University of Virginia Library

Heir begynnys the Proloug of the Threttene and last Buk of Eneados ekit to Virgill be Mapheus Vegius

Towart the evyn, amyd the symmyris heit,
Quhen in the Crab Appollo held hys sete,
Duryng the ioyus moneth tyme of June,
As gone neir was the day and supper doyn,
I walkyt furth abowt the feildis tyte,
Quhilkis tho replenyst stud full of delyte,
With herbys, cornys, catal, and frute treis,
Plente of stoir, byrdis and byssy beys,
In amerant medis fleand est and west,
Eftir laubour to tak the nychtis rest.
And as I lukit on the lift me by,
All byrnand red gan walxin the evyn sky:
The son enfyrit haill, as to my sight,
Quhirlit about hys ball with bemys brycht,
Declynand fast towart the north in deid,
And fyry Phegon, his dun nychtis steid,
Dowkit hys hed sa deip in fludis gray
That Phebus rollis doun vndir hell away;
And Esperus in the west with bemys brycht
Vpspryngis, as forrydar of the nycht.
Amyd the hawchis, and euery lusty vaill,
The recent dew begynnys doun to scaill,
To meyss the byrnyng quhar the son had schyne,
Quhilk tho was to the neddir warld declyne:
At euery pilis poynt and cornys croppis
The techrys stude, as lemand beryall droppis,
And on the hailsum herbis, cleyn but wedis,
Lyke cristal knoppis or smal siluer bedis.
The lyght begouth to quynchyng owt and faill,
The day to dyrkyn, declyne and devaill;
The gummys rysis, doun fallis the donk rym,
Baith heir and thar scuggis and schaddois dym.
Vpgois the bak with hir pelit ledderyn flycht,
The lark discendis from the skyis hycht,
Syngand hir complyng sang, efter hir gyss,
To tak hir rest, at matyn hour to ryss.
Owt our the swyre swymmys the soppis of myst,
The nycht furthspred hir cloke with sabill lyst,
That all the bewte of the fructuus feld
Was with the erthis vmbrage cleyn ourheld;
Baith man and beste, fyrth, flude and woddis wild
Involuyt in tha schaddois warryn syld.
Still war the fowlis fleis in the air,
All stoir and catall seysit in thar lair,
And euery thing, quharso thame lykis best,
Bownys to tak the hailsum nychtis rest
Eftir the days laubour and the heyt.
Closs warryn all and at thar soft quyet,
But sterage or removing, he or sche,
Owder best, byrd, fysch, fowle, by land or sey.
And schortlie, euery thing that doith repar
In firth or feild, flude, forest, erth or ayr,
Or in the scroggis, or the buskis ronk,
Lakis, marrasis, or thir pulys donk,
Astabillit lyggis still to slepe, and restis;
Be the smaill byrdis syttand on thar nestis,
The litill mygeis, and the vrusum fleys,
Laboryus emmotis, and the bissy beys;
Als weill the wild as the taym bestiall,
And euery othir thingis gret and small,
Owtak the mery nychtgaill, Philomeyn,
That on the thorn sat syngand fra the spleyn;
Quhais myrthfull notis langyng fortil heir,
Ontill a garth vndir a greyn lawrer
I walk onon, and in a sege down sat,
Now musyng apon this and now on that.
I se the poill, and eik the Vrsis brycht,
And hornyt Lucyn castand bot dym lycht,
Becauss the symmyr skyis schayn sa cleir;
Goldyn Venus, the mastres of the ȝeir,
And gentill Iove, with hir participate,
Thar bewtuus bemys sched in blyth estait:
That schortly, thar as I was lenyt doun,
For nychtis silens, and this byrdis sovn,
On sleip I slaid, quhar sone I saw appeir
Ane agit man, and said: “Quhat dois thou heir
Vndyr my tre, and willyst me na gude?”
Me thocht I lurkit vp vnder my hude
To spy this ald, that was als stern of spech
As he had beyn ane medicyner or lech;
And weill persavit that hys weid was strange,
Tharto so ald, that it had not beyn change,
Be my consait, fully that fourty ȝeir,
For it was threidbair into placis seir;
Syde was this habyt, round, and closyng meit,
That strekit to the grund doun our his feit;
And on his hed of lawrer tre a crown,
Lyke to sum poet of the ald fasson.
Me thocht I said to hym with reuerens:
“Fader, gif I haue done ȝou ony offens,
I sall amend, gif it lyis in my mycht:
Bot suythfastly, gyf I haue perfyte sycht,
Onto my doym, I, saw ȝou nevir ayr,
Fayn wald wyt quhen, on quhat wyss, or quhar,
Aganyst ȝou trespassit ocht haue I.”
“Weill,” quod the tother, “wald thou mercy cry
And mak amendis, I sal remyt this falt;
Bot, other ways, that sete salbe full salt.
Knawis thou not Mapheus Vegius, the poet,
That onto Virgillis lusty bukis sweit
The thretteyn buke ekit Eneadan?
I am the sammyn, and of the na thyng fayn,
That hess the tother twelf into thy tong
Translait of new, thai may be red and song
Our Albyon ile into ȝour wlgar leid;
Bot to my buke ȝit lyst the tak na heid.”
“Mastir,” I said, “I heir weill quhat ȝhe say,
And in this cace of perdon I ȝou pray,
Not that I haue ȝou ony thing offendit,
Bot rathir that I haue my tyme mysspendit,
So lang on Virgillis volume forto stair,
And laid on syde full mony grave mater,
That, wald I now write in that trety mor,
Quhat suld folk deym bot all my tyme forlor?
Als, syndry haldis, fader, trastis me,
Ȝour buke ekit but ony necessite,
As to the text accordyng neuer a deill,
Mair than langis to the cart the fift quheill.
Thus, sen ȝhe beyn a Cristyn man, at large
Lay na sik thing, I pray ȝou, to my charge;
It may suffyss Virgill is at ane end.
I wait the story of Iherom is to ȝou kend,
Quhou he was dung and beft intill hys sleip,
For he to gentilis bukis gaif sik keip.
Full scharp repreif to sum is write, ȝe wist,
In this sentens of the haly Psalmyst:
‘Thai ar corruppit and maid abhominabill
In thar studeyng thyngis onprofitabill’:
Thus sair me dredis I sal thoill a heit,
For the grave study I haue so long forleit.”
“Ȝa, smy,” quod he, “wald thou eschape me swa?
In faith we sall nocht thus part or we ga!
Quhou think we he essonȝeis hym to astart,
As all for consciens and devoit hart,
Fenȝeand hym Iherom forto contyrfeit,
Quhar as he lyggis bedovyn, lo, in sweit!
I lat the wyt I am nane hethyn wight,
And gif thou hass afortyme gayn onrycht,
Followand sa lang Virgill, a gentile clerk,
Quhy schrynkis thou with my schort Cristyn wark?
For thocht it be bot poetry we say,
My buke and Virgillis morall beyn, bath tway:
Len me a fourteyn nycht, how evir it be,
Or, be the faderis sawle me gat,” quod he,
“Thou salt dier by that evir thou Virgill knew.”
And, with that word, doun of the sete me drew,
Syne to me with hys club he maid a braid,
And twenty rowtis apon my riggyng laid,
Quhill, “Deo, Deo, mercy,” dyd I cry,
And, be my rycht hand strekit vp inhy,
Hecht to translait his buke, in honour of God
And hys Apostolis twelf, in the numbir od.
He, glaid tharof, me by the hand vptuke,
Syne went away, and I for feir awoik
And blent abowt to the north est weill far,
Saw gentill Iubar schynand, the day star,
And Chiron, clepit the syng of Sagittary,
That walkis the symmyrris nycht, to bed gan cary.
Ȝondyr dovn dwynys the evyn sky away,
And vpspryngis the brycht dawyng of day
Intill ane other place nocht far in sundir
That tobehald was plesans, and half wondir.
Furth quynchyng gan the starris, on be on,
That now is left bot Lucifer allon.
And forthirmor to blason this new day,
Quha mycht discryve the byrdis blisfull bay?
Belyve on weyng the bissy lark vpsprang,
To salus the blyth morrow with hir sang;
Sone our the feildis schynys the lycht cleir,
Welcum to pilgrym baith and lauborer;
Tyte on hys hynys gaif the greif a cry,
“Awaik on fut, go till our husbandry.”
