University of Virginia Library

[The Proloug of the Nynth Buke]

Quhyll on this wyss, as I haue said or this,
Sik materis and ordinancis wirkand is
In diuerss placis set full fer ytwyn,
Saturnus get, Iuno, that list not blyn
Of hir auld malyce and iniquyte,
Hir madyn Iris from hevin sendys sche
To the bald Turnus malapert and stowt,
Quhilk for the tyme was with all his rowt
Amyd ane valle wondyr lovn and law,
Sittand at eys within the hallowyt schaw
Of god Pilumnus, hys progenitor.
Thamantis douchtir knelys hym befor,
I meyn Iris, this ilk fornamyt maid,
And with hir rosy lippys thus hym said:
“Turnus, behald on cace reuoluyt the day,
And of hys fre will sendys the, perfay,
Sik avantage and oportunyte,
That set thou wald haue axit it,” quod sche,
“Thar was nevir ane of all the goddis dyng
Quhilk durst haue the promittit sic a thing.
Eneas, desolat levand hys cite,
Hys navy eik, hys ferys and hail menȝe,
Is till Evander socht, and Palatyne,
That burgh. But not eneuch, for farther syne
To the extreme citeis of Tuscany
In mont Corythus haldys he in hy,
And doys assembill the wild lauboreris,
That quhilum com fra Lyd, till armys in weris.
Quhat dredis thou? Now tyme is to prik horss,
Now tyme fortill assay ȝour cartis and forss.
Haue done, mak na mar tary nor delay,
Set on thar strenthis sone, gif thame affray.”
Quod sche, and tharwith, in hys presens evin,
With equale weyngis flaw vp in the hevin,
Vndre the clowdis schapand, quhar scho went,
A gret rane bowe of diuerss hewys ment.
The ȝong man knew hir weill, and hastely
Vp baith hys handis hevis to the sky,
With sic wordis followand, as scho dyd fle:
“Iris, thou bewte of the hevynnys hie,
Throw all the clowdis and thir skyis brovn,
Quha hess the send to me in erth a dovn?
Quhow is becummyn on this wyss,” quod he,
“Sa brycht weddir and cleir serenyte?
I se the hevynnys oppynnyt and devyde
And movand sternys in the lyftis syde:
So gret takynnys and reuelacions schaw
I sal persew, and fallow quhat befaw;
Quhat evir thou be that callys to the weris,
Thy command sal I obey, as efferis.”
And thar withall, with wordis augurall,
Eftir thar spayng cerymonys diuynal,
Onto the flude onon furth steppis he,
And of the stremys crop a litill we,
The watir lyftis vp intill his handis,
Full gretumly the goddys, quhar he standis,
Besekand till attend to hys prayer,
The hevynnys chargeyng with feil awowis seir.
With this the ostis all in the plane feild
Held furth arrayt, schynand vnder scheld.
Men mycht behald full mony riall stedis,
Full mony pantyt targe and weirlyke wedis;
Of giltyn geir dyd glytter bank and buss.
The formast batale ledis Mesapus;
The hyndmast ostis had in governyng
Of Tyrrhyus the sonnys or childer ȝyng;
Turnus thar duke rewlys the myddill ost,
With glave in hand maid awful feir and bost,
Thame till array raid turnand to and fro,
And by the hed alhaill, quhar he dyd go,
Hyear than all the rowt men mycht hym se.
In sik ordour furth haldis his menȝe
Lyke as sum tyme Ganges, the flude Indane,
Sevyn swelland ryveris efter spayt of rayn
Ressauyt in hys large bosum inhy,
In hys deip trowch now flowys esely;
Or as vmquhile the fertill flude, Nylus,
Ourfletand all the feildis, bank and buss,
Syne, efter the gret fludis watry rage,
Returnys swagit to hys auld passage.
Be this the Troianys in thar new cite
A dusty sop vprysand gan do se,
Full thik of stowr vp thryngand in the ayr,
And all the feildis myrknyt mair and mair.
Caycus first cryis, as he war wod,
Dovn from the hie garrat quhar he stude:
“O citesanys, how gret ane ost,” quod he,
“Is lappit in ȝone dusty stew I se!
Swith hynt ȝour armour, tak ȝour wapynnys all,
Bryng hydder dartis, speil vp on the wall!
Our ennemys cummys at hand, but dowt!”
“Hay, hay, go to!” than cry thai with a schowt,
And with a huge bruyt Troianys at schort
Thar wallys stuffyt and closyt euery port,
For sa Eneas, maste expert in armys,
At hys departing, dredand for thir harmys,
Gaif thame command, gif thai assalȝeit wer
Or hys returnyng, be hard fortoun of weir,
That thai ne suld in batale thame array,
Nor in the plane thar ennemys assay,
Bot bad thai suld alanerly withhald
Thar strenth within thar fowseis, as he wald,
And kepe thar wallys forsely and weill,
With fowcy dichis and wapynnys styfe of steill.
Tharfor, all thocht baith schame and felloun ire
Thar breistis had enflambyt hait as fyre,
In the plane feild on thar famen to set,
Ȝit neuertheless thar portis haue thai schet
Fortill obey the command of Enee;
On boss turrettis and on towris hie
Enarmyt stude thar fays till abyde.
Turnus the chiftane on the tother syde
Come to the cite, or that ony wist,
Furth fleand swipperly, as that hym best list,
Befor the ost, quhilk went bot esy pass,
With hym a twenty chosyn men he hass;
Apon a sterand steid of Trace he sat,
Of cullour dapill gray and wail fat,
Full hie rysand abuse his knychtly hed
Hys goldin helm, with tymbrel al blude rede.
“Go to, ȝyng gallandis, quha that list,” quod he,
“Thar ennemyss assailȝe first with me!”
And, with that word, threw a dart in the air,
As he to geif batale all redy war,
Syne in plane feild with browdyn baneris gay
Bargane to byde drew hym till array.
Hys feris all ressauyt the clamour hie,
And followand thar chiftane, he and he,
The bruyt rasyt with grisly sound attanys,
And gan to mervell the dolf hartit Troianys,
That durst nocht, as thame semyt, in plane feild
Thame self aventour, nor ȝit with sper and scheld
Mach with thar fa men in patent bargane,
Bot hald thame in thar strenthis euery ane.
And all commovit, brym and full of ire,
Baith heir and thar Turnus the grevyt syre
Went on horsbak, seirsand abowt the wall
Every dern way and secret passagis all,
Gyf ony entre or tocome espy
He myght, fortill assail the cite by.
Lyke as we se, wachand the full scheip fald,
The wild wolf ourset with schowris cald
Of wynd and rane, at myddis of the nycht,
Abowt the bowght plet all of wandis tyght
Brays and gyrnys; tharin bletand the lammys
Full sovirly liggis vnder thar dammys;
He brym and felloun his rageand furour
Aganys the absentis, reddy to devour,
Rasys in ire, for the wod hungris lyst;
Hys wysnyt throt, havand of blude sic thrist,
Gendris of lang fast sic ane appetyte
That he constrenyt is in extreme syt—
Nane other wyss, the feirfull fervent ire
In Turnus breist vpkyndillis hait as fyre,
Seand thir wallys and fortressis attanys;
The huge ennoy byrnys hym throu the banys,
Imagynand by quhat resson or way
Hys ennemyss he mycht wyn till assay,
And on quhat wyss the Troianys fra thar strenth
He mycht expell, and in plane feild on lenth
Mak thame to ische in patent batale place.
And as he musand was heiron, percace,
The navy of thar schippys he dyd invaid,
That fastby ionyt to the wall was layd,
With dychys and with fowseis dern abowt,
In the flude watir, as neir owt of dowt;
Quham fra he had espyit, but abaid
At hys feris, quhilkis wilfull war and glaid,
Eftir the fyre and kyndillyng dyd he cry,
And in hys awin handis hyntis vp in hy
A blesand fyre brand of the fyrryn tre.
Than byssely Rutilyanys, he and he—
So the presens of Turnus dyd thame steir,
That euery man the rekand schydis in feir
Rent fra the fyris and on the schippis slang;
The semys crakkis, the watir byssyt and sang,
The tallowynt burdis kest a pikky low,
Vpblesis owrloft, hechis, wrangis and how,
Quhill myxt with reik the fell sparkis of fyre
Heich in the air vpglydis byrnand schire.
Say me, O Musys, reherses and declare,
Quhilk of the goddis sa cruel flammys sayr
Held from Troianys? quha sa vehement fyre
Drave from thar schippis, thus wyss byrnand schire?
The deid is auld forto beleif or wry,
Bot the memor remanys perpetualy.
The first tyme quhen the Troiane Eneas
By sey to tak hys vayage schap to pass,
And gan do beld his schippis vp ilkane
In Ida forest, that mont Phrygiane,
The moder of goddis, Berecyntia,
Spak to hir son gret Iupiter, thai sa,
With sikkynd wordis, sayand: “My child deir,
Grant this ane axin quhilk I the requeir,
Grant thy belovit moder bot a thing,
Thou at art master of the hevynly ryng.
Apon the top of Gargarus,” quod sche,
“Thar grew a fyr wod, the quhilk into dante
Full mony ȝeris held I, as is knaw.
Thys was my cuchill and my hallowit schaw,
Quhar that the Phrygianys maid me sacrifice;
Ful weill me lykyt thar to walk oftsyss,
With pikky treis blak skuggit abowt,
And abundans of hattyr gestis stowt,
Quhilk glaidly I haue gevin a ȝong Troiane,
Strang Eneas, discend from Kyng Dardane,
Fortill support the mysteris of hys navy.
And now the dowtsum dreid, for the ilk quhy,
Full pensyve haldis me and doith constrene:
Deliuer me of thys feir be sum meyn,
My deir son, suffir at thy moderis request
Be admittit this a tyme, be the leste,
So that tha schippis be nevir mair ourset
With contrar curss, nor ȝit with storm dovn bet;
Quharby thai may haue sum avale,” quod sche,
“At thai vmquhile grew in our hillys hie.”
Hyr son, the quhilk rewlys at hys lykyng
The hevyn, the starris, and all erdly thyng,
Ansuerd and said: “O moder best belovyt,
Quhou art thou thus agane the fatis amovyt?
Or quharto axis thou to thir,” quod he,
“With mortale handis wrocht of stokkis and tre,
That is to say, thir schippis so habill to faill,
That lesum war thai suldbe immortale?
And that Enee, in dedly corps onsure,
Assoverit fermly throw all dangeris fuyr?
Quhat god hess to hym grantyt sik frelage?
