the ayr and the fyr is actyve, and the watyr and the erth patient, and that all corporall thyngis beyn engendrit therof, heirfoir bein thai clepit “spowsis.” Bot for that sum tym Iuno betakinys alanerly the ayr and Iove the fyre, than, be raison of ther contegwyte and quantite convenient, bein thai clepit sistyr and brothir; and for that all thyngis, by the influens of the planetis, starnys and hevinnis abufe, be maid of thir elymentis, therfor bein thai clepit kyng and queyn, fadir and mother to goddis and men. And ferther as twychyng this Iuno, hir other namys and proprieteis, I refer to Iohn Bocass in the Genealogy of gentille Goddis, onto the nynt buyk thereof, and first c. of the sammyn.
And of the storm on the Troianys furth sent.
Musyng alone, full of malyce and ire,
Tyll Eolus cuntre, that wyndy regioune,
A brudy land of furyus stormy sowne,
This goddis went, quhar Eolus the kyng
In gowsty cavys the wyndis lowde quhissilling
And braithly tempestis by hys power refrenys,
In bandis hard schet in presoun constrenys,
And thai heirat havand full gret disdeyn,
Quhill all the hill resoundis, quhryne and plene
About thar closouris brayng with mony a rare.
Kyng Eolus set hie apon his chare,
With ceptour in hand thar muyd to meyss and still,
Temperis thar ire, less thai suld at thar will
Beir with thar byr the skyis, and drive about
Erd, ayr and sey, quhen euer thame lest blaw out.
Thus the hie fader almychty in cavis dyrk
Thir wyndis hyd, for dreid sik wrangis thai wyrk,
And thar abuf set weghty hillys huge,
Gave thame a kyng, quhilk, as thar lord and iuge,
And at command also mycht quhen he wald
Lat thame go fre at large to blaw out braid.
To quham as than lawly thus Iuno said:
“Eolus, a pepill onto me ennemy
Salis the sey Tuscane, cariand to Italy
Thar venquyst hamehald goddis and Ilion;
Bot sen the fader of goddis euery one
And kyng of men gave the power,” quod sche,
“To meyss the flude or rayss with stormys hie,
Inforss thi wyndis, synk all thar schippis infeir,
Or skattir widquhar into cuntreis seir,
Warp all thar bodeis in the deip bedeyn.
I haue,” quod sche, “lusty ladeis fourteyn,
Of quhame the farest, clepit Diope,
In ferm wedlok I sal coniune to the
For thi reward, that lilly quhite of swar,
With the for to remane for euermar,
Quhilk propir spouss and eik thi lady myld
Sal mak the fader to mony fair child.”
Eolus answeris, “O thou my lady queyn,
Quhat thou desiris to the it doith perteyn
Forto devyss, and me behuffis thi command
Obey; for thou the ceptour gevis me in hand
Of all this realme (quhat so it be) and oft
Iupiter with me consideris, and ful soft
And makis me master of wyndis and tempest.”
Be this was said, a grondyn dart leit he glide
And persit the boss hill at the braid syde.
Furth at the ilke port wyndis brade in a rout
And with a quhirl blew all the erth about.
Thai ombeset the seys bustuusly,
Quhil fra the deip til euery cost fast by
The huge wallis weltris apon hie,
Rollit at anys with storm of wyndis thre,
Eurus, Nothus and the wynd Affricus,
Quhilkis est, south and west wyndis hait with ws.
Sone efter this, of men the clamour rayss,
The takillis graslis, cabillis can fret and frays.
Swith the clowdis hevyn, son and days lycht
Hyd and byreft furth of the Troianys sycht.
Dyrknes as nycht beset the seys about,
The firmament gan rummylling rair and rout,
The skyis oft lychtnyt with fyry levin,
And schortly bath ayr, sey and hevin
And euery thing mannasit the men to de,
Schawand the ded present tofor thar e.
The cuntre or realm of Eolus, clepit Eolia, lyis betwix Sycill and Italy, vii ilandis in the sey, of quham thir be the namys: Lipara, Hiera, Strogile, Didyme, Eriphusa, Phenycusa and Evomynos. And for alsmekyll as thir ilis bein full of cavernys, wyth bryntstan blawand and byrnand onder the erd, that therby throw the swouch of the fir may be persauyt a day or twa befor fra quhat part or art the wynd is fortocum; and this Eolus kyng therof, as an naturall man, first be experiens persauyt this, and wald schaw the pepill therby, weill two or thre dais befor, the wynd was to blaw from syk an art, for the quhilk rayson, with the rud pepill, was he nammyt kyng or god of windis. And thai put that he had vi sonnys and vi dochtiris, quhilkis ar nocht ellis bot the xii wyndis, of quham the [namys], to begin at the est and go round abowt, bein thir: Subsolanus, Ewrus, Nothus, Auster, Affricus, Ȝephyrus, Fauonius, Circius, Chorus, Boreas, Aquilo and Wlturnus.
Iohn Bocas, be Eolus set hie in his chare to rewle and dant the windis, ondirstandis raison set hie in the manis hed, quhilk suld dant, and includ the law in the cave or boddum of the stomak, the windis of peruersit appetyte, as lord and syre set be God almychty therto.
Ilion, or Ilium, was the cyte of Troy, havand his naym fra King Ilus, fadir to Laomedon. The hayll cuntre was callit Troy fra King Tros, or Troyius, fadir to this Ilus. The awld naim therof is Phrigia, bot oft bein ather of all ther namys takin for other, as Troy, alss weill for the cyte as the realm. And heir, be a maner dispite, Iuno, for the pepill or gudis of Ilion, namys the hail cyte. Thir goddis bein clepit penetes, of quham in dyuerss placis eftyr, and in speciall in the thrid buyk in the first and thrid c. And thai may be callit goddis domestyk famyliar, or hamhald goddis, bot thai be propirly the Troian goddis and nain otheris.
For alsmekill as I hafe said abufe Iuno betakinnys the air, in quham blawis thir windis, and by quham the mater quharof windis bein engendrit beyn producit to ther perfection, therfor iustly and of rycht Eolus grantis him to hald his ring of Iuno.
Ewrus is heir taken for the gret est wynd, thocht it be bot the wind est to sowthin; siklyke, Nothus for the mayn sowth, thocht it be south to est; and Affricus is takin for plat west wynd, that is bot sowth sowthwest. And thus heir the thre principall gret windis contrarius blew attanys apon thaim, and the north wind also in the nyxt c., “A blastirrand bub owt from the north braying &c.”
And quhou Neptune his navy salvyt fra wraik.
And murnand baith his handis vp did hald
Towart the sternys, with petuus voce thus gan say:
“O sevin tymys quhou happy and blissit war thai
Deit in thar faderis syght, bytand the erd!
O thou of Grekis mast forcy, Diomed,
Quhy mycht I not on feldis of Troy haue deit
And by thi rycht hand ȝaldin forth my sprete
Quhar that the valiant Hectour losit the swete
On Achillis speir, and grisly Sarpedon,
And ondyr flude Symois mony one
With scheld and helm stalwart bodeis lyis warpit?”
And al invane thus quhil Eneas carpit,
A blastrand bub out from the north brayng
Gan our the forschip in the baksaill dyng,
And to the sternys vp the flude gan cast.
The aris, hechis and the takillis brast,
The schippis stevin frawart hyr went gan wryth,
And turnyt hir braid syde to the wallis swyth.
Heich as a hill the iaw of watir brak
And in ane hepe cam on thame with a swak.
Sum hesit hoverand on the wallis hycht,
And sum the swowchand sey so law gart lycht
Thame semyt the erd oppynnyt amyd the flude—
The stour vp bullyrrit sand as it war wode.
The sowth wynd, Nothus, thre schippis draif away
Amang blynd cragis, quhilk huge rolkis thai say
Amyd the sey Italianys Altaris callis;
And othir thre Eurus from the deip wallis
Cachit amang the schald bankis of sand—
Dolorus to se thame chop on grond, and stand
Ane othir, in quham salit the Lycianys stowt,
Quhilum fallowis to Kyng Pandor in weir,
And Orontes, Eneas fallow deir,
Befor his eyn from the north wynd
Ane hydduuss sey schippit at hir stern behynd,
Smate furth the skippar clepit Lewcaspis,
His hed doune warpit, and the schip with this
Thryss thar the flude quhirlit about round,
The swokand swelth sank vnder sey and drond.
On the huge deip quhoyn salaris dyd appeir;
The Troianys armour, takillis and othir geir
Flet on the wallis; and the strang barge tho
Bair Ilioneus, and scho that bair also
Forcy Achates, and scho that bair Abas,
And scho quharin ancyant Alethes was,
The storm ourset, raif rovis and syde semmys—
Thai all lekkit, the salt watir stremmys
Fast bullerand in at euery ryft and boyr.
In the meyn quhile, with mony rowt and royr
The sey thus trublit, and this tempest furth sent
Felt Neptune, and his watir movit and schent,
The deip furthȝet in schaldis heir and thair.
Gretly commovit, out of the sey gan stair
Lukand about, behaldis the sey our all
Eneas navy skatterit fer ysundir,
With fludis ourset the Troianys and at vnder
By flaggis and rayn dyd from the hevin discend:
Iunois dissate and ire full weill he kend.
He callis till hym Eurus and Ȝephirus,
Tha est and west wyndis, and said thame thus:
“Ar ȝe sa gretly assurit in ȝour hie kyn,
Ȝe wyndis,” quod he, “but my leif durst begyn
Baith erd and ayr to move on this maneir
And eik the sey with sa stowt stormys steir?
I sal ȝou chastyss; bot me behuffis first meyss
The motioune of fludis and thame appess.
Traist weill onpunyst ȝe sal me not astart
On sik awyss gif ȝe falt efterwart.
Withdraw ȝou hens and to ȝour kyng say ȝe
He has na power nor autorite
On seys, nor on the thre granyt ceptour wand
Quhilk is by cut gevin me to beir in hand;
Hald him on craggis and amang rochis hie,
Thair is ȝour dwelling place, Eurus,” quod he.
“Byd Eolus kepe hym in that hald conding,
Do cloyss the presoun of wyndis and tharon ryng.”