And the hyrd callis furth apon hys page,
“Do dryve the catall to thar pasturage.”
The hynys wife clepis vp Katheryn and Gill;
“Ȝa, dame,” said thai, “God wait, with a gude will.”
The dewy greyn, pulderit with daseis gay,
Schew on the sward a cullour dapill gray;
The mysty vapouris spryngand vp full sweit,
Maist confortabill to glaid all manis spreit;
Tharto, thir byrdis syngis in the schawys,
As menstralis playng “The ioly day now dawys.”
Than thocht I thus: I will my cunnand kepe,
I will not be a daw, I will not slepe,
I wil compleit my promyss schortly, thus
Maid to the poet master Mapheus,
And mak vpwark heirof, and cloyss our buke,
That I may syne bot on grave materis luke:
For, thocht hys stile be nocht to Virgill lyke,
Full weill I wayt my text sall mony like,
Sen eftir ane my tung is and my pen,
Quhilk may suffyss as for our wlgar men.
Quha evir in Latyn hess the bruyt or glor,
I speke na wers than I haue doyn befor:
Lat clerkis ken the poetis different,
And men onletterit to my wark tak tent;
Quhilk, as twiching this thretteynt buke infeir,
Begynnys thus, as furthwith followis heir.
As Turnus, in the lattir bargan lost
Venquyst in feild, ȝald furth the fleand gost,
This marciall prynce, this ryall lord Enee,
As victor full of magnanymyte,
Amyddis baith the rowtis baldly standis,
That tobehald hym apon athir handis
Astonyst and agast war all hym saw.
And tho the Latyn pepill haill on raw
A fellon murnyng maid and wofull beir,
And gan devoid and hostit owt full cleir
Deip from thar breistis the hard sorow smart,
With curage lost and doun smyttyn thar hart—
Lyke as the huge forest can bewaill
Hys granys doun bet and his branchis skaill,
Quhen thai beyn catchit and alltoschakyn fast
With the fell thud of the north wyndis blast.
For thai thar lancis fixit in the erd
And lenys on thar swerdis with a rerd,
Thar scheldis of thar schuldris slang away:
That bargan and that weir fast wary thai,
And gan abhor of Mars the wild luf,
Quhilk laitly thay desyrit and dyd appruf.
The brydyll now refuss thai nocht to dre,
Nor ȝok thar nekkys in captiuite,
And to implor forgyfnes of all greif,
Quyet, and end of harmyss and myscheif.
As quhen that twa gret bullys on the plane
Togiddir rynnys in bittir gret bargane,
Thar lang debait mydland quhar thai stand
With large blude scheddyng on athir hand,
Quhill athir of thame onto the batalis fyne
Hys awyn bestis and heyrdis doys inclyne,
Bot, gyf the pryss of victory betydis
Till ony of thir twa on athir sydis,
Onon the catall, quhilkis favorit langer
The best curcummyn as thar cheif and heir,
Now thame subdewis vnder his ward inhy
Quhilk hass the ovirhand wonnyn and mastry,
And of fre will, all thocht thar myndis be thra,
Assentis him till obey—and evin rycht swa
The Rutilianys, all thocht the gret syte
Thar breistis had bedowit and to smyte,
With gret effray of slauchter of thar duke,
Ȝit thocht thame levir, and haill to purposs tuke,
To follow and obey, for all thar harmys,
The gentill chiftane and bettir man of armys,
And thame subdew to the Troian Enee,
And hym beseik of peax and amyte,
Of rest and quyet evirmar from the weir,
For thame, thar landis, moblis and other geir.
Eneas tho with plesand voce furth braid
And, standand abuf Turnus, thus he said:
“O Dawnus son, quhou com this hasty rage
Into thy breist with foly and dotage,
That thou mycht nocht suffir the Troianys,
Quhilkis at command of goddis onto thir planys
And by power of hie Iove ar hiddir cary,
Within the bundis of Italy to tary,
And, all invane, thame so expellyng wald
Of thar land of behest and promyst hald?
Lern forto dreid gret Iove, and nocht gaynstand,
And to fulfyll glaidly the goddis command;
And for thar greif weill aucht we tobe war:
Sum tyme in ire will grow gret Iupiter,
And oft remembrans of the wikkit wraik
Solistis the goddis tharof vengeans to take.
Lo, now of all sik furour and effeir
The lattir meith and term is present heir,
Quhar thou aganyst reson and equyte,
Aganyst lawte, and brokyn all vnyte
Of confideratioun sworn and bund or now,
The Troian pepill sair trublit hess thow.
Behald and se the extreme fynale day,
To geif all otheris gud exempill for ay
That it mot nevir lefull be agane
Tyll ony to contempne gret Iove invane,
As forto rayss with sik dreid and effeir
Sa onworthy motioun of wikkit weir.
Now beis glaid, bruke thyne armour but pled;
Allace, a nobill corps thou lyggis ded,
The, gret Turnus, and, as to my demyng,
Lavynya hass the cost na litill thyng:
Nor thou na schame nedys thynk in na part,
That of Eneas hand thou kyllit art.
Now cumis heir, Rutilianys, but delay,
The body of ȝour duke turss hyne away.
I grant ȝou baith the armour and the man:
Hald on, and do tharto all that ȝe can,
As langis onto the honor of bereyng,
Or tobewaill the deth of sik a kyng.
Bot the gret pasand gyrdill and sik geir
That Pallas, my deir frend, was wont to weir,
To Evandar I will send, fortobe
Na litill solace to hym, quhen he sall se
Hys felloun fa is kyllit thus, and knaw,
Full glaid tharof, Turnus is brocht of daw.
And netheless now, ȝe Italianys,
That otherwyss be clepe Ausonyanys,
Ramembir heirof, and lern in tyme cummyng
With bettir aspectis and happy begynnyng
To move and tak onhand debait or weir;
For, be the blyssit sternys brycht I sweir,
Neuer nane ostis nor ȝit armour glaidly
Aganyst ȝou in batal movit I,
Bot constrenyt by ȝour fury, as is kend,
With all my forss I set me to defend
The Troian party and our awyn ofspryng,
As, lo, forsuyth this was bot lesum thing.”
No mor Eneas said, bot tharwithall
Addressys hym towart hys cite wall,
And throu the feildis socht full ioyusly
To hys new Troian reset and herbry.
Sammyn hym followis all the rowt atanys,
The pissans haill and ȝynkeris of Tewcranys,
And our the planys, glaid and wondir lycht,
Thar swyft stedis, as the fowle at flycht,
Throu speid of fut assays by and by,
And oft with bittir mouth dyd crying, “Fy!”
And can accuss the Latyn pepill all,
Oft fant folkis and sleuthfull dyd thame call;
That with thar rerd and bemyng, quhar thai fair,
For the deray full heich dynnys the air.
And thocht Ene the bissy thochfull curis
Constrenyt hass as twychand sepulturis
Of hys folkis yslane, and bereyng,
With funeral fyre and flambis accordyng,
Ȝit, netheless, in hys breist rollys and sterys
Ane grettar mater and largyar, as efferis.
For first the soueran honour on thar gyss
On the altarys with detfull sacrifice
He ordand hass, and than, fra hand to hand,
Eftir the ryte and vsans of thar land,
The ȝyng oxin gan thai steik and sla:
Within thar tempill haue thai brocht alssua
The bustuus swyne, and the twynteris snaw quhite,
That with thar clovis can the erth smyte,
With mony palt scheddand thar purpour blude.
Furth haue thai rent thar entralis, full onrude,
And gan denude and strippyn of thar hydis,
Syne hakkyn thame in talȝeis, and besydis
The hait flambis brochit hess thame laid.
And furth thai ȝet the wyne in cowpis glaid,
God Bachus giftis fast thai multiply;
With platis full the altaris by and by
Thai can do charge, and wirschipis with fat lyre;
The smelland sens vpblesis in the fyre.
Than throu that hald thai fest and mak gud cheir,
Vprayss the mery rerd and ioyus beir:
Thai dyd extoll and lovyng with gret wondir
Gret Iupiter, the feirfull god of thundir;
And Dame Venus thai wirschippit alsso;
And the, Saturnus douchter, Queyn Iuno,
Now pacifyit and bettir than befor,
Ane huge lawd thai ȝald to the tharfor;
And eik hym self Mars, the gret god of armys,
Thai magnyfy as wrekar of thar harmys;
Syne haill the remanent of the cumpany
Of the goddys thai name furth by and by,
With hie vocis and with lowd cryis
Lovit and born vpheich abuse the skyis.