Bot for thy saik, quhen fully thar vayage
Thai haue compleyt, and at costis of Itale
Arryvit ar, and in tha portis set sail,
And thar duke Troiane careit our the see
To boundis of Lawrentum, that cuntre,
Alsmony of thame as than hess eschaipe
The wally fludis sall I turn and schaip
Furth of thar mortale formys corruptabill,
And sall command thame fortobe mair habill
From thens forthwart, as immortale,” quod he,
“In nymphes turnyt and goddessys of see,
Lyke as Nereus douchter, Clotho gay,
And Galathea, throw fomy fludis gray
Scheryng with braid brestis delytabill,”
Quod Iupiter, and till hald ferm and stabill,
Be Stix the flude, Pluto hys broderis see,
Hys godly aith and promyss sworn hes he;
Be that ilk pykky laik with brays blak,
And laithly sworlys, till kepe at he spak
He dyd afferm hys hecht, and in takynnyng
The hevynnys all maid trymmyll at hys likyng.
Tharfor the day that he by promys set
Is now at hand, and the ful tyme of det
By the werd sisteris schaip is now compleit,
Quhen Turnus thus in hys iniuryus heit
Admonyst hess hys pepill and commandis,
With dry schydis and with hait fyre brandis,
The moder of goddis by sik flambys fell
Furth of hir hallowyt schippis to expell.
At this tyme first apperis in hir syght
A new takynnyng of gret plesand lycht,
And a braid schynand clowd thai dyd aspy
Cum from the est, rynnand our all the sky;
The rowtis eik onone thai gan behald
Of Ideanys, tha wightis that in the hald
Ar of the moder of the goddis closs;
Dovn throu the air eik come a feirful voce,
And fillit all the ostis baith atanys
Of Troiane pepill and Rutulianys,
Sayand: “Troianys, dreid na thing, haist ȝou nocht
Fortill defend my schippis, albeit ȝe mocht,
For that causs tak na wapynnys in ȝour handis,
For rather, now as that the mater standis,
Sal it be lefull Turnus fyre the see,
Or that he byrn my bargis maid of tre.
O ȝe my schippys, now to ȝou I say,
Go fre at large quhar ȝou list away,
Go furth and swym as goddessis of the see;
The moder of goddis commandis so tobe.”
And, wyth that word, als tyte furth from the bra
Ilk barge bownys, cuttand hir cabyll in twa,
Lyke delphyn fysch onon as thai tuke kepe,
Thar snowtis dowkand held vnder the deip.
Syne from the grond, a wonder thing to say,
With als feill virgyne facis vpsprang thai,
And throu the fludis, quhar thame list, dyd fair,
Quhou mony steill stammyt bargis that ayr
Stude by the costis syde, or thai war fyryt.
Rutylianys wolx affrayit with myndis myryt;
Mesapus musyng can withdraw on dreich,
Seand hys stedis and the horssis skeich;
And eik the ryver brayt with hayss sovnd,
Quhill Tyberinus bakwartis dyd rebound,
As thocht hyss curss dyd stop and step abak.
Bot netheless, for all the feir thai mak,
The hie curage and forcy hardyment
Baid onamovyt in Turnus stowt entent,
So that baldly with hardy wordis on hie
Thar spretis rasyt, and rycht fersly he
Can thame repreve, that tuk for nocht affray.
“Thir monstruus takynnys at ȝe se, perfay,
Sekis myscheif to the Troianys,” said he,
“And by this way gret Iupiter, as ȝe se,
Hess now byreft thar help and confidens,
Quharby thai wont war to fle for defens.
Now nowder Rutyliane fyre nor swerdis dynt
May thai withstand, for all thar fors is tynt.
Sen that thai may not eschape by the see,
Nor hess na maner hope away to fle,
The maist half of the Troiane help is lost;
This land is in our power, feld and cost;
So that thai sal na wyss eschape our brandis,
Quhou mony thousand douchty men of handis
Ar heir assemblyt, all Italyanys.
I compt na thing all thocht ȝon fant Troianys
Rakkyn thar fatis that thame hydder brocht;
All syk vayn ruyss I feir as thing of nocht,
In cace thai prowd be of the goddis answeris,
And thame avant tharof with felloun feris.
It may weill suffyss, and eneuch, I wyss,
Baith to thar fatis and Venus grantit is,
That evir thir Troianys in this cost fast by
Hes anys twichit the bowndis of Italy.
My werdis eik and fatale destane
Be the contrar is grantit onto me,
Thys cursyt pepill tobet down with my glave,
For my deir spouss, quham byreft me thai have:
Nor this ennoy alanerly twichis nocht
The twa Atrydes, that Troy to rewyne brocht
(I meyn the principal chiftanys, breder twa,
That is to knaw, Agamennon and Menelay);
Nor ȝit allane this causs to armys steris
The pepill of Myce to move batale and weris;
Bot principaly this querrell myne I knaw.
Gif it had bene eneuch, as that thai schaw,
At thai bot anys distroyit aucht tobe,
It war enewch and mycht suffyss, think me,
That thai haue faltit anys lang tyme befor.
Quhy dowbill thai thar trespass mor and mor?
All thocht that wemen brocht thame to foly,
Ȝyt hait thai not wemen aluterly.
Quhat meyn thai be this myddill mantill wall,
This litill stop of dykis and fowseis all?
Weyn thai this be a strenth that may thame save?
Thar lyfe is now in iuperte, thai raif,
Full neir thar ded thai stand: all man may knaw
Quhidder gif the wight wallys of Troy thai saw,
Belt by the hand of Neptunus, that syre,
Rent and bet down, and all the town in fyre.
Bot O ȝe walyt knychtis of renown,
Quham I behald with pykkis brekand dovn
Ȝon forteress, and now present with me
Assalȝeand this affrayt strenth we se;
Ws nedis not Wlcanus armour heir
Aganys thir maste fant Troianys in our weir,
Nor ȝit we mystir not a thousand schippis.
All thocht hail Tuscany in to falloschippis
With thame adione, and cum on euery syde,
Lat thame nocht dreid that we, be nyghtis tyde,
Sall thyftuusly Palladium steill away,
Nor sla thar wachis slepand; na perfay,
Dern in ane horssis belly large or wyde,
Thame to dissave, we sall ws neuer hyde,
For we determyt haue by forss in fyght,
In plane batale, and on days lyght,
With fyre and swerd ȝon wallys ombeset.
So dowchtely we schape to do our det,
That thai sall not beleif weir vndertane
Agane Grekis, nor pepill Pelasgane,
Quhilkis in thar weris previt sa spreitless men
That Hector thame delayt ȝeris ten.
Now, chosyn men and walyt weriouris,
Sen the maist part of this days howris
Is gane,” said he, “I hald it for the best
Eftir this gud iournay ȝe tak ȝou rest;
Do eyss ȝour bodeis and ȝour horss quhil day,
Bot hald ȝou reddy for the batale ay.
In the meyn tyme, of the nycht wach the cur
We geif Mesapus, the ȝettis to discur
And forto beit brycht fyris abowt the wallys.”
Twyss sevin Rutilianys for al chance befallys
Was chosyn with knychtis forto wach the town;
Ilkane ane hundreth fallowys reddy bown
Of ȝoung gallandis, with purpour crestis red;
Thar giltyn geir maid glitteryng euery sted
Quhar so thai walk and romys still and soft.
Thai stalk about, and wardis changis oft,
And sum tyme, on the greyn herbys down set,
Thai byrll the wyne, and ilk man dyd hys det
Fortil ourturn goblettis of mettell bryght.
The schynand fyris our al the land kest lycht;
And all the fornycht thir wachis sikkyn way,
But sleip, dyd spend in revale, gam and play.
The Troianys, from thar forttress quhar thai stude
All thar deray beheld and vnderstude,
And baith with armour and with wapynnys brycht
The towr hedys thai stuffyt all that nyght,
And feill tymys in hasty effeir for dreid
The portis vissy thai, gyf ocht war neid,
And draw briggis befor the ȝettis vprasyt,
Iunct to the wallys, at thai suld nocht be trasyt;
And euery man stud reddy in hys geir
Enarmyt weill, and in his hand a speir.
Mnestheus stern and eik Serestus stowt
Ful bissy war to walk and go abowt,
Tyll ordinance forto put every thing,
For thame Eneas at his departyng
Had deput rewlaris to hys ȝong son deir,
And master capitanys of hys ost in weir,
Gyf so betyd ony aduersyte
Or aventour befor hys returne.
Ane haill legioun about the wallis large
Stude wachyng, bodyn with bow, speir and targe;
The danger was by cuttys sone decyde,
At euery corner quha, or quha, suld byde,
And euery man his curss abowt dyd sleip,
Quhill that his fallow had his ward to keip.
Nisus, Hirtacus son, that tyme was set,
As for hys stand, to byde and kepe the ȝet,
As he that was in armys bald and stowt,
Ane the maist valȝeant intill all that rowt,
Quham Ida hys moder, ane huntryce,
In falloschip send with Ene ful wyss;
To cast dartis nane sa expert as he,
Nor forto schoyt swyft arrowys half sa sle.
Euryalus, hys fallow, stude hym by,
Of all Eneas ost nane mair gudly,
Nor ȝit mar semly cled in Troiane armys,
Stowt, of hie curage, dredand for na harmys;
Hys florist ȝouth ravest hys vissage ȝyng,
Ȝit nevir schavyn, with pilis newly spryng.
To thir twa was a will in vnyte,
A lust, and mynd in vniformyte;
Sammyn thai ȝeid to mete, to rest or play,
And baith togidder in batale ruschit thai;
Now sammyn eik thai war in statioun set,
As baith in feir to kepe the common ȝet.
Nisus thus spekis: “O brothir myne Ewrylly,
Quhiddir gif the goddis, or sum spretis sylly,
Movys in our myndis this ardent thochtfull fyre,
Or gif that euery manis schrewit desyre
Be as his god and genyus in that place,
I wait nevir how it standis; bot this lang space
My mynd movys to me, heir as I stand,
Batale or sum gret thyng to tak on hand.
I knaw not to quhat purposs is it drest,
Bot be na way may I tak eyss nor rest.
Behaldis thou not so surly, but affray,
Ȝon Rutylianys thame haldis glaid and gay?
Thar fyris now begynnys schyne full schire,
Sowpyt in wyne and sleip baith man and syre
At quyet lugyng ȝondyr at thar will;
Queym silens haldis the large feildis still.
Considir this profundly, I the pray,
Quhat suld I dreid, quhat thynkis thou, now say.
Baith common pepill and the heris bald
To bryng agane Eneas ful fane thai wald;
Langyng ful sair efter hys hame cummyng,
And of hys mynd to haue sur wrytyng,
Thai all desyre sum attentik men be send.
Gyf, as I wald, thou had licens to wend,
Sen weill I knaw thy famus nobill dedis,
In sik a cace, me think, na ma thar nedis,
Vndre ȝon moyte the way fund weill I se
To hald onto the wallys of Pallante.”