Thus said he, and with that word hastely
The swelland seys has swagit, and fra the sky
Gaderit the clowdis and chasit sone away,
Brocht hame the son agane and the brycht day.
Hys douchter Cymothoe and hys son Tryton
Enforsis thame the Troianys schippis onone
The god hym self gan hesyng thame behynd
With his byg ceptour havand granys thre,
Oppynnys schald sandis and temperis weill the see,
Ourslidand lychtly the croppis of the wallis.
And as ȝe se, oft amangis commonys fallis
Stryfe and debait in thar wod fulych ire,
Now fleys the stanys and now the broyndis of fyre
(Thar greif and fury mynysteris wapynnys plente),
Bot than percace gif thai behald or se
Sum man of gret autorite and efferis,
Thai cess and, all stil standand, gevis him eris;
He wyth his wordis gan slaik thar mynd and swage.
On the sammyn wyss fell all the seys rage.
(1) Her fyrst namys Virgill Eneas. (2) This cald, sais Seruyus, coym of dreid; nocht that Eneas dred the ded, bot this maner of ded; and alsso he that dredis na thyng, nor kan haf na dred, is not hardy, but fuyll hardy and beistly.
The maner was swa in tha dais that nobillis slan in feld tuke ther mouth full of erd, to that effect that in the ded thrawis nain myssyttand word nor voce suldbe hard of ther mowth.
Sarpedon, son of Iupiter and Laodomya, dochtyr to Bellerophon, was kyng of Lycia; of huge statur, and slan by Patroclus.
Thar lyis betwix Affryk and the ile of Sardynia, amyd the sey, a hirst or ryg of craggy rolkis, quhilk beyn callit “altaris of suple or help,” becaus therat on a tyme the pepill of Affrik and Romanys band vp perpetwall payce. And thir schald bankis of sand heir nammyt bein the twa dangeris of the sey Affrican, callit Syrtis, the mair and the less; mar perellus than Ȝairmuth sandis or Holland cost.
Off Orontes and Lewcaspis sum thing in the v c. of the vi buyk, and of this Pander or Pandarus in the ix c. of the v buyk.
Neptun or Neptunus, brother to Iove and Pluto and son to Saturn. For that the partis of his heritage lay in Creit by the sey cost, and for he vsit mekill salyng and rowyng, and fand the craft or art therof, therfor is he clepit god of the sey. He was alsswa an the first tawcht to dant and taym horsss; and onto hym beyn consecret the fundment of wallis, for alsmekill as it is said he biggyt the wallis of Troy, or than becauss the watyr inclusyt ondyr the erth is oft tymys causs of erdqwkyng and trimbillyng or moving of the erth, as we se by experiens in watyr brekis. And perchanss thir thre poweris signefeis the thre granyt ceptour, quhilk his statw in ald days bair in hand, lyk a crepar or a graip wyth thre granys. Tha discryve hym rydand in a cart, quhilk betakinnys the weltyng our of the sey wallys, that rollys, hurlys and brais lyke cart quhelis. Quha lykis mair of him, go reid Bocas, in the first c. and tent buyk of the Genealogy of Goddis.
Heir is an notabyll doctryn, that nan nobill man suld hastely reveng him eftyr his greif. Tharfor was gevin consell to August Octavian the empriour, that eftir his commotion, or euer he did or said ocht, he suld wryte xxiiii lettiris.
This thre granyt ceptour in sum part haf I twychis [sic] abuf. It may betakyn alsswa the thre properteis of the watyr, quhis is flowand, drynkabyll and ganand to sayll or swym intyll.
Cymothoe, as sais Seruyus, is in Grew alss mekyll to say in our language as the flowand or rinnand flud, quhilk may be clepit a ganand dochtir to Neptun, god of seys. Tryton, as sais Bocas, is the bruyt or rowtyng of the wally sey: quharfor iustly is he fenȝeit trumpet to the occian and son to Neptun. Netheless, Plynyus in his Naturall History reherssis that Triton is a verray monstre of the sey, and that in the tym of Tyberius the emperour syk an was hard and seyn. His schap and portatour is discryvit in the x buyk in the iiii c., and he slais Mesenus in the iii c. of the vi buyk.
Noyte Virgill in this comparison and symilytud, for therin and in syk lyke baris he the palm of lawd, as I haf said in my proheme. It is to be considderit alsso that our all this wark, he comparis batell tyll spayt or dyluge of watyr, or than to suddan fyr, and to nocht ellis.
Cristoferus Landynus, that writis moraly apon Virgill, says thus: Eneas purposis to Italy, his land of promyssion; that is to say, a iust perfyte man entendis to mast soueran bonte and gudnes, quhilk as witnessyth Plato, is situate in contemplation of godly thyngis or dyvyn warkis. His onmeysabill ennymy Iuno, that is fenȝeit queyn of realmys, entendis to dryve him from Italle to Cartage; that is, Avesion, or concupissence to ryng or haf warldly honouris, wald draw him fra contemplation to the actyve lyve; quhilk, quhen scho falis by hir self, tretis scho with Eolus, the neddyr part of raison, quhilk sendis the storm of mony warldly consalis in the iust manis mynd. Bot, quhoubeyt the mynd lang flowis and delitis heirintyll, fynaly by the fre wyll and raison predomynent, that is, ondirstand, by Neptun, the storm is cessit, and, as followis in the nyxt c., arryvit in sond havin, quhilk is tranquilite of consciens; and fynaly Venus, in the vi c. following, schawis Ene his feris recouerit again, quhilk is, fervent lufe and cherite schawis the iust man his swete meditationys and feruour of deuotion, quham he tynt by warldly curis, restorit to hym again, and all his schippis bot on, be quham I ondyrstand the tyme lost.
And thar with schote slew sevin hartis belyve.
Had on sik wyss behaldyn the seys abone,
Vndir the stabillit hevin movit in his chare,
Slakking his renȝeis with prosper courss and fair,
Eneas and his feris on the strand
Wery and forwrocht sped thame to the nerrest land,
And at the cost of Lyby arryvit he.
Ane havyn place with a lang hals or entre
Thar is, with ane ile enveronyt on athir part,
To brek the wallis and storm of euery art;
Within the watir in a bosum gays.
Baith heir and thair stant large craggis and brais.
To se the hewis on athir hand is wondir
For hycht that semys pyngill with hevin, and vnder
In a braid sound sovir from all wyndis blawis
Flowis the schore deip, euer stabil but ony wawis.
A wod abufe ourheldis with his rank bewis
And castis a plesand schaddow our the clewis.
Rycht our forgane the forret of a bra
Vnder the hyngand rolkis was alswa
Ane coif, and tharin fresch watir springand,
And satis of stane neuer hewyn with manis hand
Bot wrocht by natur, as it ane howss had beyn
For nymphis, goddessis of fludis and woddis greyn.
Perbrakit schippis but cabillis thar mycht ryde,
Nane ankyr nedis mak thame arest nor byde.
Of all his navy thidder Eneas brocht
Bot sevin schippis. With gret desyre and thocht
As thai desyrit set softly on the sand;
Thare lethis and lymmys in salt watir bedyit
Strekit on the cost, spred furth, bekit and dryit.
Bot first Achates slew fyre of the flynt
Keppit in dry leiffis as tunder, quhil thai brynt;
Syne stikkis dry to kyndil thar about laid is,
Quhil al in flambe the bless of fyre vp bradis.
Than was the quhete (with fludis chaffit and wet)
And instrumentis to purge it swith out set.
For skant of vittal, the cornys in quernys of stane
Thai grand, and syne buke at the fyre ilkane.
In the meyn quhile, Eneas the bank on hie
Has clummyn, widequhar behaldand the large see
Gif ony schip thar on mycht be persavit
Quhilk lait tofor the wyndis had bewavit,
Or ony Troiane galay, bark or barge,
Antheus, Capis or Caicus stremeris large
Wavand or schawand from thar top on hycht.
Na schip he saw, bot sone he gat a syght
Of thre hartis waverand by the cost syde,
Quham at the bak, throu out the gravis wide,
The mekil herdis followit in a rowt
And pasturit all the large valle about.
Tharat he styntis and hynt his bow in hand;
Swift fleand arowis fast by him had berand
The traist Achates; and first the ledaris thre,
Quhilk on thar hedis bair the tyndis hie,
With grundyn arowis amang the thik wod bewis,
And styntis not with dartis thame to bete
Quhil he to grond had brocht sevin hartis grete,
And with his schippis thar nowmyr equale maid.
Syne to the havin sped him for out abaid
And thame distribut amangis his feris all.
The wyne thar with in veschell gret and small,
Quhilk til him gave Acestes, his ryall host,
At his departing from Sycilly the cost,
To thame he byrlis and skynkis fast but weir,
And with sik wordis comfortis thar drery cheir:
“O ȝe my feris and deir frendis,” quod he,
“Of bywent perrellis not ignorant bene we.
Ȝe haue sustenyt grettar dangeris onkend,
Lyke as heirof God sal mak sone ane end.
The rage of Silla, that huge swelth in the see,
Ȝe haue eschapit, and passit eik haue ȝhe
The euer rowtand Charibdis rolkis fell;
The craggis quhar monstruus Ciclopes dwell
Ȝhe ar expert. Pluk vp ȝour hartis, I ȝou pray,
This dolorus dreid expell and do away.
Sum tyme heiron to think may help perchance:
By diuerss cacis, seir perrellis and sufferance
Onto Itale we ettill, quhar destany
Has schape for ws, in rest and quiet, herbry;
Predestinat is thar Troy sal ryss agane—
Beis stowt on prosper forton to remane.”
Syk plesand wordis carpand he has furth brocht,
Set his mynd trublit mony grewouss thocht,
With fenȝeit comfort by his cheyr outwart
The dolorus payn hyd deip gravyn in hart.
Hys feris has this praye ressauyt raith
And to thar met addressis, it to graith,
Rent furth the entralis, sum in tailȝeis schare,
Syne brochit flykerand, sum gobbettis of lyre
Kest in caldronys, and othir sum bet the fyre;
Thame to refresch thus all the cost on lenth
Sped thame with fude to recover thar strenth,
On the greyn gers sat doune, and fillit thaim syne
Of fat venyson and nobill auld wyne.