Befor thame all maste gracius Eneas
Hys handis twa, as tho the custum was,
Towart the hevyn gan vplift and arays,
And syne the child Ascanyus dyd embrass,
Sayand a few wordis, that all mycht heir:
“O thou my son and only child mast deir,
In quham only restis thy faderis beleve,
Quham throu samony laubouris of myscheve
I careit haue, catchit full mony gatis
Be the hard fortoun and the frawart fatis,
Lo, now our rest and quyet fund for ay!
Lo, now the last and maist desyrit day,
To mak end of our harmyss and distres!
Our paynfull laubour passit is express:
Lo, the acceptabill day for euermor,
Quhilk I full oft haue schawin the befor
Quhen ontill hard bargan callit was I,
This was tocum and betyd by and by
Be dispositioun of the goddys abuse.
And now, my derrest child, for thy behufe,
To morn, soyn as Aurora walxis red,
To the cite of Lawrent, that ryall sted,
I sall the send, as victor with ovirhand,
Tobe mastir and to maynteym this land.”
And eftir this he turnyt hym agane
Onto hys folkis and the pepill Troian,
And from the boddum of hys breist weill law
With soft spech furth gan thir wordis draw:
“O ȝe my ferys and my frendis bald,
Throu mony hard perrellis and thikfald,
Throw sa feill stormys baith on land and se,
Hiddir now careit to this cost with me,
Throu sa gret fervour of batall into stowr
And dowbill fury of weirfar in armour,
Be sa feill wynteris blastis and tempestis,
By all ways noysum and onrestis,
And all that horribill was, or ȝit hevy,
Wofull, hydduus, wikkyt, or onhappy,
Or ȝit cruell or myschews; now stad
In bettir hoip, return ȝour mynd, beys glaid:
Now is the end of all ennoy and wo,
The term is cumyn, heir sall thai stynt, and ho:
And, lyke as we desyrit for the best,
With Latyn pepill in ferm peax and rest
We sall conioyn, and leif in vnite;
And Lavinia, of that ilk blude,” quod he,
“Quham I defendit haue in strang bargan,
Of Troiane kyn, with blude Italian
Sammyn mydlit, to me as spouss in hy
Sal ȝeld lynnage to ryng perpetualy.
A thing, my fallowis and my frendis deir,
I ȝou besekyng, and I ȝou requer:
Bair ȝour myndis equale, as all anys,
And common frendis to the Italianys,
And to my fader in law, the kyng Latyn,
Obeis all, and with reuerens inclyn—
Ane myghty ceptre and riall beris he—
This is my mynd, this is my will, perde.
Bot into batale and douchty dedis of armys,
Ȝou forto wreke and revenge of ȝour harmys,
Lern forto follow me and tobe meik,
Ȝhe contyrfyt my reuth and piete eik.
Quhat glor is ws betyd full weil is knaw,
Bot the heich hevyn and starris all I draw
To witnessyng, that I, the sammyn wight
Quhilk ȝou deliuerit hess into the fight
From sa huge harmys and myschevis seir,
I sall ȝou seyss and induce now, but weir,
In far largyar rewardis myghtyly
And ȝou rendir ȝour desert by and by.”
With sik wordis gan he thame comfortyng
And in his mynd full mony syndry thyng
Of chancis bipast rollyng to and fro,
Thynkand quhou he is brocht to rest alsso
With na litill laubouris, sturt and panys;
And with excedand luf of the Troianys
Full ardently he flowis all of ioy,
Glaid at the last from danger and ennoy,
So huge and hevy perrellis mony fald,
Thai war eschapit, and brocht to sovir hald.
Lyke as quhen that the gredy gled on hycht
Scummand vp in the ayr oft turnys hys flycht,
With fellon fard wachand the chiknys lyte,
Thar deth mannasand, reddy forto smyte:
The cristit fowle, thar moder, tho full smert
For hyr pullettis, with harmys at hir hart
Affrait gretly of thar wofull chance,
Gan rax hir self and hir curage avans,
Forto resist hir fa scharpand hir byll,
And with haill fors and mycht and egir will
Apon hir aduersar baldly settis sche,
Quhill, at the last, to gif the bak and fle
With mekill payn and verray violens
Scho hym constrenys, and to pyk hym thens:
Hyr byrdis syne, clokkand, scho sekis on raw
And all affrait dois thame sammyn draw,
Ennoyt gretly for hir childir deir:
And quhen thai beyn assemlit all infeir,
Than glaid scho worthis and thar meyt gan scrape
For that thai haue sa gret perrell eschape—
Nane other wyss the son of Anchises
With frendly wordis thus amyd the press
The Troian myndis gan meyss and asswage,
As man fulfillit of wit and vassalage,
Dryvand furth of thar hartis all on flocht
The ald dreid and byrnand hevy thocht,
That weill thame lykis now thar ioy and eyss
At last fundyn eftir sa lang diseyss;
And it that layt tofor was tedyus
To suffir or sustene, and ennoyus,
Now to ramember the sammyn or rehersyng
Doys to thame solace, comfort and lykyng,
Bot maist of all onto the gret Ene,
Quhilk in excelland vertu and bonte
Excedit all the remanent a far way.
And for sa feill dangeris and mony affray
The goddis power and mychty maieste
With gyftis gret and offerand wirschippis he,
Eyk Iupiter, the fader of goddis and kyng,
Gan to extoll with maist souerane lovyng.
In the meyn tyme the Rutilianys ichone
The gret ded corps reuthfull and wobegone
Of thar duke Turnus slayn, as said is air,
Within the cite of Lawrentum bair
With mekill murnyng in thar myndis enprent,
And from thar eyn a large schour furth sent
Of teris gret, as thocht the hevyn dyd rayn,
And far on breid dyd fyll the erys twayn
Of Kyng Latyn with cry and womentyng,
That all to irkyt was the nobill kyng,
And in his breist the self tyme in ballance
Was rollyng mony diuerss selcouth chance.
Bot quhen he hard thar lowd womentyng
Incressyng mair and mair, and Turnus ȝyng
With sa grysly a wond throw gyrd hess seyn,
Than mycht he nocht fra terys hym conteyn;
And syne this rowt, sa tryst and wobegone,
Full curtesly chargis be still onon,
Baith with hys hand and wordis in his presens
Inionyt hass and commandit thame silens.
Lyke as quhen that the fomy bair hess bet
With his thunderand awfull tuskis gret
Throw owt the cost and eik the entralis all
Ane of the rowt, the hund maste principall;
Than the remanent of that questing sort,
For this onsilly chance effrait, at schort
Withdrawys, and abowt the master hunteir
With quhyngeand mouthis quakand standis for feir
And with gret ȝowlyng doith compleyn and meyn;
Bot quhen thar lord rasys hys hand bedeyn
And byddys cess, thai hald thar mowthis still,
Thar quhyngng and thar questyng at his will
Refrenys, and all closs gan thame withhald—
The sammyn wyss thir Rutilianys, as he wald,
Gan at command debait thar voce and cess,
To heir the kyngis mynd, and held thar pess.
Than thus, wepyng, from hys hart ruyt waill law
The kyng Latyn begouth thir wordis schaw:
“O quhou gret motioun, quhat alteryng onstabill,
Quhou oftsyss interchangit and variabill
Beyn the actis and dedis of man!” quod he,
“With quhou gret trubbill, but tranquylyte,
Is quhirlit abowt the lyfe of man, behald!
O dampnabill pryde and ambitioun, that wald
Bruke crovn or ceptre, prowd in thyne entent,
Quhilk beyn sa fragyll, and not permanent!
O fury, O lust, that beyn our gretumly
Bred in our brestis, to covat senȝeory!
Thou blynd desyre insaciabill, may not tary,
Our mortal myndis quhidder doith thou cary?
O glory and renoun of loyss, invayn
Conquest with sa feill perrellis and huge pane,
To quhat conditioun or to quhat estait
Thou sterys furth thir prowd myndis inflait!
Quhou mony slichtis and dissatis quent
With the thou tursis, quhou mony ways to schent,
Quhcu feill maneris of deth and of distress,
Quhou feill tormentis, gret harm and wikkytnes!