Ewrialus, smyte with hie fervent desyre
Of new renown, quhilk brynt hym hait as fyre,
And half eschamyt of this bodword glaid,
Thus til hys best belovyt fallow said:
“Nisus broder, in souerane actis hie,
For ony causs, quhou may thou refuss me
With the to go in falloschip as feir?
Suld I the send allane in sik danger?
My fader, Opheltes, the quhilk all hys days
The weris hantit, nevir apon that ways
Instrukkit me, nor tawcht sik cowardy.
Was I not lernyt to hant chevalry
Amyd the Grekis brag, and Troiane weris?
Haue I me born with the, at thou afferis
Off my curage? The maist douchty Enee,
And of fortoun to the last extremyte,
Haue I not followyt, refusand na pyne?
Heir is, heir is, within this corps of myne,
A forcy spreit that doith this life dispyss,
Quhilk reputtis fair to wissyll, apon sik wyss,
With this honour thou thus pretendis to wyn,
This mortale stait and life that we bene in.”
Nisus ansueris: “Forsuyth, my broder dyng,
Of the, God wait, ȝit dred I nevir sic thing,
For so to think in faith onlefull wer.
So hail and feir mot salf me Iupiter,
And bryng me sowund agane with victory,
As euer ȝit sic consait of the had I.
To wytnes draw I that ilk god,” quod he,
“With frendly eyn quhilk dois ws heir and se,
And in my mynd first movit this consait.
Bot gif that so betyde, as weill ȝe wait
In sic aventouris thar bene dangeris seir,
Be hard fortoun or aventour of weir,
Or goddys dispositioun happin it fall,
My will was the to salue fra perrellis all:
Thy florist ȝouth is mair worthy to leif
Than forto put in danger of myscheif.
I wald alsso at hame sum frend haue had
That gif at I war takyn and hard stad,
Or fra me reft the lyfe, and sa with hald,
Quhilk my body or banys ranson wald,
And lay in grave eftir our Troiane gyss;
Or, gyf fortoun wald suffir on na wyss
My body mycht be brocht to beriall,
Than to hys frend the seruyce funeral
With obsequeis to do for corps absent,
And in my memor vp a tumbe to stent.
Ne wald I not alsso that I suld be
Causs or occasioun of sic duyll,” quod he,
“To thy maist reuthfull mother, trast and kynd,
Quhilk anerly of hir maist tender mynd,
From all the other matronys of our rowt,
Hess followyt the, hir luffyt child, abowt,
Ne for thy saik refusyt not the see
And gave na forss of Acestes cite.”
The tother tho hym ansuerit sone agane:
“My frend, for nocht thou says sik wordis vane,
Ingirand cacis ar of nane effek;
My first entent I list not change nor brek.
Haist ws,” quod he, and tharwithall baith twa
The nixt wach thai walknyt quhar thai lay,
Quhilk gat on fut and to thar rowmys went.
Eurialus, to fulfill hys entent,
With Nysus furth can hald hys way onon,
And to the prynce Ascanyus ar gone.
Apon the erth the othir bestis all,
Thar bissy thochtis sessyng, gret and small,
Ful sownd on sleip dyd cawcht thar rest be kynd,
All irksum laubour forȝet owt of mynd;
Bot the cheif ledaris of the Troiane rowt,
And flowr of fensabill ȝyng men stern and stowt,
In the meyn tyme sat at wyss consell
For common weill and materis hie befell,
Consideryng wisly quhat ado thar was,
Or quha suld message beir to Eneas;
Amyddis thar tentis, in feild quhar thai stand,
With scheildis schrowd, apon thar speris lenand.
Tho Nysus and Eurialus, baith twane
Glaid of this cast, seand thair tyme maste gane,
Besocht thai mycht be admittit to say
A gret mater of weght, quhais delay
Mycht harm gret deill, and eik be thar avyss
Thar erand was worth audiens and of price.
Ascanyus first, seand thar hasty way,
Admittit thar desire, and bad thame say.
Than this Nisus, Hirtacus son, thus said:
“Gentill Troianys, with equal myndis glaid
Ressaue my wordis, for this thing,” quod he,
“Quhilk I ȝow tell may nocht considerit be
With sik as ws, nor men sa ȝong of ȝheris,
Bot to ȝour wisdomys till avyss efferis.
The Rutilianys, ourset with sleip and wyne,
Lyggis sowpit, fordoverit, drunk as swyne:
To set apon thame, and await with skaith,
The place surly we haue espyit baith,
Quhilk reddy may ful esely be get
In ȝondir forkyt way, strekis fra the ȝet
Down to the seys cost the nerrest went,
Quhar the fyris fast falȝeis, neir owt brynt,
So that the blak reik dyrknyss all the air.
Gif that ȝe suffir wald, as I said ayr,
That we mycht vse this oportunyte
Quhilk fortoun hass ws grant, sone suld ȝe se
Eneas socht by ws at Pallantyne,
And hyddir brocht in schort quhile efter syne,
With ryche spulȝe, and mekill slauchter maid.
We knaw the way thidder full weill,” he said,
“And all the watyr of Tibyr vp and down;
In dyrk valeys oft we saw the town,
As we by custum oft the huntyng hantit.”
Agit Alethes, that na wisdome wantit,
Bot baith was rype in consale and in ȝheris,
Onto thir wordis digestly maid ansueris:
“O kyndly goddis of our natyve landis,
Vndre quhais myghtis all tyme Troy vpstandis,
All thocht the weill tharof in dowt remanys,
Ȝit list ȝou not distroy all the Troianys,
Ne thame so clene defait aluterly,
Sen sa stowt myndis as we heir aspy
And sa bald reddy breistis gevin haue ȝhe
To thir ȝongkeris.” And sayand thus, can he
The rycht handis and schuldris of baith embrace,
With terys tryncland our his chekis and face.
“O manly knyghtis, quhat reward condyng
May ganandly be geif for syk a thyng,
Forsuyth I can nocht in my mynd devyss;
Bot ȝour maist cheif ganȝeld and gyft to pryss
The gret goddis mot rendyr ȝou,” said he,
“And ȝour awin vertu mot be renowne;
The remanent onone ȝe sall ressaue,
Sa that na wyss ȝe sal ȝour medis crave,
By the handys of reuthfull Eneas;
Or, gif he sone from this lyfe happynnys pass,
Ascanyus, quhilk as ȝit is bot page,
Ȝong and fordward into hys hailsum age,
Sall render ȝour desert, I tak on hand,
And sik thankis, quhil that he is levand,
Sal nevir be forȝet nor do away.”
The sammyn word onon, as he dyd say,
Furth of hys mowth Ascanyus hes hynt:
“I hecht forsuyth that deid sall nevir be tynt,
For all my weil alanerly doys hyng
Apon my faderis prosper hame cummyng.
Nysus,” said he, “I ȝou pray and beseik,
Be our Penates, kyndly goddis meik,
And be Assaracus goddis domesticall,
Quham ȝe the cheif stok of our kynrent call,
And be the secret closettis or entre
Of the venerabill auld canus Veste,
Bryng hame my fader sone, I ȝou exort:
All that perteynyng is to me, at schort,
Baith twychand consale and commandment,
Or aventouris of fortoun, in ȝour entent,
In ȝour willys, I put all haill,” quod he,
“Bryng hame my fader that I may hym se,
For had we hym ressauyt, I dar say,
Is no thing suld ennoy ws nor effray.
Twa siluer cowpys, wrocht rycht curyusly
With figuris grave, and punsyt ymagery,
I sall ȝou geif (the quhilk my fader wan
Quhen conquest was the cite Arisban),
Twa charis rych, or trestis quently fold,
And twa gret talentis of the fynast gold,
And eik the crafty ancyent flacconys two
Quhilkis to me gave the Sydoness Dido.
And gyf, certis, as victouris ws betydis
To conquyss Ital, as the fatys provydis,
Tharin to bruke the crown and ceptre wand,
And to distribut the pray, as lord of land—
Beheld ȝe nocht quhat kyn a cursour wycht,
Quhou prowd armour, weil gilt and burnyst brycht,
That Turnus bair this ȝister nyght?” quod he.
“The sammyn scheld, and helm with crestis thre
Semyng of fyre all rede, and the ilk steid,
Fra this sammyn hour, Nysus, salbe thy meid;
I sall thame sort fra all the remanent.
And forthir eik my fader, of hys ascent,
Twelf chosyn matronys sall ȝou geif all fre,
To be ȝour sclavys in captiuite,
With all thar childryng and thar hail ofspryng,
Thar moblys, catal, rentis and armyng;
And eik that feild and pryncipal peyss of land
Quhilk Kyng Latinus hess now in hys hand.
And O thou wirschipfull ȝong child, quhais age
Is to my ȝouthed in the nerrest stage,
With all my hart I the ressaue evin heir,
In all cacis as tendir fallow and feir.
But the, na glorius act in my materis
Salbe exercyt, nother in paix nor weris:
In euery thing, baith into word and deid,
The maist trast salbe geif the for thy meid.”
Ewrialus maid this answer for hys syde:
“That day sal neuer cum, nor tyme betyde,
For my defalt onworthy sall I be
Fortyll attene sa souerane dignyte.
Lat fortoun send ws gude luk, gif scho lest,
Or mysaventour, I sal do my best—
Lo, this is all, na mair I may promyt.
Bot, abuf all thingis, a gift grant me ȝit,
That I beseik the oft and monyfald:
Ane moder, cummyn of Priamus blude of ald,
Within this town I haue, quhilk silly wyfe,
Me forto follow not comptand hir lyfe,
The realm of Troy mycht not withhald,” said he,
“Nor ȝit in Sycyll Acestes fair cite.
Now hir I leif onhalsyt as I ryde,
Of this danger, quhat so evir betyde,
All ignorant and wait no thyng, puyr wight;
To wytnes draw I heir this ilk gude nycht,
And thy rycht hand, my lord and prynce maste hie,
The wepand teris may I not suffir nor se
Of my deir moder, nor that rewthfull syght.
Bot I beseik thy gentyll hart of ryght
Forto comfort that cayrfull creatur;
That desolat wight to succur schaw thi cuyr.
Grant this a thyng, and suffir that of the
This a gude hop I bair of town with me;
And far the baldar, quhat so fortoun send,
Ontill all dangeris glaidly sall I wend.”
The Troianys all for reuth, at speke hym heris,
Smyte with compassioun, brastis furth of terys,
With tender hartis menand Ewrialus.
Bot principaly lusty Ascanyvs,
The ymage of hys faderly piete
Prent in hys mynde, hym strenys swa that he
Wepand answerd, and said: “My brother deir,
I promyss all thou desiris, out of weir,
For thy commancement and stowt begynnyng
Is sa douchty I may the nyte na thyng.