Quhen hungir thus with metis was chasit away
And dischis drawin, than with lang sermond thai
Bewalit thar feris lossit on the flude:
Betwix gude hope and dreid in dowt thai stude
Quhidder thai war levand or tholit extreme ded all;
Thai answer nocht set thai oft pleyn and call.
Bot principally the pietefull Eneas
Regratis oft the hard fortoune and cace
Of stern Orontes new drownyt in the sey,
And now Amycus harm complenys he,
Now hym alone the cruel fate of Lycus,
Now strang Gyan, now stalwart Cloanthus.
Nympha may be clepit a spowss or a damysell. Bot thai bein taken wyth poetis for goddessis of woddis, wildirness, fludis or wellis, and Nympha is a generall naym to all syk. Nymphis of wellis bein callit Naydes; of hillis or montanys, Oreades; of woddis and forestis, Dryades; of salt fludis, Nereides; of flouris, Napee; and Hamadriades ar fenȝeit to grow and de wyth the tre, as quha wald say the sawll of the tre.
Ȝe sall ondirstand Virgill in all partis of his prosess, quhat maner or fasson he discrivis ony man at the begynnyng, sa continewys he of that samin person all thro, and Eneas in all his wark secludis from all vylle offyce; bot as twychand materris of pyety or devotion, thar labowris he euer wyth the first, as ȝe may se in the beginyng of the vi buke.
Thocht sum wald say, perchans, that in Affrik bein na hartis, therto answeris Landinus that, albeit perchans now ther be nain, in tha days tha war not to seyk, or thocht in the ferther partis of Affrik be nain, in the hiddir partis, quharto was Eneas dryve, ther beyn mony.
Sylla and Charybdis bein twa gret dangeris in the Sycill sey; of quham in the vi and viii c. of the thrid buyk.
Wyne the eldar the bettir, sa that it be fresch, and euery man knawis vennyson owt of ply tynys the sesson.
And how Venus carpis with Iupiter.
Quhen Iupiter, from his heich speir, adoun
Blent on the sailrife seys and erth tharby,
With pepill dwellyng on costis fer syndry,
And of Lyby beheld graithly the land.
Within his breist on diuerss curis as he thus
Musys and thynkis, ontill hym spak Venus
All dolorus, hir eyn full of brycht teris:
“O thou,” quod sche, “quhilk governys, rewlis and steris
Baith goddis and men be thyne etern empyre,
And oft affrays with thundyr and wyldfyre,
Quhou mycht myne Ene sa gretly the offend?
Or quhat mycht Troianys trespas, quhilk now at end
Ar brocht and sufferit, sa feill corsis laid ded
Throu owt the warld debarrit in euery sted
And drevin from Itale? Thou hecht vmquhill, perfay,
Of thame suld cum, efter this mony a day,
Princis of power our sey and land to ryng.
Quhat wikkit counsale, fader, has turnyt thi thocht?
Forsuyth at Troys distructioune, as I mocht,
I tuke comfort heirof, thinkand but baid
That hard wanwerd suld follow fortoun glaid.
Bot ȝit the sammyn myschance persewis thame sayr,
In syndry dangeris cachit heir and thair.
Of thair travell quhat end grantis thou, gret kyng?
Sen Anthenor mycht throu myd ostis thring
Of Grekis, and perss the soundis Ilyria,
And sovirly pass the strait regionys alswa
Quharat nyne movthis rynnand as it war wode
The hillis resoundis, sa rudly doith it rowt,
And like a sey bettis on the brays abowt;
Thar netheless of Padva the cite
A dwelling place for Troianys biggit has he,
And nemmyt the pepill efter hym, and full ȝor
The armys of Troy has set vp in memor:
Bot we thi blude, thi kynrent and ofspring,
To quham in hevin thou grantis a place to ryng,
Schame forto say, all throw the feid of ane,
Has lossit our schippis, and ar betrasit ilkane,
And fer from Itale bene withhaldin eik—
Is this reward ganand for thame ar meik?
Is this the honour done to thame bene godlyke?
Restoris thou wss on sik wyss our kynryke?”
Smylyng sum deil, the fader of goddis and men
With that ilk sweit vissage, as we ken,
That mesys tempestis and makis the hevynnys cleir,
First kyssit his child, syne said on this maneir:
“Away sik dreid, Cytherea, be nocht efferd,
For thi lynage onchangit remanys the werd.
As thou desyris, the cite salt thou se,
And of Lavyne the promyst wallis hie.
Eik thou salt rayss abuf the sterrit sky
The manfull Eneas and hym deify.
My sentence is nocht alterit as thou trastis;
Bot I sal schaw the, sen sik thochtis the thrastis,
And heir declair of destaneis the secreit,
Full mony ȝheris tofor thai be compleit.
This Eneas, with hydwyss bargannyng,
In Itale frawart pepill sal doune thring,
And beld townys and wal his citeis then.
Quhen thre someris in Latium or Itail
And thre wynteris he rungyn has all haill
Fra tyme Rutilyanys bene subdewit in fecht,
That the ȝong child, quhilk now Ascanyvs hecht
And to surname clepit Iulus sans faill,
For he in Ilion was of the blude ryale,
Quhill that of Troy and Ilion stude the ryng,
Thretty lang twelfmonthis rolling our sal ryng,
From Lavyne realm the seyt translait alswa
And forcely wall the cite lang Alba.
Thar sal thre hundreth ȝeris togidder remane
The ryng vnder the pepill Hectoriane,
Quhil Ilya, nun and dochter of a kyng,
Consavit of Mars, twa twynnys do furth bring;
Than with the glitterand wolf skyn our his aray,
Cled in his nuryss talbert glaid and gay,
Romulus sal the pepill ressaue and weld,
And he the mercial wallis of Rome sal beld,
To thir folkis quhou lang thar ryng remanys,
Nowder term of space nor boundis of senȝeory
Nane wil I set, for to thame grant haue I
Perpetual empyre, bot end to lest,
Apirsmert Iuno, that with gret onrest
Now cummyrris erd, sey and ayr,” quod he,
“Sal turn hir mynd bettir ways and with me
Fostir the Romanys, lordis of al erdly geir,
And Latyne pepill kepe bath in payce and weir.
This is determyt, this lykis the goddis, I wyss.
Eftyr mony lustris and ȝeris ourslydyn is,
The tyme sal cum quhen Anchises ofspring
The realm of Pthythia in bondage sal doune thring,
And vndir thar lordschip dant al Grece and Arge,
Cesar of nobill Troiane blude born salbe,
Quhilk sal thempyre delait to the occiane see,
And to the sternys vpspring sal the fame
Of Iulius, that takyn haith hys name
From Iulus, thi nevo, the gret kyng,
As prince discend of his blude and ofspring,
Quham, efter this, sovir of thyne entent,
Chargit with the spulȝe of the orient,
Amang the nowmyr of goddis ressaue thou sall,
And as a god men sal him clep and call.
The cruel tyme sone therefter sal cess,
And weris stanche, al salbe rest and pess;
Ancyant faith and valiant knychthed,
With chaste religioune, sal than the lawys led;
The dreidful portis salbe schet, but faill,
Of Ianus tempill, the takynar of bataill;
With hard irne bandis claspit fast in cage,
Of wykkit bargane tharin the furyus rage
Set apon grisly armour in his seyt,
And with ane hundreth brasyn chenȝeis grete
The horribil tyrrant with bludy mouth sal bray.”
This beand said, Iupiter ful evyn
Hys son Mercury send doune from the hevyn,
So that of Cartage baith realm and new cite
To luge the Troianys suld all reddy be,
Less than Dido, the destany mysknawand,
Wald thame expell hyr boundis or hyr land.
He with gret fard of weyngis flaw throu the sky
And to the cuntre of Lyby come in hy,
Thar dyd hys charge, and the folkis of Cartage
Thar ferss mudis and hartis gan asswage
At the plesour of the god, quhilk thame taucht.
And first of othir, the quene hir self hass kaucht
Towart the Troianys a ful frendly mynd
As on to thame tilbe bowsum and kynd.
Iove or Iupiter by the gentillis was clepit the mast soueran god, fader of goddis and men, and all the otheris war bot haldyn as poweris dyuerss of this Iupiter, callit “iuuans pater,” the helply fadir; bot quham we cleip swa I haf writyn in my proloug of the x buyk. Of Iupiter, as writis Sanct Augustyn in his volume clepit the Cyte of God, in the vii buke and ix c. therof, thus writis poetis:
Progenitor genitrixque deum, deus vnus, et omnes.
“Iupiter omnipotent, king of kingis, and god, fader and moder of goddis, an god, and all the goddis.” Of him largly spekis he alsswa, reprevand the gentile opinionys, in the sam volum, in the first buk and xi c. therof; and in the xii c. repreuys the opynion of Plato, that haldis God the sawll of the warld. Of Iupiter sais the poet Lucan:
Iupiter est quodcunque vides, quocunque moueris.“Iupiter is all that euer thou seis, and all that euer movis.” Bot quhou ther beyn thre syndry Iupiteris, reid Iohn Bocas in his Genealogy of Goddis, in the first c. of the xi buyk, quhar he tretis of Iupiter, kyng of Crete, quhilk was Iupiter the thrid; and ther at the full of all the fiction and fabillis therof, and quhy he is clepit gret god, and of this Iupiter in the recollectis of Troy. Of the secund Iupiter, kyng of Archad and syne of Athenes, quhilk slew Lycaon and was fadyr to Dardanus, of quham cam the Troianys, he writis in the first c. of his v buyk. And of Iupiter the first, callit Lysanyan, and kyng Athenes, in the ii c. of his ii buke, quhar he tretis the proprieteis of Iupiter the planeyt. And now to speyk of Iupiter the planete, quhilk is secund in ordour, and vnermaste nyxt Saturn. He is gentyll and meyk, and full of gud influens, and profitabill aspectis, in sa fer that gif he conionys with a frawart planete, sik as Mars or Saturn, he meysis ther wreth. Gif he conionys with a meyn planete, as the Sone, the Moyn or Mercury, he drawis thaim and makis inclyn to his gudness. Quhen he conionys wyth Venus, or is participant wyth her, as he stud in the ascendent at this tym of Eneas landyng, quhilk is fenȝeit the commonyng betwix hym and Venus, than, as heir apperis, batakynnys all gud; for Iove is clepit “Fortuna maior,” and Venus “Fortuna minor.” He completis his curss in xii ȝeris, and by this constylation betwix him and Venus, Seruius ondirstandis felicite tocum be a woman, as followis be Dido. And that Venus was sorofull, that is to knaw, discendent, and nocht in hir strength, signifeis the sorofull departyng and myschans of Dido.
