University of Virginia Library

[The Proloug of the Aucht Buke]

As thys convyne and ordinance was maid
Of Latyum throw owt the boundis braid,
Quhilk, euery poynt, this Troiane lord onon,
Cummyn of the howss of Kyng Laomedon,
In hevy curis flowand all on flocht,
Avysys weill, how all this thing was wrocht,
And hastely in mynd on euery sydis
Now for this purposs, now for that, providis,
Now heir, now thar, ryvest in syndry partis,
And sersys, turnand to and fra all artis—
Lyke as the radyus sonnys bemys brycht,
Or than the glymerand monys schaddo lycht,
Reflexit from the brasyn veschell, we se,
Fillyt with watir to the cirkyll on hie,
Our all the howss reboundis and doys spreid
Schynand, and sersys euery sted on breid,
Quhil in the ayr vpgoys the twynkland lycht,
Glitterand on euery spar and ruf on hyght.
The nycht come, and al thing levand sessit;
Wery of wark baith byrd and brutal best
Our all the landis war at rest ilkane,
The profund swouch of sleip had thame ourtane;
Quhen this ilk prince, Eneas, all on flocht,
With mynd sowpyt in cuyr and hevy thocht,
And for this sorofull batale richt onglaid,
Apon the ryver bank hym self dovn laid
Vndre the cald firmament for the nanys,
And gave schort rest onto his wery banys.
Quham to the god of that sted dyd appeir,
Tyberynus, furth of the still ryver,
Amyd the branchis of the popill treys,
As agyt man semyng hym self vpheis;
A lenȝe watry garmond dyd hym vaill,
Of cullour fawch, schaip lyke a hempyn saill,
And leiffy redis dekkis weill hys haris.
To meyss Eneas thochtis and hys sarys,
Thus he begouth to speke, and sayd, but dyn:
“O gentill get, cummyn of hie goddis kyn,
Quhilk from thy fays to ws with mekill ioy
Hes hyddir brocht the gret cite of Troy,
And Pergama, the Troiane wallys wight,
Eternaly conservis throu thy myght;
Desyrit maist of lang tyme, now welcum
Onto the grond and soill of Lawrentum,
And all the feildis eik of Latyn land.
Heir is thy sikkir duellyng place at hand,
Ane sovir ferm habitatioun for ay;
Withdraw the not fra hyne, pass nocht away,
Nor dreid na thing the bost of this batell.
The rancour all of goddis, I the tell,
And boldynnand wreth, appesyt ar almaste.
And so thow weyn not at my wordis be waist,
Nor fenȝeit dremys do to the appeir,
Vndyr sawch treis by thir bankis neir
Onon thou sall do fynd a mekill swyne,
With thretty hed ferreyt of grysys fyne,
Of cullour quhite, thar lugyng on the grond,
Hyr quhite brodmell abowt hyr pappis wond.
That is the place to set vp thy cite,
Quhilk of ȝour laubour sovir rest salbe;
Quhar that, as thretty ȝheris byrun and gane is,
Ascanyus sal do beld of lyme and stanys
The cite hait fair Alba of delyte,
Berand hys name fra the fair cullour quhite.
Thus I declar the nane oncertane thing,
But verray suythfast takynnys and warnyng.
Now harkis bot a litill, I the pray,
I sall the lern in quhat wordis, quhat way
Thow may cum speid, and haue the haill ourhand
Twichand this instant mater now at hand.
Thar bene pepill of Arcad from the ryng
Cummyn in this land, discend of Pallas kyng,
Quhilk, with Evandir kyng in cumpany,
Followand the syngnys schaw, hess fast heir by
Chosyn a sted and beldit a cite
Amang the knollis round or motis hie,
Efter thar forfader of nobill fame,
Pallas, clepyt Pallanteum to name.
Contynualy thir folkis euery ȝeir
Agane the Latyn pepyll ledis weir;
Adione to thir thyne ost in falloschip,
Do mak with thame a lyge, and bynd frendschip.
I sall my self convoy the the rycht way
Betwix thir brays vp the fludis gray,
So that agane the streme, throu help of me,
By ayris rowth thydder careit sall thou be.
Haue done, get vp, thou son of the goddess;
First as the starris declynys, the address,
I meyn into the dawyng rycht ayrly,
Dewly to Iuno se thou sacryfy,
Hyr wreth and all sik mannans to ourset
With devoyt supplications maid of det:
And, quhen thou has optenyt victory,
To me thou sall do wirschip by and by.
I am God Tybris, watry hewyt and haw,
Quhilk, as thou seys, with mony iawp and iaw
Bettis thir brays, schawyng the bankis dovn,
And with full flude flowand fra tovn to tovn,
Throw fertill feildis scheryng thar and heir,
Vnder the lift the maste gentill ryver.
Heir is myne habitatioun huge grete,
Of mychty citeis cheif and souerane sete.”
This beand sayd, this ilk god of the flude
Vnder the deip can dowk dovn quhar he stude,
And socht onto the watir grond onone,
So darnly hyd nane wist quhar he was gone.
The nycht fled, and the sleip left Ene.
On fut he startis, and onon can he se
Furth of the orient in the brycht mornyng
The sonnys hevynly bemys newly spryng,
And in the holl lufis of his hand quhar he stude
Dewly the water hynt he fra the flude,
Syne to the hevyn thus wyss his prayeris maid:
“O nymphys all of fludis blith and glaid,
And O ȝe haly nymphys of Lawrentum land,
Quham fra this fresch ryveris, and euery strand
That flowys rynnyng as we se sa cleir,
Hess thar begynnyng furth of sowrssys seir;
And O thou haly fader Tiberyne,
With Tybris eyk, thy blissyt flude dyvyne,
Ressaue Eneas to ȝow onbekend,
And now at last from all perrellys defend.
And, gif thou takis rewth of our gret skathis,
Heir I awow and promittis with aithys,
Quhar evir thy lowch or fontane may be fund,
Quhar evyr so thy spryng is, in quhat grund,
O flud mast plesand, the sall I our all quhar
Hallow with honorabill offerandis euermar.
Hornyt ryver, ryngand as lord and kyng
Our all the fludis in to Itall ryng,
Be in our help, now at last, I requer;
Eftyr sa feill dangeris and perellis seir,
Conferm thy promys and orakill in hy.”
Quhen this was said, furth of all his navy
Twa galeis dyd he cheiss the ilk tyd,
With dowbill raw of ayris on athir syde,
And for the rowyng weil grathit thaim hess he,
Syne for the weir instrukkit his menȝe.
Bot lo, in haist befor hys eyn he saw
A mervalus and wondrus thyng to knaw—
A mylk quhite sow within the woddis lay
Apon the grene watris bank in hys way,
With hir lyttar new ferreit in that sted,
All of a cullour, grysys thretty hed,
Quham the devoyt Eneas on hys gyss
Onto the, gretast Iuno, in sacryfyss
Brytnys, and, with hyr flok and followaris,
Hes set and offerit vp on thy altaris.
Tybyr his swelland fludis all that nycht,
Quhow lang at evir it was quhil days lycht,
Stabillys and cawmys at hys awin will;
The streme bakwartis vpflowys soft and still;
On syk wyss mesand his watir, that he
Ane standand stank semyt for tobe,
Or than a smoith puyl, or dub lovn and fair,
So that the ayris mycht fyndyn na contrar.
Tharfor Eneas can hys tyme aspy,
And hastis on hys vayage bissely;
With prosper curss and sobyr quhisperyng
The pikkyt bargis of fyr fast can thryng,
And slydis throw the schaldis stil and cleir;
The watir ferleys of thar fard and beir;
The forest, nocht accustummyt to se
Sik thingis, wondris quhat at this mycht be,
As to behald schynand scheldis on far
On mennys schuldris ay cummand nar and nar,
The pantit carvellis fletyng throu the flude.
Baith nycht and day ilk man, as thai war wod,
Can spend in rowth with irksum lauboryng,
The lang stremys and welys rovnd sworlyng
Our slydyng fast vpwartis the ryver,
Hyd and ourheldit with mony treys seir;
Endlang the still fludis calm and beyn
Thai seik and schar throu owt the woddis greyn.
The fyry son be this ascendit evin
The myddill ward and regioun of the hevyn;
That is to knaw, be than it was myd day,
Quhen that on far the cite wallis se thai,
With towris and the howss hedis on raw
Skatterit disperss, and bot a few to knaw;
Quhilk now the mychty power of Rome tovn
Hes onto hevyn maid equal of renovn.
The kyng Evander, of moblys nocht mychty,
Held for that tyme bot sobyr senȝeory.
In haist thyddir thar stevynnys can do steir
Eneas sort, and to the tovn drew neyr.
Thys Kyng Evander, born was of Arcad,
Percace the self day a gret honour mayd,
Solempnyt fest, and full hie sacryfyss,
Onto the gret Hercules on thar gyss,
That fostyr son was till Amphitrion,
And to the other goddis euery one,
Befor the cite in a hallowit schaw.
Pallas, hys son, was thydder alsso draw,
Togiddir with the principalis of ȝonkeris,
The sobir senatouris, and puyr officeris,
All sammyn kest ensens; and with a stew
Besyde the altar blude sched and scalit new,
Beand lew warm, thar full fast dyd reik.