Forsuyth this woman, quhat so evir scho be,
Fra thyne fordwart sal moder be to me,
Wantyng na mar of my moder in plane
Alanerly bot Creusa, hyr name;
And thus of sik a byrth na litill blyss
Sall hyr betyde, quhou evir efter this
The chans turnys, owder to weill or wo.
Be this ilk hed I swer to the also,
By quhilk my fader wont was forto swer,
All that I haue onto the promyst heir
Gyf thou returnys in prosperyte,
Failȝeand tharof, as Iove defend swa be,
To thy moder and onto thy kynred
Sall fully bene obseruyt, in thy sted.”
Thus sayd he wepand, and tharwith alssua
Hys gyltyn swerd he hynt his schuldris fra,
Quham wonder craftely in the land of Creyt
Lycaon forgyt had, and wrocht it meyt
Within a burnyst scheith of evor bone;
Thame baith togiddir he gaue Ewrill onone.
Syne Mnestheus a bustuus lyon skyn,
That rowch and weirlyke tawbart na thing thyn,
To Nysus gave; and the traste Alethys
With hym hes helmys cosyt, and gaue hym hys.
Onon thai held enarmyt furth thar way,
Quham all the nobillys ȝyng and ald, perfay,
Convoyt to the portis, na thyng fayn,
Prayand full oft Iove bryng thame weil agane.
Bot principaly the fresch Ascanyus ȝyng,
Abufe al otheris in hys commonyng
Schawand the wysdome, consait and forsyght
Of agit man, and eik the curage wight,
Gave thame feill chargis and commandmentis
To beir hys fader, twychand hys ententis;
Bot with the wynd tha skatterit war on raw,
And all for nocht amang the clowdis flaw.
Furth ischit thai, and by the fowcyis went is,
In silens of the dyrk nycht, amangis the tentis
And perellus pailȝeonys, to thame ennemy,
Thai entrit ar, and caucht gret harm tharby
(Bot netheless, or ony skaith thai hynt,
The ded of mony was thar douchty dynt).
Apon the gyrss, ourset witht sleip and wyne,
Fordoverit, fallyn down als drunk as swyne,
The bodeys of Rutylianys heir and thar
Thai dyd persaue; and by the cost alquhar
The cartis stand with lymowris bendyt strek,
The men lyggyng, the hamys abowt thar nek,
Or than amangis the quhelys and the thetis;
All sammyn lay thar armour, wyne and metys,
Baith men and cartis myddillyt all our ane.
With ane bass voce thus Nysus spak agane:
“Ewrialus, the mater now thus standis,
Fortobe stowt and forcy of our handis.
Thys is our passage, quhilk way we mon wend.
Thy part salbe to kepe and to defend
That nane onset cum on ws at the bak;
Spy far about, tharto gude tent thou tak.
I sall befor mak voyd passage and way,
And the convoy throu a large streit away.”
Rehersand this, onon he held hym closs,
So that na noys mycht thar be hard or voce,
And tharwith eik with drawyn swerd in press
He can assail the pompus Rhamnetes,
Quhilk lay, percace, slepand soft and sownd
On prowd tapetis spred apon the grond;
A kyng he was, and a spa man, suyth to sayn,
To Turnus kyng mast trast auguriane,
Bot with hys diuinatioun nor augury
The trake of deth ne cowth he not put by.
Thre of hys seruandis, that fast by hym lay,
Ful raklesly he kyllyt, all thocht thai
Amang thar speris lyggyng war infeir;
And quellyt ane to Remus was squyer.
The cartar syne, luggyng apon the streit,
He hynt onon amang the horssis feyt,
And with hys swerd hys nek, hyngand on syde,
In twane hes hakkyt; and the sammyn tyde
Thar lordis hed, I meyn this said Rhamneyt.
Of smytis he, quhill all the bed wolx weyt;
Lyke a ded stok the corps wantand the hed
Lay bullerand, al besprent with sprayngis red,
And als the erth grew warm with teppet blude.
Attour he stekit hes eik, quhar he stude,
Twa forcy men, Lamus and Lamyrus,
And als the lykly ȝong child, Serranus,
That all the fornycht in ryot and in play
Had spendyt as he lyst, and now he lay
With membris strekit, and plesand vissage brycht,
Ourset with god Bachus mekill of myght:
Ful happy and weill fortunat had he be,
In sport and gam on the sam wyss gif he
All the remanent of that nycht had spent,
Quhil the lycht day, and tyl hym self tane tent.
Lyke as the empty lyoun, lang onfed,
Be nychtis tyde quhen all folk sleip in bed,
Trubland the fald full of silly scheip,
The wod rage of hys hungir is so deip
That he constrenyt is sik wyss to fair;
He ryvis and he harlys heir and thar
The tendir bestis, that for awfull feir
Of hys presens dar nowder bleyt nor steir;
He rummysis with bludy mowth and brays—
So dyd Ewrilly, and none other ways,
And na less slauchter maid he in the plane,
Of ire inflambyt in his wod brane.
A multitude of commonys of birth law,
By quhilk resson thar namys ar onknaw,
He ombeset and put to confusioun,
And Fadus syne with Hesebus dang he down,
And Arabys also onwarnystly,
And Rhetus eik, lay walkand hard thame by
Behaldand all thar sterage and deray,
Bot, of the stowt Ewrialus for affray,
Behynd a wyne bote or a pype hym hyd,
Quham Eurialus, as the cace betyd,
Keppyt on hys swerdis poynt, that all the blaid
Hyd in hys cost vp to the hyltis glaid—
To ded he duschis down bath styf and cald,
And vp the purpour spreit of lyf he ȝald,
And blude and wyne mixt he can furth schaw,
At he last drank owt ȝeskis in the ded thraw.
And, by sik slyght full brym, thus he enforcis
To mak huge slauchtir of onweldy corpcis,
Etlyng wightly to the nixt stude fast by.
Thar as Mesapus feris all dyd ly,
And the last fyris almaste quynchit owt,
The horss, per ordour, tyit weill abowt,
Etand thar meit he mycht behald and se;
Quham schortly Nysus bad sess and lat be,
For he persauyt Eurialus by his feris
Had our gret lust to slauchter, and dangeris
Persauyt nocht quhilkis war apperand eft.
“Desist,” quod he, “this mater mon be left,
For the day lycht, quhilk is to ws onfrend,
Approchis neir, we may na langar lend.
Gret harm is done, eneuch of blude is sched,
Throw owt our fays a patent way is red.”
And sayng thus, thai sped thame on thar way:
Behynd thame, for vptakyng quhar it lay,
Mony brycht armour richly dyght thai left,
Cowpys and goblettis, forgyt far, and beft
Of massy syluyr, lyand heir and thar,
Prowd tapysry, and mekill precyus war;
Salf that Eurialus with hym tursyt away
The rial trappouris, and myghty patrellys gay,
Quhilkis war Rhamnetes stedis harnessyng,
And, for the mair remembrance in takynnyng,
Ane rych tysche or belt hynt he syne,
The pendentis wrocht of burnyst gold maste fyne
(Quhilk gyrdill ane Cedicus, that was than
Duryng his tyme ane the myghtyast man,
Bereft a strang Rutiliane, as thai tell,
Quham he venquyst in singular batell,
And send it syne to ane Remulus hes he,
That duke was of the Tiburtyne cite,
In syng of frendschip and ferm acquentans:
Thus athir absent ionyt allyans;
Syne this ilk prynce, into hys legacy,
That tyme apon hys ded bed dyd he ly,
This gyrdill left to ȝongar Remulus,
Hys tendyr nevo, that is heir slane thus);
Euryll, as said is, hess this iowell hynt,
Abowt hys sydis it brasyng, or he stynt—
Bot all for nocht, supposs the gold dyd gleit.
Mesapus helm syne, for him wondir meit,
With schynand tymbret and with crystis hie,
Apon hys hed onon buklyt hes he.
Furth of the tentis with this bownyt thai,
And fra thar fays held the sovyr way.
In the meyn quhile, as this other army
Thus at the sege gan in the feildis ly,
From Lawrentum, Kyng Latinus cite,
War horsmen sent to Turnus, forto se
Quhat he plesyt, and the kyngis entent
Tyll hym to schaw; thre hundreth men furth went
With scheild on schuldir vndre capitane Volscens,
And be this cummyn war to the distens
Neir to thar ost, and, as the cace dyd fall,
Thai held fast vnder this new cite wall.
Quhar as on far towart the left hand thai
Turnand thar curss bakwart persauyt tway
(For the brycht helm in twynkland starny nycht
Mythis Eurilly with bemys schynand lycht,
Quhilk he, onwar, persauyt nocht, allace!),
And as thai scars war thus aspyit on cace,
Volscens the capitane, from amyd his rowt,
Said, “Stand, fallowis,” and cryis with a schowt,
“Quhat is the causs of ȝour cummyng,” said he,
“That rydis thus enarmyt? Quhat ȝe be,
And quhidder ar ȝe bown, ȝe schaw ws plane.”
The tother twa maid nane ansuer agane,
Bot in the woddis hyis at the flicht,
Assurit gretly in dirknes of the nycht.
The horsmen than prekis, and fast furth sprentis
To weil beknawin pethis, and turnys wentis
Baith heir and thar; sone ombeset haue thai
The owtgatis all, thai suld nocht wyn away.
The wod was large, and rowch of buskis ronk,
And of the blak ayk schaddowis dym and donk,
Of breris ful, and thyk thorn ronnys stent—
Scarsly a strait rod or dern narow went
Tharin mycht fundyn be that men mycht pass,
Quharthrou Eurialus gretly cummyrrit was;
Quhat for myrknes, thik buskis, branch and breir,
And weght also of the new spulȝeit geir,
Tharto the hasty onset and affray
Maid hym gang will in the onknawin way.
Nysus wes went, and by this chapyt cleir
Hys ennemys, onwar quhar was hys feir:
And as he stude at that sted, efter syne
From Alba cite clepit was Albyne,
Quhar, for the tyme, this forsaid Latyn kyng
Hys horss at pastour held in stabillyng,
He blent abowt to se hys frend so deir,
Bot all for nocht, thar was na man hym neir.
“Ewrill,” quod he, “allace onhappely
In quhat part of this land the left haue I?
Or quhar sall I the seik? O wailaway!”
Tharwith this ilk wilsum perplexit way
Bakwart he held, euery futstep agane,
Throw the dern wod dissaitfull and onplane;
Quhil, at the last, amang rank buskis he
Errit by the way, becauss becaus he mycht nocht se.
The horss stampyng and the dyn he heris,
The wordis and the takynnys come to his erys
Of thame quhilk at persewit hym at the bak.
A lytil space efter tent gan he tak,
And hard a scry; harknand quhat that suld be,
Eurilly takyn in handys dyd he se,
Quham the dissaitfull onbekend dern way,
The myrk nycht, and the hasty dowtsum fray,
Betrasyt had, that all the mekill rowt,
Or he was war, hym lowkyt rownd about.
