University of Virginia Library

[The Proloug of the Elevint Buke]

Duryng this quhile, furth of the sey dyd spryng
The fresch Aurora with the brycht dawyng.
Ene, albeyt hys hasty thochtfull curis
Constrenyt hym, as twychyng sepulturis
Of hys folkis new slane and berying,
Forto provide a tyme mast accordyng,
And gretly eik in mynd he trublyt was
For the slauchtyr and ded corps of Pallas;
Ȝit netheless, as first the son vpsprent,
Scheddyng hys bemys in the orient,
As victor he onto the goddis als tyte
With sacryfyce can hys vowys acquyte.
Ane akyn tre, was huge gret and squar,
The branschis sned and kut abowt alquhar,
Apon a motys hycht vpset hass he,
And all with schynand armour cled the tre;
The coyt armour and spulȝe tharon hang
Of Meȝentius, the vailȝeand campion strang;
To the, gret god of stryfe, armypotent,
In syng of trophe tharon was vpstent
Hys cryst and hewmet all besprent with blude,
The brokyn trunschions of hys speris rude,
And hys fyne hawbyrk, with speir, swerd and macis,
Assayt and persyt into twyss sax placis;
Hys stelyt scheild dyd on the left syde hyng;
Abowt hys gorget, or hys nek armyng,
Was hung hys swerd with evor scawbart fyne.
And thus exortis Ene hys ferys syne,
The chiftanys all abowt hym lowkyt war,
Quhilk glaidsum warryn of this ioyus fair:
“O douchty men,” quod he, “worthy in weris,
The grettast part of our warkis and afferis
Beyn endit now, sa that in tyme cummyng
All feir and dreid ar passyt of ony thyng:
Thir bene the spulȝe and first weirly weid
Reft from the prowd kyng be my handis in deid;
Lo, heir Meȝentius venquyst lyis doun bet.
Now to the wallys of Lawrent and the ȝet
The way is maid to Kyng Latyn to wend.
Tharfor address ȝour myndis, and attend
To armys and to weirfar euery ane,
Provydand in ȝour consatis for bargane;
So that ȝhe reddy be, and na delay
May stoppyn ȝou, nor stunnys ane other day,
Be ȝour awyn sleuth, for lak of gude forsycht,
Gif ȝe onwarnyst beys callyt to the fycht:
Alssone as fyrst the goddis omnipotent
By sum sygnys or takyn lyst consent
The ensenȝeis and baneris be vphynt,
And all the ȝonkeris meyt for swerdis dynt,
Of thar tentis convoyt in array,
Se ȝhe all reddy be than, but delay.
And in the meyn quhile, lat ws to erd haue
The corpsys of our fallowys onbegrave,
Quhilk only honour is haldyn in daynte
At Acheron, the lawest hellys see.
Pass on,” he said, “tha sawlys valȝeant,
Quhilk, with habundans of thar blud besprent,
Hass conquyst ws this realm apon sik wyss,
Do honour with thar funeral servys,
And wirschip with thar finale last rewardis.
Bot first, befor all corpsis of tha lardis,
Ontill Evandrys dolorus cite
Of ȝong Pallas the body send mon we,
Quham, wantand na vertu nor prowes,
The wofull day hess ws byreft express,
And with a wofull slauchter caucht, allace!”
Thus said he, wepand salt terys our hys face;
Syne tuke hys vayage towart the ilk sted
Quhar Pallas lyfless corps was lyggand ded;
Quham ancyent Acetes thar dyd kepe,
With flottyryt berd of terys all beweip;
The quhilk Acetes had tofor ybe
Squyer to Kyng Evander, from the cite
Of Parrha cummyn into Arcady,
And at thys tyme was send in cumpany
With hys deir fostyr child he had in cur,
Bot not, as ayr, with happy aventur.
About the corps alhaill the multitud
Of servyturis and Troiane commonys stud,
And dolorus Phrigyane wemen, on thar gyss,
With hair down schaik, and petuus spraichis and cryis.
Bot, fra that enterit was Eneas bald
Within the portis of that large hald,
A huge clamour thai rasyt and womentyng,
Betand thar brestis quhill all the lyft dyd ryng;
So lowd thar wofull bewalyng habundis
That all the palyce dynnys and resoundis.
Thys prynce hym self, fra that he dyd behald
The snaw quhite vissage of this Pallas bald,
Hys hed vphald, mycht nocht the self sustene,
And eik the gapand dedly wond hess sene,
Maid by the sperys hed Rutilyane
Amyd hys sneith and fair slekyt breist bane,
With terys brystand from hys eyn, thus plenyt:
“O douchty child, maist worthy tobe menyt,
Hass fortoun me envyit sa far that, eft
Our weill is cummyn, thus thou art me bereft,
Sa that thou suld not se our ryng,” said he,
“Nor ȝit as victor with prosperyte
Onto thy faderis cite hame retour?
Syk promyss hecht I not the lattir hour
To thy fader Evandrus, quhen that he
At my departyng last embrasyt me,
And send me to conquyss a large empyre;
And, dredand syk for the, that lordly syre
Vs monyst tobe war and avyse,
Becauss the men quhamwith to do had we
War bald and stern; said we had wer at hand
With bustuus folk that weill in stryfe durst stand.
Now, certis, he levand in hoip, invane,
For thy prosper returnyng haym agane
Perchans doith mak prayer and offerandis,
Chargand the altaris oft with hys awyn handis:
Bot we hys lyfless child, quhilk aw na thyng
Onto the goddis of the hevynly ryng,
With womentyng heir menand tendyrly,
And vayn honour, accumpaneis by and by.
O fey onhappy kyng Archadian!
Now thy sonnys ded corps crewelly slane
Thou salbehald: allace, the panys strang!
This is our haymcom thou desyrit lang;
This salbe our triumphe thou lang abaid,
To se thy a son on hys beir tre laid!
Ha, quhat, is this my promyss and gret faith?
Bot, O Evander, beys not with me wraith;
Thou sall not se thy son was dryve abak
With schamefull wondis that he caucht in the bak;
Ne thou hys fader, war he alyve this day,
Suld nevir haue lak of hym, ne for hym pray
For hys desert he deit a schamefull deth;
And now with honour hess he ȝald the breth.
Bot, netheless, quhat harm, ful ways me!
Quhou large support, hey, quhat beld or supple
In hym hess tynt Ausonya the ryng,
And quhou gret deill hess lost Ascanyus ȝyng!”
Quhen he bewalyt had on this maner,
This wofull corps he bad do lyft on beir,
And with hym send a thousand men in hy
Walyt of euery rowt and cumpany,
Forto convoy and do hym falloschip
At hys last honour and funeral wirschip,
And tobe present at the lamentyng
Of hys fader, to comfort hys murnyng;
Thocht smal solace was that to hys regrait,
Quhilk was sa huge, bot to hys estait
Accordit weill that sik thingis suld be,
Quhen all wightis mycht rew on hym to se.
Sum of Eneas ferys bissely
Flakis to plet thame presys by and by,
And of small wikkyris fortobeld a beir
Of sowpill wandis and of bronys seir,
Bund with the syonys or the twystis sle
Of small rammell or stobys of akyn tre.
Thyr beddis beldyt, or funeral lytteris,
Syk tumbys as for ded corpss efferis,
With greyn burgionys and branschys fair and weill
Thai gan ourheld, and stentys euery deill:
Amyd the quhilkis, of blumys apon a byng
Strowyt full hie, thai laid this Pallas ȝyng;
Lyggyn tharon als semly forto se
As is the fresch flowris schynand bewte,
Newly pullyt vp from hys stalkis smaill
With tendyr fyngeris of the damysaill,
Or the soft violet that doys freschly schyne,
Or than the purpour flour, hayt iacynthyne;
Quham all thocht the erth hys moder with sap
Hym nurys not, nor comfortis on hir lap,
Ȝyt than hys schene cullour and figur glaid
Is not all went, nor hys bewte defaid.
Eneas syne twa robbys furth gart fold
Of rych purpour and styf burd of gold
Quhilk vmquhil Dydo, quheyn of Sydones,
Of sik laubour full byssy tho, I gess,
As at that tyme to pless hym wonder glaid,
With hir awyn handis to hym wrocht and maid,
Wovyn full weill, and brusyt as rych wedis,
Of costly stuf and subtell goldyn thredis;
And with the tane of thir full dolorusly
Eneas cled the ȝyng Pallas body,
Tobe hys finall and hys last honour;
Hys lokkis and hys harys the self hour,
Quhilkis war forto be brynt in assys cald,
Into the tother habyt dyd he fald.
Abuf all thys, rewardis mony ane,
Yconquest in this batall Lawrentane,
In haill hepys with hym hess he send,
And bad thai suld tak gud kepe and attend
To leid the pray per ordour pompusly.
Feill horssys als he gaue thame by and by,
With wapynnys eik, and other precyus geir,
That he had reft hys fa men in the weir;
The presoneris alsso, quham he had tak,
He sent with handis bund behynd thar bak,
Quhilkis, at the obsequeis or entyrment,
To the infernal gostis suldbe sent,
And with thar bludis sched, as was the gyss,
The funerall flambe strynkyll in sacrifyss.
He bad the capitanys and the dukis all,
In syng of trophe or pomp triumphall,
Gret perkis bair or treyn saplyng that squair is,
Cled with the armour of thar aduersaris,
To wryte and hyng tharon baith all and sum
The namys of thar ennemyss ourcum.
Furth led was the onsilly Acetes,
Ourset with age, and sorow mycht nocht cess;
Now bludyand hys awyn breist with hys fystis,
Now with hys nalys hys face rentis and brystis,
And oft down fallys spaldit on the erd,
With mony gowl, and a full petuus rerd.
And furth war led rych cartis for the nanys,
Besprent with blude of the Rutylianys.
And eftir com Aethon, hys werly steid,
Dispulȝeit of hys harnessyng and weid;
Wepand he went for wo, men mycht haue seyn
With gret terys floddyrrit hys face and eyn.
Ane bair hys helm, ane other bair hys speir;
For the remanys of hys harness and geir,
Syk as hys rych gyrdill and cotarmour,
Turnus victor byreft hym in the stour.
Furth haldis syne the drery cumpany
Of Troianys, and Tyrrheyn dukis thame by;
And wofull Archadis, in syng of dolour, weris
Scheldis reversyt, and doun turnyt thar speris.
And efter that, per ordour, by and by,
Thai beyn furth passyt euery cumpany,
Eneas tho can styntyng and abaid,
And with a petuus regrait thus he said:
“The horribill batellys of thir sammyn weris
Tyll otheris funerall womentyng and terys
Callys ws from thens; we may nocht follow the,
Thyne entyrment forto behald and se.
Adew for ay, Pallas, beluffyt best,
Fair weill for evyr intill eternall rest!”
Na mair he said, bot went towart New Troy,
Entrand tharin with terys of ennoy.
Be this war cum fra Kyng Latynys cyte
Ambassatouris, with branch of olyve tre,
Besekand favouris and benevolens;
That he wald suffir tobe careyt from thens
Tha corpsys ded, quhilkis on the feldis broun
Lay strowyt heir and thar, with swerd bet down,
And thame restor agane of hys gentre,
To suffyr thame begravyn fortobe;
Assuryng hym, thar mycht be led na weir
On venquyst folkis, that lyfless mycht not steir,
And prayt spair thar pepill at syk myschans,
Quhylum clepyt hys frendis and acquentans.
Quhen that Eneas, heynd, curtass and gud,
Thar peticioun sa ressonabill vndirstud,
As man that was fulfillyt of bonte,
Thar hail desyre full glaidly grantit he,
And forthir eik onto thame thus he said:
“O Latyn folkis, quhat mysfortoun onglaid
Hass ȝou involuyt in sa onhappy weir
That ȝhe chayss ws away, ȝour frendis deir?
Desyre ȝhe paix bot for thame that bene lost
By marcyall fayt, and slane into this ost?
And I, forsuyth, tyll all that levand be
Wald glaidly grant the sammyn, I say for me.
