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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.