Full gret debait he maid, as that he mocht;
Ourset he was, defens was all for nocht.
Quhat mycht than silly Nysus do or say?
Be quhat forss or wapynnys dar he assay
Forto deliuer hys tendir cousyng deir?
Suld he or not aventour hym self heir,
And rusch amyd hys ennemys in that sted,
To procur in haist by wondis ane honest ded?
Vprasys he onon hys arm bakwart
To thraw a gevillyng or a castyng dart,
And, lukand vpwart towart the cleir moyn,
With afald voce thus wyss he maid hys boyn:
“O Latonya, goddes of mekill myght,
Mastres of woddis, bewte of sternys brycht,
Be thou present, and send me thy supple,
Address my wark, be directrix,” said he:
“Gif euer that Hirtacus, my fader deir,
Offrit for me sum gift at thy alter;
Or gif that I of my huntyng and pray
Ekyt thy honour ony maner way,
Or, at thy standart knoppit post of tre,
Thy haly tempillys rufe, or bawkis hie,
Gif evir I hung or fixit ony thyng,
Wild bestis hed, wapynnys or armyng;
Thoil me to trubbill this gret rowt of men,
Do dress my dartis in this wilsum den,
So that my schote and myssour may go rycht
Throu the dyrk ayr and silens of the nycht.”
Thus sayand, with al forss of hys body
The grundyn dart he leyt do glyde in hy.
The fleand schaft the nycht schaddoys devydis,
And rycht forgane him on the tother sydis
It smate Sulmonys scheild, hang on his bak,
Quharin the querral al in schuldir brak;
Bot with the dynt the rynde is revyn swa,
Hys hart pipis the scharp hed persyt in twa.
Down duschis he in ded thraw all forlost,
The warm blude furth bokkand of his cost,
And for the cald of deth hys lungis lap,
With sobbys deip blawys with mony clap.
Hys ferys lukis about on euery syde,
To se quharfra the grundyn dart dyd glyde.
Bot lo, as thai thus wondrit in effray,
Thys ilk Nysus, worthin provd and gay,
And baldar of this chance swa with hym gone,
Ane other takill assayt he onon,
And with a sownd smate Tagus, but remede,
Throu athir part or tymplis of his hed;
In the harn pan the schaft he hes affixt,
Quhil blude and brane al togidder mixt.
The felloun capitane, Volscens, neir wod wendis,
Seand na man quhamof to get amendis;
He mycht do stanche his ire, and syth his thocht,
For quha that threw the dartis saw he nocht.
“Thou, not the less,” quod he, “that standis by,
With thy hait blude for baith twa sal aby
The pane for this myscheif.” And with that word,
He ran apon Euryll with drawyn sword.
Than Nisus, dredand for his fallow kynd,
Begouth to cry, all wod and owt of mynd,
Nor na langar in dern hym hyde he mycht,
Nor of his frend behald sa reuthfull syght:
“Me, me, ȝe sla; lo, I am heir,” he said,
“That dyd the dede; turn hidder in me ȝour blaid
And swerdis all, O ȝe Rutilyanys!
All be my slycht now ȝour feris slane is;
That silly innocent creatour so ȝyng
Myght, nor ȝit durst, on hand tak sic a thing—
Be hevynnys he, and all the starnys, I swer,
That ws behaldis with thar bemys cleir.”
Sik wordis said he, for on sic maner,
And sa strangly, his frend and fallow deir,
That sa myschancy was, belovit he,
That rather for hys life him self list de.
Bot thar was na remedy nor abaid:
The swerd, wightly stokit, or than was glaid
Throu owt hys cost—allace, the harmys smart!
That mylk quhite breist is persyt to the hart.
Down ded ruschit Eurialus ryght thar.
The blude bruschand outour his body fair,
And on hys elbok lenand a litill on wry,
Hys hed and hals bowys hevely—
Lyke as the purpour flour in fur or sewch,
Hys stalk in two smyt newly with the pleuch,
Dwynys away, as it doith faid or de;
Or as the chesbo hedis oft we se
Bow down thar knoppis, sowpit on thar grane,
Quhen thai be chargyt with the hevy rane.
Bot Nysus than ruschit amyd the rowt,
Amangis thame all sekand Volscens the stowt,
And on Volscens alanerly arestis,
Thocht rownd about with ennemys he prest is,
Quhilk heir and thar onon at euery syde
Hym ombeset with warkand woundis wyde.
Bot netheless thame stowtly he assalit,
Not amovit, as na thing him had alit,
And euer his schynand swerd about him swang,
Quhil at the last in Volscens mouth he thrang,
As he, forgane him standand, cryit and gapit.
Allace, quhat reuth was it he not eschapit!
For he deand bereft his fa the life;
Stekit and hurt sa oft with speir and knyfe,
Fell down abuf his frendis ded body,
Quhar best him likit ded to rest and ly.
O happy baith, O fortunat and dyng!
Gif myne endyt or stile may ony thing,
Nevir day nor process of tyme sal betyde,
That ȝour renown sal owt of memor slyde,
Quhil the famyl and ofspring of Enee
The stane immovabill of the Capitolie
Inhabitis, and sa lang as Romanys bald
The monarchy of the empyre sal hald.
The schamful victouris, thir Rutilyanys,
The pray and spreth, and other geir that ganys,
Ioysyng but obstakil, Volscens ded body
Onto the tentis wepand bair in hy.
And na less murnyng hard thai in that sted
For Rhamnetes, fund hedless, pail and ded,
Togiddir with samony capitanys,
And gret herys, so wrachitly as slane is,
Serranus ȝyng, and the gentill Numa,
And nobill corpsis brytnyt mony ma.
Gret press flokkit to se the bodeis schent,
Sum men ȝit throwand half ded on the bent;
Of recent slauchter and the hait effray
The feld abowt all warmyt quhar thai lay,
That all with spait was blandyt and on flude
In bullyrrand stremys of the fomy blude.
The spulȝe led away was knaw full rycht,
Mesapus rich hewmet schynand brycht,
The goldin gyrdill, and trappouris prowdly wrocht,
With mekill swete and labour agane brocht.
Be this Aurora, levand the safron bed
Of hir lord Titan, had the erth ourspred
With new cleirness, and the son scheyn
Begouth defund hys bemys on the greyn,
That euery thing worth patent in the lyght.
Turnus, enarmyt as ane douchty knyght,
Till armys steris euery man abowt,
In plait and maill full mony forcy rowt
Prouocand to the bargane and assay;
Ilk capitane hys folkis settis in array,
And gan thar curage kyndill in ire to fyght,
Be schamefull murmur of this ȝister nycht.
And forthir eik, ane miserabill thing to se,
Ewril and Nysus hedys, on speris hie
Fixit, thai rasyt haldand to the wall,
With huge clamour followyng ane and all.
The forcy and the stowt Eneadanys,
That for the tyme in this cite remanys,
The bront and fors of thar army that tyde
Endlang the wallis set on the left syde,
For on the rycht hand closyt the ryver;
Thai held the forfront quhar thar was danger,
Kepand the braid fowseis and towris hie;
And as thai stand ful dolorusly, thai se
The twa hedys stikkand on the speris,
A miserabil syght, allace, onto thar feris;
Thar facis war ourweil bekend, baith twa,
The blaknyt dedly blude droppand tharfra.
In the meyn quhile, throw the drery cite
The weyngit messynger, Fame, dyd swyftly fle,
And slippand come to thy moder, Ewrilly.
Than suddanly that wrachit wight onsilly
Al pail become, as na blude in hir left,
The naturale heit was from the banys reft.
Furth of hir hand the spynnyng quheil smate sche,
The ȝarn clewis, spyndill and broche of tre,
All swakkit our, and full onhappely
Furth fleys scho with mony schowt and cry,
With wepyng and with wifly womentyng,
Ryvand hir haris, to the wallys can thring
All wod enragit, and with a spedy payss
Dyd occupy tharon the formaste place,
Takand nane hed, na ȝit na maner schame,
Swa amangis men to ryn, and rowp or raym;
Na maner feir of perrel seys sche,
Nor mynd of dartis cast that fast dyd fle.
And as that from the wall hyr sonnys hede
Behaldis sche, wofull, and will of rede,
With hir petuus rewthfull complantis sayr
The hevynnys all scho fillyt and the ayr.
“O my Ewryll,” lamentabilly scho cryis,
“Sall I the se demanyt on syk wyss?
O thou, the lattyr quyet of myne age,
Quhou mycht thou be sa cruell in thy rage
As me to leif alyve, thus myne allane?
O my maist tendir hart, quhar art thou gane?
Na licens grantit was, nor tyme, ne space,
To me thy wrachit moder, allace, allace,
Quhen thou thy self onto sik perrellis set,
That I with the mycht samekill laser get
Als forto tak my leif for evir and ay,
Thy last regrait and quethyng wordis to say.
Ichane, allace, intill ane oncouth land,
Nakyt and bair thy fair body on sand
To fowlys of reif and savage doggis wild
Sall ly as pray, myne awin deir only child!
Nor I, thy moder, layd not thy corps on beir,
Nor with my handis lowkyt thyne eyn so cleir,
Nor wysche thy wondis to reduce thy spreit,
Nor drest the in thy lattir clathis meyt,
The quhilkis I wrocht, God wayt, to mak the gay,
Full bissely spynnand baith nycht and day,
And with sic wobbis and wark, for the, my page,
I comfort me in myne onweldy age,
And irkyt not to laubour for thy sake.
Quhar sall I seik the now? allake, allake!
Or in quhat land lyis now, maglyt and schent,
Thy fair body, and membris tyrvit and rent?
O deir son myne, O tendir get,” quod sche,
“Is this the comfort at thou dois to me,
Quhilk hes the followyt baith our seys and landis?
O ȝe Rutilianys, steik me with ȝour brandis;
Gyf thar be rewth or piete in ȝour banys,
Do swak at me ȝour dartis all atanys;
With ȝour wapynnys first ȝe sal me sla.
O thou gret fader of goddis,” can scho say,
“Haue reuth apon me, wrach of wrachis all,
And on my catyve hed thou lat dovn fall
Thy thundris dynt of wildfyre fra the hevin,
Law vndre hell tharwith to smyte me evin,
Sen that this langsum cruel life I ne may
Consume nor endyng be nane other way.”
With this regrait the Troiane myndis all
War smyte with reuth; endlang the large wall
The duylfull murnyng went and womentyng;
Thar hie curage, to tel a wondyr thyng,
That oneffrayt was batale to sustene,
Wolx dolf and dull the petuus sycht to sene.