Neuer hyddyr had I cummyn, wer not, perfay,
Into this sted the fatys hecht for ay
Our restyng place providit and herbry;
Ne na weirfar with ȝour pepill led I.
Bot ȝour kyng hass our confiderans vpgeif,
And rather hess settyn all hys beleif
On Turnus vassalage and his hie prowes;
Thocht mor equale and ganand war, I gess,
To this Turnus, the brekar of our paix,
Till aventour hym self to de in press.
Gif he pretendis in batale with a brand
To end the weir, or Troianys of this land
Forto expell, heir semyt hym vnder scheild
With wapynnys to recontre me in feild,
That nane bot ane of ws war left levand,
Quhais lyfe God lyst withhald, or hys rycht hand.
Now haldis on, and all the lyfless banys
And corpsis of ȝour wofull citeȝanys
Do byrn and bery efter ȝour awyn gyss,”
Says Eneas, the Troiane war and wyss.
Than of hys speche so awondrit war thai,
Kepit thar silens, and wist nocht quhat to say;
And athir towartis otheris turnys, but mayr,
And can behald his fallow in a stair.
The eldast man amang thame, finaly,
Clepyt Drances, that had full gret envy
At ȝyng Turnus, all way to hym infest
For ald malyce or of cryme manyfest,
Begouth to speke and ansuer thus agane:
“O huge gret is thy fame, thou duke Troiane,
Bot far grettar all owt we may aspy
Thy dedis of armys and thy chevalry;
With quhat lovyngis equaill may I compair
The to the goddis in hevyn abuf the ayr?
Quhidder sall I fyrst extoll, and wonder in the,
Thy gret gentryce and sa iust equyte,
Or thy gret fors and laubour bellicall?
Glaidly, forsuyth, now haymwart bair we sall
Ontill our natyve bundis and cite
Thir sa gret sygnys of humanyte:
And, gif that ony chanss can fynd the way,
We sall do fully all that evir we may
The to conione with Kyng Latyn in hy:
Lat Turnus quhar hym list go seik ally.
And forthir eik weil lykis ws at all
To help till rayss this fatale massy wall,
And fortober apon our schuldris war ioy
Thir stonys gret to this new wark of Troy.”
Thus said Drances, and all the remanent
Tharto annerdis with haill voce and consent.
Twelf days of trewys thai band, to stanch debait,
Forto kepe paix, and werys sequestrate;
Than throu the woddis and thir holtis hie
Troianys and Latynys sammyn, he and he,
Quhar so thame list, wandris but danger.
The heich eschis soundis thar and heir
For dyntis rude of the scharp stelyt ax;
Down weltit ar with mony granand strakis
The fyrrys rekand to the sternys on hie;
The mekill syllis of the warryn tre
With weggis and with proppis beyn devyd;
The strang gustand cedyr is al to schyde;
Na cess thai not apon the iargand wanys
The gret akys to turss away atanys.
Than Fame with this, alsfast as scho mycht spryng,
As messynger of sa gret womentyng,
Flaw furth, and all with murnyng fillys sche
Evander kyng hys palyce and cyte,
Quhilk layt tofor had schawyn that Pallas
In Latyum landis sa victoryus was;
Now says sche, “Lo, is he brocht on beir!”
The Archadis ruschit to the portis in feir,
And euery wyght in handis hynt als tyte
Ane hait fyre broynd, efter the ald ryte,
In lang ordour and rabill, that all the stretis
Of schynand flambys lemys brycht and gletis,
Quhil all the large feildis of the light
Myght seueraly be raknyt at a sight.
The Troiane rowtis, on the tother hand,
With thame adionys thar folkis sair wepand,
Quham as the matronys beheld on sik wyss
So duylfully wend to the kyngis palys,
The dolorus town in euery streit and way
With petuus scrykis and gowlyng fyllit thai.
Than was na fors Evander mycht refreyn,
Bot in amyddis thame with gret disdene
He ruschis, plenand on wofull maner,
And fell on growf abuf ded Pallas beir,
Wepand and waland as his hart wald breke;
Embrasyt hym, bot no word mycht he spek
And scars at last with gret difficulte
The cundytis of his voce war lowsyt fre.
Quhen he mycht speke, than thir hys wordis was:
“This is nocht thy last cunnand, son Pallas,
Thou promyst not so vnto thy fader deir,
Bot at thou suld pass mair warly in weir,
And not in danger of the cruell Mart.
Owr weill I wist, with harmys at my hart,
Quhat aventour, and of quhou mekill mycht
Till ony ȝong man, the first feld in fight,
Was gret desire of new loif or glory,
And how sweit was renown of chevalry.
Allace, the first commancement and assays
To ȝyng men beyn in weir full fey always,
And rycht hard bene the first entechment
Of hasty batall to thame beyn not acquent.
My vowys nor my prayeris gret and small
War not accept to nane of goddis all.
O thou my blissyt spowss, decessit or now,
Full happy of that ded in faith was thou,
That to thys sorow not preservyt was!
Bot be the contrar I, allace, allace,
Ourlevit hass my fatys profitabill,
And am alyve as fader miserabill;
Quham wald God in ȝon sammyn mortale weris
Rutilyanys had ourquhelmyt with thar speris,
That, followand to the feild my feris of Troy,
I mycht haue ȝald this sawle full of ennoy,
So that this funeral pomp, quhilk heir is wrocht,
My body, and nocht Pallas, hame had brocht!
Ne byd I nocht ȝou, Troianys, to argew
Of amyte and allyance bund of new,
Ne our rycht handis and promyss, quhilkis we
In frendschip knyt and hospitalyte:
This mysfortoun is myne of ald thirlage,
As tharto detbund in my wrachit age.
Bot had this hasty ded, sa ondigest,
Haue sufferit bot my son a stound to lest,
Quhill of Rutilianys he had slane thousandis,
And investit the Troianys in thar landis,
That is to say, in Latyum or Lavyn,
Weill lykyt me that he had endyt syne.
And forthir eik, Pallas, my son so deir,
Na mair rychly cowth I the lay on beir,
Nor with mair wirschip list me entyre the,
Than is providit be reuthfull Enee,
Be myghty Troianys and pryncis Tyrrheyn;
For all the Tuscane menȝe, as heir is seyn,
Gret trophe and rich spulȝe hydder bryngis,
On perkis rychly cled with thar armyngis
Quham thy richt hand in feild had put to ded.
Bot, O thou Turnus, in this sammyn sted
Amangis otheris heir suld thou haue be,
In form and maner of a stok of tre,
Gyf ȝhe of age had beyn equale and perys,
And baith elyke cummyn to ȝour strenthy ȝheris.
Bot now, allace, I, fey onhappy wight,
Quharto delay I Troianys from the fyght?
Pass haym in haist, and remember to say
Thir my desiris to ȝour prynce, I ȝou pray:
Evander says that thy ryght hand, Ene,
Is all the cawss that he delays to de,
Or that this haitsum lyfe sustene he wald,
Sen now is lost hys son Pallas the bald:
Sa till hym that he oblist is of det,
Baith to the son and the fader, to set
Ȝon Turnus slauchter for owr recompens:
To the Eneas only, but offens,
And to fortoun, remanys this iournay ȝit,
Quharwith thou may thankfully be acquyt.
Tell hym, na lust to lyf langar seyk I;
Onlesum war syk plesour I set by;
Bot for a thraw desyre I to lest heir,
Turnus slauchter and deth with me to beir,
As glaid tithandis onto my child and barn,
Amang the gostis law in skowgis dern.”
The meyn sesson Aurora rasyt hir lycht,
Richt confortabill for euery mortall wight,
Rendryng agane the oportunyte
Of laubour and of wyrkyng, as we se.
The prynce Eneas, and the kyng Tarchon,
Gret byngis hass of treys mony one
Vpbeldyt, by the bowand costis bay.
Thydder euery ane dyd cary, but delay,
Efter thar eldris gyss, onto that sted
The corpsis of thar frendis that war ded,
As fortodo thar observans of det;
And thar vnder the smoky fyre hass set,
Quhill that the hevynnys hye dyd walxin dirk,
Involuyt with the reky stewys myrk.
And thryss on fut all sammyn euery man
In schynand armour abowt the fyris ran,
And thryss the wofull funerall inglys thai
Circulyt abowt on horsbak in array,
With gowlyng and with vocis myserabill;
Quhill that of trigland terys lamentabill
The feildis strowyt war in euery place,
Armouris all wet with wepyng, and thar face.
The clamour of the men and trumpys stevyn
Gan spryngyng vp on hight onto the hevyn.
Syne cumis sum, and in the fyre dyd slyng
The weirly wedis, spulȝe and armyng
Rent from the Latynys slane into the weir,
As helmys, scheildis, and rych swerdis seir,
Brydillys, and all thir stedis trappouris fair,
The hasty hurland charyot quhelys squair;
Ane other sum kest in the fyre syk geir
As weilbekend the corps was wont to weir,
Thar awyn wapynnys, and thar onsilly scheildis,
Quhilk mycht thame nocht defend into the feildis.
Full mony carcage of thir oxin gret
Abowt the fyris war brytnyt and downbet,
And bustuus bowkis of the byrsyt swyne,
Our feildis all byreft from euery hyne;
Thai steik the beistis, and swakkis in the fyre,
Endlang the costis all tho byrnand schyre;
And can behald quhou that thar feris brynt,
Observand weill the gledis half owt quent,
And eik the assys half brynt of the ded;
Ne may thai thens be harlyt of that sted,
Quhill at the hevyn ourquhelmyt the dirk nycht,
That ganand is for fyry sternys brycht.
And, netheless, the Latynys lamentabill
In placis seir fyris innumerabill
Vpbeldit hass, and sum with wofull rerd
Feill corpsis deip bedelvys vnder erd;
And sum alsso in cartis haue thai sent
To townys in the feildis adiacent;
And sum alsso war send to the cite,
Tobe entyrit as thame accordyt be.
The remanent all sammyn assemlyt ourane,
But numbyr and but ordour, euery ane,
Of corpsys slane in huge heip byrn thai;
And thus on athir sydis, the hie way
And large feildis dyd oft of fyris schyne.
As that the thryd days lycht eftir syne
The dyrk nycht removyt from the sky,
The assys deip, murnand with mony a cry
Doun dyd thai cast, and scrapis owt atanys
The hait amyrris and the byrslyt banys;
And ȝit all warm, onculyt, sone thai haue
Bedelvyn thame, and in the erd begrave.
Bot, certis, than renewys the womentyng
Within the mychty burgh of Latyn kyng,
The rumour rayss and murmour principaly
Of bewalyng all owt the maist party.
The wofull moderis and matronys wepis heir,
The eldmoderis, and eyk the systeris deir;
Thar mycht be hard with duylfull breistis greyt
The ȝyng babbys walyng on the streyt,
That had thar faderis slane this hynder day,
Cryand, “Ichane, allace, and weill away!”
Thai curss and wary fast this vengabill weir,
And Turnus wedlok bannys with mony a teir:
All in a voce thai cry, desirand he
Suld ondertak the batall and melle,
And feght allane to mak end of this thing,
As he the quhilk pretendis to weld the ryng
Of Italy with honour pryncipall,
Desyrand that he suldbe lord of all.
The brym Drances aggregis weill this thyng,
And buyr on hand baldly befor the kyng
Nane bot this Turnus challance wald Enee,
Turnus only to feght desyris he.
And, be the contrar, mony sensymentis
For Turnus schawys evident argumentis:
Of Queyn Amatha the gret authoryte
Dekkis and defendis hym with wordis sle;
And hys gret fame and actis triumphall
Hys querrell dyd susteyn agane thame all.
Abuf all this, lo, the ilk stound onon
Thyr messyngeris, all trist and wobegon,
Returnyt haymwart into thar maist neid
From the gret cite of Schir Dyomed,
Reportand answer, that alhaill was lost
Thar lang travale and maist sumptuus cost;
Schortly, thai had doyn thar na thyng at docht,
The rych gyftis nor gold avalyt nocht,
For all thar large requestis and prayeris;
To help the Latyn pepill in thar weris
Behuffyt thame to seik other supple,
Or to mak paix with Troiane prynce Ene.