Bot ȝit als swyth as thai persauyt eyk
The gret bargis slydand thus on raw,
And throw the dern woddis fast thydder draw,
So stilly bendand vp thar ayris ilk wight;
Thai worth affrayt of the suddand syght,
And euery man thai left the burdis in hy,
On fut gan starting from the mangeory.
Quham hardy Pallas dyd forbyd and diffend
Thar sacrifyss tobrek, quhill it war end:
He hynt a wapyn, with a few menȝe
Thame to recontyr onon furth haldis he,
And ȝit weill far from a hill or a know
To thame he callys: “Standis, ȝyng men, howe!
Quhat causs hes movit ȝou apon sik way
Thir strangis wentis onknawin to assay?
Quhiddir ettill ȝe, or quhat kynrent ȝe be?
Schaw quhens ȝe com, and quhilk is ȝour cuntre.
Quhidder do ȝe bryng onto our boundis heir
Bodword of peax, or cumis in feir of wer?”
Eneas tho, the fader of wirschip,
Maid answer from the pulpyt of the schip,
And in hys hand straucht furth, at he mycht se,
In takyn of peax a branch of olyve tre:
“My frend,” quod he, “thou seys pepill of Troy,
To Latyn folkis ennemyss, man and boy;
Quhilk, flemyt of our realm, newly agane
Thai ilk Latynys hess socht with prowd bargane.
Onto the kyng Evander all seik we,
Hym to requir of succurss and supple.
Bair hym this message, and declar hym plane,
That chosyn men discend from Kyng Dardane
Beyn hyddir cummyn, besekyng hys frendschip,
To knyt vp band in armys and falloschip.”
Pallas, estonyst of sa hie a name
As Dardanus, abasyt worth for schame:
“Cum furth,” quod he, “quhat evir thou be, bern bald,
And say befor my fader quhat thou wald,
And entyr in our lugyngis the to rest,
Quhar thou salbe ressauyt welcum gest.”
And furth onone he hynt hym by the hand,
A weil lang quhile hys rycht arm embrasand;
Syne furth togiddir rakyt thai on raw,
The flud thai leif, and entris in the schaw.
Eneas tho, with frendly commonyng,
Spak curtasly, thus sayand to the kyng:
“O thow maste curtass prynce, and best in neid
That evir was byget of Grekis seyd,
Quhamto fortoun wald I suld cummyn heir,
The lawly to besekyng and requir,
And wald alsso I suld furth reke to the
Wippyt with bendis the branch of olyve tre,
In takyn that of thy supple I neid;
Forsuyth, I caucht na maner feir ne dreid,
Thocht thou a capitane of the Grekis be,
Yborn alsso of Arcad the cuntre,
Of blude coniunct to the Atrides tway,
I meyn onto Agamenon and Menelay:
Bot myne awin vertu, and haly oracleis
Of the goddis be devyn miracleis,
And our forbearis all of a kynred,
Thy fame dyuulgat into euery sted,
Hess me fermly adionyt onto the;
The fatis eik tharto inducis me,
That wilfully I obey thar command.
Schir Dardanus, the kyng first in our land
That belt the cite Troy or Ilion,
Our cheif fader, as Grekis grantis ilkone,
Born of Electra, Atlas douchter ȝyng,
Careit be schip come first to Troys ryng;
And this Electra gret Atlas begat,
That on hys schuldyr baris the hevynnys plat.
Mercur is fader of ȝour clan alssua,
Quham the schene madyn, the fair fresch Maya,
Apon the frosty hillys top all bair,
Quhilk Cillenus is hait, in Arcad bair;
And this ilk Maya suythly, gif that we
Ony credens to it we heir or se
May geif, Atlas bygat, that sam Atlas
That rollys the hevynly starrit speir cumpas;
So baith our kynrentis, schortlie to conclud,
Devidit ar furth of a stok and blude.
Quharfor, havand confidens in thir thyngis,
Nothir by ambassat, message nor writingis,
Nor other craft, thy frendschip first socht I;
Bot myne awin self in person com in hy,
That onto the submittit has my hed,
And the to pray socht lawly to this sted.
For the ilk pepill vnder Dawnus kyng,
That the Rutilianys has in governyng,
Quhilk ledis weir aganys thi cuntre,
With cruell batal now persewis me;
And gif thai mycht expell ws of this land,
Thai weyn tharby that nocht may thame ganestand,
Bot at thai sall vnder thar senȝeory
Subdew alhaill in thraldom Italy,
And occupy thai boundis oriental
Quhar as the ovir see flowys alhaill,
And eik thai westir partis, trastis me,
Quhilkis ar bedyit with the neddir see.
Ressaue and knyt vp faith and ferm cunnand,
Tak our promyt and geif ws treuth and band;
Strang bodeis til abyde bargane haue we,
With hardy myndis in batal or melle,
Exercit in weir, and expert at sik nedis,
In lusty ȝouth likly to do our dedis.”
Thus said Eneas, and Evander than,
Fra tyme that he first forto speke began,
Hys eyn, hys mowth, and all hys body rycht
Gan to behald, espying with hys syght,
Syne schortly maid hys ansuer thus agane:
“O quhou glaidly the, mast forcy Troiane,
I do ressaue as tendir frend and feir!
Quhou blythly now I knaw and weil may heir
The voce, the wordis and the speche, but less,
Of thy fader, the gretast Anchises!
And full perfytly now I draw to mynd
The vissage of that worthy knycht maste kynd.
For weill I do ramembir, lang tyme gone,
Quhou Priamus, son of Laomedon,
To vissy hys sisteris land Hesiona,
Socht to the cite hait Salamyna,
And at the sammyn rayss hys vayage maid
Throu the cald frosty boundis of Arcaid.
My grene ȝouth that tyme with pilis ȝyng
First cled my chyn, or berd begouth to spryng;
I ioyt to se the Troian dukis ilkone,
And on the son of Kyng Laomedone,
That is to say, this ilk ȝong Priamus,
Forto behald was mervel gloryus;
Bot thy fader Anchises, quhar he went,
Was hyar far than all the remanent.
My mynd brynt, of ȝouthed throu desire,
To speke and common with that lordly syre,
Tobe acquentit, and ioyn hand intil hand,
Cunnand to knyt, and bynd fordwert or band.
To hym I went desyrus of frendschip,
And sped that sammyn so in falloschip,
Within the wallys of Pheness I hym led,
And quhen he dyd depart, or thens hym sped,
Ane courtly quavir full curyusly wrocht,
With arowis, maid in Lycia, wantand nocht,
Ane garmond he me gaue, or knychtly weid,
Prynnyt and wovyn full of fyne gold threid,
Twa goldyn bridillis eik, as he dyd pass,
Quhilk now my son occupyis, ȝong Pallas.
Quharfor our allyance, faith and richt hand,
As ȝe desire, ar ellys adionyt in band—
We bene of ald confideratis, perfay:
Quharfor to morn, alssone as the brycht day
Begynnys allycht the landis and the sky,
With succurss and suppovell blythly I
Sal ȝou fra hyne hame to ȝour army send,
And with my gudis and my mobillis amend.
And in the meyn tyme, sen, my frendis deir,
Onto our sacrefyis ȝe be cummyn heir,
Quhilk ȝeirly vsyng we as anniuersary,
That bene onlefull to defer or tary:
Tharfor with ws do hallow our hie fest,
And with glaid semlant blythly maste and lest
Accustom ȝou from thens, and now instant
Our tabillis as ȝour frendly burdis hant.”
Quhen this was said, mesis and cowpis ilkane,
Quhilk war away tak, bad he bring agane,
And he hym self the Troiane men fut het
On sonkis of gresy scheraldis hes doun set.
Thar pryncipal capitane syne, Ene,
Beside hym self on dess ressauys he;
The benk, ybeldyt of the grene holyne,
With lokkyrrit lyoun skyn ourspred was syne.
Than ȝong men walit bissy heir and thar,
And eik prestis of Hercules altar,
The rostit bullys flesch set by and by,
The bakyn breid of baskettis temys in hy,
And wynys byrlys into gret plente.
Eneas, sammyn with hys Troiane menȝe,
Dyd of perpetual oxin fillettis eyt,
And purgit entralis, clepit clengyng meit.
Eftir that stanchit was the hungris rage,
And appetit of meit begouth asswage,
Said Kyng Evander: “Na superstitioun vayn,
Nor mysknawlage of goddis ancyane,
Thys hie fest and gret solempnyte,
Nor this bankat and mesys, as ȝe se,
Hes institut to ws, and this alter
Of sa excelland maieste standyng heir;
Bot, my deir frend and nobill gest Troiane,
We, preservit from cruel peralus pane,
Hantis this seruys apon sik maner,
As proper det and observans ilk ȝer.
First, do behald ȝone schorand hewchis brow,
Quhar all ȝon craggy rochis hyngis now,
Quhou the huge weghty brays bene dovn cast,
The holkit fows in the mont syde left waste,
Quhar as the craggy quhynnys, dovn declyne,
Has drawyn of the hill a huge rewyne.
Ȝon was a cavern or cove in ald days,
With gousty entray far furth of all ways,
A grisly den and ane forworthyn gap
Of Cacus, that na mar had bot the schap
Of mannys form, for skant half man was he
Throw cruel dedis of iniquyte,
That in ȝone fendlich hole dwelt hym allane—
A hellis byke, quhar sonnys beme nevir schane,
Quhar the vile flur evir lew warm was spred
With recent slauchter of blud newly sched.