Bot as scho thus kyndillis sorow and wo,
Ane Ideus, and Actor, Troianys two,
At the command of Illyoneus past,
And ȝyng Ascanyus wepand wonder fast,
And hynt hyr vp betwix thar armys squar,
Syne hamewart to hir lugyng thai hyr bair.
Bot than the trumpettis weirly blastis abundis,
With terribill brag of brasyn bludy soundis;
The skry, the clamour, followys the ost within,
Quhill all the hevynnys bemyt of the dyn.
The Volscenaris assemblyt in a sop
To fyll the fowseis and the wallis to slop,
All sammyn hastand with a pavyss of tre
Hesyt togidder abuf thar hedys hie;
Sa sairly knyt that maner embuschment
Semyt tobe a closs volt quhar thai went.
Ane other sort pressyt to haue entre,
And clym the wallis with leddyrris large and hie,
Quhar as the army of the Troiane syde
Was thynnast scattyrrit on the wallis wyde,
And brycht arrayt cumpany of the men
War diuidit or sloppit, at thai mycht ken
The weirmen not sa thyk in syk a place.
Bot the Troianys, that oft in sik lyke cace
Be lang vsage of weir war lernyt and kend
Quhou thai thar town and wallys suld defend,
All kynd of wapynnys and dartis at thame slyngis,
And dang thame down with pikkis and poyntit styngis,
Down weltyng eik of huge weght gret stanys,
Be ony way gif tharby for the nanys
Thai mycht on forss dissevyr that punȝe
Quhilk thame assalȝeit thekit with pavyss he,
For weill thai knew thar fays al maner of teyn
Vndir that volt of targis myght systeyn,
Sa lang as thai sammyn onsyverit war.
Bot now thai mycht thar ordour hald na mar;
For the Troianys, or evyr thai wald cess,
Thar as the thikast rowt was and maist press,
Ane huge weght or hepe of mekill stanys
Ruschys and weltis down on thame atanys,
That diuerss of Rutilianys lay thar ondyr;
The laif skalyt on brede; brok was in sondir
The covertouris and ordinance of thar scheldis.
Fra thens, the hardy Rutilianys in the feildis
Pressyt na mar in hydlys forto fyght,
Bot thame enforcis now with all thar mycht,
With ganȝeis, arrowys, and with dartis slyng,
Thar famen from the wallys forto dyng.
And at ane other syde with felloun feir
Meȝentyus the grym, apon a speir,
Or heich styng or stour of the fyr tre,
The blak fyre bless of reik in swakkis he;
And Mesapus, the dantar of the horssys,
Neptunus son, with hys menȝe enforcis
Tyl vndermynd the dike and rent the paill—
Leddyris he axis the wallys to assaill.
Calliope, and O ȝe musys all,
Inspire me til endyte! On ȝou I call
To schaw quhat slauchter and occisioun,
Quhou feill corpsis thar war brytnyt doun
By Turnus wapynnys and hys dartis fell,
Quham euery man kyllit and send to hell:
Help and assist to revolue heir with me
The extreme dangeris of that gret melle.
Ȝhe blissyt wightis, forsuyth, ramembris weill
Sik thyngis, and quhar ȝou lyst may reveill.
Thar stude a towr of tre, huge of hycht,
With batellyng and kyrnellys all at ryght,
Set in ane neidfull place neir by the ȝet,
Quham to assailȝe, ourcum and down bet,
With hail pyssance all the Italianys
At vtir power ombeset atanys;
And by the contrar, on the tother syde
Alkynd defencis can Troianys provyde,
Threw stanys down, and sillys heir and thar,
At euery part or oppyn fenystar
The grundyn dartis leyt down fle thikfald.
Turnus the prynce, at was baith darf and bald,
Ane byrnand bleiss leyt at the fortress glyde,
And festynnyt the fyre hard to the towris syde,
Quhilk with the wyndis blast, thar as it stak,
Vpblesyt in the burdis and the thak,
And spreddis wide amangis the gestis gret;
The byrnand low consumyt all throu hete.
Within thai schuddrit for the fell effray,
Bot all for nocht to press to wyn away;
Na laser was the danger to eschape,
For as thai ran abak, and can thame schaip
Fortill withdraw towart the tother syde
Quhar as the fyre was not ȝit ourglyde,
And hurlyt all togydder in a hepe,
Tho with thar swechtis, as thai reill and leipe,
The byrnand towr down rollys with a rusche,
Quhill all the hevynnys dyndlyt of the dusch.
Down weltis the men half ded with brokyn banys,
The huge heip thame followit all atanys,
On thar awyn wapynnys stikkand he and he,
Sum stekit throu the cost with spilys of tre
Lay gaspand, of thame all that scarsly tway,
Ane Helenor and Lycus, gat away;
Of quhom the formest, this ilk Helenor,
Now in hys florist ȝouth, was get and bor
Betwix Meonyus kyng, in prevyte,
And Lycynya the boynd wench wondir sle,
Quhilk hym to Troy had send that hendyr ȝer,
Onkend, in armour forbodyn for wer;
Delyver he was with drawin swerd in hand
And quhite target, onsemly and evill farrand.
Thys Helenor, seand hym self in dowt
Amyd thousandis enarmyt of Latyn rowt,
Behaldand graithly apon athir hand
Arrayt ostis of Latyn pepill stand;
Lyke the wild ragyt best, quham huntaris stowt
Hess ombeset with thyk range all abowt,
Seand be na meyn that scho mycht evaid,
Apon the wapynnys rynnys with a braid,
Slyppis hir self, and with gret forss hir beris
Apon the pantis of the huntyng speris—
Nane othir wyss, this ilk ȝong Helenor,
Thus ombeset behynd and als befor,
Amyd hys fays ruschys reddy to de,
Quhar thikkast was the press thar etlys he,
Quhilkis, but abaid, alssone hess hym slane
As spark of gleid wald in the sey remane.
Bot Lycus, spedyar far on fut than he,
Throw owt the ostis and armyt men can fle,
And to the wallys wan, and vp on hyght
Enforcis hym to clym with all hys mycht
And forto grip sum of hys feris handis;
Quham Turnus, lanssand lychtly our the landis,
With speir in hand persewys forto spill,
And quhen he hess ourtane him at his will,
Thus dyd hym chyde: “O catyve wytless knaip,
Quhat, wenyt thou our handis to eschaip?”
And tharwith drew hym doun, quhar he dyd hyng,
And of the wal a gret part with hym bryng—
Lyke as the egill, Iovis squyer, straucht
Within hys bowand clukis had vp clawcht
A ȝong cygnet, or quhit swan, or a hair,
Tharwith resursyng heich vp in the ayr;
Or as a ravanus bludy wolf throu slycht
Hyntis in hys gowl, furth of the fald be nycht,
The litill tendyr kyd, or the ȝong lam,
With feill bletingis socht by the gait, hir dame.
Rutilianys for ioy than rasyt a schowt,
And fast invadys the cite all abowt;
With hepys of erd the fowsy do thai fyll;
Sum otheris presyt with schydis and mony a syl
The fyre blesys abowt the ruf to slyng.
Bot Ilioneus that tyme dyd doun dyng
With a gret quhyn, or roch of cragy stone,
Ane Lucetyus, and brak hys nek bone,
As that he dyd approche towartis the ȝet,
The hait flammys of fyre tharin to set.
Liger a Troiane from the wall also
Doun bet a Rutiliane hait Emathio.
A Phrigiane eik, Asylas, stern and stowt,
All tofruschit Choryneus withowt,
Quhilk was in dartis castyng wonder sle;
On far to schute scharp flanys and lat fle
Nane mar expert than this Emathio.
Ceneus ourquhelmyt Ortygius also;
And this Ceneus, quhilk than gat the mastry,
Belyve Turnus with a dart ded gart ly;
And down dyngis alsso this ilk Turnus
Ithis, Clonyus, and eik Dioxippus,
Promulus als, and bustuus Sagaras,
And syne the huge byg Troiane, hait Idas,
Standand forto defend the towris hie.
Capys, a Troiane, bet doun Pryverne,
Quham Themyllas with a scharp casting dart
Had newly hurt and wondyt in sum part;
And he hys hand plat to the wound in hy,
Hys scheild besyde hym swakkand fulychly,
So that the fedderit arrow furth dyd glyde,
And nalyt hys hand plat to the left syde;
The schaft and hed remanyt in hys cost,
Be dedly wound the lyfe thus hes he lost.
Arcens, Arcentis son, stude on the wall,
In brycht armour ful semly schynand all,
Hys mantill of the purpour Iberyne,
With nedill wark brusyt rych and fyne,
Of vissage was he plesand forto se;
Hys fader Arcens send him with Enee;
Fostyrrit he was and vpbrocht tendirly
Within hys moderis hallowyt schaw, fast by
The flude Symethus into Sycill land,
Quhar as the plentuus fat altar dyd stand
Of the placabill goddis, Palycy hecht.
Ane gret staf slung byrrand with felloun weght
Hynt Meȝentius, hys scheild syne by hym lays,
The stryngis thryss abowt hys hed assays,
And this ilk Arcens standyng hym forgane
Hes smertly with a ledyn pellok slane;
Hys harn pan and forhed al to claif,
Quhil at the led in sondir brak and raif,
That he ourtumlys speldit on the sand.
Thus gret slauchtir was maid fra hand to hand.
Ascanyus this ilk tyme, as is said,
That wont was with his schot bot to invaid
The wild bestis, quhilkis cowth do not bot fle,
First heir in bargane leyt swyft arrowys fle,
And by hys handis slew strang Numanus,
That was to surname clepit Remulus,
Had laitly Turnus ȝyngast systir wed,
As for hys spowss, and brocht ontill hys bed.
This ilk Numanus Remulus in that sted
Befor the frontis of the batell ȝeyd,
Furth schawand mony diuerss sawys seir,
Baith ganand and onganand forto heir,
Rycht prowd and hely in his breist and hart
That newlyngis of the kynrik was a part
To him befall. His gret estait this wyss
Woustand he schew with clamour and lowd cryis:
“Aschame ȝe nocht, Phrigyanys that twyss taik is,
Tobe inclosyt amyd a fald of stakis,
And be assegit agane sa oft syss
With akyn spilis and dikis on sik wyss?
Schame ȝe not to prolong ȝour lyvis?” said he.
“Thir venquyst cowart wightis behald and se,
That dar our spousage into batale craif!
Quhat wild dotage so maid ȝour hedis raif?
Or quhat onthrifty god in sic foly
Hes ȝou bywavit heir till Italy?
Heir ar not the slaw weirmen Atrydes,
Nor the fenȝear of fair speche Vlixes.
Bot we, that bene a pepill derf and dour
Cumyn of kynd, as keyn men in a stour,
Our ȝoung childring, the first tyme born thai ar,
Onto the nixt rynnand flude we bair
To hardyn thar bodeis and to mak thame bald
With the chil frostis and the watyr cald.