Herand thir wordis, this ald Latyn kyng
Falys all curage, with gret lamentyng,
For patently the goddis wraik, hym thocht,
Schew that by fait Ene was thyddir brocht,
And manifest mycht of goddis hym dyd sustene,
That schew the new gravys befor thar eyn.
Quharfor, a gret consale assemlys he,
And callys the cheif ledaris of hys menȝe,
Chargeand thai suld in hys palyce conveyn
Onto the riall chymmyss. Tho bedeyn
Thai flok so fast that euery way was hyd.
Thys ancyent kyng dyd set hym dovn amyd
The cepturyt men, as first and pryncipall,
Bot no thyng semyng glaid of cheir at all.
Than the ambassat, that was returnyt agane
From Dyomedis cite Etholiane,
He bad do schaw the credens that thai brocht,
Per ordour haill thar answer, faland nocht.
Silens was maid, ilk man hys tong held than,
And Venulus, of thame the gretast man,
Begouth fortill obey the kyngis charge,
And schew hys credens planly thus at large:
“O citeȝanys, we haue visseit Diomed,
And seyn thai strenthys by thame of Arge in deid
Vpbeldyt in the boundis of Italy;
The ways thiddir we haue met by and by,
And eschapyt all dangeris by the gait,
All thocht our iourney was nocht fortunait.
We haue twichit that sammyn douchty hand
By quham of Troy distroyt was town and land;
Quhilk now as victor, in the feildis plane
Besyde the skyrtis of the mont Gargane,
Within boundis of Iapigya sulȝe,
That now on days Apulȝe clepyng we,
Vprasyt hess the cite Argyripas,
Quham fra hys natyve pepill namyt he was.
Fra that we entryt war in hys presens,
And forto speke was geif ws audiens,
The gyftis and rewardys present we;
Our credens, our estait, and our cuntre,
Declaryt plane, and quha with wer ws socht,
And quhat occasioun had ws thidder brocht.
He hard ws weill, and on a frendly wyss
Thus answer maid with wordis war and wyss:
‘O fortunat folk, quhar Saturn regnyt swa,
Ȝhe ancyent pepill of Ausonya,
Quhat mysaventour and onkyndly heyt
Ȝou steris from ȝour lang rest and quyet,
Prouocand ȝou to movyng, rayss and steir
Sa peralus, onknowth and onthrifty wer?
For euery ane of ws that dyd offens
In Troys bundis with swerd and violens,
Or cruell handis set fortill invaid
Kyng Priamus, and of hys realm degraid
(I leif ontald all thai that in the feld
By Troys wallys hess swelt vnder scheld,
Or that the flude of Symois by the town
Drownyt in stremys warpis vp and dovn),
Our all the warld of ws hail the remanys
Beyn punyst sor with onrehersabill panys,
And sufferit hess all maner of turment.
Ful weill knawis my wordis, quhat I ment,
The sorofull constillatioun of Mynerve,
Quhilk causyt mony douchty man to sterve;
And on the costis of Euboica
The rokis beris witness ȝit alssua,
And the montane Caphareus, God woit,
That vengeans tuke and wraik apon our floyt.
From that weirfar and cursyt chevalry
We cachyt ar to syndry costis, far by
Our natyve bundis and ald heritage.
Lo, Menelay, ane of the cheif barnage
And Atrius son, yclepyt Atrydes,
To Protheus pillaris, hait Pyramydes,
Constrenyt is in exill forto wend;
Vlixes alsso, as full weill is kend,
Bewavyt is wyd quhar our all the see,
So that the Ciclopes of Ethna saw he.
Quhat suld I tell of Neoptolemus,
That other wyss to name is hait Pyrrus,
The hard myschans and tynsell of hys ryng?
Or quhou aganys Idomens the kyng
Hys kyndly goddis and cuntre dyd rebell,
And hym gan of hys natyve realm expell?
Or quhou the Locrys, Aiax Oelyus ost,
Now doys inhabyt the waist Lybyan cost?
Sen he hym self the gret Agamenon,
The kyng of Myce, and cheif ledar of on
Of all the Grekis ostis in batale,
Ha, schame to say, fowlely befell
That by the handis of hys awyn wife
The first nycht in hys palyce lost hys lyf.
And he that venquyst Asya lyis ded;
The sle adultrar occupiis hys sted.
The goddis eik sa far dyd me invy,
That in my natyve land neuer sall I spy
My chaist spousage, lyke as befor hess bene,
Ne Calydon my realm of crymys cleyn.
And now alsso, a grisly thyng to se,
Ane selcouth monstre, lo, betyd hes me:
My ferys lost with plumys in the ayr
As thame best lykis ar fleand our alquhar
(Allace of my folkis the vengeabill wraik!),
Transformyt in fowlys, wandris by the laik,
And of thar lamentabill and wofull sowndis
The large costis dynnys and redoundis.
Thir myschevys for my trespass and cryme,
I may traist, hess betyd me sen that tyme
That I, witles and so rakless, perfay,
The hevynly bodeis durst with swerd assay,
And with smert wond was our presumptuus
To violat the rycht hand of Venus.
Solist na mar,’ quod he, ‘persuaid me nocht
That to so dangerus batellis I be brocht.
Eftir the bettyng down of Troys wallys,
With the Tewcranys, quhat chance that euer befallis,
I will na mair debatis mak nor weris;
Nor of our ald stryfe thir hynder ȝheris,
That so myschews was and bad to se,
May I glaidly remember now,’ said he.
‘Tha gyftis rych and mony fair presandis
Quhilkis ȝe to me hess brocht furth of ȝour landis,
Return and beir onto the prynce Ene.
Contrar hys keyn dartis ellis stand haue we,
And hand for hand matchit hym in fycht:
Beleif me as expert, quhou stowt and wight
Is he owther in batale place or feld,
And how sternly he rasys vp hys scheild,
Or with quhou gret a thud in the melle
Ane lance towartis hys aduersar thrawys he.
Forthir,’ he said, ‘I certify ȝou alssua,
That, gif the forsaid grond of Phrygia
Twa othir sik men fosterit had or bred,
The citeis all of Arge mycht sor haue dred,
And the ofspryng of Dardan esely
Mycht in our realmys arryvit by and by,
So that Grece suld haue murnyt, euery tovn,
The fatis ald reuersit vp syd dovn.
Alhail the stop, resistans and delay
Mayd at Troy wallys, quhil the sege thar lay,
Was by the handis of Hector and Ene:
The Grekis conquyst lang tyme, trastis me,
By thame was styntit, apon sik maner
That it prolongit was quhil the tent ȝer.
Athir of thame in bonte and curage
Excelland war, and full of vassalage;
Athir of thame maist souerane and douchty
In dedis of armys, prowes and chevalry;
Bot this Ene was first all owt express
Of reuth, compassioun and of gentilnes.
Tharfor all sammyn adionys ȝour rycht handis
In ferm allyance of concord, and sik bandis
Be ony wyss se ȝhe obtene,’ quod he;
‘For, gif thai start till armys in melle,
Be war with thame fortill debait, I red.’
Maist nobill kyng of kyngis, in this sted
Hys answer hess thou hard, as I haue tald,
And twichand this gret batale quhat he wald.”
Scars had the messyngeris thir wordis said,
Quhen all the Latynys, trublyt, full onglaid,
Fra hand to hand quhispyris fast and roundis,
On diuerss wyss demyng with murmour soundis—
Lyke as the swyft watir stremys cleir
Sum tyme rowtand men on far may heir,
Quhar it is stoppit with thir stanys round,
That of the ryveris brute and brokkyn sound,
Brystand on skelleis our thir demmyt lynnys,
The bankis endlang all the fludis dynnys.
Bot efter that thar mudis mesyt wer,
Thar waverand wordis stanchit and sik beir,
With reuerens first blyssand the goddis mycht.
The kyng thus carpys from hys trone on hycht:
“O Latyn pepill, forsuyth I wald al gait,
And so had beyn far better, weill I wait,
Full lang or now avisyt had we be
Twychand the common weill and materis hie;
And not at sik a poynt, apon this wyss,
Our consale to assembill and to avyss,
Quhen that our fays and aduersaris ar bown
Forto bysege the wallys of our town.
O citeȝanys, we move and ledis at hand
Ane wer inoportune, quhilk is onganand,
Aganys folkis of goddis clan discend,
That beyn invincybill, and weill can defend
So that na bargane may thame irk nor tyre;
Nor thocht thai venquyst war, baith man and syre,
May thai desist, ne withdraw the melle.
Gif ony hope or confidens had we
In chevalry of the Etholianys,
Quhilkis in Napillis with Dyomed remanys,
And for thir men of armys thidder send,
Do all sik traste away, and ȝou defend:
Lat euery man in his awyn self haue hope.
But quhou febill sik traste is ȝe may grope,
And eik befor ȝour eyn cleir may ȝe se
In quhou gret perrell and proplexite
All other materis lyis now or standis;
All sic thyngis bene braid amang ȝour handis.
I will accuss nor argu now na wight.
All haill the forss or strenth mycht be in fycht
Exercyt was, I wait; sen all the flour
And pyssans of this realm dyd stryve in stour.
Now so it is that I will breifly end,
And in schort wordis mak onto ȝou kend
The dowtsum purpos in my mynd remanys;
Attendans geif, and harkis all at anys.
I haue, besyde Tyber the Tuscane flud,
Ane ald feld onprofitabill and rude,
Far strekand west to the bundis quhar remanys
The Scicyll pepill, quhilkis clepit ar Sycanys;
The folk Auruncane and of Rutuly
This grund sawys full onthriftely,
With scharp plewis and steill sokkis seir
Thai hard hillys hyrtis forto eyr,
And on thir wild holtis harsk alsso
In faynt pastur doith thar bestis go.
All that cuntre and band of hillis hie,
Sa full of rochis pynnakillis, as we se,
Lat it be geif for amyte and concord
To the Troianys, and Eneas thar lord;
Syne offer thame equale trety condyng,
And, as our perys, do call thame in this ryng;
All sammyn lat thame dwell heir by and by;
Gif thai haue sik desyre to Italy,
Do lat thame beld thar cite wallys squar.
Bot gif so be that thai lyst ellis quhar
To othir costis or pepill forto wend,
Thar duellyng place for ay to apprehend,
And possibill be that of our boundis thai
May so depart, and from thens wend away;
Twyss ten schippis lat ws beld agane
Of strang tymmyr and treis Italyane,
And gif thai wald compleit ma in this land,
The stuf lyis all reddy by the strand;
Of thar schippis the numbir and maner
Lat thame command, and we sal furnyss heir
The irne graith, the wark men, and the wrychtis,
And all that to the schippis langis of rychtis.
And forthir eik it lykis me,” quod he,
“To ber my wordis to this prynce Ene,
And to conferm our frendschip and our pess,
Ane hundreth gay ambassatouris, but less,
Of gretast blude of the Latyn menȝe,
And in thar handis reke furth the paceabill tre;
And bair hym giftis and rewardis large,
Of gold and evoir mony sovm and charge,
The char or sete accordyng for the ryng,
Our rob ryall, ensenȝeys of a kyng.
Avyss heiron amangis ȝou for the best,
And help to bryng our febill weill to rest.”
Ane Drances tho vpstud, and speke began,
The quhilk Drances was the self man
That, as we said haue laitly heir tofor,
Was rycht molest to Turnus euermor,
Quham the renovn of Turnus and glory
Prikkyt full sor with lurkand hyd envy;
Of moblis rych and plentuus was he,
And maste expert in speche and wordis sle,
Bot of his handis into batale sted
Full cald of curage, dolf as ony led,
And into consalys gevyng he was hald
A man nocht indegest, bot wyss and cald;
Bot ane seditioun or a brek to make
Sa masterfull, tharin was nane hys mayk;
The nobill kynrent of hys moderis syde
Maid hym full gret of blude, and full of pryde;
Hys fader was oncertane and onknaw.