Quhou mony dartis, quhou feill swerdis keyn,
Gyf thou beheld, thou hess befor thyne eyn!
Allace, thou sweit vennom schawis, and ȝit
This warldly wirschip hess the dedly byt.
Allace, the sorofull reward in all thyng
Of realmys, and thame covatis forto ryng,
Quhilk costis oft na litill thing, but weir.
Allace, the hevy byrdyng of warldly geir,
That nevir hour may suffir nor permyt
Thar possessour in rest nor peax to syt.
Allace, the miserabill chance and hard estait
Of kyngly honour sa mysfortunate:
The chance of kyngis standis onderlowt,
To mekill dreid ay subiect, and in dowt
From thar estait to dekey suddanly,
That all quyet and eyss is thame deny.
O Turnus, quhat avalit the to steir
In huge bargan so and feir of weir
All Italy with sik deray atanys,
And to perturbe the strangis Eneadanys,
Constrenyng thame hard batal to assay?
Or quhat avalis now, I pray the say,
Fortill haue brokkyn, violate or schent
The haly promyss and the bandis gent
Of peax and concord oblisit and sworn?
Quhou was thi mynd to rent and all to torn
With samekill impaciens on this wyss,
That the lyst move the weir, but myne avyss,
With tha pepill, sa strang, bald and sage,
That beyn discendit of the goddys lynnage,
And at command of Iove the god of thundir
Ar hyddir careit? and forto mak sic blundir,
That wilfully, but motyve, so belyve
Enforsyt the thame from our cost to dryve?
And forto brek the band that promyst we
Of our douchtir till our gude son Ene?
And with thy hand hard bargan rayss and steir,
Quhen I planely denyit to move weir?
Quhou was sa gret foly and dotage
Involuyt in thy mynd with fury rage?
Quhou oft, quhen thou to awfull batale wend
Amyd thy rowtis, and on thy steid ascend
In schynand armour arrayt all at rycht,
I assayt the to withdraw from fycht,
And feill tymys defendit the and forbad
To go the way that thou begunnyn had,
And all efferit, quhen thou wald depart,
Amyd the ȝet the stoppit with sair hart!
Bot all for nocht; no thyng mycht styntyng the.
Quhat I haue sufferit sen syne, quhou standis with me,
Our cyte wallys wytnessyng fut het,
With tenementis and biggyngis half doun bet,
And the large feldis strowit quhite of banys,
And haill the pissans of Italianys
All wastit and distroyit thus, allake!
The huge slauchtir and myschews wrake,
And all the fludis walxyn red or brovn
Of mannys quelling gret and occisioun,
The lang abasit quakyng feirfull dreid
And hard laubour, quhilk in extreme neid
I in myne age sa oft hess ondertane,
In sa feill dangeris quhar remed was nane.
Bot now, Turnus, heir thou lyggis ded:
Quhar is the nobill renovn of thy ȝouthed?
And quhar is thyne excellent hie curage?
Quhiddir is went thy strenth and vassallage?
Quhar is the staitly bewty of thy face?
Quhar is thy schynand figur now, allace?
Of thy fair vissage quhidder ar gone but weir
Thy plesand forret schaply and eyn cleir?
Ha, quhou feill terys and wofull dolouris smart
Sall thou, Turnus, rendir to Dawnus hart!
And with quhou large wepyng, duyll and wa
Ourfleit sal all the cite of Ardea!
Bot thai sal nocht behald the with sik lak
Througyrd with schamefull wond caucht in thi bak,
Ne noyt the of na cowardyss in thar mynd,
Nor that thou was degenerit owt of kynd,
And to thy wofull fader, will of red,
At lest this salbe solace of thy ded,
All thocht thy harmys doith hym soir smart,
That gret Eneas swerd hess persyt thy hart.”
And sayand thus, with terys of piete
Hys chekis baith and face ourchargit he:
Syne, turnand hym towart the mekill rowt,
The reuthfull corps of this ilk Turnus stowt
Bad turss away and cary furth onon
Ontill hys faderis cite wobygon,
And commandit to do the body cald
All funerall pomp, eftir the vsage ald.
The Rutilianys onon all in a rowt
This ded corps, that slayn lay, start abowt;
The gentill body of this stowt ȝongkeir
Thai haue adressit and laid on a rich beir,
And with hym eik feill takynnys by the way,
Reft from Troianys in the bargan, bair thai,
Baith helmys, horss, swerdis and other geir,
Scheildis, gittarnys and mony stalwart speir.
Syne eftir this hys wery cart furth went,
Of Troian slauchter and hait blude all bysprent.
Furth haldis wepand Metiscus, the carter,
As he that in the craft was not to leir,
Ledand the steid bedowyn all of swete
And chekis wait of flotterand terys grete,
Quhilk steyd had careit Turnus oft tofor
As victor hame with gret triumphe and glor
Full pompusly, apon ane other wyss,
Efter fervent slauchter of his ennymyss.
Ȝondir otheris, about hym inveroun,
Baris thar armour and scheildis turnyt dovn;
The remanent syne of the haill barnage
Followys wepand, knycht, swane, man and page,
With habundans of mony trigland teyr
Wetand thar brestis, wedis and other geir;
And thus wery furth went thai euery wycht
Amyd the dirk silens of the nyght,
Betand thame self with wondir drery cheir.
And Kyng Latyn with all thame with hym wer
Towart hys palyce gan return onon
With mynd trublit, trist and wobygon
For sa excelland ded corps as was slane.
Terys all sammyn furth ȝettis eueryane—
Baith agit men, matronys and childer lyte
The cite fyllis with womentyng and syte.
Dawnus, hys fader (na wyss wittand tho
He suld remane to se sik duyll and wo,
Nor that his son hys stalwart spreit had ȝald
And maid end in the lattir bargan bald,
That thus was brocht to tovn ded by his feris
With sik plente of bittir wepand terys),
The sammyn tyme with other dyseyss was socht,
At mekill sad dolour and hevy thocht.
For as the Latyn pepill war ourset
Into batall by Troianys, and dovn bet,
And Turnus be his hait and recent ded
Had with hys blude littit the grund all red,
A suddan fyre within the wallys hie
Ombeset halyly Ardea cite;
The biggyng of this fader wobegon,
Brynt and doun bet, of reky flammys schone,
And all returnys intill assys red;
The fyry sparkis into every sted
Twynkland vpspryngis to the starnys on hie,
That now na hope of help may fundyn be,
Quhidder so it was onto the goddis lykyng,
Or that the fatis befor list schaw sum syng
Of Turnus deth, in horribill batal slane.
And quhen the pepill saw remed was nane,
Belyfe the wofull trublit citesanys
Thar drery brestis betand all atanys,
Gan fast bewaill with petuus wepand face
Of this onhappy chance the wrachit cace;
In lang rabill the wemen and matronys
With all thar forss fled reuthfully atonys
From the bald flammys and brym blesys stowt.
And lyke as that of emottis the blak rowt,
That ithandly laubouris and byssy be,
Had beldit, vnder the ruyt of a heich tre,
Intill a clift thar byke and duellyng sted,
To hyd thar langsum wark and wyntyr bred;
Gyf so betyde thai feill the ax smyte
Apon the treis schank, and tharon byte,
So that the crop doun weltis to the grund,
That with the felloun rusch and grysly sond
Thar small cavernys all tobrok and rent is;
Than spedely this litill rowt furth sprentis
All will of red, fleand thai wait nocht quhar,
Tursand thar byrdyngis affraytly heir and thar—
Or lyke as that on the howss syde the snaill,
Schakand hir coppit schell or than hir taill,
Fleand the byrnand heit that scho doith feill,
A lang tyme gan do wrassill and to wreill,
Thristand fast with hir feit onto the wall,
And ȝit hir hed with forss and strenthis all
Frawart the fervent flammys fast withdrawys;
Scho scaldis, and with mony wrikis and thrawys
Presys forto eschew the feirfull heit—
Nane other wyss in sa feill perrellis gret
Thir woful citesanys gan thame self slyng,
Ruschand with trublit mynd intill a lyng
Baith heir and thar, and wist not quhar away.
Bot maist of all, allace and weil away!
With reuthfull vocis cryand to the hevyn,
The agit kyng Dawnus with wofull stevyn
Gan on the goddis abuf clepe and call.