Befor that tyrrandis ȝet of men that ded is
Affixit stud mony dolorus hedis,
With vissage blaknyt, blude byrun, and bla,
The laithly ordur or filth stilland thar fra.
Onto this hutyt monstre, this Cacus,
The god of fyre was fader, Wlcanus;
And at hys mouth, a wondir thing to se,
Hys faderis reky flambe furth ȝiskyt he.
As to hys body, quhar so evir he passit,
Of bustuus statur lyke nane other was it.
Proces of tyme at last hess ws inspirit,
And send ws help, as we full lang desyrit,
Be cummyng of the mychtful goddis presens;
For the danter of monstreis, our defens,
The maste redoutit Hercules, com at hand
Be aventour onto this ilke land,
New from the slauchter into stern melle
Of Geryon, the quhilk had bodeis thre.
With prowd spulȝe arryving triumphal,
This conquerour maid thyddir dryve and call
Hys bullys and hys oxin huge gret,
And eik hys ky, to pastur and to eyt
Endland ȝone valle that is large and wyde,
And tuk thar lugyng on this ryver syde.
Bot the ondantit fury mynd of this theif,
Schrewit Cacus, all way ful of myscheif,
By his frawart engyne and sle consait
So that no maner wikkytnes nor dissait
Mycht be, that he ne durst nocht tak on hand,
Ne onassayt leif, out from thar stand
Four semly oxin of body gret and squar,
Als mony tendir quyis excedand fair,
Of all tha catal away with hym drave.
And, that thar tred suld na way be persaue,
Onto hys cave ay bakwartis by the talys
To turn thar futsteppis he thame harlys and tralys;
And thus his spreith he had ontil his in,
And with a queym stane closyt hes the gyn.
Sik way he wrocht that, quha thar tred list goif,
Na takynnys suld convoy thame to his coif.
In the meyn quhile, as all the bestis war
Repatyrit weil efter thar nychtis layr,
At morow ayrly first as thai removit,
For Hercules depart from thens behuffit,
The catal gan to rowtyng, cry and rar;
The woddis rang of thar sound our alquhar,
And with thar noys dynnyt hillis and knowys,
Quhil in the caif as that a quyok lowis,
With lowd voce squeland in that gousty hald,
All Cacus trast reuelit scho and tald.
Bot tho in greif this worthy Hercules,
Alceus nevo, the douchty Alcides,
That so oft syss was clepit commonly,
Within hys skyn begouth to byrn and fry
In brym fury of his bitter gall;
Hys wapynnys and his armour hynt withall,
Hys weghty burdon, or his knorry mayss,
And to the hillys hycht held in a rayss.
Than was the first tyme that ony in this erd
Of our pepill persavyt Cacus efferd,
Within his hed trublit his eyn tway.
Swyft as the wynd he fled and gat away,
And to his cave hym sped with ery spreit—
The dreid adionyt weyngis to his feyt.
And fra he had hym self sesyt tharin,
A stane of huge weght for to closs the gyn
He leyt do fall, and with sic haist doun thrang,
The chenȝeis brak quharwith it festnyt hang,
That forgit war by hys fadris engyne;
With gret irne slottis schet the entre syne.
Bot lo, in haist Hercules come at hand
With furyus mynd careyng our the land,
Passage and entre sekyng bissely,
Now heir his eyn, now thar, rollyng in hy,
Graslyng hys teith and byrnand full of ire.
Of Aventynus hill thryss all the swyre
He sersys our, and thryss assays he
To brek and rent that craggy stone entre,
Bot all for nocht, thocht he was nevir sa wight;
So, thryss irkyt, doun from the hillys hyght
To rest hym is he to the valle gone.
Thar stude a pynnakill of quhyn or flynt stone,
Apon the baksyde of this cavern cald,
That rayss on end rycht hie fortobehald,
For wild fowlys of reif a ganand sted,
That rent raw flesch of bestis bonys ded;
The craggis all about this rolk war worn,
With wedderis blast to holkyt and to torn:
And as it stud on schor sweyand that tyde,
Down with the bank towart the watir syde,
Hercules it smytis with a mychty towk
Apon the rycht half, forto mak it iowke,
Inforsyng hym to welt it our the bra;
And sa rudly it branglys to and fra,
That from the rutis he it lowsyt and rent,
And tumlyt dovn fra thyne, or he wald stent.
The large ayr dyd reirding with the rusch,
The brays dyndlit, and all dovn can dusch;
The ryver wolx effrayt with the rak,
And demmyt with the rokis, ran abak.
Than this gret cove, of Cacus sail ryall,
Was discoverit; hys inwart cavernys all,
Wont tobe dyrk, worth patent now and knaw—
Non otherwyss than quhen the erd ourthraw
By fors of thundyr, or erdquake with a clap,
Ryvys vp a terribill sewch or grisly gap,
Oppynnand the hellis mansioun infernall,
And onclosys that dyrk regioun paill
Quhilk of the goddis al abufe is hayt;
Or thocht the hellis bysme in sik estait
War oppynnyt, that his bodum se men mycht,
And dampnyt sawlys effrayt of new lycht.
Quharfor this worthy stalwart Hercules,
That on this wyss had Cacus set in press,
And fund onwarnyst by this lycht suddane,
Quhar he was closyt in a cave of stane,
Fast rumesand apon a strange maner;
This campyoun with dartis fell of weir
Gan down tobet, and in his wod fury
Eftir all kynd wapynnys can do cry,
With branchis rent of treis, and querral stanys
Of huge weght dovn warpand all at anys.
Bot this ilk Cacus, quhen that he dyd se
Fra this danger thar was na way to fle,
Furth of his throt, a wondruss thing to tell,
A laithly smok he ȝiskis blak as hell,
And all the houss involuyt with dyrk myst,
That sone the syght vanyst, or ony wist,
And reky nycht within a litill thraw
Gan thikkyn our al the cavern and ourblaw,
And with the myrknes mydlit sparkis of fyre.
The hie curage of Hercules, lordly syre,
Mycht this na langar suffir, bot in the gap
With hasty stert amyd the fyre he lap,
And thar as maist habundyt smokis dyrk,
With huge sop of reyk and flambis myrk,
So that the caif dyd glevyn of the heyt,
Thar hass he hynt Cacus, that wikkyt spreit,
That all invane hys hait kyndlyng furth gaspyt;
For as a ball he hym in armys claspyt,
And so strenȝeis hys throt, furth chirt hys eyn,
Hys hals worth dry of blud. Than mycht be seyn
This mirk dungeoun and onsemly hald:
The entre oppynnyt Hercules the bald,
Bet doun the closeris, and syne brocht to the lycht
Hys oxin fra him reft by subtel slycht;
And by the feyt furth harlyt was onon
Of Cacus the deformyt carion.
The hartis than and myndis of our menȝe
Mycht nocht be satisfyit on him to luke and se,
As to behald hys vgly eyn twane,
Hys terribil vissage, and hys grisly gane,
The rouch byrsys on the breist and creste
Of that monstruoss half deil wilde beste,
And in his gorge stikkand the sloknyt fyre.
Evir sen that tyme, to Hercules the gret syre
We haue this honour mayd and sacrifice;
Al our ofspring and ȝong men on this wyss
This day kepis solempnyte, as ȝe se.
Potitius first master heir with me,
And the famyll of Pynaria the bald,
The cheif keparis of Hercules hallowyt hald,
Ȝon altar in this cuthyll dyd vpbeild,
That onto ws in euery tyme of eild
Is clepyt maist solempnyt and hie altar,
And salbe reput gretast euermar.
Tharfor haue done, ȝong gallandis; now in hy
In wirschip of this fest and mangeory,
Of greyn branschis plet for ȝour hed garlandis,
Do waucht and drynk, bryng cowpys full in handis,
Call on our patron common god dyvyne is,
And with gud will do skynk and birl the wynys.”
Thus sayand, the party popill grayn
Heldit his hed with skug Herculyane,
The levis from the plettis dovn hyngand,
Ane haly cowp fillit in hys rycht hand.
Than ilk man smertly tastis the wyne at tabill,
Prayand thar goddis fortobe aggreabill.
In the meyn sesson Hesperus drew neir,
Throw the declynyng of the hevynly speir:
Tharwith the prestis of the sacryfyis,
Gyrdyt in skynnys, eftir thar auld gyss,
Gan trasyng furth togidder in a rowt,
And formest went Potityus the stowt,
All do thai beir the byrnand hait fyre brandis,
And, to renew the bankat, with thar handis
Ful delicat danteis for the secund mete
Thai dress onone, and furth of platis gret
With paysit flesch plenyst the altaris large,
Tharon bestowyng in hepis mony a charge.
Syne the menstralis, syngaris and danseris,
To syng and play with soundis, as afferis,
Abowt the kyndlit altaris, quhil thai brynt,
Assemblit ar ful swyth, and wald nocht stynt,
With poppil tre hattis buklyt on thar hed.
The ȝonkeris ȝonder in ane other sted
Led rowndis, dansys and fresch caralyng;
Other agit persons thame addressit to syng
In ympnys, ballettis and lays, throu the press,
The lovabill gestis of mychty Hercules:
Quhou the first monstreis of his stepmoder sle,
Lugyng a bab in creddill, stranglit he;
That is to knaw, twa gret serpentis perfay,
The quhilk he wyrreit with hys handis tway;
And how this ilke Hercules of renovn
The ryall citeis assegis and bet dovn,
Of Troy, and eik the strang Echalia,
A thousand hard iourneis sufferyng alssua,
Vndre the kyng clepit Euristeus,
By Iunoys frawart will mast envyus.