And vp he startis in this ilk thraw,
With thir wordis Turnus to ourcharge,
Aggregyng on hym wrath and malyce large:
“O douchty kyng, thou axis consale,” said he,
“Of that mater quhilk, as semys me,
Is nother dyrk nor dowtsum, bot full cleir,
That mysteris not our avicis beyn heir.
The pepill haill grantis that thai wait
Quhat forton schawys, and in quhat estait
Our materis standis; bot thai ar arch to schaw,
Quhispirand amangis thame, thai stand sik aw.
Bot causs hym geif thame liberte to speke,
Do way his bost, at thar breth may outbreke;
I meyn of hym, by quhais onhappy werd
And fraward thewys, now ded on the erd
Samony cheif chiftanys and dukis lyis:
Forsuyth, I sall say furth all myne avyss,
All thocht with brag and bost, or wapynnys, he
Me doith await, and mannans forto de;
For by hys dedis may we se express
Thys cite haly plungit in distress,
Quhillys that he has maid hym to assay
The Troianys strenth, and stall sa sone away,
Havand assurans to withdraw and fle,
And into armys dois bost the hevynnys hie.
Bot, O thou all thar best and riall kyng,
To all thir gyftis ekis bot a thyng;
Onto thir presandis and wyss wordis seir,
That to Troianys thou hass byd say and beir,
Ekis a gift, and lat neuer demyt be
The bustuusness of ony may dant the.
Bot that thi douchter, O thou fader gude,
Onto ȝon worthy prynce of gentill blude
Be gevyn, tobe thy son in law, I wyss,
As he that worthy sik a wedlok is;
And knyt vp paix, but mor disseuerans,
With that eternall band of allyans.
And gif sa gret raddour or dreid haue we
Within our myndis or our breistis,” quod he,
“That, for Turnus, we dar nocht do sik thyng,
Than lat ws for the weilfar of this ryng
Beseik hym tharfor and with haill entent
Requir hym at he wald grant hys consent,
So that the kyng, at hys fre volunte,
Mycht oyss and do hys proper dewyte,
And, for the weill publik of this land,
Desyre that he na wyss tharto ganestand.
O Turnus, hed and causar verraly
Of thir myschevis gret in Italy,
Quharto sa feill syss in playn perrellis now
Thir sylly wrachit citeȝanys warpis thou?
Nane hoip of weilfar haue we in this wer:
For paix halely we all the requer,
Togiddyr with Lavinia the schene may,
Quhilk is the pand or plege, this dar I say,
Of paix tobe kepit inviolate.
And I, forsuyth, quhilk, as be thy consait,
Thou fenys thyne evill willar fortobe,
And for the common weill, sa mot I thee,
So fortocum I refuss nocht, gud broder,
Bot lo me heir, now formest of all other
Humylly the besekyng: I requer,
Haue mercy, lord, of thyne awyn frendis deir,
Lat be thy stowt mynd, go thy way but lak,
With ane mair strang rebute and dryve abak.
Ded corpsis bet down enew haue we seyn,
Our large feildis and boundis all betweyn
Left desolate and waist of induelleris.
Bot gif thy fame and gret renown the steris,
Gyf in thy breist sa hie curage and mycht
Thou hass consauyt, thynkand the sa wight,
And gif that on sik wyss this hald ryall
Suldbe thy dowry and rych gyft dotall
Thou berys in hart, and is to the sa deir;
Do vndyrtake this thyng, and end the weir:
Address thy body baldly, and not spayr
Forto recontyr alone thyne aduersar,
To that entent, that Turnus all hys lyfe
May weld the kyngis douchter to hys wyfe;
So that we, dolf of curage as the led,
Be not doun strowit in the feildis ded,
In cumpaneis onberyit or bewalyt.
Bot thou, that hass in feild sa feil assalyt,
Gyf ony strenth thou hass or hardyment,
Or marciall prowes steryng thyne entent
For thy cuntre; aganyst the, for hys rycht,
Behald thy fa prouocand the to fyght,
Ȝondir all reddy to mak hys party gude;
Delay no mor, bot manfully go to it.”
The fers mude of Turnus, this bald syre,
At sik sawys kyndillyt hait as fyre,
Sychand rycht sor deip in hys breist onon,
Thir wordis pronuncis with a petuus grone:
“Drances,” said he, “forsuyth euer hess thou beyn
Large and to mekill of spech, as weil is seyn
Now, quhen the batale desyris wark at hand;
The consale syttand, first thou doys vpstand.
Bot not with wordis suld the cowrt be fillyt,
Set thou be gret tharin and ful evill willyt,
With haltand wordis fleand from the heir,
Quhen thou assouerit art of al danger,
Sa lang as that our strenthty wallys gude
Our ennemys debarrit doith exclude
Or quhil the fowceis of our forteress
Rynnys not our of bludy spait, I gess.
Tharfor trump vp, blaw forth thyne eloquens,
As thou was wont to do, mak thy defens:
Bot than thou may, Drances, be myne avice,
Me to reproch of feir and cowardyce,
Quhen that thi rycht hand into batale sted
Samony hepis of Troianys hes laid ded,
And quhen thou takynnyt hess so worthely
With syng tropheall the feildis, as haue I.
Full eith it is fortill assay, and se
Quhat may our sprety fors in the melle;
And, as full weill is knawyn to ws eik,
Our fais beyn not far from hens to seik,
Bot plant about the wallis of our town:
Aganyst thame go mak ws reddy bown.
Quhy duellys thou and tareis thus al day?
Quhidder gif thy marcial dedis, as thai war ay,
Into thy wyndy clattrand tung salbe,
And in tha cowart feit, euer wont to fle?
Says thou I was repulsyt and dryve away?
O maist onworthy wight, quha can that say,
Or me iustly reprochyng of syk lak,
That I rebutyt was or dung abak,
By me quhen thou behald mycht Tyber flude
Boldyn and ryn on spait with Troian blude,
And all the famyll of Evander kyng
Brocht onto grond alhail and his ofspryng,
And the Archadis, confundyt and ourset,
With mony ma in armys I doun bet?
The grysly Bytias, and Pandarus his brother,
Thai ar expert gif I fled one or other,
And eik thai thousand sawlys on a day
As victor I to hell send hyne away,
Quhen that I was inclusyt at distress
Amyd myne ennemyss wallis and forteress.
Thou says, in weir na hoip is of weilfar:
O wytless wyght, pronunce that, and declar
Sik chance betyd ȝon Dardan capitane,
And spa sik thyng onto thy dedis ilkane!
And forthir eik, sen thou art mad becum,
Cess not forto perturbill all and sum,
And with thy felloun raddour thame to fley;
The febill myghtis of ȝon pepill fey,
Into batale twyss venquyst schamefully,
Spar not fortill extoll and magnyfy;
And, by the contrar, the pissans of Latyn kyng
Do set at nocht, bot lychtly, and down thryng.
Now the nobill Myrmydon capitanys
Quakis in armys for feir of the Troianys,
And now Tedeus son Diomedes
Agast is, and Larissyane Achilles;
And Aufidus, the swyft flowand ryver,
Rynnys contyrmont frawart the sey for feir.
And quhill alsso this ilk schrewit wight,
That is controvar of mony wykkyt slycht,
Fenȝeis hym fleyt or abasyt tobe,
That he dar not chide furth incontrar me,
Than with hys dreid and sle controvit feir
My cryme aggregis he on hys maner.
Desist, Drances, be not abasyt, I pray,
For thou sal neuer loss, schortly I the say,
By my wapyn nor this rycht hand of myne,
Sik ane pevych and catyve saule as thyne:
Nay, lat it duell with the, as best may gane,
Within that wrachit corps, and thar remane.
Now, O thou gret fader and prynce souerane,
To the and thy consale I turn agane.
Gyf thou list no thyng trasting nor affy
Into our armys nor our chevalry,
Gyf that we be of help all desolate,
And haill at vnder into this last debait,
Distroyt for ay, and na help may mak,
For that our ost was anys drevyn abak,
And forton hess na return ne regress;
Lat ws beseik for paix at sik distress,
Mak hym request to rew apon our harmys,
And reke hym furth our ryght hand bair of armys.
Quhou beit, O, wald God in this extreme neid
That ony thyng of curage or manheid
Remanyt, as was wont with ws tobe!
Abufe the laif thame worthy thinkis me,
Maist fortunat in fatys marcyall,
And excellent in hie curage our all,
Quhilk wilfully, as that thame selvyn wald,
At thai ne suldyn sik myscheif behald,
Fell ded to grond by fatale happy werd,
And with thar mowth anys bait the erd.
Bot gif we haue rychess and moblys seir,
And nevir assayt ȝit fresch ȝong power,
And, in our helpyng, of Italianys
Citeis and pepillys habundis and remanys,
Or gif that also to the Troiane syde,
With effusioun of blude and wondis wyde,
This victory betyd is (trastis me,
Thai haue als feill ded corpsis as haue we,
Gyf this tempestuus trake of the batale
On baith the halfis is all owt equale),
Quhy failȝe we so schaymfully our mycht
Into the first entre of the fycht?
Quhy quakis thus our membris vp and dovn,
Befor the bludy blast and trumpis sovn?
For tyme, feill syss, and eik the variant chance
Of our onstabill lyfe hung in ballance,
Reducit hess full mony onlykly thyng
To bettir fyne than was thar begynnyng;
And fortoun interchangabill with blenkis quent
Full mony ane dissauyt hess and schent,
Syne efter in a thraw, this weill I wait,
Restoryt thame agane to thar ferm stait.
I put the cace, set the Etholianys,
With Dyomed and the pepill Arpanys,
Lyst not cum in our helpyng nor suple;
Ȝit than the bald Mesapus weill wylbe,
And the happy Tolumnyus alsso,
With all tha other dukis mony mo
That fra so feill pepillys beyn hydder sent:
And na litill renown, be myne entent,
Followys the chosyn folkis of Italy,
Nor thame that duellis in Lawrent feildis heirby.
Haue we not eik the stalwart Camylla,
Of the famyll and kynrent of Volsca,
Ledand thir armyt ostis and stern feildis,
In byrnyst plait arrayt and schynand scheldis?
Bot gyf the Troiane pepill, euery ane,
Desyris me to feght in feild allane,
Gif that be plesand onto the, schir kyng,
And I sa far, efter Drances menyng,
Gaynstandis the common weill; into that cace,
That schame sal nevir betyd me in na place,
For victory me hatis not, dar I say,
Nor lyst syk wyss withdraw thir handis twa,
That I refuss suld to assay ony thyng
Quhilk mycht sa gret beleif of weil inbryng.
With stowt curage agane hym wend I will,
Thocht he in prowes pass the gret Achill,
Or set in cace sik armour he weris as he,
Wrocht by the handis of God Vlcanus sle.
To ȝou, and Kyng Latyn my fader in law,
I Turnus heir, quham full weill ȝe knaw
No thyng behynd, nor tobe reput less,
To nane of all our eldris in prowes,
This saul and life, the quhilk sa weil I lufe,
Doith promyss and awowis for ȝour behufe.
Thai say, allon me challancis Ene;
And I beseik gret God he challance me:
Ne byd I not that Drances deir aby
Ocht with hys deth, quhar that apposit am I;
Nor, quhidder this turn to goddis wrethfull wraik,
Or hardyment and honour, we ondertake,
Na thing at all tharof salbe his part—
The chans is myne, I will it not astart.”
Quhill thai thus at gret altricatioun wer
Amangis thame self in dowtsum thingis seir,
Eneas all his ost and haill army
Hess rasyt, trumpyng to the town in hy.
A messynger com ruschand in with haist,
Amyd the rowtis ran as he war chaist,
That with huge rumour and a feirfull dyn
Fillit onon the kyngis riall in,
And with gret dreid the cite stuffit alquhar;
Schawand quhou that thar fays cummyn war
In plane batale arrayt, to conclud,
The Troiane barnage from Tibir the flude,
With ordinance of Tuscan, that dyd spreid
In forfront al the large feildis on breid.