Becauss ther is mension of Anthenor, quham many, followand Gwydo De Columnis, haldis tratour, sum thing of him will I speyk, thocht it may suffis for his purgation that Virgill heir hayth namyt him, and almaste comparit him to the mast soueran Eneas, quhilk comparison na wyss wald he haf maid for lak of Eneas, gif he had bein tratour. Bot to schaw his innocens, lat vs induce the mast nobill and famus historian and mylky flud of eloquens, gret Tytus Lyuius, quhilk of Anthenor and Eneas sais thir wordis in his beginning: “It is weill wyt that, Troy beand takin, in all the otheris Troianys crudelite was exersit, exceppand twa, Anthenor and Eneas, to quham the Grekis did na harm, bot abstenyt fra all power of batall as twichyng thaim, becauss of the rayson of hospitalite, for thai had beyn ther ald hostis, and all tymys thai war solistaris and warkkaris to rendyr Helen and to procur paice.” Now I beseik ȝow, curtess redaris, considdir gif this be punctis of traison, or rathar of honour, and wey the excellent awtorite of Virgill and Tytus Lyuius wyth ȝour pevach and corrupt Gwido. Landinus sais als of this Anthenor that, for his sone Glaucus followit Paris, he depechit him of him, and for that sam caus, quhen he was aftyr slan by Agamenon, he maid na duyll for his ded.
Ilyria hes his naym fra Illyrus, son to Polyphemus, and, as sais Sextus Rufus, it contenys xvii provyncis. It extendis endlang all the gret flud Danubyum, callit Hister, on bayth the sydis, and in it is Vngary, Pannony, Sclauony, Bohem, Denmark and Macydon; and this Lyburnya is bot a part therof, contenand certan ilis. Timauus is a flud in Lumbardy, in the Venytian landis, that cumis furth of the Duch montanys at ix beginnyngis, quhilk all rynnys in a loch, quham the pepill adiacent callis a sey, and from this loch cumys the flud that rynnys to Padva, byggit be Anthenor, as heir ȝe may se. Bot it is tobe notyt that Virgill sais abuf, in the first c., Eneas coim fyrst fra Troy to Italy, and heir it apperis Anthenor caym befor him: to that sais Seruyus, tha partis quhamto coym Anthenor beyn not haldyn of Italy, bot of Lumbardy, callyt Gallia Cysalpina. Or mayr evidently may we say that Ene was the fyrst coim to Italy by fait, and at the goddis command. Anthenor coym at his awin auentur, and nocht be destine.
Venus is clepit Cytherea fra the ile Cythera, besid Creyt, quhar scho was norysit; or fra the mont Cytheron, quhar scho was gretly wirscheppit.
Of the barganyng or batellis of this Eneas, her in dyuers bukis followand; and of the beldyng of his cyte and how lang his ryng endurit, in the last and penult c. of the xiii buyk.
The cite Alba, biggit by Ascanius son of Creusa, eftyr Virgill had his naim fra the quhite swyn, as ȝe may se in the first c. of the viii buk; and was clepit Lang Alba for it was set endlang the band or ryg of a law hill, as writis Tytus Lyuius, and wass distroit by Tullus Hostilius, thrid king of Rom, and tharof in the xi c. of the xiii buke.
Pepill Hectorean, hardy as Hector, or of the kinrent and blud of Hector, for this Ascanȝus was his fift son.
Of Romulus ȝe sall knaw, that Porcas, the xi kyng of Alba or Albanys, gat twa sonys, Numytor and Amulyus, betwyx quham he dividit his realm. Bot this Amulyus banyst his brother Numytor, and slew his son Lawsus; and his dochtir, callit Ilya or Rhea, consecrat a nun onto the goddes Vesta, to that effect scho suld haf na succession, for in tha dais sik nunis, gif tha brak ther virginite, war eyrdit qwyk. Bot this Ilia consauyt and brocht furth twa childyr mayll, quham thai fenȝe to haf beyn engendyrit of Mars, becauss thai war bellicoss and chevalruss, and bygettin of sum dowchti man. And than this Amulyus gart put this Ilia to ded and bad kast tha childyr in Tybyr. Bot the flud bean speyt was flowyn sa far our the brays thai mycht nocht wyn to the crocis of the water and thus war thai left on the bra. And ane Faustus, an hyrd, had thaim haim to his howss, and maid Acca his wyf, other wyss callyt Lupa, nuryce thaim; and for that Lupa betakinnys a wolf and scho was callit Lupa, therfor is it said a wolf fosterit Romulus and Remus. And becauss this said Acca or Lupa maid Romulus hir ayr, therfor sais Virgill he was cled in his motheris or nuryce tawbart. And eftyr, quhen thai worth men, thai becam for the nanys briggantis of the wod, and by a maner pollycy or practyk convenyt that the tayn of thaim suld tak his brother and all his complicis, and sa thai did, and brocht him befor ther vncle the kyng Amulyus, as thocht he wald accuss him of a dedly cryme. And quhen thai war in presens cumin, thai bayth attanys rayss apon Amulyus and slew him, and ther declaryt ther blud and genealogy, and therefter brocht haim thar grandsyr Numytor, and restoryt to him his realm, syn went ther way and for thaim selvyn biggit Roym and wallyt fyrst. And for thai war bayth of a byrth, thai beguyth debait for the naim of the cyte. Than was appunctyt that on the morn quha saw the mast nobyll syng or takin augurian suld geif the cyte his naym. And Remus fyrst saw vi gripis, and Romulus eftyr hym xii gripis. Than said the tayn his takyn was most nobyll for that he saw thaim first; and the tother na, becauss he saw ma; bot quhiddir it was for that debait, or for the goyng our the wallis, as otheris will say, Remus was slayn be Fabyus, chyftan of weyr to Romulus, and the cyte clepit Roma eftyr Romulus. And quhou or quhy that he is callit Quyrites, and of his dowtsom end, and of the sonnis eclips the tym of his ded, and quhy he was repute a god, reid Titus Lyuius, Iohn Bocas in the last c. of the Genealogi of Godis in the ix buke, and Augustyn in the Cyte of God in the xv c. of the iii buke. And sum thing heir eftir in the xiii c. of the vi buke and the x c. of the viii buyk.
Sanct Augustyn in his volum clepit De Verbis Domini, in the xxix sermond, mokkis at this word, sayand: “Ȝit is not the end, and the empyr is translat to the Almanys. Bot Virgill was crafty,” sais he, “that wald not on his awyn byhalf rehers thir wordis, bot maid Iupiter pronunce thaim—and as he is a half fenȝeit god, swa is his prophecy.”
Pthytia was the cuntre of Achilles; Myce or Mycene, the realm of Agamenon; Arge, the realm of Kyng Adrastus, pertenyng eftir to Diomed be raison of his moder, and it is oft tane for all Grece, and the Grekis therfra bein oft clepit Argiui, or pepill of Arge.
Of Iuliuss Cesar, quhen I behald his Commentareis, and the gret volum of Lucan, and quhat of hym writis Swytoneus, I thynk bettyr hald styll my pen than wryt lytill of sa large a mater and sa excellent a prynce. Bot ȝe sall knaw that the principall entent of Virgill was to extoll the Romanys, and in specyal the famyllye or clan Iulyan, that coim from this Ascanyus, son to Eneas and Crevsa, otherwais callyt Iulus; becauss the empryour August Octavyan, quhamto he direkkit this wark, was of that hows and blud, and sistyr son to Cesar Iulyus. And therfor, quhen Cesar was slayn by the Sanatouris, Octavyan had revengit his deth, and rang passabilly at the byrth of our Salviour, quhen the starn of Bethliam apperit. Than to pless Octavian, said the Romanys that was the sawll of Cesar quhilk was deifyit, and this opynion heir twischis Virgill and alss in his Bucolyqueys.
Off the stek and of closyng of the tempill of Ianus in tym of weyr and of pace, ȝe haf in the vii buyk in the x c. And this tempill of Ianus was twyss closit befor Octauian: anys be Numa Pompilius, and the secund tym be Tytus Manlyus, and thriss be Octavyan. And this tym heyr markyt was the last tym, at the cumyng of Cryst, quhen all the warld was in pace. In wytnes therof the angellis sang pace in erd, the tym of bryth: the ii c. of Sanct Luke.
Off Mercury red in the v c. of the iiii buke; and that Mercur heir was send doun from Iupiter is nocht ellis bot the planet Mercur was at disces and Iove stud ascendent, quhilk signifeit frendschip in hast tocum bot not to lest lang.
In this cheptir ȝe haf that Eneas met his moder Venus in lykness of a virgyn or a mayd, by the quhilk ȝe sall vndirstand that Venus is fenȝeit to be modyr to Eneas becaws that Venus was in the ascendent and had domynation in the hevyn and tym of his natyvite; and for that the planet Venus was the signifiar of his byrth and had domination and speciall influens towart hym, therfor is scho fenȝeit to be his mother; and thus it that poetis fenȝeis bein full of secreyt ondyrstandyng ondyr a hyd sentens or fygur. And weyn nocht for this, thocht poetis fenȝeis Venus the planet, for the causs foirsaid, tobe Eneas mother, at thai beleve nocht he was motherless, bot that he had a fayr lady to his moder, quhilk for hir bewte was clepit Venus. And that Venus metis Eneas in form and lykness of a maid is tobe onderstand that Venus the planete that tym was in the syng of the Virgyn, quhilk betakynnyt luf and fawouris of wemen. And of Venus and hir son Cupyd I sall say sum thyng in the x c. of this sam buke.
Met with hys modir into habit onknaw.