And thus thai syng: “Invyncybill weriour,
That bair of strenth and hardyment the flour,
The stern Centawres thou slew and dovn bet,
Dowbill of form, and on the clowd byget;
Thow brytnys eik and with thi hand hess slane
Pholus and Helyus, stalwart gyantis twane;
Of Creit the monstreis dantis thou at full,
The savage bestis, as wild bair and bull;
Vndre a roik, Nemee forest within,
Thou slew and rent the hydwyss lyoun skyn.
The laik off Stix trymlyt for dreid of the;
The grisly portar of the hellys see,
Lugyng in caif on ded banys half gnaw,
Dyd quaik for feir, quhen he thy vissage saw.
Na kynd of bysnyng figour dyd the gryss,
Nor byg Typheus, that agane Iove oftsyss
Movyt batell, with wapynnys fell in hand
Mycht the affray, nor thy gret strenth ganestand;
Nor the serpent of Lern, thou put to ded,
Fand the want nowder wysdom nor manhed,
Thocht scho, of hedis with hir mekil rowt,
The dyd assail and ombeset about.
Hail, verray child of Iove; hail, honour hie
Adionyt to the goddis in maieste!
Baith ws and eik thi sacrifyce infeir
We pray the wissy, at thou may cum heir
With prosper presens and ful happy fut,
In our helpyng fortobe our bute.”
In sic sangis thar fest thai sanctify,
And Hercules hie lovyng syng and cry.
Bot principaly, and last of the laif,
Thai maid mensioun of Cacus slane in caif,
And quhou that he the flambis furth dyd blaw.
The wod resoundis schill, and euery schaw
Schowtis agane of thar clamour and dyn,
The hillys rerdis, quhil dyndlis roik and quhyn.
Syne, quhen dyvyne seruys was at end,
To the cite bownys ilk man to wend.
Furth held the kyng onweldy in ald ȝeris,
Fast by hym haldand, as his frendis and feris,
The prynce Eneas and his ȝong son Pallas,
And, quhil thai thus towart the cite pass,
With syndry sermondis schortis he the way.
Eneas awondris of that he dyd say,
And kest his eyn about delyuerly,
Thai stedis all to serchyn and espy;
Sa fair placis to se and vissy tyte
This strange knycht caucht plesance and delyte,
And glaidly can inquiryng euery thing,
And hard the answer of the agit kyng,
Quhilk teching him perordour to him tald
Memorialis of seir forfaderis auld.
Thys kyng Evandrus than, the first foundar
Of Romys burgh or palyce, can declar
And dyd reherss ontil his gest Enee:
“Thir woddis and thir schawis all,” quod he,
“Sum tyme inhabyt war and occupyit
With nymphis and fawnys apon euery syde,
Quhilk fairfolkis, or than elvys, clepyng we,
That war engendryt in this sam cuntre,
That with ane kynd of men yborn, but leys,
Furth of ald stokkis and hard runtis of treis;
Quhilkis nowder maneris had nor polecy,
Na couth thai eir the ground, nor occupy
The plewis, nor the oxin ȝok infeir,
Nor ȝit had craft to conquyss nor wyn geir,
Nor kepe thar moblis quhen it gadderit was;
Bot, as thir bestis, or the doillit ass,
Thar fude of treis dyd in woddis fet,
Or of the wild veneson scharp to get.
First from the hie hevynnys into this land
Saturnus com, fleand gret Iovis brand,
Hys realmys reft, and banyst eik was he;
Bot tha ontaucht pepill of this cuntre,
That skatterit dwelt in hie hillis greyn,
He maid forgadder togidder and conveyn,
Gaue thame lawys and statutis thame to lede,
And wald also this regioun euery sted
War callit Latium, and clepit to hyss name,
For that he surly lurkyt in the same.
And as thai tel, and redis in mony ryme,
Of gold the warld was in that kyngis tyme;
Sa lykandly, in paix and liberte,
At eyss his common pepill governyt he;
Quhil, peiss and peiss, the elde syne war and war
Begouth to wolx, that cullour fading far,
As, in the sted of paix, the rage of wer
Begouth succeid, and covatyss of geyr.
Syne the pissance com of Ausonya,
And the pepill Sycany hecht alsswa,
By quham the land of Saturn, war and wyss,
Hes left and changit his ald name oftsyss.
Syne kyngis com, amangis quham for the nonys
Stern Tybrys rygnyt, a man byg of bonys,
Fra quham, ay syne, all the Italiane blude
Thar gret ryver hess clepit Tibrys flude;
Thus Albula hys auld trew name hes lost.
And me also to duel within this cost,
Banyst and flemyt of my natyve land,
Strang destany, quhilk may nocht be gaynstand,
And fortoun eik, clepit omnipotent,
Throu all extremys of sey hes hydder sent.
The reuerend alss and dreidfull monysyngis
Of Carmentes my moder, in mony thingis
Expert as nymphe and prophetes dyvyne,
And the autorite of god Appollyne,
Hes me constrenyt to dwel in this hald.”
Scarss hes Evandrus all thir wordis tald,
Quhen, walkyng thens furth bot a litil space,
He can do schaw the altar and the place
Quhilk in the langage Romane ȝit, sans faill,
Is to this day clepit port Carmentaill,
Quharby ramemmorit is in the ilk tovn
This ald Carmentes wirschip and renovn,
Quhilk was baith nymphe and fatale prophetes,
That first declarit, in hir sawys express
The gret pryncis fortocum of Ene,
And of Pallanteum the nobilite.
The kyng syne schew him to the haly schaw,
Quhilk strang Romulus dyd reduce and draw
In maner of franches or of sanctuary.
He schew him eik, but ony langar tary,
Vnder the frosty bra, the coif, was call
Ful mony ȝeris in thar leid Lupercall,
Efter thar gyss of Arcaid and estait,
To Pan the god of Lyce consecrait.
He schew alsso the wod hait Argilete,
That to the man of Arge, thar lost the swete,
Was dedicat, and drew to witnes that sted
That he was nevir culpabill of his ded,
And can to him declar the mater plane,
Quhat wyss his gest, this man of Arge, wess slane.
Fra thyne, to mont Tarpeya he him kend,
And beknyt to that sted, fra end to end,
Quhar now standis the goldin Capitoll,
Vmquhil of wild buskis rowch skroggy knoll,
Thocht, the ilk tyme, ȝit of that dreidfull place
Ane feirfull reuerent religioun, per cace,
The ery rural pepill dyd affray,
So that this crag and scroggis wirschippit thai.
“In ȝon schaw, on this woddy hillis top
That skowgit is with mony buskis crop,”
Quod Evander, “tharon a god dois dwell,
Bot quhat god at he be can na man tell:
My pepill that bene cummyn from Arcaid
Wenys thai saw ȝonder, as thai me said,
Gret Iove hym self, as he ful oft at large
Dyd schake his tawbart, or his beknyt targe,
And with his rycht hand dyd assembill and steir
The watry clowdis, that makis thundris beir.”
And furthir eik he said ontill Enee,
“Ȝon twa town stedis thou behaldis,” quod he,
“With barmkyn down bet and euery wall,
Of forfaderis thai bene memoriall:
This cite beldit our ald fader Ianus,
And ȝonder cite fundit Saturnus:
Ianiculum this hecht, myne awin leif brother,
And Saturnya clepit was that other.”
Amangis thame with sic carpyng and talk,
Towart Evandrus pur lugyng thai stalk:
The catal eik behald thai raik on raw,
And in that sted thar pasturand thai saw,
Quhar now in Rome is the cheif merkat platis,
Baith squeil and low in thai ilk plentuus gatis
Quhilk sum tyme hecht Caryne, fair and large,
Quhar the howsis war like a turnyt barge.
And quhen thai cummyn to the palice wer,
Quod Evander, “At thir ilk ȝettis heir
The conquerour entrit, douchty Hercules;
This sobir manss ressauyt hym, but less.
My gentil gest, enforss the and address
To lern to dar contemp welth and richess,
And do thi self compone, and schaw in deid
In goddis steid worthy to succeid,
With thame equal ressauyt in sic herbry;
Amang smal geir now entris bowsumly.”
And sayand this, the myghty gret Ene
Within hys narrow chymmys ledis he,
And maid him sytting doun apon a bed,
That stuffit was with levys, and ourspred
With the rouch skyn of a bustuus wild beir
In Affrik bred befor mony a ȝer.
The nycht approchis with hir weyngis gray,
Ourspred the erd and put all lycht away,
Quhen Venus moder till Ene efferd,
And not but causs, seand the felloun rerd,
The dreidfull bost and assemly attanys
Aganys hir son of pepill Laurentanys,
To Wlcanus, hir husband and gud man,
Within hys goldyn chalmyr scho began
Thus forto spek, and with hir wordis the fyre
Of dyvyne luf can towartis hym inspire.
Quod sche: “Quhil that the kyngis of Grece and Arge
Down bet the Troiane wallys wyde and large,
That destinat war, bath towr, town and wall,
Of ennemyss be flambys to down fall,
Na help onto thai wrachit folkis I socht,
Nane armour axit, nor thy craft besocht,
Nor the, my deirest spowss, exerss bad I
Thy craft, nor wark invane wald occupy,
Albeit that to the childring of Pryam kyng
I was bedettit into mekill thing,
And the ontollerabill laubour of Ene
Bewalit oft wepand ful sair,” quod sche,
“Quhilk now by Iovys power stad remanys
Within the boundys of Rutilyanys.