Onon the pepillis hartis effrayt wer,
And commonys breistis proplexit all for feir;
In sum, the greif and ire dyd fast habund,
Rasyt with brethfull stangis full onsond,
And with a felloun dreid all on steir
Thai hynt to harnes, and cryis eftir thar ger:
“Harness, harnes,” all the ȝong citeȝanys
With fellon brute and noys schowtis atanys;
The febill and agyt faderis wobegone
Can pleyn and weip with mony a petuus grone.
In euery part the gret clamour and cryis
In diuerss opinionys rayss vp to the skyis—
Nane other wyss than as sum tyme we knaw
The flycht of byrdis fordynnys the thik schaw,
Or than the rawk vocit swannys in a rabill,
Sondand and swouchand with noys lamentabill
Endlang the bemand stankis and stremys cleir
Of Padusa, sa full of fyschis seir.
Turnus, that fand hys tyme sa oportune,
Now baldly says he: “Citeȝanys, haue doyn;
Do call ȝour consale, takis avysment,
Sittand at eyss ilkane say his entent,
Carpys of paix, and ruyss it now, lat se,
Quhen that thai ȝonder invadis ȝour cuntre,
Ȝour mortale fays enarmyt ȝou to assaill.”
Na mar he said, but startis vp sans faill,
And of the cheif palyce ischit furth in hy,
Thus carpand to the noblys stud hym by:
“Go tyte, Volusus, to the banereris
Of the Volscanys, and thame that standartis beris;
Charge thame thar ensenȝeis forto rayss on hycht,
And in thar armour adress thar men to fyght:
And ȝhe, Mesapus, Coras, and ȝour broder,
The horsmen all enarmyt, ane and other,
Convoys furth onto the feildis braid.
A party of the citeȝanys,” he said,
“Do stuf the entreis, and the portis defend;
Sum to the towris and wall hedis ascend;
The remanent of all our hail menȝe,
Quhen I command, lat thame set on with me.”
Onon our all the cite by and by
Vp on the wallys ryn thai than in hy.
The kyng Latyn hys consale, full onglaid,
And gret materis quhilkis he begunnyn had,
Left and differrit quhil ane other day,
Trist in his mynd, and trublit of that delay;
And mony ways hym self he accusyt,
That he sa lang had slewthit and refusyt
To ressaue glaidly the Troiane Ene;
Repentyng sor, for weill of his cite,
That he had not requirit hym and draw,
Or than, tobe his mawch and son in law.
Sum tho, thar cite entre forto kepe,
Befor the portis delvis trynschis deip;
Sum to the ȝettis weltis weghty stonys,
And sum gret iestis and sillys for the nonys;
The bass trumpet with a bludy sovn
The syng of batell blew our all the tovn.
The wallis than thai stuffit rownd abowt
With diuerss sortis of mony syndry rowt,
Baith wifis, barnys, childer, men and page
(Na kynd of stait was sparit tho, nor age);
The heyast poynt and lattir resistens
Callit euery wight to laubour and defens.
The queyn also, Amata, furth can hald
Onto the tempill and Pallas souerane hald,
Born in hir char, and walkyng hir abowt
Of matronys and nobil wemen a rowt;
Offerandis and gyftis brocht with hir scho had;
Nixt hand hir went Lavynia the maid,
The causs of all this harm and wofull teyn,
That dovn for schame dyd cast hyr lusty eyn.
The matronys entris in the goddis presens,
And smokis the tempill with sweit vapour and sens,
And reuthful vocis warpis lovd on hie.
Alssone as thai attenyt the entre,
“O thou,” said thai, “Pallas armipotent,
Tritonia clepit, maid, and president
Of batale and of weris eueryone,
With thy virginal handis breke onon
Ȝon Troiane revaris wapynnys and his speir;
Hym self als tyte dovn to the grund thou ber,
Vndre our portis and our wallis hie
Down warp hym ded, that we that sycht may se.”
Turnus hym self, als fers as ony gleid,
Ful bissely addressyt on his weid,
Desyrus of the batale and bargane.
Intil a closs curass Rutilyane
Be than his body weill embrasyt had he,
Hys burnyst armour, awfull for to se,
With lymmys claspit in platis gilt with gold
And hed all bair; ȝit, as hym selvyn wold,
Hys dedly brand he beltis by his syde;
And, schynand all of brycht gold, fast can glide
Throw owt the palyce ryall heir and thar,
Reiosyt in his mynd, as thocht he war
In ferm beleif fortill ourset his fo;
And on sik wyss gan walkyng to and fro,
With hart hyngand on the ioly pyn.
As sum tyme dois the curser start and ryn,
That brokkyn hes his band, furth of his stall,
Now gois at large out our the feldis all,
And haldis towart the studis in a rage,
Quhar merys rakis in thar pasturage,
Or than onto the deip rynnand ryver,
Quhar he was wont to drynk the watir cleir;
He sprentis furth, and full provd walxis he,
Heich strekand vp his hed with mony a ne,
Out our his spaldis and nek lang by and by
His lokkyrrit mayn schakand wantonly—
Siklyke this Turnus semys, quhar he went.
And, as he bradis furth apon the bent,
The maid Camylla cumis hym agane,
Accumpaneit with hir ostis Volscane.
Befor the portis dovn lyghtis the queyn,
Quham all the rowt hess followyt bedeyn,
Discendand from thar horssis esely;
Syne on sic wyss this lady spak in hy:
“Turnus,” says sche, “gif ony hardy wight
May traste or assur in thar awyn mycht,
I vndertak, and dar promyss, allane
To mach in feild the ostis Eneadane,
And baldly dar recuntir in melle
All the horsmen of the Tuscane menȝe.
I the requyr, suffir me to assay
With my retenew and thir handis tway
The first danger in batale, or I stent:
Byde thou behynd on fut in enbuschment,
And kepe the wallis of this tovn,” scho said.
Turnus his eyn hes fixit on this maid,
That weirlike was and awfull onto se,
Syne on this maner to hir ansueris he:
“O thou virgyn, glory of Italy,
Quhat thankis ȝeld or rendir the may I,
Or quhat may I refer of thy renovn?
Bot, sen thou art to all thyng reddy bovn,
Surmontyng all in curage souerane,
Now at this tyme of sic laubour and payn
Grant me my part, so that on athir syde
Betwix ws twa the bargane be dyvyde.
Hark, I sall schaw ȝou myne avyss,” quod he,
“Ȝon detestabill and myschews Enee,
As that the rumour surly hess maid kend,
And als my spyis schawis was thidder send,
A certane horsmen, lycht armyt for the nanys,
Hes send befor forto forray the planys;
Hym self ascendis the hie band of the hyll
By wentis strait and passage scharp and wyll,
Schaip on our cite fortocum prevely.
Tharfor a prattik of weir devyss will I,
And ly at wait in quyet enbuschment
At athir pethis hed or secrete went;
In the how slak, be ȝonder woddis syde,
Full dern I sall my men of armys hyde.
Set thou apon the Tuscan horsyt rowt,
With pynsellis semlyt sammyn with a schowt.
The stalwart Mesapus with the sall go,
The Latyn barnage, and the brethir two,
That capitanys come fra Tyburtyn cite,
With all thar ordinance and hail menȝe:
Tak thou the cuyr with thame to rewle and steir
Alhaill that ryall army into weir.”
Thus said he, and with sic wordis at schort
Mesapus to the fyght he dyd exhort,
And all his feris, syne euery capitane;
And syne towart his aduersaris is gane.
Thar lay a valle in a crukyt glen,
Ganand for slycht till enbusch armyt men,
Quham, wonder narrow, apon athir syde
The bewys thik hampirrit and doith hyde
With skowgis darn and full obscur, perfay,
Quharthrow thar strekit a rod or a strait way,
Ane narrow peth, baith outgang and entre,
Full scharp and schrowit passage wonder sle;
Abufe the quhilk, apon the hill on hycht,
Quhar men may spy about a weil far sycht,
Thar lyis a playn to the Troianys onknaw;
Bot, quha so list towart that sted to draw,
It is a stellyng place and sovir harbry,
Quhar ost in stail or enbuschment may ly,
Quhidder men list the bargane to abyde
Owder on the rycht hand or on the left syde,
Or on the hycht debait thame for the nanys,
And on thar fays welt dovn weghty stanys.
Thyddir ȝong Turnus held and dyd ascend,
As he that all the passage weil bekend;
The place he tuke, and ful prevy, onknaw,
Lyggis at wait vnder the darn wod schaw.
The meyn sesson, Latoneis douchter Dyan,
Within hir set of hevynnys souerane,
The swyft Opys, a nymphe ane of hir feris,
Ane haly virgyne of hir sort mony ȝheris,
To hir callis, rycht dolorus and onglaid,
And, sychand sair, to hyr syk wordis said:
“O virgyn deyr, lo now, Camylla gays
To cruell batall aganyst hyr mortal fays,
And, al invayn, with hir into syk werys
Our wapynnys and our armour with hyr berys.
I the declar and certifeis,” quod sche,
“Abuf all other full deyr is sche to me;
Ne this luf, suythly, is nocht cummyn of new,
Nor ȝit of lait in Dyanys brest vpgrew,
And with a hasty sweitness movyt my spreit,
Bot of ald kyndnes lang tyme onforleit.
For quhen hir fader, Metabus the kyng,
Was throw invy expellit hys ancyent ryng
Of Pryvernum, and for the cruelte
Of his pepill fled from that cite,
With hym he bair this ȝong infant sa deir,
Tobe his fallow in exill, and play feir,
And efter hir moderis name, hait Casmylla,
Camylla hes clepit, a lettir tane awa.
Befor hym in hys bosum he hir bair
And socht onto the wilsum holtis hair.
Hys cruel fays with thar wapynnys keyn
Hym ombeset on all partis in teyn.
With armyt men and wageouris the Volscanys
So neir almost bylappyt hym at anys,
Thar was na passage quhar away to fle;
For lo, amyd the went quhar etlyt he,
Amasenus, that ryver and fresch flude,
Abuf the brays bulryt as it war wod;
From the clowdis war bryst sik spait of rayn
The ryver flowis our the large plane.
He, dressand hym to swym, at the bank syde
For luf of the ȝong bab most neid abyde,
And, for his deir byrdyng dredand soir,
Ilk chance in haist dyd roll in his memor;
And scars this sentens prent into hys mynd,
Hys douchtir forto closs within the rynd
And stalwart sapplyn or bark of cork tre
(For in hys hand the self tyme had he
A bustuus speir, per cace, baith styth and stuyr,
As he that was a worthy weriour;
The schaft was sad and sound, and weill ybaik);
Ywympillit in this bark tho dyd he take
Hys ȝong douchter, and with hys awyn hand
Amyddis of this lans full suyrly band;
Quhilk tasand with hys rycht hand, sone on hye
Onto the hevyn abuf thus carpys he:
‘O blissyt maid Latonya, our alquhar
Of wild forestis the inhabitar,
I, fader, heir professys servand to the
Thys tendir ȝonglyng, bund onto this tre;
Fleand hys fays throw the skyis, llo,
Knyt to thy schaft, lawly besekis scho.
Ressaue hir, lady, and testify, God wait,
As thyne alhail, onto the dedicate,
Quhilk now thou seis standis in danger,
Commyttit to the wyndis and the ayr.’
Thus said he, and onon with a swak
Hys gardy vp hass bendit far abak,
And threw the speir with all hys fors and mycht;
The stremys soundyt of the schaftis flycht.
Owr this ferss ryver to the farthyr bra
This fey onsilly bab, ȝong Camylla,
Flaw knyt onto this quhirrand schaft of tre.
Bot this Metabus, quhen that he dyd se
The gret press of hys fays cum sa neir,
Na langar duelt, bot swam throu the ryver;
And cummyn to hys purposs blyth and glaid,
The speir onon, sa buklyt with the maid,
In presand onto the thrynfald Dyane,
Furth of the gresy sward he has vp tane.