That in his mynd gan mony thyng compass,
Belive as that the hailsum day wolx lycht
Dressit him furth to spy and haue a sycht
To quhatkyn costis he with the wynd was blaw,
Quha thame inhabit, quhidder wild bestis or men—
For al semyt bot wilderness til hym then—
And as he fand schupe till hys feris to schaw,
Hys navy dern amyd the thyk wod schaw,
Vnderneth the holkit hyngand rochis hie,
Dekkit about with mony semly tre,
Quhois schaddowis dyrk hyd weill the schippis ilkane.
And he bot with a fallow furth is gane,
With traste Achates; in athiris hand yfeir
The braid steil heid schuke on the huntyng speir.
Amyd the wod hys moder met thame tway
Semand a maid in vissage and aray
With wapynnys like the virgynys of Spartha
Or the stowt wench of Trace, Harpalica,
Hastand the horss hir fadir to reskew,
Spedyar than Hebrun, the swyft flude, dyd persew;
For Venus eftyr the gyss and maner thar
Ane active bow apon hir schuldir bar
As scho had bene a wild hunteress,
With wynd waving hir haris lowsit of tress,
Hir skyrt kiltit til hir bair kne,
And first of other, onto thame thus spak sche:
“Howe, say me ȝongkeris, saw ȝe walkand heir
By aventur ony of my sisteris deyr,
The cayss of arrowis tachit by hir syde,
And cled in to the spottit lynx hyde,
Eftir the fomy bayr, in thar solace?”
Thus said Venus, and hir son agane
Answeris and said, “Trewly, maide, in plane
Nane of thi systeris dyd I heir ne se.
Bot, O thou virgyne, quham sal I cal the?
Thy vissage semys na mortale creatur
Nor thi voce sovndis not lyke to humane nature:
A goddess art thou suythly to my syght.
Quhidder thou be Dyane, Phebus systir brycht,
Or than sum goddess of thir nymphis kynd,
Maistress of woddis, beis to ws happy and kynd,
Releve our lang travell quhat euer thou be,
And vndir quhat art of this hevyn sa hie
Or at quhat cost of the warld finaly
Sal we arrive, thou tech wss by and by;
Of men and land onknaw we are drive will
By wynd and storm of sey cachit hiddertill;
And mony fair sacrifice and offerand
Befor thyne altar sal de of my rycht hand.”
Venus answerd, “I denȝe not to ressaue
Sik honour certis, quhilk feris me nocht to haue,
For to the madynnys of Tyre this is the gyiss
To beir a cayss of arowis on this wyss,
With rede botynys on thar schankis hie.
This is the realm of Punyce quhilk ȝe se,
The pepill of Tyre, and the cite, but mor,
Belt be the folk discend from Agenor.
Inhabit with pepill ondantabill in bataill,
Quhar Dido quene rewlis the empyre,
Hydder, for hir brodir, fled from the realm of Tyre;
Lang war the iniuris, the dowtis lang tobe tald,
Bot I the vmaste of the mater sall hald.
Ane husband, quhilk Sycheus hecht, had sche,
Rychast in all the grond of Phenyce
And strangly luffit of the silly Dido,
For be hir fader, as was the maner tho,
By chans scho was in cleyn virginite
Weddit to hym. Bot of Tyre the cuntre
In heretage held Pigmalyon hir brodir,
In wikkitnes cruel abufe all othir,
Quhilk, but offence or occasioun of greif,
For blynd cwatyce of gold throu his myscheif,
Befor the altar, slely with a knyfe,
Or he was war, reft Sycheus the lyfe,
And, of the gret luf of his systir suyr,
Concelyt this cruel deid lang vndir cuyr—
That fals man, by dissaitfull wordis fair,
With vaynhope trumpit the wofull luffar.
Bot of hir husband bygravit the ymage
To hir apperis in sleip, with pail vissage,
On mervellus wyss, and gan at lenth declare
Quhou he was cruelly slane at the altare.
He schew the knyf outthrow hys breist threst,
And all the hyd cryme of hir howss manyfest,
Syne in gret haist exortis hir to fle
And leif hir native land, and tak the see,
And, forto help hir onwart by the way,
Vnder the erth quhar ald hurdis hyd lay,
Of siluer and gold revelit a huge weght.
Dido, heirat commovit I ȝou hecht,
For hir departing falloschip reddy maid;
Togidder conuenys but ony langar abaid
All thai quhilk hatis the cruell tyrrantis dedis,
Or ȝit his fellon violence sair dredis.
Thai tuke, and chargit full of gold but mayr.
The tresour of the wrachit Pigmaleon
Is thus caryit our the sey onone.
A woman captane is of all this deid.
To ȝone place ar thai cummyn, thou may tak heid,
Quhar now rysis ȝone large wallis stowt
Of New Cartage, with hie towris abowt.
Als mekill grond thai bocht at the first tyde
As thai mycht compas with a bullis hyde;
Ȝondir cheif castell standing on the bra
Into thar langage clepit is Byrsa,
And of this deid his name beris witnes ȝit.
Bot quhat be ȝhe, finaly wald I wyt?
Or of quhat cuntre cummyn? Or pass wald quhar?”
Sche sperand this, Eneas sichand sair,
The voce drawand deip from his breist within,
Said, “O thou goddess, gif I suld begyn
And tell our labour from the formast end,
To heir our storyis set thou myght attend,
Or I maid end, Vesper, the evyn starn brycht,
Suld cloyss the hevin and end the days lycht.
We ar of ancyant Troy (gif euer ȝe
The name of Troy has hard in this cuntre),
And caryit throuowt diuerss seys alswa,
And now by fortoune to cost of Lybia
Drevyn with tempest. Rewthfull Ene am I,
That Troiane golddis tursys in my navy,
My fame is knaw abufe the eliment.
I seik Itale and our auld cuntre fer
And lynage cum from hyast Iupiter.
With schippis twyss ten the Phyrgyane see,
My modir a goddes techand the way, tuke we,
Followand destany quhilk was to me grant.
Of all our floyt, from wynd and wallys skant
Sevin evil perbrakit salue remanys with me.
Onkend and mysterfull in desertis of Lybe
I wandir, expellit from Europ and Asia.”
Venus na mair sufferit hym pleyn or say;
Amyd hys dolorus playntis thus spak sche:
“Quhat evir thou art, I trast weill at thou be
Favorit with the goddis, and drawis this hailsum ayr,
Quhilk is the spreit of lyfe, to thy weilfair,
Sen thou art cummyn to Cartage the cyte.
Now hald thy way and at the quenys entre
Present thy self. I schaw the for certane
Thy ferys ar salf, thy navy is cummyn agane,
In salfty brocht fre of north wyndis als,
Less than my parentis taucht me spaying craft fals.
Behald twelf swannys in randoun glaid and fair
Quham, newly from the regioun of the air,
Hass sair effrayt amyd the skyis brycht;
Now with lang range to lycht thai beyn adrest
And spyis the erth about quhar thai sall rest.
As thai return, thar weyngis swouchand iolely,
And with thar courss circlys about the sky,
Cryand or syngand efter thar awyn gyss:
Thy schippys and falloschip on the sammyn wyss
Owdir ar herbryit in the havyn, I wyss,
Or with bent saill entris in the port be this.
Now pass thy way evyn furth that sammyn went.”
Thus said sche, and turnand incontinent,
Hir nek schane lyke onto the royss in May,
Hyr hevynly haris glitterand brycht and gay,
Kest from hir forhed a smell gloryus and sweit,
Hir habyt fell down coveryng to hir feit,
And in hir passage a verray god dyd hir kyth.
And fra that he knew hys moder alswith
With sik wordis he followys as scho dyd fle:
“Quhy art thou cruell to thy son,” quod he,
“Dissavand hym sa oft with fals sembland?
Quhy grantis thou nocht we mycht ioyn hand in hand
And fortill heir and rendir vocis trew?”
Thus he reprevys, bot sche is went adew.
Than to the cyte he haldis furth the way,
Bot Venus with a sop of myst baith tway
And with a dyrk clowd closyt rownd abowt,
That na man suld thame se nor twich but dowt,
Ne by the ways stop or ellis deir,
Or ȝit the cawsis of thar cummyn speir.
Hyr self vplyft to Paphum passyt swith
To vissy hir restyng place, ioly and blith;
Quharin thar doith ane hundreth altaris stand,
Hait byrnnyng full of Saba sens all howris,
And smellyng sweit with fresch garlandis of flowris.
Mony expondis Achates for thochtfull cuyr or solicitud, quhilk all tymys is feyr and companȝeon to princis and gret men.
Harpalica douchter to Ligurgus kyng of Trace, hir fader beand tane be the pepil of Getya, assemblit hir power and with sa gret haist persewit thame that scho semyt in swiftness to forryn the swiftast flude of Trace, callit Hebrun; and with mair agilite and hardyment than is almaste tobe belevit, reskewit hir fader and ourcome hir aduersaris.
Thus said scho forto dissimyll hyr self, or than becauss that in Cypir was scho wirscheppit only wyth insens and flouris and nayn other sacrifyce, sa that it was onlefull ony blud war sched in hir tempyll.
Of Agenor ȝe sal knaw that Iupiter engendrit Ephaphus, quhilk gat Belus the first, that engendrit this Agenor, and he begat Phenix, fra quham the realm of Tyre was namyt Phenycia and the pepil bath of Tyre and Cartage Phenycianys or Punycianys. This Phenix begat Belus the secund, otherwyss callit Methres, and he was fader to this Pygmaleon and Queyn Dido, otherwyss nemmyt Elissa. This ilk Phenix also engendrit Philistenes, quhilk begat this Sycheus, otherwyss callit Sicarbas, spouss to this ilk Dido and gret preste to Hercules.
Sum sais scho gave alss mekyll gold as wald gang in a bul hid for this grund; sum haldis opynyon that in thai dais the monye was mad of cuyrbulȝe or leddyr, and this castell hes his naym therfra, for in the langage of Affrik, “byrsa” betakynnys leddyr or a hyd. Bot Seruyus is of Virgillis opynion, sayand Dido maid carve the bull hid in sa small twhangis that it cumpassyt abowt the spass of xxii stageis, that is, thre myllis quarter less.