And tho amyd the flambis furthwithall
Ardea the fowll, quham a heron clepe we,
Betand hir weyngis, thai behaldyn fle
Furth of the fyre heich vp in the air,
That baith the name and takyn our alquhar
Baris of this cite Ardea the ald,
Quhilum with wallis and towris hie ontald
Stud weirly wrocht, as strenth of gret defens,
That now is changit and full quyte goyn hens
With weyngis wyde fleand baith vp and doun,
Now bot a fowle, was ayr a ryall tovn.
Astonyst of this nyce and new cace
And of the wonderus mervellis in that place
(Quhilk semyt no thing litill fortobe)
As thocht thai send war by the goddis hie,
The pepill all confusyt still dyd stand,
Thir byrdyngis on thar schuldris caryand,
And movit nowther fut, tung nor mouth:
And Kyng Dawnus, for this affray onkouth
With ardent luf smyttin and hait desyre
Of hys cheif sete distroyt and brynt in fyre,
The hard dolour and the sorow smert
Haldis full closs, deip gravyn in hys hart.
Amyd all this deray and gret effeir,
Fame, of dyseyss forrydar and messynger,
Com hurland with huge movyng fast to tovn
And with large clamour fyllys inveroun
Thar myndis all, quhou ane ded corps new than
Was cumand at hand with mony wofull man,
And Turnus lyfless laid with mortal wond,
In feld discomfist, slane and brocht to grund.
Than euery wight, trublit and wobegon,
The blak blesand fyre brandis mony on,
As was the gyss, hess hynt into thar handis;
Of schynand flammys glitteris all the landis;
Thus thai recuntyrrit thame that cumand weir,
And sammyn ionyt cumpaneis in feir.
Quham alsfast as the matronys gan espy,
Thai smait thar handis and rasyt vp a cry,
That to the sternys went thar wofull beir.
Bot fra Dawnus the corps of hys son deir
Beheld, he gan stynt and arrest hys paiss,
And syne, half deill enragit, in a rayss,
With huge sorow smyte, in ruschis he
Amyd the rowt, that reuth was forto se,
And apon Turnus corps hym strekis doun,
Enbrasyng it ongrouf all in a swoun,
And, alsfast as he spek mycht, hess furth braid
With wordis lamentabill, and thus wyss he said:
“Son, the dyseyss of thy fader thus drest,
And of my febill eild the reuthfull rest
Now me byreft, quhy hess thou so, allace,
Into sa gret perrellys and in sik cace
Me catchit thus, and dryve quhidder?” quod he,
“And vndir cruell bargan, as I may se,
Now fynaly thus venquyst and ourcum,
Quhar is thy worthy valour now becum?
Quhar hess the douchty constans of thy spreit
Me careit thus from rest and all quyet?
Is this the notabill honour and lovyng
Of thy manhed, and glory of thy ryng?
Is this the gret wyrschip of thyne empyre?
O my deir son, quhilum thou bald syre,
Bryngis thou ws hame sikkyn triumphe as this?
Is this the rest and eyss thou dyd promyss
To thy fader, sa tryst and wobegone,
And oft ourset with ennemyss mony one?
Is this the meith and finale term or end
Of all laubouris, as we desyrit and wend?
O ways me, wrachit and wofull wyght!
Quhou hastely doun fallyn from the hight
Thir slyddir wardly chancis dryvis fast!
With quhou gret fard ourrollyt and down cast
So hastely beyn thir fatis, behald!
He that was laitly sa stowt, heich and bald,
Renownyt with gret honour of chevelry
And haldyn gret throu owt all Italy,
Quham the Troianys sa awfull felt in armys
And dred sa oft hys furour, wrocht thame harmys,
Myne awyn Turnus, lo now apon sik wyss
Ane lamentabill and wofull corps thou lyis:
Now dum and spechless that hed liggis thar,
Quhilum in all Italy nane sa fair,
Nor nane mair gracius into eloquens,
Nor nane so byg but harnes, nor at defens!
Son, quhar is now thy schynand lustyhed,
Thy fresch figour, thy vissage quhite and red,
Thy plesand bewte, and thyne eyn twan
With thar sweit blenkand lukis mony ane,
Thy gracyus glitterand semly nek lang,
Thy vocis sovn, quhilk as a trumpet rang?
The glor of Mars in batale or in stowr
Is conquest with sik aventouris sowr:
Had thou sic wyll thy selvyn to submyt
To fervent bargan and to dedis byt,
Quhen thou departit of this sted fra me,
Forto return with sik pompe as we se?
O haitfull deth! that only, quhar thou lykis,
With thy revengeabill wapynnys sa sair strikis,
That thou thir prowd myndis brydill may;
To all pepill elyke and common ay
Thou haldis evyn and baris thi ceptre wand,
Eternaly obseruand thy cunnand,
Quhilk gret and small doun thryngis, and nane rakkis,
And stalwart folkis to febill equale makkis,
The common pepill with the capitanys,
And ȝouth and age assemblys baith attanys.
Allace, detestabill deth, dyrk and obscur!
Quhat chance onworthy or mysaventur
Hess the constrenyt my child me to byreif,
And with a cruell wond thus ded to leif?
O systir Amata, happy queyn,” quod he,
“Be glaid of sa thankfull chance hapnyt the,
And of thyne awyn slauchtir be blith in hart,
Quharby thou hass sa gret dolour astart,
And fled sa huge occasions of myscheif,
Sa hard and chargeand huge wo and greif!
O goddis abuf, quhat ettill ȝe mor to do
Onto me wrachit fader? sen ellys, lo,
My son ȝhe haue byreft, and Ardea
My cite, into flambis brynt, alssua
Consumyt is and turnyt in assys red,
With weyngis fleys a fowle in euery sted.
Bot ha, Turnus, mar trist and wo am I
For thy maste petuus slauchter sa bludy:
Wantit this last myschance ȝit or sik thing
To thyne onweldy fader, auld Dawnus kyng.
Bot sikkyrly, with sic conditioun ay
Thir warldly thyngis turnys and writhis away,
That quham the furyus Forton lyst infest
And eftir lang quyet bryng to onrest,
Brayand apon that catyve for the nanys,
With all hir forss assalȝeis scho attanys,
And, with all kynd of torment, in hir greif
Constrenys hym with stundys of myscheif.”
Thus said he, wepand sadly, as man schent,
With large flude of teris hys face bysprent,
Drawand the sobbys hard and sychis smart,
Throw rageand dolour, deip owt from hys hart;
Lyke so as quhar Iovis byg fowle, the ern,
With hir strang tallonys and hir punsys stern
Lychtyng, had claucht the litill hynd calf ȝyng,
Torryng the skyn, and maid the blude owt spryng;
The moder, this behaldand, is all ourset
With sorow for slauchter of hir tendir get.
The nixt day followyng with hys bemys brycht
The warld on breid illumnyt hess of lycht:
The kyng Latinus tho seand, but let,
Italyanys discumfyt and ourset
By the fatale aventour of weir,
And weill persavit quhou and quhat maner
The forton haill turnyt to strang Enee;
And in hys mynd revoluyt eik hess he
The huge dowt of batall and deray,
Full mony feirfull chance and gret effray,
Hys confideratioun and hys sworn band,
The wedlok promyst and the ferm cunnand
And spousal of hys douchtir hecht withall:
Of all the rowt ontill hym gart he call
A thousand worthy men walit at rycht,
The quhilkis the Troian duke and dowchty knycht,
Quham he desyrit, suld convoy to town;
In robbys lang also, or traill syde govn,
With thame he ionyt oratouris infeir
And to thame gaif feill strait commandis seir,
And forthir eik, quhen thai depart can,
Of hys fre will thame chargit euery man
That, sen be favouris and admonysyngis
Of the goddis, be mony feirfull syngis,
Expedient it was the kyn Troian
Conioyn and myddill with blude Italian,
At tharfor glaidly to thame gang wald thai,
And with gud willis vissy, and assay
Forto convoy the said Eneadanys
With ioy within hys hie wallys attanys.
In the myd quhile, hym self full bissy went,
The cite, quhilk was disarayt and schent,
To put to poynt and ordinans agane,
And the onweldy common pepill ilkane
To causs adress eftir thar faculte—
Thar myndis mesys and estabillis he,
And gan thame promyss rest in tyme cummyng,
And quhou, within schort tyme, he suld thame bring
Intyll eternall peax for evirmar.