Na rurall byggyngis, nor ȝit na strang cite,
Wald hym ressaue within thar wallys he,
Nor, thocht thai wald hym to harbry haue tane,
Hys fers mynd couth not subdew to nane;
So that, in maner of hyrdis in pasturage,
On wild montanys he wonnyt all his age;
Quhar that his dochtyr, amang buskis ronk,
In dern sladis and mony scroggy slonk,
With mylk he nurist of the beistis wild,
And with the pappys fosterit he his child
Of savage stude meris in that forest;
Oft tymys he thar pappys mylkit and prest
Within the tendir lippys of his get.
And, fra the child myght fut to erd set,
And with hir solis first dyd mark the grond,
With dartis keyn and hedis scharply grund
Hir fystis and hir handis chargyt he;
And at hir schuldir buklyt hess on hie
Ane propir bow and litil arow cace;
And for hir goldyn garland or hed lace
In sted eik of hir syde garmont or pall,
Our the schuldris fro hir nek down with all
The grisly tygrys skyn of rent dyd hyng.
The self tyme ȝit sche bot tendir ȝonglyng
Thir dartis and the takillis swyft leit glyde;
And oft abowt hir hed the ilk tyde
Wald warp the stryngis of the stowt staf slyng,
Quhar with feill syss to grund ded wald scho dyng
The cran of Trace, or than the quhite swan.
For nocht scho was desirit with mony a man,
And moderis feill throu the townys Tuscane
Desirit hir thar gud douchter, invane;
For scho only, full ferm in hir entent,
Of Diane, goddes of chastyte, stud content,
And list to hant evyr in woddis with me
The dartis schutyng, and love virginyte,
Remanand incorrupt and a cleyn maid.
I wald, forsuyth, at this tyme scho abaid,
And had not hastit to sic chevalry,
Forto molest the Troianys stowt army;
Bot that ane of my ferys scho suld be,
As scho that is at all tyme deir to me.
Haue done onon, thou nymphe Opys,” scho said,
“With wikkyt fatis sen bestad is ȝon maid,
Thou slyde down from the hevyn, and that inhy;
The Latyn feildis thou vissy and aspy,
Quhar, in the wofull batale and melle,
To ane onhappy chance betaucht is sche.
Tak thir dartis, and sone owt of my cayss
That ilke revengeabill arow thou owt rayss:
Quha evir with wond doys hurt or violat
Hyr haly body onto me dedicat,
Quhiddir he be Troiane or Italiane,
All is in like, that he onon be slane,
And with hys blude myn offens deir aby.
My self thar eftir the reuthfull corps in hy
Amyd a boyss clowd sall cary away,
Onspulȝeit of hir armour or array,
And hir bygrave, reducit to hir cuntre,
In sepultur full gloryus,” said sche.
Than Opys lyghtly of the hevynnys glad,
Throw owt the skyis sowchand fast doun slaid,
Persand the ayr with body all ourschrowd
And dekkyt in a watry sabill clowd.
Dvryng this quhile, the Troiane power all
Approchys fast towart the cite wall,
The Tuscane dukis and horsmen rowtis alhaill
Arrayt in batale, euery ward and staill,
Our all the planys brays the stampand stedis,
Full galȝart in thar bardis and weyrly wedis,
Apon thar strait born brydillis brankand fast,
Now thrympand heir, now thar, thar hedis can cast:
The large grond worth grysly onto se
Of steill wapynnys and scharp speir hedis hie;
And as the fyre all byrnand schayn the feildis
Of brycht armour, heich helmys, and braid scheildis.
Aganyst thame alsso onon apperys
The bald Mesapus, valȝeant in werys;
The agill Latyn pepill with hym was,
And duke Catyllus, with his brother Coras,
And eik the weyng of Wolscane pepill in feild
With the stowt wench Camylla vnder scheild;
And furth thai streik thar lang speris weill far,
Drew in thar armys with schaftis chargit on far,
Tasyt vp dartis, taclys and fleand flanys;
The contyr or first tocome for the nanys
Full ardent wolx, and awfull forto se,
The men byrnand to ioyn in the melle,
And furour grew of stedis sterand on stray.
Now thai, approchyng sammyn in array
Within ane arow schot on athyr syde,
Syne maid a litill stop, and still dyd byde;
Rasyt vp a schowt, bad on thame with a cry,
Quhil bruyt and clamour fordynnyt the sky.
Thar fers stedis dyd for the bargane cheir;
On athir half thai mak a weirlike feir;
And tharwithall at anys on every sydis
The dartis thik and fleand takyllys glydis,
As doith the schour of snaw, and with thar flycht
Dyrknyt the hevynnys and the skyis lyght.
Tyrrhenus tho, ane of the Tuscane rowt,
And Acontevs, a Rutilyane full stowt,
Togidder semblyt with thar speris ran,
To preif the first fall sammyn, man for man.
Thai meit in melle with a felloun rak,
Quhil schaftis al to schuldris with a crak;
Togiddir duschis the stowt stedis atanys,
That athyris contyr fruschyt otheris banys.
And Aconteus, lyke to the thundris blast,
Smyte from hys sadill a far way was cast,
Or lyke a stayn warpyt from the engyne,
That altofruschit dovn he dyd declyne,
With sik rebund and rewyne wonder sair
That he his lyfe hes sparpellit in the ayr.
All suddanly the Latynys tuke affray
And gaue the bak bedeyn, and fled away,
Thar scheldis our thar schuldris kest behynd,
And to the tovn spurris als ferss as wynd.
The Troianys dyd persewyng on the chayss,
And fast invadis thame Prynce Asyllas.
Quhen thai approchyng to the portis neir,
The Latyn pepill returnys all infeir,
Thar weill dantit horss nekkis quhelit abowt,
Syne gaue a cry, and on thame with a schowt:
The tother party than hess tane the flight,
Leit ga the brydill, and fled in all thar mycht.
Lyke as the flowand sey with fludis rude
Now ruschis to the land, as it war woyd,
And on the skelleys at the costis bay
Vpswakkis fast the fomy wallys gray,
And with his iawpys coverys in and owt
The far sandis our the bay abowt;
Now with swyft fard gois ebband fast abak,
That with hys bulrand iaschis and owt swak
With hym he sowkis and drawys mony stayn,
And levis the strandis schald and sandis plane—
The Tuscane folk the Latynys on sik wyss
Onto the cite wallys chasyt twyss;
And twyss thar self dyd fle and gif the bak,
With scheldis at defens behynd thame swak.
Bot tharefter the thryd assay thai mak,
The ostis sammyn ionyt with a crak,
That euery man hess chosyn hym his feir.
And than, forsuyth, the granys men mycht heir
Of thame that stervyn and dovn bettyn beyn,
That armour, wapynnys, and ded corpss bedeyn,
And stedis throwand on the grond that weltis,
Mydlit with men quhilk ȝeld the gaste and sweltis,
Bedowyn lay full deip in thar awyn blude.
The stowr encressis furyus and woyd.
Orsilochus, a Troiane, with all his forss
Dressis his lans at ane Remulus horss,
For hym to meit he stude a maner feir;
The hed remanyt vnder the horssis eyr,
The steid enragit for the cruell dynt,
And lansys vp on hycht als fers as flynt,
As he that was inpacient of hys wond,
That Remulus down weltis on the grond.
Catillus, ane of the brethir Tyberyne,
Iollas down bet, and thareftir syne
The gret Hermynyus, wondir byg of corps,
Bot far byggar of curage and of fors;
Quhais hed and schuldris nakyt war and bar,
And on his crovn bot lokrand ȝallow hair;
And thocht he nakyt was, and voyd of geir,
Na wond nor wapyn mycht hym anys effer;
Forgane the speris so bustuus blomyt he,
That this Catillus stalwart schaft of tre
Throw gyrdis baith hys stalwart schulder banys,
And with the dynt stud schakand all at anys,
Transfixit so, and persand euery part,
It dowblis and renewys the manis smart.
The blaknyt dedly blude on athir syde
Furth ruschis owt of warkand wondis wyde;
The swerdis baithit wolx in bargane red;
Feill corpsis kyllit in the feild fell ded,
And caucht a douchty end to swelt in fycht,
By hurtis feill forto manteym thar rycht.
The awfull maid Camylla the ilk tyde,
With cace of arrowis tachit by hyr syde,
Amyd the slauchter and melle apon hyr foyn
Prowdly pransys lyke a wench Amaȝon,
That, forto hant the bargane or assay,
Hyr rycht pap had cut and brynt away.
And now the sowpill schaftis baldly sche
On ather sydis thik sparpellis and leit fle;
Now, not irkyt in batale stith to stand,
Ane stalwart ax scho hyntis in hir hand;
Apon hir schulder the giltyn bow Turcas,
With Dyanys arowys clatterand in hyr cayss.
And gif that so betyd into that fight
Hyr ferys gave the bak and tuke the flycht,
Into the chaiss oft wald scho turn agane,
And, fleand, with hir bow schuyt mony a flane.
Abowt hir went hir walit stalwart feris,
The maid Laryna and Tulla ȝong of ȝheris,
And Tarpeia, that stowtly turnys and swax
With the weil stelit and braid billit ax;
Italyanys born; quham the nobil Camylla
Had to hir lovyng and honour deput swa,
Tobeyn hir servandis in ganand tyme of paix,
And in batale to stand by hir in press.
Lyke as of Trace the wenchis Amaȝonys
Dyndillis the flude Thermodoon for the nonys,
As in thar payntit armour do thai fycht,
Owder abowt Hippolita the wight,
Or by the weirlyk maid Penthesile,
Rolland hir cart of weir to the melle;
The wemen rowtis baldly to the assay,
With felloun bruyt, gret revery and deray,
Furth haldis sammyn our the feldis sone,
With crukyt scheldis schapyn like the moyn.
O thou stern maid Camylla, quhat sal I say?
Quham first, quham last, thou smait to erth that day?
Or quhou feil corpsis in the batale sted
Thou laid to grond, ourthrew and put to ded?
With the formast, Ewmenyus, that was one
Son to Clysius; quhais braid breist bone
With a lang stalwart speir of the fyre tre
Throw smyttyn tyte and persyt sone hes sche;
He cavis owr, furthbokand stremys of blude,
And with his teith eik, schortly to conclude,
The bludy erd he bait; and, as he sweltis,
Apon hys wond oft writhis, tumlys and weltis.
Abuf this nixt scho ekis other two,
Lyris, and ane Pegasyus alsso,
Of quham the tane, that is to say, Lyris,
As that he fordward stowpand was, I wys,
To hynt hys horssis reyn that gan to fundir,
And the tother present, to kep hym vndir,
Furth straucht his febill arm to stynt his fall,
To grund togidder ruschit ane and all.
And to thir syne the son of Hyppotes,
Amastrus hait, ded scho adionyt in press;
And lenand fordwart on hir lance of tre,
Terreas and Harpalicus chasys sche,
Persewand eik full bustuusly onon
The bold Chromys, and strang Demophon:
Quhou feill dartis with hir hand kest this maid,
Alsmony Troianys ded to grund scho laid.
Ane Ornytus, ane huntar, far on raw,
In armour and in cognycens onknaw,
Raid on a curser of Apulȝe throu the feild;
Hys braid schuldris weill cled war and ourheld
With a ȝong bullis hyde newly of hynt;
Hys hed coverit, to salf hym fro the dynt,
Was with ane hydduus wolfis gapand iowis,
With chaftis braid, quhyte teith and bustuus powis.
To mak debait, he held intill his hand
A rural club or culmas in sted of brand;
And, quhar he went, amyd the rowtis on hie
Abuf thame all his hail hed men myght se.
Camylla hym at myscheif hess on set,
Scho bair hym throw, and to the grund dovn bet;
Nor na gret curage, forsuyth, was that, na mycht,
For all his rowt tofor had tane the flycht.
Bot forthir eik this forsaid Camylla,
With mynd onfrendly, can thir wordis sa:
“Thow Tyrrheyn fallow, quhat, wenyt thou tobe
In woddis chasand the wild deir?” quod sche.