That Eneas heyr commendis his self, it is not to be tayn that he said this for arrogans bot forto schaw his styll, as a kyng or prince onknawin in an onkowth land may but repreif reherss his estate and dygnite to mak him be tretyt as afferis. And alss, becauss he trastyt he spak wyth a goddess, that scho suld nocht aschaym to remayn and talk wyth hym therfor; and becauss scho was a woman, he schew that he was a man of autorite, wyth quham thai nedis nocht ascham to speyk, for he was that man quhilk by the common voce was clepit Eneas full of pyete. And for that Virgill clepis hym swa all thro this buyk, and I interpret that term quhylys for “rewth,” quhils for “devotion” and quhilis for “pyete” and “compassion,” tharfor ȝe sall knaw that pyete is a vertw or gud deid be the quhilk we geif our dylligent and detfull lawbour to our natyve cuntre and onto thaim beyn conionyt to vs in neyr degre. And this vertw, pyete, is a part of iustyce and hes ondyr hym twa other vertwys: amyte, callyt frendschip, and liberalyte.
Varo sais that Eneas, fra his departing of Troy quhil he coym in the feldis of Lawrentum, all the day saw the starn of Venus, and quhen he was thiddir cummyn he saw it na mair, quharby he ondirstud that was his grund fatayll.
The Egill be poetis is fenȝeit tobe Iovis fowle, and that he maid minstration to him of the thunder and wapynnys the tyme of the batale betwix the god Dis and the Gyantis. Bot war it lefull to compar prophane fabillis to Haly Scriptour, Sanct Iohne the Ewangelist is verray Iovis egill and clepit son of thundir.
Cled with the mysty clowd, to Cartage went.
As the rod led thame, quhil ascend ar thai
The hill fer rysand abuf the town on hycht,
Quhar all the cite forgane thame se thai mycht.
Eneas wondrit the gretnes of Cartage,
Quhilk lait tofor had beyn ane smal cotage;
The fair portis alsso he ferleit fast,
And of the brute of pepill tharat inpast,
The large stretys paithit by and by.
The byssy Tyrryanys lauborand ardently,
Ane part haistis tobeild the wallys wight,
And sum to rayss the gret castell on hyght
And welt vp stanys to the wark on hie,
Sum grathis fast the thak and rufe of tre,
And sum abowt delvys the fowsy deip,
Sum chesis officeris the lawys forto kepe
With counsalouris and senatouris, wyss folkis,
Ȝonder othersum the new havyn holkis,
And heir alsso, ane other end fast by,
Lays the fundament of the theatry,
And otheris eik the huge pillaris grete
Out of the querrellys gan do hew and bete
Fortill adorn that place in all degre
In tyme cummyng quhar gret triumphe suldbe—
Lyke to the beys, in feildis floryst new,
Gaderyng thar wark of mony diuerss hew,
In soft somyr the brycht son hait schynyng,
Quhen of thar kynd thame list swarmys furthbryng,
And with sweit liquour stuffis thar cellis scheyn,
Or ressavys the byrdyngis from othir tharowt,
Or fra thar hyve togyddir in a rowt
Expellis the bowbart beist, the faynt drone be;
Thar labour is bissy and fervent forto se,
The hwny smellys of the sweit tyme seid.
“O,” quod Ene, “full happy ar ȝhe in deid,
Quhais large wallis rysys thus on hie!”
A quhile he visseit the boundis of this cite,
Ane wonder thyng, coverit with a clowd about:
He entrys syne amyd the thikast rowt,
Amang the men he thrang, and nane hym saw.
Amyd the cite stude ane semly schaw,
With hys maist plesand sobir schaddowis, quhar,
As the Punycianys first vpwarpit war
Efter the stormys blastis and seys rage,
Thai delvand fand the takynnar of Cartage,
Ane mekill horss hed that was, I weyn,
As Iuno had schaw tofor, of goddis queyn,
That signyfyit the cite excellent in batale,
And plentuus eik al tymys of vittale.
In the ilke place, the Sydonas Dido
Begouth to byg a prowd tempill of Iuno
With dowreis seir and gyftis of rychess
And eik the goldyn statw of the goddes.
The entre rayss with hie stagis of brass,
With brass alsso the cupplys festynnyt was;
The brassyn durris iargis on the marbill hirst.
In this tempill, seir novelteis first
Schawin till Eneas mesyt gretly hys feir:
The first assurance of comfort was heir
And hope of releif eftir aduersite,
For as he went diuerss thingis to se,
Rowmyng about the large tempill scheyn
Fortobehald the cummyng of the queyn
And of the cite the gret prosperite,
The mony warkmen and thar craftis sle,
He saw perordour all the sege of Troy,
The famus batellis, wlgat throu the warld or this,
Of Kyng Pryam and athir Attrides,
And, baldar than thame baith, the ferss Achil.
He styntis, and wepand said Achates tyll:
“Quhou now, quhilk place is this, my frend,” quod he,
“Quhat regioun in erd may fundyn be
Quhar our mysforton is nocht fully proclame?
Allace, behald, se ȝondir Kyng Priam,
Lo, heir his wirschip is haldin in memor.
Thir lamentabyll takynnys passit befor
Our mortal myndis aucht to compassioun steir.
Away with dreid, and tak na langar feir!
Quhat, wenys thou na this fame sall do the gude?”
Thus said he and fed hys mynd, quhar he stude,
With thir plesand fenȝeit ymagery,
Murnand sair and wepand tendyrly,
The flude of terys halyng our hys face,
For as he lukit on the wark percace,
He saw porturate quhar in sik a place
The Grekis fled and Troianys followis the chace
Abowt the wallys of Troy as thai dyd fyght.
At ȝondir part the Troianys tak the flycht,
With creste on hed Achillis in hys chair
Persewand strangly. Not far thens saw he quhar
The quhite tentis of Kyng Rhesus, evill kepe,
Betraisit war apon the first sleip,
Quhar with gret slauchter bludy Diomeid
Distroyt all, and till hys tent gan leid
The mylk quhite horssis, fers, swift and gude,
Or evir thai taistit ony Troiane fude
Or drunkyn had of the flude Exanthus.
And ȝondir, lo, beheld he Troilus
Fortill recontyr Achilles onganand,
The horss hym harland behynd the void cart
Hyngand wyde oppyn, and hys hed dounwart;
Supposs he held the renȝeis fast but faill,
Hys nek and harys on the erd gan traill,
The speir ourturnyt in the duste dyd write.
The sammyn tyme, the Troian madynnys quhite,
With hair doun skalit, all sorofull gan pass
Onto the tempill of the grevit Pallas
To ask supple; with thame a wympill bair thai,
With handis betand thar breistis by the way:
This fremmyt goddess held hir eyn fixt fast
Apon the grund, nocht a blenk list thame cast.
Abowt the wallis of Troy he saw quhat wyss
Achilles harlyt Hectoris body thryss;
The ded corps syne for gold he saw hym sell.
Law from his breist murnand he gave a ȝell,
Seand the void cart and spulȝe of the knycht
And the corps of his derrest frend sa dight.
Priam onarmyt streke furth handis dyd he spy
From Achilles hys sonnys body toby.
Him self alsswa mydlit persavit he
Amang princis of Grece in the melle.
The orient hostis knew he one by one,
And Vlcanus armour on blak Menon.
The madynnys cum fra Amason saw he soyn,
With crukit scheildis schapyn like the moyn,
Led by thar furyus queyn Pantissylle;
Amyd the thousandis egyrly feghtis sche,
And quhar hir pap was for the speir cut away,
Of gold tharon was belt a rych tyschay:
Ane worthy weriour suythly thai mycht hir ken,
This wench stowtly recontir durst with men.
Quhar that Eneas his feris fand alsso.
To se thir nyce figuris thocht wonder was,
And as he musyt, studyand in a stair
Bot on a sycht quhar on he blenkit thar,
The queyn Dido, excellent in bewte,
To tempill cumis with a fair menȝe
Of lusty ȝyngkeris walkyng hir about.
Lyke to the goddes Dian with hir rowt
Endlang the flude of Eurot on the bra,
Or vndir the toppis of hir hill Cynthia
Ledand ryng dansys, quham followis our alquhar
A thousand nymphis flokkyng heir and thair;
On hir schulder the arrow cace baris sche,
And quhar scho walkis abufe the laif on hie
May weil be seyn; to Latone hir moder this
Gevis reiosyng and secrete hartis blyss:
Sikane was Dido, sykane hir blithly bair
Amyd thame all, the warkis and weilfair
Providing for the realm in tyme tocum.
And quhen sche to the tempill dur is cum,
Syne entryng vnder the myd volt, tuke hir sete
Heich in a trone, and cumpaneis grete
On athir half standyng of armyt men,
The domys and law pronuncis sche to thame then,
The feys of thar laubouris equaly
Gart distribut; gif dowt fallis tharby,
Be cut or kavill that pled sone partit was.
Bot suddandly persavis Eneas
Quhar with gret haist com rynnyng Antheus,
Sergest he seis, and stalwart Cloanthus,
With diuerss otheris of the Troian menȝe,
Quham the blak storm had skatterit on the see
And at ane other cost drevyn to the land.
He and his fallow awondris this seand.
With feir and ioy smyttin baith war thai,
And langit sair to schaik handys; bot thar hart
The onkouth cace amovit in sum part
Forto dissymyll, as na thing seyn thai had,
And with the dyrk clowd hyd, to spy thai baid
Quhou it stude with thar ferys, or chansyt eft,
Or on quhat cost thar navy thai had left,
Quhat thai desyrit, for, as full weill thai saw,
From thar schippis per ordour thai com on raw,
Besekand grace and peax fast, as thame thocht,
And to the tempill with gret clamour socht.
Fra thai war enterit in the tempill tho
And licens grantit thame to speke alsso,
The gretast oratour, Ilioneus,
With plesand voce begouth his sermond thus:
“O hie princes, quhamto Iupiter hass grant
To beld ane new cyte, and to dant
The violens of prowd folk by iust law,
We wrachit Troianys, with the wyndis blaw
Throu strange stremys and mony diuerss see,
Forbyd ȝon cruell fyre, besekis the,
Suffir not to byrn our schippis in a rage,
Haue reuth apon our petuus auld lynage.