Quharfor this tyme I, thy ilk spowss and wyve,
Thy blissyt godhed, derrest to me on lyve,
Cummys lawly tobeseik and requer
For wapynnys, harness, armour and sic ger:
For my deir son I, moder, prays the,
Sen Nereus douchter, Thetys, mycht,” quod sche,
“Induce the till enarm hir son Achill,
And eik Tythonus spouss, at hir awin will,
Aurora, with hir terys so the brak
Fortill enarm hir child Menon the blak.
Behald quhat pepill, lo; assemblit bene,
Quhat wallit townys with ȝettis closyt in teyn
Gryndys thar wapynnys aganys me and myne,
To bring ws to distructioun and rewyne.”
Thus said the goddess, and in hir milk quhite armys
Ful tendirly belappys him and warmys,
Quhil that he musys so, that hait fyre sle
Of luf bekend onon ressauyt he;
The natural heit into the merch dyd glyde,
Persand the banys maid soft on every syde:
Nane other wyss than as, sum tyme, we se
The schynand brokkyn thundris lychtnyng fle
Wyth subtil fyry stremys throu a ryft,
Persand the watry clowdis in the lift.
Venus hys spowss, confiding in hir bewte,
Ful glaid persavys that hym caucht had sche.
The fader than Vulcanus, god abuf,
Lokkyt in the eternal cheyn of luf,
Answerd and said: “Quharfor, myne awin hart deir,
Sa far about thou glosys thy mater?
Why axis thou nocht planely thy desire?
Quhiddir is becum of me, thy lord and syre,
The ferm confidence, thou suld haue, goddess?
Quhat nedyt mor bot schaw thy mynd express?
Gyf siclike curis and desire had bene
Into thy mynd that sam tyme, I meyn
Duryng the subuertioun of Troys ryng,
To ws it had bene bot a lesum thing
Troianys til haue enarmyt at thy request:
Nowder the fader almychty at the lest,
Ne ȝit the fatis contrary dyd ganestand,
Bot Troys cite mycht haue langar stand,
So that Kyng Priamus ryng, by our power,
Mycht haue remanyt fully othir ten ȝeir.
And now, gif thou the grathis forto fecht,
And tharto be thy mynd set, I the hecht
All maner thing, with solist diligens,
That may be wrocht in my craft or sciens,
Or ȝit may be forgit in irne or steill,
Or moltyn mettal graif and burnyst weill,
Sa far as fyre and wynd and hie engyne
Into our art may cumpass or dyvyne.
Tharfor desist of thi strenth to haue dreid,
Or me to pray in ocht at thou hess neyd,
For in sic cacis thar nedis na request.
Am I nocht reddy to fulfill thy behest?”
Thir wordis beyng said, this hait syre
Gan hir enbrasyng al at his desyre,
And, lappit to hys spowsys breist in armys,
The plesand natural sleip, to beit his harmys,
And eyss hys wery membris, can he tak.
Syne as he had slummyrrit bot a snak,
Quhen the first silence of the quyet nycht
Hys myddil curss and cirkill run had rycht,
Provokyng folk of the first sleip awaik;
Lyke as the puyr wife, quhilk at evin had raik
Hyr ingill, rysys fortobeit hir fyre,
As scho that hess nane other rent nor hyre
Bot with hir rok and spynnyng forto thryve,
And tharwithall sustene hir enty lyve;
Hir day wark to encress, or scho may se,
Thartill a part of the nycht eikis sche,
And at the candill lycht hir handys tway,
And eik hir pur damysellis, as scho may,
Natly exercis forto wirk the lyne,
To snoif the spyndill, and lang thredis twyne,
Quharby scho mycht sustene hir powerte,
Kepe chaist hir spowsys bed in honeste,
And tharwith eik foster hir childer lyte—
The mychty god of fyre this tyme als tyte,
And no slawar, bot on the sam maner,
Furth of hys bed startis, and hynt his geir,
And to hys smyddy craft and forge hym spedis.
Thar standis ane ile, with reky stanys as gledis,
Vpstrekyng hie betwix the cost Sycille
And Lyparen, god Eolus wyndis ille;
Vndre the quhilk byg iland in the see
Ane coif thar is, and hyrnys feill thar be,
Lyke till Ethna holkyt in the mont
By the Ciclopes fornace worn or bront,
That makis rumlyng, as quha dyd thunder heir,
The bustuus dyntis on the styddeys seir;
Ane huge dyn and noys the strake doyth mak.
The irne lumpys in tha cavys blak
Can byss and quhissill, and the hait fyre
Doith fuf and blaw in blesys byrnand schire;
Quhilk forges bene Wlcanus duellyng call,
And efter Wlcan that cuntre nemmyt all.
The mychty god of fyre dovn from the hevin
Into this forsaid ile discendit evin,
Quhar as, intill hys large and gowsty caif,
The hydduus Ciclopes forgit furth and draif,
Brontes, Steropes, and nakyt Pyracmon,
The glowand irne to well and peyn onon.
The fyreflaucht, ȝyt nocht formyt perfitely,
Quhilk the fader of goddis oft throw the sky
From euery art dovn in the erth doys cast,
Thai had into thar handys wirkand fast;
That ane part polist, burnyst weill and dycht,
Thar other party not perfytit rycht.
Thre rawys wel tha of the frosyn hail schour,
Thre of the watry clowd, to eik the stowr,
Thre blesys of the byrnand fyris brycht,
With thre blastis of the south wyndis lyght,
Syne to thar wark, in maner of gun powder,
Thai myddillyt and thai myxit this feirful sowder,
A grysly sound, gret dreid, and goddis ire,
Quham followys ay the fel flambys of fyre.
Ane other sort ful bissely to Mart
The rynnyng quhelys forgis, and weir cart,
Quharwith the men to batale doys he steir,
And movys citeis to rayss mortal weir.
Thai dycht and polyss egirly alssua
The horribill terget, bustuus Egyda,
Quhilk is the grevyt Pallas grysly scheild,
With serpent scalys puldrit in goldyn feild,
Togidder lynkyng lowpyt eddris twa
And in the breist of the goddess graif thai
Gorgones hed, that monstre of gret wondir,
With eyn wawland, and nek bane hak in sondyr.
“Away with this, ȝhe Ethna Ciclopes,”
Quod Wlcanus, “and all sic warkis sess,
And at I say enprentis in ȝour thocht.
Ontill a forcy man ar tobe wrocht
Harness and armour; now nedys it,” quod he,
“Ȝour strenth exerss and pythis schaw; lat se
Quha nymlyast can cum and turn thar handis;
Now on all master poynt of craft it standis.
Do put away in haist all maner delay.”
Na mar he said, bot wondir frakly thai
Onto thar laubour can thame all address,
Assignand euery man hys part express:
The irne the mettal throw ther cundyttis flowys,
The moltyn gold and weirlyk steil hait glowys,
And furth of gousty furnace fundyt ran.
Maste craftely to forgyng thai began
A hug gret semly target, or a scheild,
Quhilk only mycht resistyng into feild
Agane the dynt of Latyn wapynnys all;
In euery place sevin ply thai well and call.
Sum can ressaue the glowand heyt, sum wynd
With blawand bellys bet the fyre behynd;
Sum of the trowch apon the sparkand gledis
The byssand watir strynklys and ourspredis.
The huge coif and all the mont within,
For strak of styddeys, can resound and dyn.
Amangis thame self thai grisly smythys gret
With mekill forss dyd forge, peyn and bet,
And can thar armys hesyng vp and dovn
In nowmyr and in dew proportioun,
And with the grippand turcass oft alsso
The glowand lump thai turnyt to and fro.
Quhil that the fader of Lemnos, Wlcanus,
Within the boundis of wyndy Eolus
To wyrk this geir hastis on euery syde,
The blisfull lycht ayrly at morrow tyde,
And myrthfull sangis of the byrdis bay,
The swallow, syngis on the ruf hir lay,
Awalknyt Kyng Evander, and maid ryss
Within his sobir chymmys quhar he lyis.
Vpstart the ald, and cled hym in hys cote,
Apon his feyt hys meit schoys hote
War buklyt on the gyss of Tuscany;
Syne our hys schuldris, down hys myddil by,
Hyngis buklyt hys trasty swerd Arcaid;
From hys left arm, about the rycht syde layd,
Ywymplyt was the spottit pantheris skyn;
Hys twa keparis can furth by hym ryn
From the hie palyce, bustuus hundis two,
That haldis thar lordis payss quhar evir he go.
Furth held this heir the secret prevy way
Towart the sted quhar as Eneas lay,
Hys Troiane gest, ramembring al at rycht
Hys help and promys grantit ȝister nyght.
On the sam wyss, at morow ful ayrly,
Eneas hastis vp, and mycht nocht ly.
The kyng only bot with his son Pallas,
Achates with Eneas accumpaneit was.
Thai ionyt handis sone as thai war met,
And syne amyd the chalmer doun thame set,
Quhar, finaly, thai fel in commonyng
Of secret materis and attentik thing.