“The day is cummyn that ȝour prowd wordis hait
A womanis wapyn sal resist and debait.
And, not the less, na litill renowne
From thens thou sal do turss away with the,
And to our faderis gostis blythly schaw
That with Camyllais glave thou art ourthraw.”
Incontinent this madyn eftir thys
Slew Orsilochus, and ane that hait Butys,
Twa biggast men of body and of banys
Of all the ost and fallowschip Troianys.
Bot this ilk Butys, standand hir befor,
Outthrou the nek dyd scho perss and bor,
Betwix the hawbrig and the helm inhy,
Quhar that his halss scho dyd nakyt aspy;
For our his left schulder hang his scheld.
Bot this Orsilochus fled hir in the feild,
And gan to trump with mony a turnyng went;
In circulis wyde scho drave hym our the bent,
With mony a curss and iowk, abowt, abowt;
Quhar euer he fled scho followis in and owt;
And at the last scho hess ourtak the man,
And throw hys armour all, and his harn pan,
Hir braid poll ax, rasyt so on hie,
With all hir forss and mycht syne strykis sche;
As he besocht for grace with gret request,
Scho dowblit on hir dyntis, and so hym prest,
With feil wondis his hed hass tort and rent;
Hys harnys hait our all his vissage went.
Than Awnus son, quhilk also Awnus hait,
On cace betyd approche in the debait
Towart this maid, and, alsone he hir saw,
Abasyt huvis still for dreid and aw:
Into the mont Appennynus dwelt he,
Amang Liguriane pepill of his cuntre;
And not, forsuyth, the lakest weriour,
Bot forsy man, and rycht stalwart in stour,
So lang as fatis sufferit hym in fycht
To excerss prettykis, iuperty or slycht.
This Awnus, fra that weil persavit he
Na way to fle nor eschew the melle
Nor mycht eschaip the queyn stude him agane,
Than he begouth assay hir with a trayn,
And with a sle dissait thus first he said:
“Quhat honour is till a stowt wench or maid
Fortill assur and trast in a strang horss?
Leif thy swyft steid, and traste in thyne awyn forss;
At nane avantage, quhen thou lyst to fle,
Lyght on this plane, and hand for hand with me
Address ws to debait on fut allone:
Thar sall thou se, thar sall thou knaw onon,
Quhamto this wyndy glor, voust, or avantis,
The honor or, with payn, the lovyng grantis.”
Thus said he, bot scho than als hait as fyre,
Aggrevit sor, inflambit in felloun ire,
Alycht, and to hir mait the horss betaucht;
At his desyre onon on fut vpstraucht,
With equale armour bodyn wondir lycht,
The drawyn suerd in hand that schane full brycht,
And onabasyt abaid hym in the feild,
Abylȝeit only bot with a quhite scheild.
The ȝong man, wenyng with his sle dissait
He had begilit hir be his consait,
Abowt his bridill turnyt but mar delay
And at the flycht sprent furth and brak away,
And feil syss leit the horss sydis feill
The scharp irne spurris prik apon his heill.
“O,” quod the maid, “thou fals Liguriane,
Our wanton in thy prowd mynd, all invayn;
O variant man, for nocht perfay,” quod sche,
“Hess thou assayt thy cuntre craftis sle!
Dissaitfull wight, forsuyth I to the say,
Thy slycht and wylis sal the nocht beir away,
Nor haylscarth hyne do turss the hame fra ws
Onto thy faderis howss, the fals Awnus.”
Thus said the wench onto this other syre,
And furth scho sprent as spark of gleid or fyre;
With spedy fut so swyftly rynnys sche,
By passyt the horssis renk, and furth can fle
Befor hym in the feild with gret disdeyn,
And claucht onon the curser by the reyn;
Syne set apon hym baldly, quhar scho stude,
And hir revengit of hir fays blude—
Als lychtly as the happy goishalk, we se,
From the hycht of a rokis pynnakill hie
With swyft weyngis persewis wonder sair
The silly dow heich vp into the ayr,
Quham finaly he clippis at the last,
And lowkyt in his punsys sarris fast,
Thristand his tallans sa throu hir entralis
Quhill at the blude abundantly furth ralys;
And, with hir beik deplumand, on al sydis
The lycht downys vp to the skyis glidis.
The fader of goddis and men with diligent eyn
Hass all hir dedis vnderstand and seyn,
And, situat in his hevynly houss on hie,
Inducis and commovis to the melle
Tarchon, of Tuscanys pryncipall lord and syre,
In breithfull stoundis rasyt brym as fyre;
So that amyd the ful myschewoss fyght,
The gret slauchter and rowtis takand the flycht,
On horsbak in this Tarchon baldly draw,
Wilfull his pepill to support and saw;
The wardis all of euery natioun
With admonitions seir and exhortatioun
And diuerss wordis tystis to feght, for schame,
Clepand and calland ilk man be his name,
Quhill thai that drevyn war abak and chaste
Relevys agane to the bargane in haist.
“O Tuscane pepill, quhou happynnys this,” said he,
“That ȝhe sal evir sa doillyt and bowbartis be
Onwrokyn sik iniurys to suffir heir?
O, quhat be this? Quhou gret a dreid and feir,
Quhou huge dolfnes and schaymful cowardice
Hes ombeset ȝour myndis, apon sik wyss
That a woman allon, and thus belyve,
Apon sik wyss sal scattir ȝou and dryve,
And gar sa large rowtis tak the flycht?
Quharto bair we thir steill egis in fyght?
Or quhat avalys to hald in hand, lat se,
For nocht thir wapynnys, gyf we a wife sall fle?
Ȝe war not wont tobe sa lyddyr ilkane
At nycht batellys and warkis venerian
Or quhar the bowand trumpet blew the spryng,
At Bachus dans to go in caralyng,
Syne go to fest at tabill, and syt at dess,
Se cowpys full, and mony danty mess:
Thar was ȝour lust, plesour, and appetite,
Thar was ȝour bissy cuyr and ȝour delyte;
Quhen that the happy spay man, on hyss gyss,
Pronuncit the festual haly sacryfyss,
And the fat offerandis dyd ȝou call on raw
To banket amyd the dern blissyt schaw.”
And, with that word, amydwart the melle,
Reddy to sterf, his horss furth sterys he,
And awfully onon with all his mayn
Ruschit apon Venulus, stud hym agane;
And with hys rycht arm can hys fa enbrass,
Syk wyss he dyd hym from hys horss arraiss,
And with huge strenth syne dyd hym cowch and lay
Befor his breist, and bair hym quyte away.
The Tuscanys rasyt a clamour to the sky,
And Latynys all thar eyn abowt dyd wry.
This Tarchon, ardent as the fyry levyn,
Flaw furth swyft as a fowle vp towart hevyn,
Berand with hym the armour and the man;
And fra his speris poynt of brak he than
The stelit hed, and syne seyrsis all artis,
Euerilk entre, and all the oppyn partis,
Quhar he mycht fynd into sa litil stovnd
A place patent to geif hym dedis wond.
And, be the contrar, Venulus full wight
Maid all debait and obstakill at he mycht,
And can hys hand from hys throt oftsyss chop
With all hys strenth, hys violens to stop.
Lyke as, sum tyme, the ȝallo egill be sycht
The eddir hyntis vp and careis on hyght,
Syne, fleand, in hir feit strenȝeis sa fast
That oft hyr punsys outthrow the skyn dois thrast;
Bot the serpent, wondyt and al toschent,
In lowpyt thrawys wrythis with mony a sprent,
Hyr sprutlyt skalys vpset grysly to se,
With quhisland mouth strekand hir hed on hie;
All thocht scho wreill and sprynkill, bend or skyp,
Evir the sarar this ern strenys hys gryp,
And with hys bowand beik rentis grewsly,
Sammyn with hys weyngis soursand in the sky—
Noyn othyr wyss, this Tarchon tursys hys pray
Throw owt the Tyburtyn rowtis glaid and gay.
The pepill Tuscane, quhilum cum fra Lyde,
Seand the exempill and prosper chans that tyd
Of thar stowt duke, followys hys hardyment,
And with a rusch sammyn in the bargane sprent.
Quhen as ane Aruns, by hys mortal fait
Onto myschewos ded predestinate,
Circulis at the wait, and aspyis abowt
The swyft madyn Camyll, of all the rowt
In honest fait of armys maist expert,
And best betaucht to schute or cast a dart;
He sekis by quhat ways or fortoun
To fynd the fassoun and tyme oportune
Maist esely this lady to assaill;
And all the wentis and renkis, sans faill,
This furyus maid held mydwart the melle,
The sammyn gait and passage haldis he,
And prevely hir futsteppys dyd espy;
And quhar scho dyd return with victory,
With fut bakwart frawart hir aduersar,
This ilk Aruns was ful reddy thar,
And thyftuusly onon the sam way he
Withdrew hys payss, and held on hir hys e;
Lurkand at wayt, and spyand rownd about,
Now this tocome, now that onset, but dowt,
At euery part thys pevech man of weyr,
And schuke in hand hys oneschewabill speir.
Per chans that tyde Choreus, of gret estait,
Ane spiritual man blissyt and consecrat,
That to Cybele sum tyme preist had be,
A weill lang space ȝond in the melle
Abilȝeit rychly and full gloryus schane
In pompus armour and array Phrygiane:
Furth dryvys he the fomy sterand steid,
With weirlyke bardis cled, and sovir weid
Of coyrbulȝe or leddir with gilt nalys,
Cowchyt with plait of steill als thik as skalys;
And he hym self, in brovne sangwane weill dycht,
Abuf hys onkouth armour blomand brycht,
Schaftis he schot, and takillys wrocht in Creyt,
With Lycyane bow nokkyt with hornys meyt,
And clattryng by hys schuldyr for the weir
Hys ganȝe cays and goldyn awblaster;
The helm of gold schane on the prestis hed;
Of safron hew, betwix ȝallow and red,
Was hys rych mantill, of quham the forbreist lappys,
Ratlyng of brycht gold wyre, with gyltyn trappys
Or cordis fyne was buklyt with a knot;
Of nedill wark all brusyt was hys cote;
Hys hosyng schane of wark of barbary
In porturatour of subtell brusery.
Thys man only of all the mekyll rowt
The maid Camvlla followis fast about;
Quhyddir so it was that Troiane armour shce
Lyst hyng in tempill for memor of trophe,
Or than desyryt this wantoun hunteress
In goldyn attyre hir selwyn to address,
Quhilk scho in feild byreft hyr aduersar;
Throw owt the ost onwarly went alquhar,
Blynd in desyre this Troiane to assay,
In womanly appetyt ardent of this pray,
This precyus spulȝe, and array sa prowd,
Quharwith, as said is, was this preist yschrowd.
Thys forsaid Aruns liggyng at the wait,
Seand this maid onflocht at sik estait,
Chosys hys tyme that was mast oportune,
And towart hir hys dart adressyt sone.
With voce express hys prayer thus maid he:
“O brycht Apollo, souerane god mast hie,
Of haly mont Soractis the wardane,
Quham pryncipaly we wirschip euery ane,
Quhamto the fyry smok of sens, we se,
Blesys in the kyndillit byngis of fyr tre;
As we that wirschippis the with obesans,
Be support of thy devoyt observans,
Oft with our futsteppys and our nakyt solys
Down thryngis feil hait syndris and fyry colys;
Grant me, fader almychty, now I pray,
With our wapynnys this schame to do away.
I ask na trophe, nor the pomposs weyd
Of this maid dovn bet or repulsyt in deid,
Nowder byd I therof spulȝe nor renovn;
My other dedis syne mot mak me bovn
To report honour and lawd efter this;
Bot at this tyme I byd na mair, I wyss,
Salf that this wench, this vengeabill pest or trake,
Be bet dovn ded by my wond and smert strake,
And syne that I may to my kynd cite
Bot ony glor return alyve,” quod he.
