University of Virginia Library

The nixt morow, with his goldin lamp bryght
As the cleir day dyd ayr and erth alycht,
Thai boundis, costis and the cheif cite
Diuerss spyis went furth to serss and se,
And fand ane stank that flowyt from a well
Quhilk Munycus was hait, and eik thai tell
This was the flude of Tibir thai had fund,
And strang Latyn pepill inhabyt this ground.
Thar with Anchises son, the wyss Enee,
Per ordour chosyn of euery degre
Ane hundreth gay ambassatouris dyd waill,
To pass onto the kyngis sted riall,
Bad bair the prynce rewardis for the nanys,
And him beseik of peax to the Troianys.
With fresch garlandis and branchis all thai be
Arrayt of the olyve of Pallas tre;
And but delay, as he thame chargit had,
With swyft payss thai on thar message glaid.
And he into the meyn tyme fast can spur
Bot with a smal sewch, or a litill fur,
To mark the fundment of his new cite;
And fast by the ilk costis syde of the see
Hys first mansioun, in maner as it had bene
Ane ost of tentis stentit on the grene,
With turettis, fowsy and erd dikis ilk deill,
He gan address to closing wonder weill.
Be this the ȝong men send furth in message
Sa far has sped furthwart thar vayage,
That thai the towris and the turettis hie
Of Kyng Latyn the cheif chymmys gan se.
Vndre the cite wall childir and pagis
And lusty springaldis, al of tendir agis,
Thar horssis and thar stedis dyd assay,
And dantit cartis in the dusty way;
And sum thar big bowis dyd bend and draw,
Sum with armys leyt trymland dartis thraw,
Baith with swyft curss and schuting so thai wirk,
Ilkane bissy his party forto irk.
Than, careit on ane horss, a messynger
Brocht tithingis to the ancient kyngis eyr,
A gret menȝe of sturdy men war cum,
Cled in a strange habyt all and sum.
The kyng bad bryng thame in his palyce sone,
And set hym self amyd his eldris troyn.
Thar stude a gret tempill or sail ryall,
Of Lawrent cite seyt imperiall,
Belt with a hundreth staitly pillaris hie,
Of Kyng Picus the chymmys cheif to se,
With semly schawys circulit, and lang hald
In wirschip and reuerence be faderis ald;
Quhar was statut by the consent common
The kyngis suld ressaue ceptur and crovn,
And of iustice other ensenȝeis seir,
And thar the baner fyrst rayss for the weir.
In this tempill held thai curt on raw;
That was the set eik by thar gentil law
Deput for hallowit fest and mangeory;
And heir full oft at burdis by and by
The heris war wont togidder syt all sam,
Quhen britnyt was, eftir thar gyss, the ram.
And forthir eik, per ordour mycht ȝe knaw
Within the cheif deambulatour on raw
Of forfaderis gret ymagis dyd stand,
Of ald cedir carvyt with crafty hand:
Kyng Italus, and fader Sabinus
That first the wyne tre plantit, stok or buss
(The crukyt huke vndre hys weid held he);
The ancyent kyng Saturn thar mycht thou se,
And Ianus statur eyk with dowbill face,
With other pryncis porturyt in that place,
From the begynnyng of thar first discens,
Quhilk, of thar natyve cuntre for defens,
In marcyal batale sufferit woundis sair.
Apon the postis alsso mony a pair
Of harnes hang, and cart quhelis gret plente,
From ennemys war wonnyn in melle;
The bowand axis, helmys with hie crestis,
Of rich citeis ȝettis, stapillis and restis,
Gret lokkis, slottis, massy bandis sqwair,
Dartis and scheildis hyngis heir and thar,
And stalwart stevynnys, baith of irne and tre,
Reft from thir schippis fechtand on the see.
The ymage porturit was of Kyng Pycus,
Dantar of horssis, in chair sat gloryus,
Cled in a ryal rob auguriall,
And in his hand a ceptre wand riall,
And in his left hand haldand a bukleir;
Quham, revist for his luf, throu vennomys seir,
Circes hys spouss smate with a goldin wand,
And in a byrd hym turnyt fut and hand
With sprutlyt weyngis, clepit a Speicht with ws,
Quhilk in Latyn hait Pycus Marcyus.