Syne chargit he the pepill our alquhar,
In ioy, blithness, solace and deray,
Tryumphe to mak, with myrth, gam and play,
As was accordyng, and in lugyngis hie
Thar kyngly honour and sport ryall tobe;
And merely commandis man and page,
With ane assent, blith wlt and glaid vissage,
Hys gud son thai suld do welcum and meit
And with hail hart ressaue apon the streit
The Troian pepill, festand thame in hy
With glaid semlant, ryot and melody,
And to furthschaw seir takynnys of kyndnes,
And of new peax so lang desirit soless.
Be this the rowt, as thai instrukkit wer,
In full gude rewle and ordinans infeir
Ar entrit in the Troianys new cite,
And on thar hed garlandis of olyve tre;
Peax thai besocht as cheif of thar message.
Quham gentill Eneas, euery man and page,
Within hys palyss ryall to presens
Chargit convoy, and gafe thame audiens,
And of thar cummyng the causys and maner
With vissage full debonar dyd inqueir.
Than the agit Drances with curage hoyt
Begowth the first hys tong forto noyt,
As he that was baith glaid, ioyfull and gay
For Turnus slauchter, that tho was doyn away;
And thus he said: “O gentill duyk Troian,
Ferm hope and glory of the pepill Phrigian,
To quham of piete and dedis of armys fair
In all the warld thar may be na compair:
We venquyst folkis to witnessyng doith call,
And by the goddis sweris and goddessis all,
Contrar hys willis sair the kyng Latyn
Beheld the gret assemly and convyn
Of the Italyanys and folk of Latyn land;
Agane his stomak eyk, I bair on hand,
Owtragyusly the contract is ybrokkyn,
Ne nevir he in deid nor word hess spokkyn
That mycht the Troian honour trubbill ocht,
Bot far rathar, baith in deid and thocht
(Sen that the goddis responsis swa hess tald),
The weddyng of hys douchter grant ȝou wald,
And with full gret desyre, full weill I knaw,
Oft covat ȝou tobe hys son in law.
For all the brek and sterage that hess beyn
In feir of weir and burnyst armour keyn,
With sa gret rage of laubour and of payn,
The wild fury of Turnus, now lyis slayn,
Inflambit with the stang of wikkytnes,
And infekkit with hie haitrent expres,
Hess brocht on hand and movit sa to steir,
Agane thar will to rayss batale and weir
The Latyn pepill constrenyng by and by,
Quhilk thai playnly refusyt and gan deny:
Hym all the ost, turnand bakwart agane,
Besocht to cess, and draw fra the bargan,
And suffir the gret Anchises son of Troy
Hys wedlok promyst enioys but ennoy.
Syne the maist nobill kyng Latyn, full fayn
Hym forto breke and to withdraw agane,
Hys auld onweldy handis twa dyd hald,
Hym to requir hys purposs stynt he wald
(For weill he saw, in our ardent desyre
Of the bargan he scaldit hait as fyre),
Bot all our prayeris and requestis kynd
Mycht nowder bow that dowr mannys mynd,
Nor ȝit the takynnys and the wondris seir
From goddis send with dyvyne ansuer,
Bot that evir mor and mor fersly he
Furth spowtit fyre, prouocand the melle.
And, for syk succudrus ondertakyng now,
Hys awin myscheif, weill worthy to allow,
He fundyn hess, quhilk finaly, on the land
Thou beand victour with the ovirhand,
Hym bet to grond hess maid do gnaw and byte
The blak erd intill hys mortall syte.
Now lat that ilk rahatour wend inhy
The blak hellys byggyngis to vissy
Vndir the drery deip flude Acheron—
Lat hym go serss, sen he is thiddir gone,
Other ostis or barganys in hys rage
And als ane other maner of mariage.
Thou, far bettir and gret deill worthiar
To bair the riall ceptyr and tobe ayr,
Succeid to realm and heritage sall
Of Lawrent cuntre with the moblys all:
In the alhaill the howss of Kyng Latyn
And hys onweldy age, lyke to declyne—
Hys hope and all beleif restis in the,
And the only Italianys all,” said he,
“Abufe the schynand sternys, as gold brycht,
Full wylfull ar fortill vphie on hycht;
As maste excelland worthy weryour
Thai the extoll in batale and in stowr,
Thy hevynly armour eik with lowd stevin
And thy verray renoun syngis to the hevyn.
The grave faderis of consale venerabill
In thar digest decretis sage and stabill,
The ancyent pepill onweldy for age,
The glaid ȝong gallandis stalwart of curage,
The lusty matronys newfangill of syk thyng,
Wenschys onwed, and litill childryn ȝyng,
All, with a voce and haill assent at accord,
Desyris the as for thar prynce and lord,
And ioyus ar that into feild fut het
Vndir thy wapynnys Turnus lyis doun bet:
The all Itaill, clepit Ausonya,
Besekis heirof, and forthirmor alssua
Doith the extoll maste worthy, wyss and wight;
In the only returnyt is thar syght:
The kyng hym self Latinus, now full ald,
Hys ancient onweldy lyfe to hald,
Hess only this beleif and traste,” quod he,
“That he hys douchter may do wed with the,
Quhilk of kyn, successioun and lynnage,
Be that ilk souerane band of mariage,
Of Troian and Italian blude discend
Sall childryng furth bryng, quhill the warldis end
Perpetualy to ryng in hie impyre.
Tharfor haue doyn, cum on, thou gudly syre,
Thou gret ledar of the Troian rowt,
Cum entyr in our weirly wallys stowt,
Ressaue this worthy notabill fair proffyr
And saisyn tak of honouris quhilkis we offir.”
Thus endit he, and all the remanent
Intill a voce sammyn gave thar consent,
Quham the reuthfull Eneas with glaid cheir
Ressauyt hess full tendyrly infeir,
And, in few wordis and a frendly mynd
Thame ansuerand, he carpys on this kynd:
“Not ȝou, nor ȝit the kyng Latyn, but less,
That wont was forto ryng in plesand pess,
Will I argew of this maner offens:
For suyth I wait the wilfull violens
Of Turnus all that gret wark brocht abowt,
And I am sovir eik and owt of dowt
Sa gret danger of batale it was he
Provokit swa and movit to melle,
For ȝyng desyre of hie renown, perfay,
And loyss of prowes mair than I byd say.
And netheless, quhou evir it be, I wyss,
This spowsage Italian at me promyst is
Ne will I not refuyss on nakyn wyss,
Nor forto knyttyng vp as ȝhe devyss
This haly peax with frendly allyans,
With etern concord but disseuerans.
The sam Kyng Latyn, my gud fader ald,
Sall hys impyre and venerall ceptour hald,
And I Troian for me vp in this feild
Ane new resset and wight wallys sall beld,
Quhilk cite sall ressaue hys douchteris naym;
And my goddis domesticall, that fra haym
With me I brocht, I sall with ȝou conioyn;
In concord and in vnyte all common
In tyme tocum sammyn athir falloschip
Vndir a law sall leif in gret frendschip.
In the meyn tyme, go to and speid ws soyn
Onto our wark that restis ȝit ondoyn,
And lat ws byrn the bodeis, and bery eft,
Quham the hard wofull rage hess ws byreft,
And into batale kyllyt lyis ded;
Syne, tomorn ayrly, as the son worthis red,
And with hys cleir days lyght doyth schyne,
Blithly we seik to cyte Lawrentyne.”
Thus said he, and the Latynys, quhill he spak,
With vissage still beheld hym stupifak,
Of hyss wyss gracius answeris wonderand all,
And of sik wordis debonar in speciall;
Mayr evidently gan mervell he and he
Of hys gret warkis of reuth and sik piete.
Belyve, with all thar forcis, euery wyght
Weltis doun treys grew full hie on hycht,
And hastely togiddir gadderit hass
In hepys gret, the funerall fyre to rayss,
And thar abuf thar citiȝanys hess laid,
Vndir quham syne thai set in blesys braid:
The flambe and reik vpglydis in the ayr,
That of the laithly smokis heir and thar
The hevyn dyrknyt and the firmament.
Thai hynt from all the feildis adiacent
Innumerabill rowch twyntir scheip syne,
And of thir akcorn swellyaris, the fat swyne;
And tydy ȝyng oxin steik thai fast
And in the funerall fyris dyd thame cast.