Phebus hym hard and grantit to fulfyll
Of hys axin a party, at hys wyll;
Bot for the tother part, suyth to say,
He leit do waif with the swyft wynd away;
Consentand that he suld doun bet and sla
By hasty ded the awfull Camylla;
Bot, at hys cuntre hailscarth haymwart brocht
Suld se hym eftir that, he grantit nocht;
And in the clowdy blastis of the sky
That voce and wordis flaw away in hy.
So that, als fast as from hys hand, that stond,
Thirland the ayr this takill gaue a sound,
The rowtis can aduert and takis tent,
Turnand thar syghtis, ilk wight, with a blent
Towart the queyn, thar lady, this Camyll;
Bot scho nane heyd nor tent hess tane thartill,
Nowder of the hasty motioun of the ayr,
Nor ȝit the byrrand sovnd this flycht maid thar,
No ȝit persavyt this awfull schaft of tre
Discendand swyftly fra the hevyn on hie;
Quhill that the lance hir smate and hurt, perfay,
Quhar that hir pap was schorn and cut away,
And weggyt deip within hir cost stude,
Furth sowkis largely of this madynnys blude.
Hyr complicis alsammyn in this neyd
Start to thar lady in affray and dreid;
And sone thai claucht and lappyt in thar armys
This queyn, that funderand was for hir smart harmys.
Bot fyrst of all, for feyr and fell affray,
Thys Aruns fled full fast and brak away,
With blythnes mydlyt havand paynfull dreid:
For he na langar durst into this neyd
Assur forto debait hym with hys speir,
Na ȝit abyd the virgynys wapyn, for feyr.
And lyke as that the wild wolf in hys rage
Knawand hys recent falt and gret owtrage,
Quhen that he hass sum gret ȝong oxin slane,
Or than weryit the nolt hyrd on the plane,
Tofor hys fays with wapynnys hym persew,
Onon is he to the heich mont adew,
And hyd hym self full far owt of the way;
Hys taill, that on hys ryg befor tymys lay,
Vnder hys waym lettis fall abasytly,
And to the wod can hast hym intill hy—
Nane other wyss Aruns, that fleyt wight,
Fled, and belyve withdrew hym owt of sycht;
Content only to gyf the bak and fle,
Amang the thikast press hym hyd hess he.
And this Camylla, stervand the ilk stound,
The schaft hass pullyt of hir dedly wound
With hir awyn hand; bot ȝit amang the banys
The scharp steill hed fixt to the rybbys remanys
In a full deip wond and a grewos sayr.
All paill and bludles swarthis scho rycht thar,
And in the deth closys hir cald eyn;
The rudy cullour, vmquhile as purpour scheyn,
Blaknyt, and fadys quyte owt of hir face;
And, ȝaldand vp the gost in the ilk place,
Onto ane of hir damysellis and ferys,
Clepyt Acca, that had beyn mony ȝheris
Only maste trast, and hald in speciall
To Camylla abuf the otheris all,
That knew alhaill the secretis of hir hart,
With quham hir thochtful curys wald scho part,
That tyme scho spak, and said on this maner:
“Acca, Acca, my leif systyr deyr,
Onto this hour I haue done at I myght;
Bot now this dolorus wond so hess me dycht
That all thyng dymmys and myrknys me abowt.
Go fast thy way, and hy the of this rowt;
Schaw Turnus thir my last commandis,” quod sche,
“Byd hym entyr in fecht in sted of me,
And fra the cite thir Troianys dryve away.
Adew for evir! I haue na mar to say.”
Sammyn with that word the renȝeis slyp leyt sche,
And slayd to grond, nocht of fre volunte.
Than the cald deith and last stondis mortall
The spreit dissoluyt from the corps our all;
Hyr sowpil crag inclynand and nek bayn,
Bowyt dovn hyr hed that was with deth ourtane;
Furth sprent hyr armys in the ded thrawyng,
And fra hir kest hir wapynnys and armyng.
The spreit of lyfe fled murnand with a grone,
And with disdene dovn to the gostis is goyn.
Ane huge clamour than dyd ryss on hycht,
That semyt smyte the goldyn starnys brycht.
The bargane walxis mair cruell and het
Quhar that the stowt Camylla was down bet,
For all the rowtis of the bald Troianys,
The Tyrrheyn dukis semlyt all at anys,
And eik Evandrus wardys of Arcadys,
Sammyn in the press thar aduersaris invadis.
Bot Opis tho, the nymphe, that weill neirby
Be thrynfald Dyane send was to espy,
Sat a lang space apon ane hillys hight,
And onabasyt dyd behald the fyght.
Syn tharefter onfar scho can espy,
Amyd quhar as thir ȝonkeris rasyt this scry,
With schaymfull deth ourtane, Camyll the maid;
Scho wepyt soir, and plenand thus scho said,
Sobband full deip law from hir breist within:
“Allace, virgyne, to mekill, and that is syn,
To mekill all owt, sa cruell punysyng
Hass thou sufferit, certis, for sik a thyng,
Becauss thou hest inforsyt with all thy mycht
Fortill ennoy the Troianys in this fight!
Quhat proffitis the in buskis thyne allane
To haue servyt so lang the blissyt Diane?
Or by thy syde, or than on schuldir hie,
So lang our quavyrris to haue born?” quod sche.
“And, netheless, but honour in this sted
Thy queyn hess not the left in poynt of ded;
Nor this thy slauchter but ramemberyng
Amang all pepill sall not be, nor menyng;
Ne salt thou not that schame suffir, trast me,
Forto betald thou suld onwrokyn be.
Quha evir with wond hess schent or violait
Thy fair body, to Dyane dedicate,
He sal repent the tyme that euer thou stervit,
And with his deth aby, as he hes servyt.”
Vnder the montane law thar stude fute hoit
A byng of erth, vphepit like a moyt,
Contenyng the cald assis and brynt banys
Of ald Dercennus, kyng of Lawrentanys,
Ourheld with akyn treis and bewys rank:
Thyddir this goddess, hastand dovn the bank,
Hyr self hess careyt, and thar huvys styll,
And from this knowys hycht, or lityll hyll,
Abydis this ilk Aruns till espy.
And fra scho hym persavys glydand by,
In rich armour schynand wonder brycht,
And all invayn, prowd, wantoun, gay and lycht:
“Quhy haldis thou awaywart so?” quod sche.
“Dress hyddermar thy futsteppis towart me;
Now cummys hyddir to peryss and to sterve,
And caucht dewly, as that thou hess deserve,
Thy reward for Camyllys ded, perde.
On Dyanys dartis, ha, suld syk ane de?”
And with that word, lyke a stowt wench of Trace,
The swyft gilt arow schuke owt of hir cace,
And, rycht amovit, hir hornyt bow hass bent,
Quharin onon the takill vp is stent;
Syne halys vp in ire and felloun haist,
Quhil that the bow and nokkis met almaist;
And now hir handis raxit hyt euery sted,
Hard on the left neyf was the scharp steill hed,
The stryng, vp pullit with the rycht hand in feir,
Went by hir pap almaste ontil hir eyr.
Aruns onon the motioun of the ayr
Sammyn with the quhislyng of the takill squar
Persavit hess, and eik the dynt atanys;
The dedly hed throu gyrd his body and banys.
Hys ferys all hess hym forȝet allane,
Quhar as he swelt with mony a wofull grane,
And in ane onkouth feld hess left hym ded,
Bedoif in dust and puldyr, will of red:
Syne Opys with hir weyngis swyft can fle
Abufe the skyis heich in the hevynnys hie.
The swyft army and active rowt wyth this
Of Camilla fled first the feld, I wyss,
For thai had lost thar lady and capitane:
The pissans haill and ostis Tyburtane
Affrayt all togydder gave the flycht;
The bak hess tane Atynas bald and wight;
The chiftanys brak array, and went thar gait,
The banneris left all blowt and desolait,
Socht to warrand on horsbak, he and he,
Frawart thar fays, and held to the cite.
For nane of thame, sa mayt and sa agast,
The ferss Troianys, quhilk thame assalȝeit fast,
Onto the ded and myscheif dyd invaid,
With wapynnys anys to styntyng maid a braid,
Nor thame sustene ne ȝit resist thai mycht,
Bot all atanys sammyn tuke the flycht,
And on thar wery schuldris with gret schame
Thar byg bowys onbent hass tursyt hame;
And the stowt stedis with thar huvys sovnd
With swyft renkis dyndlyt the dusty grond.
The blak stowr of puldir in a stew
Als dyrk as myst towart the wallys threw;
On the barmkyn abufe, and turettis hie,
The wemen bet thar breistis, was reuth to se,
Rasand atanys a wofull wyfly cry
Went to the starnys and thyrlyt throw the sky.
And quha mycht formest, with swyft curss hess thame set
To brek in at the oppyn patent ȝet;
The rowtis of thar ennemyss myxt ourane
Apon thame ruschis, and ourthrawys mony ane;
Nor thar eschape thai nocht the wrachit deth,
Bot in the portis ȝaldis vp the breth,
Stekit amyd thar native wallys hie,
And amang howsis quhar sovir semyt thame tobe.
A part closyt the entre and the portis,
Ne to thar ferys, nor ȝit nane other sortis,
The ȝettis listyng oppyn, nor mak way,
Nor, thocht thai oft besekyng thame and pray,
Durst thame ressaue within thar wallys squar.
A duylfull slauchter onon vprisys thar
Of thame in armys stude the portis to defend,
And thame with glavys war kyllyt and maid end.
The son furthschet, that pety was to seyn,
Befor thar wepand wofull faderis eyn;
Sum in the holl fowcy war tumlyt dovn,
Sa thik thame cummyrris the press thrang to the tovn;
Sum hasty and onwarly at the flycht
Sclakis thar brydillys, spurrand in all thar mycht,
Can with a ramrayss to the portis dusche,
Lyke with thar hedis the hard barris to frusch.
The moderis eik and wemen albedene,
Fra tyme Camylla kyllyt haue thai sene,
Knawand thar was extreme necessite,
With all debait stude on the wallys hee.
Sik thyng to do that tyme and tak on hand
The perfyte luf thame taucht of thar kynd land,
And all agast dartis and stanys doun threw:
The syllys squar and hedyt styngis enew,
And perkis gret with byrslyt endis and brunt,
Full hastely doun swakkis, dunt for dunt,
And, for defens of thar kynd wallys hie,
Offerit thame self with the formest to de.
In the meyn quhile, as Turnus at the wait
Lay in the wod, fast by the passage strait,
All the maist cruell tithingis fillys hys erys,
For Acca schawys to hym and all hys ferys
The huge affray, quhou the batale was gane,
The Volscane ostis distroyt, and Camyll slane,
Thar noysum fays encressyng furyus rage,
And by thar prosper Martis vassallage
Discumfyst all hys ostis, euery rowt,
That now the cite wallys stud in dowt.
He walxis brayn in furor bellicall,
So desyrus of dedis marciall,
For the hard fatys and strang mychtis he
Of the gret Iove wald that so suldbe:
The hyllys heich he left quhar at he lay,
And from the dern woddis went away.
And scarsly was he passyt owt of syght,
In the plane feild cummyn all at rycht,
Quhen that the prynce Ene with all his men
Hess entryt in and passyt throu the glen,
And our the swyre schawys vp at hys hand
Eschape the dern wod, and won the evyn land;
So that baith twa with thar haill rowtis at last
In all thar speid held to the cite fast.
And na lang space thar ostis war in sondir,
Bot that Ene the feildis reik lyke tundir
Of dusty stowr persauyt a far way,
And saw the Latyne rowtis ryde away;
And ferss Eneas, wyrkar of hys harmys,
Turnus persauyt also ryde in armys,
The dynnyng of thar horss feit eik hard he,
Thar stampyng sterage, and thar stedis ne.
Incontinent thai had to batale went,
And in the bargane previt thar hardyment,
Ne war, as than, the rosy Phebus red
Hys wery stedis had dowkyt our the hed
Vnder the stremys of the occeane see,
Reducyng the dyrk nycht, thai mycht not se;
Alhaill declynyt had the days lycht.
To tentis than befor the tovn ilk wight
Bownyng to rest, al thai that war with owt,
And delvys trynschis all the wallys abowt.