The kyng begouth, and said first til Ene:
“Maist souerane ledar of Troiane cumpane,
Quha beand on lyfe nevir grant I sall
Troy is distroyt, nor castyn doun the wall,
Nor ȝit the Troiane power put at vnder;
We haue bot sobir pissance, and no wonder,
To help in batale, and to mak supple
Onto so hie excellent maieste:
On this half closyt with the Tuscane flude,
On ȝonder syde ar the Rutylianys rude,
Nyddris our boundis, as full oft befallis,
With thar harnes clatteryng about our wallis.
Bot I purposs adione to the onon
A huge pepill, and landis mony one,
Ostis of fertill realmys neir fast by.
O fortoun, or we wyst, so happely
Thou schawist the in our help and supple!
And O maste douchty campioun Ene,
Desyrit of the destany and fatis,
Heir ȝe be weill arryvit many gatis!
Fundyt of ald stanys, not far hyne,
Inhabyt stand the cite Agyllyne,
Quhar that the worthy pepill Lydyane,
Vailȝeant in batale, duellis and dois remane
Apon the egge of the Hetruscan hillys.
Thir folkis all in lykyng at thar willis
This land inhabyt, vale, mont and swyre,
Quhil fynaly, ful prowd in his empyre,
Meȝentyus begouth thar tobe kyng,
And in gret forss of armys tharon ryng.
Suld I reherss the ontellabil myscheif,
The cruel dedis, slauchter and huge greif,
Of that tyrant, quhilk ȝit the goddis dyng
Apon hys hed reseruys and ofspring!
For he, besyde his othir wikkyt deyd,
The quyk bodeis, speldit furth on breid,
Adionyt to the corps and caryoun ded,
Layd hand to hand, baith face to face and hed,
Quhil quyk mowthis dyd ded mowthis kyss—
O, quhat maner of torment call ȝe this!
Droppand in worsum and filth laithly to se,
So miserabilly enbrasyng, thus wyss he
By lang process of ded can thame sla.
Quhil, at the last, of this ennoy and wa
Hys citesanys irkyt, syne in a rowt
Enarmyt ombeset his manss abowt.
Hym al enragit on his wild maner
Besegit thai, and of his complicis seir
Hes slane onon, and all in pecis hakkit,
And fyre blesis on his hie biggingis swakkit.
Amyd the slauchter, on cace, eschapit he,
And to the feildis Rutilyane can fle,
Quhar intill armys, be Turnus hys ost,
He hym begouth defend apon that cost.
Quharfor Hetrurya all, full iustly
Aggrevyt, rayss in armys by and by,
Onto punytioun and all tormentis seir
Thar kyng to ask, and seik in feir of weir.
To thir mony thousand pepill,” quod he,
“Souerane ledar I sal the ione, Ene.
For now thar schippys ful thik reddy standis,
Brayand endlang the costis of thir landis.
Thai byd display thar baneris owt of faldis,
Bot ane ancyent dyvynour thame withhaldis,
Schawand the fatale godly destyne:
‘O ȝe mast valȝeand ȝong gallandis,’ quod he,
‘And pepill cummyn from Meonya,
Ȝhe that bene flour of chevalry alssua,
The vertu and the strenth of vassallage
Of ancistry and men of ȝour lynnage,
Quham iust dolour steris on this wyss,
Baldly aganys ȝour ennemyss to ryss:
All thocht Meȝentyus, to hys myscheif,
Hess weil deservit aganys hym ȝour greif
Thus in commotioun forto rayss and steyr,
Ȝyt neuertheless belevys, owt of weir,
So gret a pepill, as vnder Turnus kyng
And Latynus leyndis, forto down thryng
Onlesum is till ony Italyane—
Ȝow behuffis to seik a strange chiftane.’
Of Hetrurya the ostis vnder scheild
With that word stoppit in the sammyn feild,
Of the goddis admonysyng all effrayt.
Tarchon hym self, thar duke, lyst not delay it,
Bot to me send ambassatouris all bovn,
Offerand to me the ceptre and the crovn
Of al thar realm, and thar ensenȝeis brocht,
Requyryng me that I refusyt nocht
Tocum and be chiftane of thar army,
The realm Tyrrheyn eik to ressaue in hy.
Bot my febill and slaw onweldy age,
The dasyt blude gane far by the hait rage,
Or than the owtworn dait and mony ȝeris,
With forss falȝeit to hant the strange weris,
Envyis that I suld ioys or bruke empyre.
My son Pallas, this ȝong lusty syre,
Exhort I wald to tak the steir on hand,
Ne war that of the blude of this ilk land
Admixit standis he, takand sum strynd,
Apon hyss moderis syde, of Sabyne kynd.
Bot thou, quham baith thi ȝeris and thy blude
The fatis favouris, and is so conclude
By the goddis abufe as, owt of weir,
Tobe callyt and schaip for this mater,
Go to the batal, campyoun maste forcy,
The Troianys baith and Italyanys to gy.
And forthir eik, this sammyn ȝyng Pallas,
Our son, our hop, our comfort and solace,
I sal adione in falloschip,” quod he,
“As his master, to exerss vndre the,
And lern the fayt of knychtly chevalry,
Hard marcyall dedis hantyng by and by,
Tobe accustummyt and behald thy feris,
For wondyr followyng thy warkis in ȝyng ȝeris.
Twa hundreth walyt horss men, wight and stern,
Of Arcaid, sal I geif onto that bern,
And of hys awin behalf, in thy supple,
Alss mony Pallas sal promyt to the,
Quhilk in the hail may weill four hundreth bene.”
Skant this was said, quhen castyng dovn his eyn,
Trast Achates, and Anchyss son Ene,
Sat starrand on the grond, baith he and he,
And in thar hartis dyd full oft compass
Ful mony hard aduersyte and cace,
With drery cheir and myndis sad bath twa,
Ne war Venus, lady Citherea,
Dovn from the hevin of comfort to thame sent
Ane oppyn takyn, cleir and evident.
For suddanly thai se, or thai be war,
The fyreslaucht betyng from the lyft on far,
Cum with the thundris hydduus rumlyng blast,
Semyng the hevyn suld fall and all doun cast;
The ayr onon can dynnyng vp and doun
With brag of weir and Tyrreyn trumpys sovn.
Thai lysnyng to persaue and heir the dyn,
Ay mar and mar agane it dyd begyn
To rerd and rattill apon a feirfull wyss,
Quhill at the last thai se and al espyiss
Throw the cleir sky and regioun of the hevyn,
Amang the clowdis, brycht as fyry levyn,
The glitterand armour burnyst lemand schene,
And, as thai schuke, thar rayss thunder bedene.
Abasyt in thar myndis worth the laif,
Bot this lord Troiane knew and dyd persave
Full weil the sound and all the cace express
Be promyss of hys moder the goddes;
Syne can rehers it plane, and thus gaitis said:
“Forsuyth, forsuyth, my gentill ost, be glaid,
The nedis not to ask, ne ȝit speir
Quhat signyfyis thir wondris dyd appeir;
For I am callyt to the hevin,” quod he.
“The haly moder, my genitryce, schew me
That sic a takyn suldbe send, scho said,
Gyf ony wald with batale ws invaid,
And, in my helpyng, hecht doun throu the ayr
To send Wlcanus armour, gude and fair.
Allace, how feill slauchter now apperis
To wrachit Latynys in thir mortal weris!
By me, Turnus, quhat panys salt thou dre!
O Tybir fair that rynnys in the se,
Quhou mony scheldis, helmys and stern body
Vndre thy fludis warpyt law sall ly!
Lat thame array thar ostis now lat se,
And baldly brek thar frendschip maid with me.”
Fra this was sayd, from his hie set he start;
And first the sloknyt fyris hes he gart,
The rakyt harthis and ingill ȝister nycht,
On Hercules altar beyt and kyndill bryght,
And glaidly went to wirschip and to call
Sobir Penates, goddis domesticall;
And walyt twynteris, efter the auld gyss,
He slew and brytnyt onto sacryfyss,
With hym Evander eik, and all hys feris
Of Troiane menȝe, lusty fresch ȝonkeris.
Syne doun in haist he went onto hys schippys,
Hys folkis he visseyt and his falloschippys,
Of quhais nowmyr hess he walyt owt
Ane certane, the mast lykly, bald and stowt,
Quhilk suld hym follow into euery place.
The remanent tuk byssely thar rayss
Down by the watyr, on the followand flude
Discendand slawly, to beir message gude
Sone efter this ontill Ascanyus ȝyng,
Twychand hys fader and of euery thing.
The horssys syne war gevin and furth brocht
To the Troianys that onto Tuscane socht;
And till Eneas led onon thai gaue
A gentill steyd excedand all the laif,
On quham at all partis was ourspred and fold
A dun lyonys skyn with nalys of gold.
Than throu the litil cite all on raw
The fame onon dywlgat swyftly flaw,
Quhou that the horsmen spedis thame bedene
To go onto the land and cost Tyrrene.
The wyssys and avowys than, for feir,
By woman and the matronys dowblet wer;
Mor grew the dreid the narrar drew dangar,
Now Martis ymage semys walxin mair.