Considir frendly our mater quhou it standis:
We com nocht hiddir with drawyn swerdis in handis
To spulȝe templis or rychess of Lybia,
Nor by the cost na spreth to dryve away.
Sik violens nane within our myndis is,
Nor sa gret stowtnes to venquyst folk, I wyss.
Thar is a place quham the Grekis, thai say,
Onto hys name clepis Hesperia,
Ane nobill land, richt potent in bataill,
And fructuus grond, plentuus of vittalle,
By Kyng Onotryus inhabit first, we trow,
Bot in our days laitly, the fame is now,
Eftir thar duke it is namyt Italy.
Thidderwart our courss was laid, quhen suddanly
Amang blynd bankis cachit ws onon;
The byttir blastis, contrarius al ways,
Throw wallis huge, salt fame and wilsum wais,
And throw the perrellus rowkis gan ws dryve;
Hidder at ȝour cost ar few of ws arryve.
Quhat kynd of pepill duellis heir?” quod he,
“Quhou beyn sik thewis sufferit in this cuntre?
We ar defendit to herbry on the sand,
Prouokyt eik to batale, and, drevyn to land
By forss of storm, the slyke thai ws deny.
Albeit the strenth of men ȝhe set not by
And mortal weris contempnys and comptis nocht,
Belevis weill ȝit than and haue in thocht
The goddis sall remember, traistis me,
Baith of gud dedis and iniquite.
To ws was kyng the worthy Eneas,
Ane iustar man in all the warld nane was,
Nor mair reuthfull, nor wisar into weir,
And mair valiant in dedis of armys seir,
Quham gif the fatis alyve conservit haith
To tak this hevinly ayr and draw his braith,
And not with cruell gostis hyd vnder erd,
We neid not dreid, sall nocht mak ws efferd,
Nor thou sall neuer repent the sykkyrly
To schaw ws first frendschip and curtasy.
Into the realm of Sycill als haue we
Frendis and citeis, with armyt men plente,
And of the Troian blude Acestes kyng.
Gyf ws war levit our flote on land to bryng,
That with the wynd and storm is all to schaik,
And grantit eik wod leif to hew, and take
Tymmyr to beit ayrris and other mysteris,
So that our kyng we mycht fynd and our feris,
Blithly we suld hald towart Italy,
And to the cost of Latium seik inhy.
Bot gif our weilfar and beleve cleyn gayn is,
And the, maist souerane fader of ws Troianys,
Nor of Ascanyus comfort remanys none,
Than suythly, at the leste, the Sycill see
And placis reddy fra quham hidder drevin ar we,
We sall seik, and to the kyng Acestes.”
Thus said Ilioneus, and sa can he cess,
Bot than the noyss rayss amang the Troianys—
Thai murmuryt and complenyt all at anys.
Than schortly Dido spak with vissage doun cast:
“Remove all dreid, Troianys, beis nocht agast,
Pluk vp ȝour hartis, and hevy thochtis dovn thring.
Ane hard myschans and novelte of this ryng
Constrenys me sik mastry forto schaw,
And with discurriouris kepe the cost on raw.
Quha knawys nocht the lynnage of Enee?
Or quha myskennys Troy, that ryall cyte?
The gret wirschip of sik men quha wald nocht meyn
And the huge ardent batalys at thar hass beyn?
We Phenycianys nane sa blait breistis hess,
Nor so fremmytly the son list nocht address
Hys curss frawart Cartage cyte away.
Quhiddir ȝhe will to gret Hesperia,
The grund of Saturn, quhilk now is Italy,
Or to the cost of Sycill fast tharby,
And at the kyng Acestes lyst ȝou be,
Thidder sall ȝhe suyrly pass with my supple;
I sal support ȝou with all geir may gayn.
And pless ȝhe with me in this realm remane,
The cite quhilk I byg is ȝouris fre;
Bryng in ȝour schippis hidder from the see;
Betwix a Troiane and ane Tyrriane
Na differens—all sall I rewle as ane;
And with this sammyn wynd hidder blaw in feir
Wald God Enee ȝour kyng war present heir!
Endlang the costis and far partis of Lyby
I sall forsuyth exploratouris send to spy
In ony wod gyf that he be vpdryve,
Or ȝit perchance at ony cyte arryve.”
War thankfully ressauyt of the queyn.
And of the strang Achates reiosyt was,
Gretly desyryng the clowd to brek in tway.
Bot first Achates till Enee gan say:
“Son of the goddes, quhat purposs now,” quod he,
“Rysis in thy breist? All is sovir, thou may se,
Thyne navy and thy ferys recoverit beyn,
Wantand but ane, amang the fludis greyn
Quham we saw droun. All other thingis, thou knawis,
Is now conform onto thy moderis sawys.”
And scarsly haith he all thir wordis spokkyn,
Quhen that the clowd abowt thame swith was brokkyn
And vanyst tyte away amang the ayr.
Vp stude Enee, in cleir lycht schynyng fair,
Lyke till ane god in body and in face
For his moder grantit hir son sik grace,
Hys crysp harys war plesand on to se,
Hys favour gudly, full of fresch bewte,
Lyke till ane ȝongker with twa lauchand eyn—
Als gracyus fortobehald, I weyn,
As evoir boyn by craft of hand weill dycht,
Or as we se the burnyst siluer brycht,
Or ȝit the quhite polist marbill stane schyne
Quhen thai beyn circulit about with gold sa fyne.
Or evir thai wist, befor thame all inhy,
Onto the queyn thus said he reuerently:
“Hym quham ȝe seik behald now present heir,
Enee the Troian, delyverit from danger
Of storm and wallys of the Libiane see.
O thou only, quhilk rewth hess and piete
On the ontellabill pyne of the Troianys,
Quhilk ws, the Grekis levyngis and remanys,
Ourset with all maner necessiteis
And euery perrell baith be landis and seis,
And to famyliar frendschip and ally;
To quyte the, rendring ganand thankis rycht,
That lyis nocht, Dido, intill our mycht,
Nor all the laif of the Troian menȝe,
Throw out this warld skatterit quhar euer thai be,
Bot the hie goddis, gif ony deite takis tent
To thame at petuus beyn and pacient,
For iustice eik gif euer reward beis get,
And rychtwyss myndis ramembrit and nocht forȝet,
Thai ilke goddis mot dewly reward the
Accordyng thy desert in all degre.
Quhou happy and ioyus was that tyme serene
That the producit hess, sa nobill a queyn!
Quhou wirschipfull eik war thai parentis of mycht
Quhilk the engendrit hess, sa worthy a wight!
Quhill fludis rynnys in the sey but dowt,
Quhil sonnys schaddow circlys hillis about,
And the firmament starris doith conteyn,
Thy honour and thy fame sall evir be grene,
And thy renown remane perpetualy,
Throu all realmys quharto that drevyn am I.”
Thus sayand, til his frend Ilioneus
Hys rycht hand gave he, and to Serestus
Gave his left hand, syne welcumit euery man,
The strang Cloanthus and the stowt Gyan.
The queyn Dido, astonyst a litill wie
At the first syght, behaldand his bewte,
Awondring be quhat wyss he cummyn was,
Onto him thus scho said with myld face:
“Son of the goddes, quhat hard aduersite
Throw owt so feill perrellis hass catchit the?
Quhat forss and violens drave the hyddir till ws,
Apon thir costis that beyn so dangerus?
Art thou not theilk compacient Eneas
That apon haly Venus engendrit was
Be the Troian Anchises, as thai say,
Besyde the flude Symois in Phrigia?
Sen Tewcer com, banyst from his cuntre,
Sekand supple at Belus, and sum new land;
My fader than, Belus, I vndirstand,
The rich realm of Cipir wastit by weir,
And wan it syne and gave it to Tewcer,
And evir syne of Troy, that gret cyte,
The distructioun hass beyn weill knaw to me,
Thy name alsso, and pryncis of Grece sans faill
With quham thou faught seir tymys in batale.
This ilk Tewcer hys ennemys of Troy
Rusyt and lovit, and with excellent ioy
Full oft him self extoll and vant he wald
Of Troiane blude tobe discend of ald.
Tharfor haue done, gallandis, cum on ȝour way,
Entir within our lugyng, we ȝou pray.
Siclike fortoun, throu mony feill danger,
At last onto this land hass dryve me heir;
Thus, nocht mysknawand quhat payn is ennoy to dre,
I lernyt to help all tholis aduersyte.”
Rehersyng this, convoys sche Eneas
Towart the place quhar hir ryche palyce was,
And tharwith eik commandis halyday,
Throwe owt the cyte all suldbe game and play.
And netheless, the sammyn tyme sendis sche
Down to his folkis at the cost of the see
Twenty fed oxin, large, gret and fyne,
And ane hundreth bustuus bowkis of swyne,
Ane hundreth lammys and thar moderis tharby,
With other presandis, and wyne habundandly.
The place within maist gloriusly and gay
Adornyt was all our with ryall array;
Amyd the hie rufe of the mekill hall
For the banket mony rich claith of pall
Was spred, and mony badkyn wonderly wrocht.
Of siluer playt ane huge weght furth was brocht
To set on burdis, and veschell forgit of gold
Quharin was grave (maste curyus tobehold)
Sen first begynnyng of thar geneology,
Man eftir man lyke as thai dyd succeid,
In lang rememberans of thar worthyheid.
Ene, for that his faderly piete
Wold nocht suffir hys mynd in rest tobe,
In haist Achates to the schippis send
To schaw Ascaneus all fra end till end,
Onto the cite that he onon war brocht;
On ȝong Ascaneus was haill the faderis thocht.
Seir gyftis eik he bad bryng with him syne,
Hynt and deliuerit from the Troian rewyne—
Ane rych garmont brusyt with stife gold wyre,
The purpour mantill and rycht quent attyre
That pliabill was with the gilt bordour large,
Sum tyme array of Helene, queyn of Arge,
Quhilk from the realm of Myce with hir sche brocht,
Quhen scho to Troy forbodyn hymeneus socht,
This wondrus gift gottin at hir moder Lyda;
And forthir eik, of fair Illionya
He bad hym bryng with hym the ceptre wand
Quhilum Priamus eldast douchter bair in hand,
The collar pight with orient peirlys als
That sche vmquhile wair about hir hals,
Off gold alsso the closs or dowbill crown
Set full of precyus stonys enveroun.
