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And as this bargane on this maner ȝeid
In plane feld and evinly batale sted,
This hellis goddes, ioysing at hir will
Hir promys, quhilk scho hecht forto fulfill,
Alssone as was this gret melly begun,
The erth littyt with blude and al ourrun,
And the first slauchter was commyt and done
In dedly weir; than Italy alssone
Scho levis, and with swift fard can do fle
Throw owt the skyis to the hevynnys hie,
Haiffand hir purpos, said with woce ful prowd,
Onto Iuno thus spak scho throw a clowd:
“Lo, now, discord perfornyst, as thou wald,
With schrewit batale and carys monyfald!
In tender frendschip lat thame now convene,
Knyt vp allyance and falloschip bedene,
Sen that I haue the Troianys all bysprent
With blude of the Italyanys, or I went,
And, gif thi mynd be ferm tharto with me,
I sal thus mekill eik to my wark,” quod sche,
“Fortill induce the citeis adiacent
Onto the bargane, or that I hyne went.
With schrewit rumouris, I can amang thame skaill,
Thar myndis so I sall enflambe alhaill
By wod ondantit fers desyre of Mart,
Thai sall forgaddir to help from euery art,
Quhil batale, armouris, swerdis, speris and scheldis
I sall do saw and strow our all the feildis.”
Than answerit Iuno: “At abundans thar is
Of thi dissaitfull slycht and frawd, I wyss,
And eik of feirfull terrour and deray.
Weill ar perfurnyst causys of this weir perfay:
Thai feght togidder mydlit on the land,
Baith face for face, with drawin glavis in hand,
And new sched blude littis thar armour cleyr,
Quhilk thai by fortoun cawch haue first in weir.
Ȝon worthy squyer of Venus blude and kyn,
And King Latynus, now lat thame begyn
Sik wedlok to contract and spousale feste.
Bot the gret fader of hevin, at my request,
Will suffir the at large no langar heir
To walk, nor tary abufe the skyis cleir.
Withdraw the of this place, forthy, weil sone.
Gif ony chance restis mar tobedone,
I sall my self that mater rewle and gy.”
Thir wordis spak Iuno; and scho tharwith in hy
Hir dowbill weyngis with edder sound dyd bete,
Levand the hevynnys, socht to hir hellis sete.
Amyddis Itall, vnder hillys law,
Thar standis a famus sted weil beknaw,
That for his bruyt is namyt in mony land,
The vail Ansanctus hait, on athir hand
Quham the sydis of a thik wod of tre
Closis full dern with skowgy bewys hie.
A rowtand burn amydwart tharof rynnys,
Rumland and soundand on the craggy quhynnys,
And eik forgane the brokkyn brow of the mont
Ane horribill cave with braid and large front
Thar may be sene, a thyrl or ayndyng sted
Of terribill Pluto, fader of hell and ded;
A ryft or swelch so grysly for to se,
Till Acheron revin dovne, that hellis see,
Gapand with his pestiferus gowle full wide;
At quhais bysme the fury can down slyde,
This hutit goddes, and by that discens
Delyverit hevyn and erd of hyr presens.
And netheless, duryng the meyn sesson,
The queyn hir self, Saturnus get, onon
Set to hyr hand, and ondyd the batell.
Off hyrdmen all the rowtis with a ȝell
Ruschit fra the feild to the cite but tary,
The sclane bodeis away with thame dyd cary—
Almon the child, and ded Galesus als,
With blud bysparkyt vissage, hed and halss.
Thai thyg vengeance at the goddis, and syne
Thai raym and cry fast on the kyng Latyne.
Turnus was by, and amyd this deray,
Thys hait fury of slauchtir and fell affray,
The terrour dowblis he and feirfull dreid,
That sik forloppyn Troianys at this neid
Suld thankfully be resset in that ryng,
Or Phrigiane blude confiderat with the kyng,
And he furth of tha boundis tobe expellit.
The self tyme eyk, for the matronys at ȝellit
And roundis sang so in thar wilde dotage,
In the dern woddis, smyttyn with Bacchus rage,
Gret rowtis dyd assembill thyddir in hy,
And rowpyt eftir batale ernystfully;
Thar the detestabill weris euer in ane,
Agane the fatis all, thai cry and rane,
Contrar answeris and dispositions all
Of goddis, for the weir thai clepe and call.
Led by the power and frawart godhed
Of cruell Iuno with ald ramembrit fed.
Full fast thai thryng about the kyngis palyce,
Bot this ilk Latyn, knawand thar malyce,
Rasistis onmovit as a rok of the see,
Quham, with gret brute of watir smyt, we se
Hym self sustenys by hys huge wecht
Fra wallis feill, in all thar byr and swecht
Iawpyng about hys skyrtis with mony a bray;
Skelleis and famy craggis thai assay,
Rowtand and rarand, and may not empar,
Bot gif thai sched fra his sydis the wair.
So, eftir that the kyng mycht nocht resist
Thar blynd purpos, for as evir Iuno list
The mater went, all set to cruelte;
Full mony goddis and the hevynnys hie
To wytnes drew he, all was by his will,
Bot all for nocht, na tent was take thartill.
“Allace,” he said, “we ar tobroke and ryve
By the fatis, by storm catchit and dryve.
O, O, ȝe wrachit pepill!” gan he cry,
“With cruell pane full deir ȝhe sall aby
This wilfull rage, and with ȝour blude express
The wrangis of sic sacrilege redress.
O Turnus, Turnus, full hard and hevy wraik
And sorofull vengeance ȝit sal the ourtake,
Quhen, al to lait, in thy helpyng thou sall
With prayeris on the goddis clepe and call.
For I had fund my rest and eyss,” quod he,
“Now at the dur deth reddy bydis me,
Quhar now of happy pompis funeral
I spulȝeit am, and sik triumphe riall.”
Na mor sayng, with that ilk word fut het
Ful closs within his palice he him schet,
Of all sik thingis gaue our the cure and charge,
Sen na better mycht be, to go at large.