The large planys schynys all of lycht,
And, throw thir hait scaldand flambys brycht,
Stude blowt of bestis and of treys bair:
With huge clamour smyt, dyndillit the ayr.
Be this the schynand secund days lyght
Vprasit Phebus with goldyn bemys brycht:
Than all the Troianys and Ausonyanys
Full blithly in a rowt assemblit attanys,
Montit on horss and held thar ways syne
Onto the mastir cite Lawrentyne,
With wallys hie and biggyngis weirly maid.
Befor thame all rewthfull Eneas raid;
And nixt per ordour Drances, that to the kyng
As agit man carpis of mony thyng;
Syne come hys only child Ascanyus,
That other wyss was clepyt Iulus;
Nixt hym Alethes, with mynd full digest,
Grave Ilyoneus, Mnestheus and stern Serest;
Syne followys thame the forcy Sergestus,
Gyas alsso, and stalwart Cloanthus,
Eftir quham, mydlit sammyn, went arayn
The other Troianys and folk Italian.
In the meyn quhile the Latyn citeȝanys
Withowt thar wallys ischit furth atanys,
That with gret lawd, in mych solempnyte
And triumphe ryall hass ressauyt Enee.
Be this thai cummyn war onto the town,
Quham with blith front, to meyt thame reddy bown,
The kyng Latyn with huge cumpany
Thame welcumis and festis by and by.
And fra that he beheld amyd the rowt
Eneas cumand, the Dardan capitan stowt,
Hys verray figur dyd hym nocht dissaue,
For, quhar he went, excellent all the lave
And hyear far a gret deill semys he,
That far on breid his ryall maieste
And pryncely schynand contenans dyd appeir.
And quhen that he cummyn was so neir
That athir gudly to othir speke mycht
And heir the wordis carpyt apon hycht
And, lyke as thai desyrit, on the land
To lap in armys and adion hand in hand,
The kyng Latinus, as a curtas man,
With glaid semblant thus first to speke began:
“Weill be ȝe cummyn finaly, Enee,
And the ferm hope hess not dissavit me
Of my desyrus mynd, now full of ioy;
O schynand gloryus light to folkis of Troy!
Quham the command of the gret goddis mycht,
Throu sa feill chancis catchit and evill dycht,
In Italy within our boundis plane
Hess destinat and ordanyt to remane,
All thocht that manis wanton willfull offens,
Be our malapert and ondantit licens,
In thar fury with brag and mekill onrest
Tha haly lawis trublit and infest,
Prouocand and commovand the goddis greif;
So that alsso, quhidder me war loith or leif,
Full oft resistand and denyand the weir,
Constrenyt I was and warpit thar and heir,
That, mawgre my hed, me behuffit susteyn
The hard dangeris of Mars and mekill teyn.
Now is it endit, bot, certis, na litill thyng
Hass it cost sum man sik vndertakyng—
The godly power, wilfull vengeans to tak,
Havand disdeyn at sik deray was mak,
Onto tha wikkyt sawlys for the nanys
Hess send condyng punytioun and iust panys.
Haue doyn, gret Troian prynce, now I the pray,
Sen baith the crop and rutys ar away
Of all seditioun and discord, I wyss,
And wyrkaris of sa gret trespass and myss;
Cum and ressaue thy spowss and mariage
To the promyst; succeid to heritage.
Realmys I haue, and citeys mony ane
Full strangly beldit with hie wallis of stane,
And sum alsso that I in weir conquest
And thar barmkynnys to grund bet and doun kest;
Bot only the beleif and beld,” quod he,
“Of my wery age and antiquyte,
A douchtir haue I, quhilk suldbe myn ayr,
Quharfor in tyme cummyn for euermar
I the ressaue and haldis in dante
As son in law and successour to me.”
To quham the gentill Eneas reuerently
This ansuer maid agane, and said in hy:
“Maist riall kyng, all tyme accustumate
To lyf in plesand peax, but all debait,
Of this weirfar and sa gret stryfe,” quod he,
“I trastit evir thar was no wyte in the:
Tharfor, my derrest fader, I the pray,
Do all sik dowtis of suspicioun away,
Gyf ony sik thochtis restis in thy mynd,
And trastis weill Enee afald and kynd.
Now am I present, reddy as ȝe wald,
That ȝou ressavis and fra thens sall hald
As fader in law, and in all chancis, per de,
As verray fader that me bigat, but le:
The figour of the gret Anchises ded
I se heir present to me in this sted,
And I agane in fervent hayt desyre
Ȝow forto pless, my fader, lord and syre,
Sall byrn in lufe, as sum tyme wont was I
Towartis hym me engendrit of his body.”
Wyth sikkyn sermond athir othir grat,
And sammyn to the cheif palyss with that
Thai held infeir: than mycht thou se with this
The matronys and ȝong damysellis, I wyss,
That gret desyre hess sik thing tobehald,
Thryng to the stretis and hie wyndoys thik fald;
The agit faderis and the ȝyng gallandis
Per ordour eik assemlyt reddy standis
In gret rowtis, to vissy and to se
The gudly personys of the Troian menȝe.
Bot specialy and first of all the laif
The gret capitan Enee notyt thai haue,
Attentfully behaldand euery wight
Hys stowt curage, hys byg statur and hycht,
And in thar mynd comprasyt hys kyn maste hie,
Hys plesand vissage and knychtly large bonte;
And, glaid and ioyfull, extoll and loif thai can
The gret apperans of gud in sik a man,
And sa fair gyftis and beleif, but less,
As thai desyrit, of finale rest and pess.
Lyke as quhen the gret ithand weit or rayn,
From the clowdis furth ȝet our all the playn,
Haldis the husbandis ydill aganys thar will
(Lang with hys crukyt beym the plewch lyis still);
Syne, gif brycht Tytan list do schaw hys face,
And with swyft curss far furth a large space
Doith cach hys stedis and hys giltyn char,
And kythis hys goldyn bemys in the ayr,
Makand the hevynnys fair, cleir and scheyn,
The weddir smowt, and firmament sereyn;
The landwart hynys than, baith man and boy,
For the soft sesson ourflowis full of ioy,
And athir otheris gan exhort inhy
To go to laubour of thar husbandry—
Nane other wyss the pepill Ausonyan
Of this glaid tyme in hart wolx wonder fayn.
Be this the kyng Latyn, lord of that land,
With maste nobill Eneas hand in hand,
Within the cheif palyss, baith he and he,
Ar entryt in the saill ryall on hie;
Quham followys nixt the ȝyng Ascanyus fair,
That was hys faderis only child and ayr;
Syne folk of Itaill, mydlit with Troianys,
Ar entrit in that riall hald attanys:
With pomposs fest and ioyus myrth our all
Resoundis tho baith palys, bowr and hall,
And all the chymmys riall rownd abowt
Was fyllyt with thar tryne and mekill rowt.
And tharwithall, of chalmyr by and by,
With sa gudly a sort and cumpany
Of ladeis fair and damysellys onwed,
Innumerabill almast, als furth was led
The fair fresch Lavinia the may,
Amyd thame schynand in hir ryall array;
The crystall bemys of hir eyn twane,
That as the brycht twynkland starnys schayn,
Sum deill eschamyt, towart the erth doith hald.
Quham as this Troian prynce first gan behald,
Of bewte, schap and all afferys, perfay,
Sa excelland that wondir war to say,
At the first blenk astonyst half wolx he,
And musyng hovirris styll on hir to se,
And in hys mynd gan rew the hard myschans
Of Turnus, quham na litill apperans
Sa baldly movit to dereyn bargan,
To rayss the weir and feght for sykkyn ane;
For weill, he thocht, the hope of syk a wight
To dedys of armys aucht constreyn ony knycht.
Syne, to abbryge our mater, hand in hand
Thai war coniunct intill eternall band
Of matrimonye, and tho at all devyss
Thar wedlok with honour, as was the gyss,
Be menstralys and herraldis of gret fame
Was playd and sung and throw the cowrt proclame.
Than ioy and myrth, with dansyng and deray,
Full mery noyss and sovndis of gam and play
Abuf the bryght starnys hie vpwent,
That semyt forto perss the firmament,
And ioyus vocis ryngis furth alsso
Our all the palyss ryall to and fro.