Our childir ȝyng exercis bissely
Huntyng with hundis, hornys, schowt and cry,
Wild deir throw owt the woddis chaiss and mait.
To dant and reyn the horssis ayr and layt,
That is thar game and sport thai hant on raw,
Or with thar bowys schute, or dartis thraw.
Our ȝong spryngaldis may all laubouris endur,
Content of litill fuyde, I ȝou assur,
Of ȝouth thai be accustumat tobe skant,
The erd with plewch and harrowys forto dant,
Or than in batal bettis citeis down.
In euery age with irne graith ar we bown,
And passand by the plewys, for gad wandis,
Broddis the oxin with speris in our handis;
Nor ȝit the slaw nor febill onweldy age
May waik our spreit, nor mynyss our curage,
Nor of our strenth to altyr ocht or pair.
The steill helmys we thrist on hedis hair;
Best likis ws all tyme to rug and reif,
To dryve away the spreth, and thar on leif.
Ȝour pantit habittis dois of purpour schyne;
Ȝour hartis lykis best, so I dyvyne,
In idilness to rest abuf al thing,
To tak ȝour lust, and go in karellyng;
Ȝour cotys hess traland slevys our ȝour handis,
Ȝour foly hattis trappouris and brasyng bandis.
O verray Phrygiane wifis, dasyt wightis!
To call ȝou men of Troy that on rycht is;
Ȝe be onworthy to sa hie style to clame.
On Dyndyma top go, and walk at hame,
Quhar as the quhissill rendris soundis seir,
With tympanys, tawbronys, ȝe war wont to heir,
And boss schawmys of turnyt buschboun tre
That grew in Berecyntia montane hie,
Onto the moder of Ida dedicat,
Callys efter ȝou to danss, and nocht debait:
Ȝeld ȝou to men, and leif al ȝour armyng,
Rendir ȝour swerdis, and all wapynnys resyng.”
Ascanyus ȝyng, byrnand for proper teyn,
Sa gret owtrage of wordis mycht not sustene,
Herand sa hie avant of pompus pryde,
And sik dispyt blawyn owt apon hys syde.
Hys bow with horss sennonys bend hes he,
Tharin a takill set of sovir tre,
And tasand vp his armys far in twyn,
Thus onto Iove lawly dyd begyn
To mak hys first petitioun and prayer:
“Omnipotent hie Iupiter, me heir
Assist to this hardy commancement.
My self onto thy templis sal present
Solempnyt gyftis, maste gudly may be get,
And eik befor thyne altar sall I set
A ȝoung bullok of cullour quhite as snaw,
With goldin schakaris hys forhed arrait on raw;
The best salbe full tydy, tryg and wight,
With hed equale till hys moder on hycht,
Can all reddy with hornys fuyn and put,
And scrape or skattyr the soft sand with his fut.”
The fader of hevin exceppit hys prayer,
And, on that part quhar the lift was maist cler,
Towart the left hand maid a thundyrryng;
All sammyn soundyt the dedly bowys stryng.
Quhyrrand smertly furth flaw the takill tyte,
Quyte throw the hed the Remulus dyd smyte;
The grundyn steill outthrowch hys tympillys glaid.
“Hald on thy ways in haist,” Ascanyus said,
“Thy self to loif, knak now scornfully
With prowd wordis all at standis by.
Sik boydword heir the twyss takyn Troianys
Sendis for hansell to Rutylianys.”
Thus far spekis Ascanyus, and na mair.
Bot the Troianys rasyt a scry in the ayr
With rerd and clamour of blithnes, man and boy,
That to the starnys thar curage sprang for ioy,
Ascanyus extolland abuf the skyis.
And, as thai mak this ryot on sik wyss,
Down from the regioun of the hevin tho
The brycht curland haryt Appollo,
Apon a clowd sittand quhar he wald,
The ostis of Italianys can behald,
And eik new Troys cite, with cheir glaid
Till Iulus the victor thus he said:
“Eik and continew thy new vailȝeand dedis,
Thou ȝong child, for that is the way the ledis
Vp to the starnys and the hevynnys hie,
O thou verray goddis ofspring,” quod he,
“That sall engendir goddis of thy seyd.
In the, be verray resson and of neid,
All batalys, quhilkis by werd ar destinate
Agane Assaracus howss to move debait,
Salbe appasit, and to quyet brocht.
This litill town of Troy, that heir is wrocht,
May nocht withhald the in sik boundis lyte.”
And sayand thus, from the heich hevin als tyte
Discendis he, movand the hailsum ayr,
And to the child Ascanyus socht rycht thar;
Hys figur changit that tyme as he wald
In lykness of ane Butes, hayr and ald,
That pursevant tofor and squyer had be
To Troiane Anchyss, fader of Enee,
And trasty kepar of hys chalmyr dur;
Now had Ene committ to hym the cur
For tyll attend apon Ascanyus ȝyng.
Lyke to this ancyent Butes in al thyng
Furth steppys Phebus, baith in voce and hew,
With lokkis quhite and armour na thing new,
Rowsty, and with a felloun sound clattring,
And sic wordis spak to Iulus ȝyng,
That otherwyss is hayt Ascanyus,
With ardent mynd of bargane desyrus:
“Eneas verray douchty son and ayr,
It may suffice, the nedis do na mair,
Sen, thou onhurt, with thy schote in this sted
The strang Numanus thou hess dung to ded.
This first loving and eik hie renownee
The souerane Apollo grantys the,
Nor na disdene at the sal haue, suthly,
Tobe hys peregall intill archery.
Leif of, my child, and of sic batale cess;
Na mair at this tyme; draw the owt of press.”
On this wyss carpys the brycht Appollo,
And in the myddis of hys sermond tho
He vanyst far away, I wait neuer quhar,
Furth of this mortal sycht in the schire ayr.
The nobillys, and the Troiane capitanys trew,
Be thir takynnys the god Appollo knew,
And hard hys arrowys clatterand in hys cace.
Tharfor thai haue withdraw furth of that place
Ascanyus, at brycht Phebus mychty charge,
And wald no langar thoill hym go at large;
All thocht to feght he had desyre and ioy,
Hame to hys innys dyd thai hym convoy;
Syne to the bargane hess thame sped agane,
In oppyn perrellys, dangeris and all pane
Thar personys and thar lyvys for thar town
Offerand, and for defens maid thame bown.
Endlang the wallys kyrnellys euerystand,
The bruyt and clamour rayss fra hand to hand;
Thar bustuus bowys keynly do thai bend,
Scharp querrellis and castyng dartis furth send,
Quhilk thai with lyamys and thwangis lang owt threw;
Sa thik the ganȝeis and the flanys flew,
That of schaftis and takillys all the feildis
War strowit, and the large planys ourheldis.
In boss helmys and scheldis the weirly schote
Maid rap for rap, reboundand with ilk stot.
Scharp and awfull incressis the bargane,
Als violent as euer the ȝet doun rane
Furth of the west doith smyte apon the wald
In October, quhen the twa sternys cald,
That clepyt beyn the Kyddis, first vpspryngis;
And als thik as the hail schour hoppys and dyngis
In furdys schald, and brays heir and thar,
Quhen trublit beyn the hevynnys and the ayr
With stormy tempest and the northyn blastis,
Quhill clowdis clattris, and all the lyft ourcastis.
Pandarus and Bytias, twa brethir germane,
By Alcanor engendryt, that Troiane,
Quham Hybera, the wild foresteress knaw,
Bred and vpbrocht in Iovys haly schaw,
Sa byg ȝong men thai war, sa gret and wight,
That equale semyt thame tobe of hight
With fyr treis of thar landis or hillys;
And tharto eik sa egyr of thar willis
At thai the port, quhilk be Eneas charge
Was commandyt to kepe stekit, all at large
Has warpyt oppyn onbreid to the wall,
And baldly dyd thar fays clepe and call
To entyr, gyf thai durst, and thame assay,
Sa gret confidens in thar forss had thai.
And thai within stude by the ȝet, that tyde,
Quhilk oppin was on the rycht and left syde,
As thai had towris beyn baith gret and squar,
Enarmyt with thar wapynnys brycht and bar,
The hie tymbrettis of thar helmys schane—
Lyke tobehald as bustuus akis twane
Besyde the beyn ryver Athesys grow,
Or flowand fludis bankis of the Pow,
Vpstrekand thar byg croppys to the ayr,
And onsned branschis wavand heir and thar.
Alsswith as the Rutylianys dyd se
The ȝet oppyn, thai rusch to the entre,
Quercens formast, and Equycoly,
A lusty knycht in armys rycht semly,
Wight Tynarus, ferss myndyt to assaill,
And bald Hemon, with curage marcyall.
Bot thai with all thar complicis in fyght
War dung abak, and constrenyt tak flycht,
By Troiane rowtis, or than in that stryfe
Quha that abaid lost in the port thar lyfe.
The brymmar grew thar ferss mudis within,
So that the Troianys can flok and sammyn ryn
Towart that place, and maid felloun debait;
So bald thai wolx that in the plane gait,
Ischand without the portis on the land,
Thai durst recontyr thar fays hand for hand.
A messynger to Turnus come that tyde,
That wondir fersly at ane othir syde
The town assalȝeis; and thar he til hym schew
Quhat hait slauchter hys fays maid of new,
And sik a port had all wyde oppyn set.
Hys first purposs he left, and to that ȝet,
With felloun ire movit, furth sprent he tho,
Towart the Troianys and prowd brethir two;
And fyrst hes slane byg Antyphates,
That him on cace met formest in the press,
Son to the bustuus nobill Sarpedon,
In purchess get a Thebane wench apon.
Hym smate he down with the cast of a dart;
The fleand schaft Italian to his hart
Glydand, throw owt the schire ayr duschit sone,
The stomok persyt, and in the cost is done.
The how cavern of his wond a flude
Furth bruschit of the blaknyt dedly blude;
So deip the grundyn steill hed owt of sycht is,
Ful hait and warm it festnyt in his lychtis.
Syne Meropes and Erymanthus he
And Aphydnus slew with his hand al thre;
And efter that, with a stern mynd full teyn,
Slew Bytias, for al his glowrand eyn,
Bot that was nother with dart, swerd nor knyf
(For na sik wapyn mycht him haue reft the lyfe),
Bot with ane hydduus byssand fyry speir,
That clepit is “phalarica” in weir,
Quhilk with sa vehement fors this Turnus threw
That as the thundris dynt at him it flew,
Quham nowder scheld of twa bull hydis thik,
Nor ȝit the dowbill malyt traste hawbrik,
All gilt with gold, mycht it resist nor stynt.