The fader than Evander, as thai depart,
By the rycht hand thame gryppyt with sair hart,
Hys son enbrasyng, and full tenderly
Apon hym hyngis, wepand ontellabilly,
And thus he sayd: “O sen omnipotent
Hie Iupiter my ȝyng ȝheris by went
Wald me restor! in sic strenthis and eild,
So as I was quhen first in batal feild
The armys of the ostis down I dang
Of Preneste vndir the wallis strang,
And victor of myne ennemyss, as prowd syre,
Hail hepys of thar scheildis brynt in fyre;
Quhar, with this sammyn rycht hand quellyt and slane,
Vndre the hellys grond Tartareane
Kyng Herylus was sent to dwell for ay,
Quhamtill hys moder Feronya the gay,
Into the tyme of hys natiuite,
Grisly to say, had gevyn sawlys thre,
And that he suld beir armour thryss in fyght,
And thryss behwyt to the ded be dicht;
Fra quham that tyme this rycht hand, not the less,
Tha sawlys all bereft, and thar express
Of alsmony enarmouris spulȝeit clene.
Gyf so war now with me as than hess bene,
Ne suld I nevir depart, myne awyn child deir,
From thyne maste sweit enbrasyng, for na weir;
Nor our nychtbour Meȝentyus in hys fed
Suld na wyss, mokkand at this hasard hed,
By swerd haue killyt so feill corpss as slane is,
Nor thys burgh of samony citesanys
Left desolat and denudyt,” quod he,
“Bot O ȝe goddis abuf, and Iove mast hie,
The governour of hevynly wyghtis all,
On ȝou I cry, on ȝou I clepe and call;
Begyn to haue compaciens and piete
Of ȝour awin wofull kyng of Arcadye;
Oppyn and inclyne ȝour dyvyne godly erys,
To heir and ressaue the faderis meik prayeris.
Gyf it be so ȝour godhed and gret myghtis
Be presciens provyd hess, and forsychtis,
Pallas my son in salfty hail and feir,
Gyf the fatis preservys hym of danger,
So onys in my lyfe I may hym se,
Agane togidder assemblyt I and he;
I ȝow beseik my febill lyfe to respyte,
That I mycht lyf, and endur ȝyt a lyte
All pane and laubour that ȝou list me send.
Bot, O faynt fortoun, gyf thou doys pretend
And mannancis ony myschewoss cace,
Now, now furthwith, into this sammyn place
Suffir me swelt, and end this cruel lyfe,
Quhill dowtsum is ȝyt all sic sturt and stryfe,
Quhil hope oncertane is of thing tocum,
And quhil I thus, my deir child, all and sum
My lustis plesance, and my last weilfair,
The in myne armys enbrasis but dispar;
So that, eftir, na sorowfull messynger
With smert ennoy hurt nevir myne agit eyr.”
The fader Evander with full sory hart,
At lattir poynt quhen thai war to depart,
Thir wordis spak, syne fel in swoun rycht thar:
Hys men hym hynt and to hys chalmyr bar.
Be this, the rowt of horsmen strang in fyght
War ischit at the portis euery wight;
Amangis the formast the duk Eneas,
And eik the trast Achates, furth can pass,
Syne other nobillis of the Troianys stowt;
The ȝyng Pallas rydyng amyd the rowt,
So farrand and so lusty personage,
Cled in a mantill in hys tender age,
Quhilk dyd ourheld hys burnyst armour brycht—
On hym to luke was a mor gudly syght
Than on the day stern, quhilk at morn ayrly
Baithit in the occeane rysys in the sky,
Quhois fyry bemys Venus in speciall
Chosys abuf all starnys gret and small,
Heich in the hevin liftyng hys vissage schene,
To chayss away the myrknes with hys eyn.
The wofull moderis, quakand for cald dreid,
Stude on the wall behaldand quhar thai ȝeid,
And dyd convoy or follow with thar sight
The dusty sop, quharso the rak went rycht,
Govand apon thar bryght armour at schane,
So fer as that thar luke mycht thame attane.
The cumpany al sammyn held array
Throw scroggy bussys furth the narrest way,
Enarmyt rydyng thyddir as thai wald.
The brute and dyn from thame vpsprang thik fald,
The hornyt hovyt horss with four feyt
Stampand and trottand on the dusty streyt.
Thar growys a gret schaw, neir the chil ryver
Quhilk that flowys with hys frosty stremys cleir
Down by the cite of Agillyna,
That other wyss is clepyt Cereta,
Quhilk is in wirschip haldyn and in dreid
By faderis ald, the large boundis onbreid,
As sanctuar; and with deip clewchis wyde
Thys schaw is closyt apon euery syde—
Ane thyk ayk wod of skowgy fyrris stowt
Belappys all the said cuthill abowt.
The fame is that the Grekis ancyane,
Quhilk clepyt bene to surname Pelasgane,
That quhilum lang tyme in the formast eildis
The Latyn boundis occupeyt and feildis,
To Syluanus fyrst dedicat this schaw,
The god of bestis and of feildis faw,
And constitut to hym solempnyt fest.
Duke Tharcon, and the Tuscanys maste and lest,
Not fer from thens, intyll a strenthy place
Thar palȝeonys all had plantyt apon cace,
That from the top of the hillys hyght,
The army all thai mycht se at a syght,
With tentis stentit strekand to the plane.
Thyddyr held Eneas, the souerane Troiane,
And all the bernys of hys ryall rowt
Chosyn for the batall, lusty, stern and stowt,
And, wery of thar travale, thocht thai best
Thar self and horssis to refresch and rest.
Bot than Venus, the fresch goddes, bedene
Amang the hevynly skyis brycht and schene,
Berand with hir the dyvyne armour cleir,
To mak tharof a presand, can draw neir,
And as on far hir son scho dyd behald,
Secret allone by the chill ryver cald,
Amyd ane holl cleuch, or a dern valle,
Of hir fre will tyll hym apperis sche,
And with sic wordis to hym spak, sayng:
“Lo, my reward heir, and my promysyng
Fulfillyt iustly by my husbandis wark;
So that, my son, now art thou sovyr and stark,
That the not nedis to haue ony feir
Fortill resist the prowd Latynnys in weir,
Nor ȝit the strang Turnus to assaill,
Hym to provok, or challance for batale.”
Thus said the scheyn Citherea fair of face,
And, with that word, can hyr deyr child enbrace,
And thar the schynand armour forgane his sycht
Vndre a bowand aik layd dovn full rycht.
Seand sic gyftis of this trast goddess,
This gentill knycht reiosyt wolx, I gess,
Glaid that so gret honour ressauyt he,
That scarsly kowth he satisfyit be
Forto behald thir armour bryght and schene;
On euery peyss to vissy kest hys eyn,
Tharon wondrand; betwix hys handis two
And byg armys thame turnys to and fro.
The grysly crystit helm he can behald
On feirfull wyss spowtand the fyre thik fald,
The fatale swerd, dedly to mony ane,
The styf hawbryk of steill yburnyst schane,
Of huge weght and bludy sangwyne hew,
That sic a glanss or variant cullour schew,
As quhen the byrnand sonnys bemys brycht
The watry clowd persand with hys lyght,
Schynand on far, forgane the skyis how
Schapys the figour of the quent rayn bowe.
The lyght legharnes on that other syde,
Witht gold and burnyst laton puryfyde,
Grathit and polyst weill he dyd aspy,
The speir, and eik the scheild so subtelly
Forgyt that it was ane ontellabill thyng.
For Vlcanus, of fyre the lord and kyng,
Knawand full weill the art of prophecy,
And syndry thingis tocum eik by and by,
The valȝeand dedis of Italyanys,
The gret triumphys als of the Romanys,
And of Ascanyus stok all nobil knyghtis,
Thar batalys all per ordour, weir and fyghtis,
Had tharin porturat properly and grave,
Amang all otheris, in Martis gresy cave
The sukkyn wolf furthstrekand breste and vdyr;
Abowt hir pappys, but feir, as thar moder,
The twa twynnys, smal men childer ȝyng,
Sportand ful tayt gan to wrabill and hyng;
And scho hir lang rovnd nek bane bowand raith
To geif thame sowke, and can thame culȝe baith,
Semyng scho suld thar bodeis by and by
Lyk with hir tong, and clenge full tenderly.
Not fer from thens Rome cite eikyt he,
Quhar by ane new inuentioun wonder sle,
Settand into ane holl valle or slak,
Within the lystis for the triumphe mak,
War Sabyne virgynys revyst by Romanys,
As that thai war assemblyt for the nanys
The gret gammys Circenses forto se,
Quhilk iustyng or than turnament cleip we.
With hasty sterage thar most thou behald
The werys rasyt aganys Romanys bald
By agyt Tatyus and fell Curitanys:
Syne the ilk princis, and the said Romanys,
The weris sessyt sammyn all infeir,
Enarmyt stad befor Iovys alter,
With cowpys full in hand for sacryfyss
Thar mycht thou se thame, efter the ald gyss,
The swyne stekit brytnyt sone and slane,
Conferm thar trewys and mak paix agane.
Fra thyne not far the chariot thou mycht knaw,
Metus Suffytius in seir pecis draw;
Albeit thou thocht this cruelte, Kyng Albane,
Quhy wald thou not at thy promyss remane?
Quhy list thou not thy faith obserue and saw?
Thys faithles wyghtis entralys war outdraw,
By command of Tullus Hostilyus,
And throw the woddis harlyt, euery buss,
Quhil that the tharmys and the bowellys rent
Scroggis and breris all with blude bysprent.
Thar mycht thou se Tarquynus in exile
Furth cast of Rome, and syne, within schort quhile,
By Kyng Porsenna into batale plane
Commandit fortobe ressauyt agane;
With that a felloun sege al Rome about
Dyd ombeset, and closyt with hys rowt;
The Romanys than discendit from Enee
Rusch onto wapynnys for thar liberte.
