University of Virginia Library

Scarsly vpsprang the nixt day followyng,
Scheddand the bemys of hys bryght mornyng
Apon the toppis of the montanys hie,
As Phebus stedis first of the deip se
Rasyt thar hedis and noyss thirlys on hight,
Our all the feildis blawand the cleir lyght;
Quhen that the Troianys and Rutilianys
The grund myssouris, evynnys, dichtis and planys,
Vndir the wallys of the cheif cite,
Thar as the feild and fechtyng place suldbe;
Amyddis quham the harthis vp thai set,
Quharon the fyris suldbe maid and bet,
And to the common goddis eik bedeyn
The altaris coverit with the scherald greyn.
Sum otheris brocht the fontane watir fair,
And sum the haly ingill with thame bair;
With lynnyng valis or lyke apronys lycht
Thai war arrayt, and thar hedis dicht
In wyppys of the haly herb vervane.
The legionys tho furth haldis to the plane,
And all the rowtis of Awsonyanys,
That otherwyss ar hait Italyanys,
Furth thryngis at the portis full attonys,
With lancis lang and pykkis for the nonys.
Thydder all the Troianys wardis, by and by,
And Tyrrheyn ostis ruschis hastely,
Bodyn full weill in nobill armour seir;
Nane otherwyss with wapynnys and with geir
Arrayt for the batale all at rycht,
Than thocht the fury of Mars thame callit to fycht.
Amyd the thousandis swyftly throw the planys
Furth sprentis lustely thir capitanys,
In rich purpour arrayt and fyne gold brycht,
Assaricus sonnys and Mnestheus wight,
And on the tother part strang Asilas,
And bald Mesapus also with hym was,
Neptunus son, expert in horss dantyng.
And eftir that the trumpet blew a syng,
Than euery partyment bownys to thar stand,
And gan thar speris stik doun in the land,
Set by thar scheildis, to behald the fyne.
The wemen wedois and the matronys syne,
Desyrys forto se the bargane stowt,
Of childyr and of commonys mony a rowt
That couth na wapynnys weld, nor armour weir,
With the onweldy agit folk infeir,
Clam on the hight and hedis of the towris,
The wallys all and howsis ryggyngis flowris;
And sum abufe apon the portis hie
Ascendit ar to behald the melle.
Bot Iuno tho dovn from the hycht, I wyss,
Of the montane that Albane clepit is
Now in our days (set than this hyllys dovn
Had nowder name, honour nor renovne),
Scho dyd behald amyd the feildis plane
Athir batellis and the ostis twane,
Baith of the Troianys and the Laurenteis,
And Kyng Latynus cite eik scho seys.
Onon to Turnus systyr vp on hie,
That clepit was Iuturna, carpys sche,
Thys goddes to that haly nymphe, mastres
Of wellys, stankis and rowtand stremys express,
Quhilk honour Iove, the kyng of hevynnys hie,
Hyr gave for the byreft virginite,
Said: “O thou nymphes, wirschip of fludis cleir,
That to my saul is hald maste leif and deir,
Thow knawys weill, I the preferrit ay
To all the otheris damysellys, perfay,
Of Latyn cuntre, quhat so evir thai wer
That wrangwisly ascendit or drew neir
The bed onprofitabill of Iupiter mast hie;
And glaidly eik haue I not stakyt the
Intill a party of the hevyn alssua?
Hark now thy sorow, thou Iuturna,
And wyte me not bot I the warnyt haue.
Turnus and thy cheif cite haue I save,
Sa lang as that the fatis sufferit me,
And quhill werd sisteris sa tholyt tobe;
Bot now I se that ȝong man haste, but faill,
To mach in feild with fatis inequaill;
The lattir day and term approchis ne
Of fatale fors and strangast destyne.
Nowder this bargane ȝonder on the greyn
Nor confideratioun may I se with eyn.
Pass thou on, for thy deir brothir germane
Gyf thou dar suffir ony mar dreidfull pane;
To the this semys and pertenys,” quod sche,
“Gyf that, perchans, ony bettyr may be,
Or eft betyd onto ȝon catyvis kend.”
Scars had Iuno thir wordis brocht to end,
Quhen that the nymphe Iuturna bedeyn
Plente of terys furthȝet from hir eyn;
Hyr fair quhite breist, thar as scho dyd stand,
Thryss or four tymys smait with hir awyn hand.
Saturnus get, this Iuno, says: “Tha terys
Na wyss to this tyme pertenys nor efferys.
Hast the, gyf that thou can be ony way
Withdraw thy brother from the deth away;
Or than do mak the ostis baith on steir,
Provok the batale, and thame move to weir,
And this convyn and trety, new consave,
Do brek, disturb and with the wynd bywave.
I sall the warrand and the wyrkar be
To mak the baldly vndertak,” quod sche.
On this wyss Iuno can this nymphe exort,
And left hir hail in weir and dowt, at schort,
With mynd full tryst, wobegone and onsound,
Full deip smyttyn with the sorowfull wound.