University of Virginia Library

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.”