University of Virginia Library

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.