To do his charge, Achates bissely
The way towart the schippis socht in hy.
Send Cupide in Ascaneus similitude.
By new consait in hir mynd quhou scho mocht,
In form the vissage of sweit Ascaneus tho
Transformyt, send hir awin son Cupido
He mycht inflambe, within hir banys greyn
The hoyt fyre of lufe to kyndill and steir:
For in hir mynd scho had a maner feir
Of this lynnage waverand and ontrew
(Tyrrhyanys dowbill tongit weill sche knew);
Of cruell Iuno the dreid brynt hir inwart,
With mony thocht ran hastely tyll hir hart.
Onto the weyngit god of luf, but weir,
For thy scho spak, and said on this maner:
“O thow my child, my strenth and my gret mycht,
O thou my son, quhilk only art so wight
That thou the dartis of Iupiter dar ganestand,
Quharwith he slew Typhon, the fell gyand,
To the I cum, to the I seik,” quod sche,
“Lawly askyn thy power and supple.
Quhat wyss thy broder Eneas, but dowt,
Is blawyn and warpit euery cost about,
Of wykkit Iuno throu the cruell invy,
All this to the is manifest, weill wait I,
For quhen I wepit tharfor, thow murnyt also.
Now hym withhaldis the Phenycian Dido
And culȝeis hym with slekit wordis sle,
Bot to quhat fyne, richt sair it dredis me,
Sall turn this plesand gestnyng in Cartage,
Quhilk is the burgh of Iuno—for in hir rage
As is begun the mater sall not remane.
Quharfor I ombethynk me of a trane
This queyn first forto cawch in luffis lace,
And so with flambe of amouris till enbrace
That by na mycht tharfra scho may remove,
Bot strangly sall with me Eneas lufe.
Hark my consait, quhat wyss this may be done:
The riall child Ascaneus full sone,
On quham maist is my thocht, grathis to pass
At command of his fader Eneas
Tursis with hym of the ald Troian geir
Quhilk fra the storm of sey is left ontynt
And from the fyre remanys ȝit onbrynt.
Hym sall I sownd slepand steill away
And hyde apon the hight of Citheray
Or in Idalium, my hallowit schaw,
That our dissait he nowder persave ne knaw,
Nor onprovisitly cum thidder, thocht he mycht.
Tak thou his lyknes, na mair bot a nycht,
Fortobegile Queyn Dido of Cartage.
My child, cleith the with ȝon kend childis vissage,
So that quhen scho all blythast haldis the
Into hir skyrt perchance, or on hir kne,
At hir fest ryall sittand at the tabill
Amang danteis and wynys amyabill,
And gan the forto hals and to enbrace,
Kyssand sweitly thi quhyte nek and thi face,
Than may thou slely thi vennamus ardent fyre
Of fraudfull luf amyd hir breste inspyre.”
The god of luf obeys hastely
Hys moderis wordis, and laid his weyngis by,
And blythly steppis furth lyke Iulus.
Bot Venus to this ilke Ascaneus
The sweit vapour of plesand sleip and rest
On all the membris of his body kest,
And softly the goddess in hyr lap hym bair
Amyd hyr schaw of Idalium, quhar
Tendir mariolyne and sweit flowris thar out
With thar dulce smell hym schaddowit rownd about.
And quhou Cupyd inflambis the lady gay.
Fortyll obey hys moderis commandment,
Berand with hym the kyngly gyftis scheyn
Quhilkis suldbe present to the ryall queyn,
And as thai come, the quene was set at dess
Vndir hir gloryus stentit capitale;
Amang provd tapetis and mych rych apparale
Hir place scho tuke, as was the gyss that tyde,
Ourspred with gold amyd a beddis syde.
Abuf all othir the fadir Eneas,
And syne ȝong gallandis of Troy, to mete set was
Apon rich beddis sydis, per ordour,
Ourspred with carpettis of the fyne purpour.
To wesch thar handis seruandis brocht watir cleir,
Syne breyd in baskettis, eftyr thar maner,
With soft serviatis to mak thar handis cleyn.
Fyfty damycellis tharin seruyt the queyn,
Quhilkis bair the cure eftir thar ordour haill
On purvyance of howshald and vittaill,
To graith the chalmeris and the fyris beld.
Ane hundreth madynnys had scho ȝong of eld
And elyke mony of the sam age ȝong swanys
The cowrsis and the mesys, for the nanys,
To set on burdis, sik as we call sewaris,
And to fill cowpys, goblettis and eweris.
And mayratour, the Tyrryanys halely
At the blith ȝettis flokkis to the maniory,
And as thai come, thai war down set onone
On brusyt or payntit tapetis eueryone.
Thai mervellit the rich gyftis of Eneas;
Apon Ascaneus feill awondrit was,
The schynand vissage of the god Cupyte
And hys dissemblit slekit wordis quhite,
The precyus mantill and quent garmond also;
Bot principaly the fey onsylly Dydo,
For the myscheif to cum predestinat,
Mycht not refreyn nor satisfy hir consait,
Bot ardently behaldis all on steir,
Now lykand weill the child, and now the geir.
As Cupyd hyngis about Eneas halss,
Enbrasit in armys, fenȝeand luf full fals,
Full slely than he blent apon the queyn.
Scho with hir sycht and all hir mynd rycht thar
Hym to behalf sat musand in a stayr;
Sumtyme onwar hym in hir bosum held sche,
Mysknawand, allace! by fals subtilite,
Quhou the gret god of luf with all hys mycht
Wachit forto dissave hir, wofull wight.
Bot he, remembering on his moderis command,
The mynd of Sycheus, hir first husband,
Furth of hir thocht peyss and peyss begouth dryve,
And with scharp amouris of the man alyve
Gan hir dolf spreit forto preveyn and steir,
Had beyn dyssvsit fra luf that mony ȝeir.
Eftyr the first pawss, and that cowrss neir gane,
And voduris and fat trunschuris away tane,
The goblettis gret with myghty wynys in hy
Thai fill, and coverit set in by and by.
Than rayss the noyss quhill dynnyt rufe and wallis,
So thik the vocis fleys throu the large hallys.
From the gilt sparris hang down mony a lycht,
The flambe of torchis venquyst the dyrk nycht.
The queyn than askis of gold for the nanys
A weghtty cowp, set all with precyus stanys,
Bad fill it ful of the rych Ypocras,
Into the quhilk gret Belus accustomyt was
To drynk vmquhile, and fra hym euery kyng
Discend of hys genology and ofspring.
And quhen silens was maid our all the hall,
“O Iupiter,” quod scho, “on the we call,
For this rayson, that by wyss men is said
To gestis thou grantis the herbry glaid.
We the beseik this day be fortunabill
To wss Tyrranyanys, happy and agreabill
To strangearis cummyn fra Troy on thar vayage,
In tyme cummyng remembrance of our vsage
To our successioun and posterite;
The gevar of glaidness, Bachus, heir mot be,
And ȝou, myne awyn Tyrryanys, I command eik
Hallow this fest with blythnes and with ioy,
Bair frendly falloschip to thir noblis of Troy.”
This beand said, the cowpe with the rich wyne
Apon the burd scho blyssit, and eftir syne
With hir lyp first tharof tuke bot a taist,
And carpand blythly gaif it Bythyus in haist.
He merely ressavis the remand tayss,
All owt he drank, and quhelmyt the gold on his face;
Syne al the nobillis tharof drank abowt—
I wil nocht say that ilkman playt cop owt.
Bot on his gylt harp berdyt Iopas,
Playand the gestis of the gret Atlas,
The monys change and oblike cowrss sang he,
And quhy the son eclipsis, as we se;
Quharof mankynd is maid he schew ful plane,
Quharof bestis, and quhat engendris rayn,
Quharof cummys thundir and fyry levyn;
The rany Hyades, quhilk ar the sternys sevyn,
And eik Arcturus, quhilk we cal the laid stern,
The dowbill Vrsys weil couth he decern,
And quhy the son into the wyntir tyde
Hastis in the sey sa fast his hede to hyde,
Quhy makis the nycht that tyme sa large delay,
And in somyr quhy sa lang is the day.
The gyld and ryot Tyrryanys dowblit for ioy,
Syne the rerd followit of the ȝonkeris of Troy.
Onhappy Dido alsso set all hir mycht
With sermondis seir forto prolong the nycht,
The langsum lufe drynkand inwart ful cald.
Full mony demand of Priam speir scho wald
And questionys seir twichyng Hector alswa;
Now with quhais armour the son of Aurora
Come to the sege, and now inquir wald sche
Quhat kynd horss Diomede had in the melle,
Quhou large of statur was ferss Achillis.
Per ordour,” says scho, “fra the begynnyng, all
The dissait of the Grekis and the fall
Of ȝour pepill and of Troy the rewyne;
Thi wandring be the way thou schaw ws syne,
For now the sevynt symmyr hyddir careis the,
Wilsum and errant, throu euery land and see.”
Addressis to reherss Troys rewyne.
With mouthis closs and vissage takand tent.
Prince Eneas, from the hie bed, with that,
Into hys sege ryall quhar he sat,
Begouth and sayd, “Thi desyre, lady, is
Renewing of ontellabill sorow, I wyss,
To schaw how Grekis dyd spulȝe and distroy
The gret rychess and lamentabill realm of Troy,
And huge mysery quhilk I thar beheld
(Quharof myself a gret part bayr and feld),
Quhat Myrmydon or Gregion Dolopes
Or knycht wageor to cruel Vlixes—
Sik materis to reherss or ȝit to heir,
Mycht thame conteyn fra weping mony a teir?
And now the hevin ourquhelmys the donk nycht,
Quhen the declynyng of the sternys brycht
To sleip and rest perswadis our appetite.
Bot sen thou hast sic plesour and delyte
To knaw our chancis and fal of Troy in weyr,
And schortly the last end tharof wald heir,
Albeit my spreit abhorris and doith gryss
Tharon forto remembir, and oftsyss
Murnand eschewis tharfra with gret dyseyss,
Ȝit than I sal begyn ȝow forto pleyss.”
Virgil's Aeneid translated into Scottish verse | ||