University of Virginia Library

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.