The bustuus body down duschit of the dynt,
Quhil all the erd to granyt with a rattill;
The hydduus scheild abufe him maid a brattill—
Lyke as the hie pillar of marbill stone
Standand apon the cost Euboycon,
Vmquhile besyde Bais, the rych cite,
With grysly swecht down duschit in the see;
Quhilk was of ald of massy stanys a byng,
And by the fludis sik wyss doun was dyng,
Hys fall drew down the cite quhar it stude,
And ruschit in a fer way in the flude;
The seys mixt ourran, and all ourhed
Blak slyke and sand vp poplit in the sted;
Quhill of the feirfull sovnd the ilandis twa
Trymlyt, Inaryme and eik Prochita;
Quhil Inaryme, at Iupiteris command,
Full hard bed is to Typheus the gyand.
At this tyme Mars, the god armypotent,
Ekyt the Latynys fors and hardyment,
With felloun ire prikland so thar myndis
That as hym lyst he turnys so and wyndis;
And makis the Troianys tak the flycht gud speid,
On thame he kest sik feir and schamfull dreid.
The Latyn pepill flokkis on euery syde
Quhen thai beheld the port sa oppynnyt wyde,
Seand thai had a rowm to fecht at will;
The god of stryfe thar curage steris thartill.
Pandarus, seand hys brotheris corps at erd,
And on quhat wyss thus fortune with thame ferd,
And quhou the chance of batale ȝeid al wrang,
Full forcyly with hys braid schuldris strang
He thristis to the levys of the ȝet,
And closyt queym the entre, and furth schet
Without the port a gret sort of hys feris,
In hard bargane amyd the mortal weris;
And of hys ennemyss sum inclosyt he,
Ressavand all at thrang to the entre.
A fuyll he was and wytles in a thyng,
Persauyt not Turnus, Rutilian kyng,
So violently thryng in at the ȝet;
Quham he onwar within the cite schet,
Lyke as ane rageand wild tygyr onstabill
Amang the febill bestis onfensabill.
Sone as Turnus hym hess inclusyt seyn,
A glowand new lyght brystis from hys eyn,
Hys armour ryngis or clattris horribilly;
Hys crystis trymlyt on hys hed in hy,
That in hys sanguane bludy scheild als straucht
Kest schynand fyry bemys lyke fyre flaucht.
All suddanly, affrayit Eneadanys
Hys face onfrendly persauit and byg banys.
The hydduus Pandarus than hym self furth schew,
That wonder fervent in hys furour grew;
Hys broderis slauchter to revenge in will,
Thus austernly he spekis Turnus ontill:
“Thys is not Queyn Amatais cheif cite,
Suld the begeif into dowry,” said he,
“Nor ȝit the myddis of Ardea cite bald,
Thi faderis burgh, Turnus, doith the withhald.
Thou seys thy fays strenth and wallys wyde;
Ȝeild the for thy, thou may eschape na syde.”
Turnus agane, with curage blyth and glaid,
Nocht abasyt, ful baldly to hym said:
“My frend, begyn, gif thou hess hardyment,
And mach with me allone apon this bent,
And hand for hand, gif at it be thy will,
Thou sal schaw Pryam heir thou hes fund Achill.”
The tother tho a huge speir of haill tre,
With bark and knottis altogidder, leyt fle
In al his forss, bot the dynt dyd no deir;
Nocht bot the ayr was wondyt with the speir,
For wikkyt Iuno, the ald Saturnus get,
Choppyt by the schaft, and fixt it in the ȝet.
“Ha!” quod Turnus, “sa sal thou not astart
Thys wapyn now in faith or we depart,
Nor on sik wyss eschape this bytand brand,
Quhilk my gret forss thus rollys in my hand;
For he that aw this swerd, and wond sal wyrk,
Is not sa faynt, ne sa sone sall nocht irk.”
And with that word, standand on hys typtays,
Hevyng hys swerd, heich hys hand dyd rayss;
Down with the dynt duschit the steil blaid keyn
Amyd hys forhed, hard betwix hys eyn,
Hys berdless chekis or hys chaftis rownd
In sondyr schorn hess with a grysly wound:
Sa felloun sownd or clap maid this gret clasche,
That of hys huge weght, fell with a rasche,
The erd dyndlyt, and all the cite schuke.
So large feild hys gowsty body tuke,
That fer onbreid ourspred was all the plane,
Hys armour sparkyt with hys blude and brane.
Baith to and fra, apon hys schuldris tway,
Hys hed clovyn in equale halfis lay.
Of dreidfull raddour trymlyng for affray,
The Troianys fled rycht fast and brak away,
And gif Turnus had than incontinent
Ramembryt hym, and kauch in mynd to rent
The lokkis vp, and oppyn the ȝettis wyde,
So that hys feris without the port that tyde
Mycht haue entryt, and cumyn in the cite,
The last day of the batale that had be,
And latter finale end to the remanys
Of Phrigiane folkis and pepil Troianys.
Bot sic ardent hie furour marcyall,
And of slauchter desire insaciall,
Draif hym to follow thame that hym gaynstandis;
And first he kyllit Phalarys with his handis,
And ane other, that Gyges hecht, alssua,
Of quham the howchys bath he smate in twa;
Syn speris rent and hynt vp all on raw
And at the flearis bakkis fast dyd thraw,
That wondir was to se hym quhar he went,
For Iuno ekyt hys strenth and hardyment.
Syne ane Hales onto the corpsis ded
In cumpany he ekyt in that sted;
And Phegeas doun brytnys in the feld,
Spetit throw owt the body and hys scheld;
Alchandrus syne, and the prowd Halyus,
Nemonas eik, and keyn Prytanyus,
Quhilkis mysknew Turnus was within the wall,
And to the bargan dyd that feris call,
Apon the grund onon al ded he layd,
In bargan full expert; syne dyd invaid
With schynand swerd, hard at the dykis syde,
Ane Lynceus, the quhilk the sammyn tyde
Resistys, as he myght, with fell afferis,
And efter help cryis apon hys feris;
Bot with a strake he smate hys nek in twa,
Baith helm and hed flaw far the body fra.
And, efter thir, ane Amycus he slew,
That bayn had beyn to wild bestis enew;
Was nane other mair happy nor expert
To graith and til invnct a castyng dart,
And with vennom to garnys the steil hedis.
By Turnus handis the ilk tyme done to ded is
Eolus son, hait Clytius, the heynd,
And Creteus also, was the Musys frend—
Creteus, poet to Musys famyliar,
That in hys mynd and breist all tymys bar
Sangis and gestis, musyk and harpyng;
Apon hys stryngis playd he mony a spryng,
Lays and rymys on the best awyss,
And euermar hys maner and his gyss
Was forto syng, blason and discryve,
Men and stedis, knychthed, wer and stryve.
At last Mnestheus and strang Serestus,
The Troiane capitanys, herand quhow that thus
Thar pepill slane war doun, dyd convene;
Thar feris fleand pail and wan haue thai sene,
And thar cheif ennemy closyt in thar wallys.
Mnestheus on thame clepys thus and callys:
“Quhar ettill ȝhe to fra hyne? Quhidder wald ȝhe fle?
Quhar other wallys seik ȝhe, or cite?
Quhat haue ȝe other strenth or forteress?
O citesanys, behaldis heir express
Nane bot a man standand ȝou aganys,
Closyt within ȝour dykis and wallys of stanys,
Onrevengit, sa gret occisioun
And huge slauchter sal mak within ȝour tovn,
Or sa feill valȝeand ȝyng capitanys kend,
Onresistit, thus down to hell sall send!
O maste onworthy cowartis, ful of slewth,
Of ȝour onsilly cuntre haue ȝhe na rewth,
Nor piete of ȝour ancyent goddis kynd?
Think ȝhe na lak and schame into ȝour mynd,
To do sa gret owtrage to strang Enee,
In hys absens thus catyfly to fle?”
The Troianys by sik wordis as he said
In curage grew, and fermly all abaid,
Abowt thar fa man flokkand in a rowt.
Turnus a litil, thocht he was stern and stowt,
Begouth frawart the bargane to withdraw,
And sattil towartis the ryveris syde a law,
Ay peyss and peyss, to that part of the tovn,
Was closyt with the ryver, rynnand dovn.
Troianys, that seand, the mar apertly
Assalȝeit hym with mony schowt and cry,
And thikkyt fast abowt hym inveroin.
As quhen abowt the awfull wild lyoun,
With thar invasibill wapynnys scharp and squar,
Ane multitude of men bilappyt war,
And he full fers, with thrawin wlt, in the start,
Seand the scharp poyntis, recullys bakwart,
Bot forto gif the bak and fle away
Nowder hys greif nor curage suffir may;
And, thocht he wald, for all hys mekill mycht,
Agane samony men and wapynnys brycht
To press fordwart may he cum na speid.
Nane other wyss Turnus, at sik a neid,
Steppys abak with huly payss full still,
Hys mynd scaldand in greif and egir will;
And forthir eik amyd hys fays he
Twyss ruschit in, and schuddrit the melle;
And twyss also that onrebutit knycht
Endlang the wallys put thame to the flycht.
Bot al togidder, intyll ane convyne,
Apon hym haill the town assemlyt syne,
Nor Saturnus get, Iuno, in that fyght
Agane thame durst him minster strenth nor mycht;
For Iupiter had from the hevynnys fair
Send dovn Iris, quhilk duellis in the ayr,
Onto hys spouss and sister thar at hand
Ful scharp chargis bryngis and command,
Less than Turnus, quhou evir the chance befallis,
Withdrew hym fra the fatale Troiane wallys;
Quharthrow this valȝeand campioun ȝong and keyn
Nowder with his scheild sa mekil mycht sustene,
Nor sic defens mak with his hand, as ayr.
With dartis at him swakkit heir and thar
On sik wyss is he quhelmyt and confundyt,
That euer in ane hys boss helm rang and soundyt,
Clynkand abowt hys halfheddis with a dyn;
Hys sovir armour, strang and na thyng thyn,
Is brokkyn and byrsyt with feill stonys cast;
So thik war dyntis, and strakis smyt so fast,
That of his helm down bettyn war the crestis;
Sa sair the bosys of hys target prest is,
Hys scheild na langar mycht sik rowtis sustene;
The Troianys, with this Mnestheus, in thar teyn
Dowblys thar dyntis at hym with speris cast,
As it had bene the hydduus thundris blast.
Our all hys body furth ȝet the swait thik,
Lyke to the trynland blak stremys of pyk;
Ne gat he laser anys hys aynd to draw—
The febillit brath ful fast can beit and blaw
Amyd hys wery breist and lymmys lasch.
Than at the last, al suddanly, with a plasch,
Harnes and al togiddir, quhar he stude,
Him self he swakkis and lap into the flude.
With giltyn stremys hym keppyt the ryver,
And bar hym vp abuf hys wallis cleir,
Syne blithly careit to hys feris bedene;
All blude and slauchter away was weschyn clene. &c