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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.