Thou mycht behaldin eik this ilk Porsen
Lyke as he had dyspite, and bostand men;
For that the hardy Cocles, darf and bald,
Durst brek the bryg that he purposit to hald,
And eik the virgyn Chelya, quhar scho stude,
Hyr bandis brast, and swam our Tibir flude.
Manlyus the knycht abufe into the scheild,
In the defens for Iovys tempil beild,
Kepand the strenth and castell Tarpeia
And haldand the heich Capitoll alssua,
Stud porturat, neir the chymmys calendar,
Quhais ruffis laitly ful rouch thekit war
With stra or gloy by Romulus the wight.
Thar was alsso engravyt all at ryght
The siluyr ganer, flyghterand with lowd scry,
Warnand all reddy the gilt entre by,
Quhou the Franchmen dyd the ȝet assaill:
Thar mycht thou se the Franch army alhaill
Haist throu the bussys to the capitoll,
Sum vndermyndand the grond with a hoill,
So that almaist thai wan the forteress;
Gret help thame maid the closs nychtis myrknes;
Thar haris schane as doith the brycht gold wyre,
And all of gold wrocht was thar rich attyre,
Thar purpour robbys bygareit schynand brycht,
And in thar hand withhaldand euery knycht
Twa iavillyng speris, or than gyssarn stavis,
Forgit in the montanys al sik maner glavys,
Thar bodeis all with lang tergis ourheild.
Syne ȝonder mar was schapin in the feld
The dansand prestis, clepit Salii,
Hoppand and syngand wonder merely,
And Panos prestis, nakit Lupercanys,
The toppyt hattis quhar the woll threid remanys,
And bowyt buklaris falland from the sky.
Thar mycht besene, forgyt maste craftely,
The chaist matronys throw the cite all
In soft charis thar gemmys festual
Ledand, and playand with myrthis and solace.
A far way thens ful weill engravit was
The vgly hellis set Tartareane,
The deip dungioun quhar Pluto dois remane,
And of the wikkyt pepill all the pyne;
Thar was thou markyt, cursyt Catylyne,
Hyngand out our ane schorand hewch or bra,
And trymland for the feirfull dreid and wa,
To se the furyus grysly sisteris facis,
That with thar scurgis wikkit pepill chacis;
The rychtwyss folkis, at levit deuotly,
Fra thame war partit in a place far by,
And the wyss man Censorius Cato
Gevand thar iust rewardis till all tho.
Myd way betwix the other storeis seir,
The swelland seys fygour of gold cleir
Went flowand, bot the lippyrrand wallys quhyte
War pulderit full of fomy froith mylk quhite;
The delphyn fysches, wrocht of siluer schene,
In cirkill swepand fast throu fludis grene,
Sewchand swyftly salt stremys; quhar thai far,
Vpstrake thar talys the stour heir and thar.
Amyd the seys mycht be persauyt weill
The weirly schippis with thar snowtis of steill,
The Actiane batalys, semyng as quha dyd se
The mont Lewcata, standand by the seye,
For ostis arrayt glowand as the gleyd;
Of glitterand gold schane all the flude on breid.
On that a party, thar myght thou behald
Cesar August Octauyan the bald,
Movand to batale the Italyanys,
With hym senatouris and worthy pepill Romanys,
And goddis domestik, quhilk Penates hait,
With all the gret goddis of mair estait;
Heich in the forstam stand he mycht be sene,
From hys blyth browys brent and athir eyn
The fyre twynklyng, and hys faderis star
Schew from hys helmys top schynand on far.
The byg and stowt Agrippa, hys frend deir,
Hys navy led at hand weil by neir,
As he that in hys help and succurss fyndis
The prosper favouris baith of goddis and wyndis:
Quhais forhed schane of ane prowd syng of weris,
A crown with stammys sic as schippis beris.
Marcus Antonyus cummys thame aganys
With hail suppovel of barbaryanys,
As nobill victour and cheif conquerour,
Careand with hym of Orient the flour;
Diuerss armyis and pepillys for melle,
From Perss, Egipt and costis of the Red See,
The power all assemblit in hys flote,
Ane huge rowt and multitude, God wote,
The ȝondermast pepill, clepit Bractanys,
Quhilk neir the est part of the warld remanys.
Hym followys to the feild, ane schame to say,
Hys spouss Egiptiane, Queyn Cleopatra.
Thai semyt sammyn ruschand all togidder,
Quhill all the sey vpstowris with a quhidder;
Ourweltit with the bensell of the ayris,
Fast fra forstammys the flude swowchis and raris,
As thai togiddir matchyt on the depe.
Thou suld haue wenyt, quha tharto tuke kepe,
The gret ilandys, Ciclades, hail vprent,
Apon the sey fletand quhar thai went,
Or huge hie hillys, concurrand all atanys,
Togiddir rusch and meyt with other montanys;
On athir hand with sa gret forss and weght
The men assalys in schip of towr to feght.
Thai warp at other brycht blesys of fyre,
The kyndillyt lynt and hardis byrnand schire;
The castyng dartis fra hand to hand dyd fle,
Slang gaddis of irne, and stane cast gret plente:
Neptunus feildis, all the large flude,
For new slauchter wolx blandit red of blude.
Amyd the ostis Cleopatra queyn
The rowtis dyd assembill to feght bedene,
With tympane sound, in gyss of hir cuntre,
Prouocand thame to move in the melle:
Nor ȝit beheld scho not the eddris twane
Behynd hir bak, that efter hes hir slane.
The monstruus goddis figuris, of al kynd
That honorit ar in Egipt or in Inde,
And eik the barkand statw, Anubis,
Agane Neptune, agane Venus, I wyss,
And als agane Mynerva, porturat standis
In that bargane, with wapynnys in thar handis.
Amyd the feld stude Mars, that felloun syre,
In plait and mail, wod brym and ful of ire;
The sorofull Fureys from the firmament
By the goddys to tak vengeans war sent;
In went Discord, ioyus of that iourne,
With mantill rent and schorn men mycht hir se;
Quham followit Bellona of batell,
With hir kynd cosyng, the scharp scurgis fell.
Actyus Appollo, seand in the sky
Of this melle the dowtsum victory,
Hys bow abufe thar hedis hes he bent,
Lyke forto schote hys dartis and down sent;
For dreid of quham all the Egiptianys,
All thai of Ind, and the Arabyanys,
And thai of Sabey, turnyt bak to fle.
Cleopatra the queyn thar mycht thou se
Wynd sayll about, and gang befor the wynd,
Ay mar and mair dredand persute behynd,
Sclakand schetis, and haldand rowme at large,
With purpour saill abufe hir payntit barge.
The mychty god of fyre hir wrocht and maid
Ful pail of hew, sorowfull and not glaid,
In syng tocum of hir smert hasty ded,
Amangis ded corpsis new of slauchter red,
And, with the west wynd and the wallys haw,
Frawart the flude of Nyle our stremys blaw;
Quhilk Nylus ryver, murnand for thar diseyss,
Hys large skyrt onbrede spred thame to pless,
With all his habyt oppynnyt thame to call,
As thocht hym list ressaue the venquyst all
Within hys watry bosum, large and rude,
And hyde in secret condyte of his flude.
Within the wallis syne of Romys cite,
Cesar, ressauyt with triumphis thre,
Thou mycht behald, thar offerand on his gyss
Till Itale goddis immortal sacryfyce;
Our all the cite, in maist singular ioy,
The blysfull fest thai makyng man and boy,
So that thre hundreth ryall tempillys dyng
Of ryot, ryppet and of revellyng
Ryngis, and of the myrthful sportis seir
The stretis soundyng on solacius maner;
At euery sanctuary and altar vpstent
In caralyng the lusty ladeis went;
Befor the altaris eik, in cirkyll round,
The brytnyt bestis strowyt all the ground.
Cesar hym self, seysit in sete ryall,
Within the snaw quhite statly merbill wall
Of God Phebus tempill, thar as he sat
Visseand the pepillis gyftis, this and that,
And on the prowd pillaris, in takynnyng
Of hys triumphe, maid thar be vp hyng.
The pepill by hym venquyst mycht thou knaw,
Befor hym passand per ordour, all on raw,
In langsum tryne; and how feil kyndis seir
Of tungis and of langage men mycht heir,
Alss mony diuerss habyttis wor thai strange,
Alss feil sortis of armouris dyd thai change.
Vlcanus heir the beltles Numydanys,
And thai folkis that in Affrik remanys,
Had gravyn weill; and ȝonder porturat was
The Leleganys, and the pepill Carras,
And Gelones, tha pepill of Sythia,
In archery the quhilk ar wonder thra.
The mekill flude Eufrates, fast by,
With streym now semyt flow mair sobirly;
The Moryn pepill eik, fast by the see,
Of men reput the last extremite,
The forkyt flude of Reyn eik pantit was,
And the ondantit Danys thar dyd pass,
The flude Arax of Armeny alsso,
Havand disdene a bryg our it suld go.
Eneas, of hys moderis gyft wondryng,
Our al Vlcanus scheild samony a syng
Wrocht on sic wyss, nocht knawand the mater,
To se the figouris of thir storeis seir
Reiosyt wolx, and syne deliuerly
Apon hys schulder hyntis vp in hy
The famus honour, and hie renownye,
Or gloryus iestis of hys postheryte. etc.