University of Virginia Library

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.