And syk ryot indurand amyd the press,
Ene thus carpys to traste Achates,
And bad hym go belyve, but mair delay,
Do fech the rych robbys and array,
The fresch attyre and all the precyus wedis,
Wrocht craftely and weif of goldyn thredis
Quhilum be fair Andromachais hand,
By quham thai war hym gevyn in presand;
And eyk the collar of the fyne gold brycht,
With precyus stanys and with rubeys pight,
Quham scho also abowt hir halss quhyte
Was wont to weir in maste pompe and delyte,
Quhill that the Troian weilfar stud abufe;
The gret cowpe eyk, the quhilk in syng of lufe
Quhilum Kyng Priam to hys fader gave,
Ald Anchises, of fyne gold and engrave.
Than, but delay, Achates at command
Brocht thir rych gyftis, a wonder fair presand;
Syne to hys fader in law, the kyng Latyn,
The precyus cowp gave he of brycht gold fyne,
And to hys spowss, Lavinia the may,
The wedis ryall and the collar gay.
Than athir dyd thar dewly obseruans
With breistis blyth and plesand dalyans,
To festyng, entertenyr and cheryss
Thar ferys abowt on the maist gudly wyss:
With diuerss sermond carpyng all the day
Thai schort the howris and dryvis the tyme away.
Be this it walxis layt towart the nycht,
And fast declynyng gan the days lycht,
The tyme requiryng, eftir the ald maner,
To go to meyte and syt to the supper;
Onon the bankat and the mangeory
For fest ryall accordyng, by and by,
With all habundans pertenyng to syk thyng,
As weill efferit in the howss of a kyng,
With alkyn maner ordinans was maid
Amyd the hallys heich, lang and braid,
Apparalyt at all devyss and array.
Onto the bankat haill assemlyt thai
And on the carpettis spred of purpour fyne
To tablis set, quhar thai war servit syne
With alkyn danteys and with metys seir
That all to rakkyn prolixit war to heir—
As quhou the crystall eweris to thar handis
The watir gave, and quhou feill servandis standis
To mak thame ministratioun in all curys,
And quhou thai trasyng on the large flurys
With blyth vissage intil euery sted,
And quhou that first on burdis thai set bred:
Sum with mesys gan the tabillys charge;
Ane other sort doith set in all at large
The cowpys gret and drynkyn tassis fyne,
And gan do skynk and byrll the nobill wyne,
That to behald thame walkyn to and fro
Throw the rowm hallys and sa byssy go,
And thame at tabillis makand sa glaid cheir,
A paradyss it was to se and heir.
Bot with hys eyn onmovit Latyn kyng
Gan fast behald the child Ascanyus ȝyng,
Wondrand on his afferis and vissage,
And of the speche and wordis grave and sage
Of sik a childis mowth syk wyss suld fall,
And of his digest and reddy wyt withall
Befor the ȝheris of maturyte;
And of feill thingis hym demandis he,
Athir to other renderand mony a saw;
And syne wald he alsso, ane other thraw,
Full tenderly do kyss hys lusty face
And lap hym in hys armys and embrace;
And, wondirly reiosyt, declar wald he
Happy and to the goddis bedettit Ene,
Quhilk hym had gevin syk a child as that.
And quhillis thai thus at the supper sat,
Eftir that with samony danteis seir
Thar appetit of metis assuagit wer,
With commonyng and carpyng euery wyght
The lang declinand and ourslippand nyght
Gan schape full fast to mak schort and ourdryve:
Now the Troianys hard aventouris belyve
Rehersyng our, and all the Grekis slycht;
Now the ferss bargan and the awfull fight
Of Lawrent pepill callyng to thar mynd,
As quhou and quhar, quhamby and be quhat kynd
The ostis first discumfist war in feild,
And quhar that athir rowtis vndir scheld,
With dartis castyng, dynt of swerd and mayss,
Constrenyt was to fle in syk a place,
And leif the feild, and quha best dyd hys det,
Quha bald in stowr eyk maid the first onset,
And quha first, on ane startland cursour gude,
Hys burnyst brand bedyit with red blude.
Bot principaly Eneas Troian bald
And Latinus the kyng sage and ald
Of conquerouris and soueran pryncis dyng
The gestis can reherss fra kyng to kyng,
Twichand the stait, quhilum be days gone,
Of Latium that myghty region,
Quhou vmquhile Saturn, fleand hys sonnys brand,
Lurkyt and dwelt in Italy the land,
Be quhilk rayson he dyd it Latium call;
That kynd of pepill, dwelt skatterit our all
In montanys wild, togyddir maid conveyn
And geif thame lawys and statutis, and full beyn
Tawcht thame to grub the wynys, and al the art
To eyr and saw the cornys and ȝok cart;
And quhou the gret Iupiter, god dyvyne,
To this hys faderis resset socht hess syne;
And quhou that he engendrit thar alssua
On Atlass douchter, the fair wench Electra,
Schir Dardanus, that efter, as thai sayn,
Hys awyn brother Iasyus hess slayn,
Syne from the cyte Choryte in Italy
To sey is went with a gret cumpany
And gan arryve eftir in Phrigia,
And belt the cyte on the mont Ida,
And quhou that he, in syng, for hys baner,
From Iupiter ressauyt, hys fader deir,
The fleand egill displayt fair and playn,
Ane knawyn takyn to pepill Hectorian,
As the first nobill armys and ensenȝe
Baith of the Troian ancistre and menȝe,
By hym erekkit and vprasyt stud,
Was first begun, and cheif stok of that blude.
Thus, with syk maner talkyn, euery wight
Gan dryvyn our and schortis the lang nycht.
Tharwith the bruyt and noyss rayss in tha wanys,
Quhill all the large hallys rang attanys
Of mannys voce and sound of instrumentis,
That to the ruyf on hie the dyn vp went is;
The blesand torchys schayn and sergis brycht,
That far on breid all lemys of thar lycht;
The harpys and the githornys plays attanys;
Vpstart Troianys and syne Italianys
And gan do dowbill brangillys and gambatis,
Dansys and rowndis traysyng mony gatis,
Athir throu other reland, on thar gyss;
Thai fut it so that lang war to devyss
Thar hasty fair, thar revellyng and deray,
Thar morysis and syk ryot, quhil neir day.
Bot forto tellyng quhou with torch lycht
Thai went to chalmer and syne to bed at nycht,
Myne author list na mensioun tharof draw—
Na mair will I, for sik thingis beyn knaw;
All ar expert, eftir new mariage,
On the first nycht quhat suldbe the subcharge.
And thus thai festyng days nyne at all,
With large pompe and kyngly apparall
Accordyng sych a spowsage as was this,
And quhen the tent morrow cummyn is,
Than this ilk souerane and maste douchty man,
Eneas, forto found hys town began;
Fyrst gan he mark and cirkill with a pleuch
Quhar the wallys suld stand, thar drew a sewch;
Syne Troianys fundis tenementis for thame self,
And gan the fowceis and the dichis delf.
Bot lo, onon, a wonder thing to tell,
Ane huge bleyss of flambys braid doun fell
Furth of the clowdis, at the left hand straucht,
In maner of a lichtynnyng or fyre flaucht,
And dyd alicht rycht in the sammyn sted
Apon the crown of fair Laviniais hed,
And fra thyne hie vp in the lyft agane
It glaid away, and tharin dyd remane.
The fader Eneas astonyst wolx sum deill,
Desyrus this syng suld betakyn seill;
Hys handis baith vphevis towartis hevin
And thus gan mak his boyn with myld stevin:
“O Iupiter, gif euer ony tyme,” said he,
“The Troian pepill, baith by land and see,
Thyne admonitions, command and impyre
Obeyt hass, page, man or syre;
Of gif that I ȝour power and godhed
Dred, and adornyt intyll ony sted
Ȝour altaris, or ony wirschip dyd tharto;
And be that thyng ȝit restis forto do,
Gif ony thyng behynd ȝit doith remane—
With this ȝour happy takyn augurian
Ȝeld ws ȝour plesand rest and ferm pess,
Mak end of all our harmys and causs thame cess.”
As he sik wordis warpys owt that tyde
Hys goldyn moder apperis hym besyde,
Confessand hir tobe the fair Venus,
And with hir blissyt mowth scho carpis thus:
“Son, do syk thocht and dreid furth of thy mynd,
Ressaue thir godly syngis in bettir kynd,
And ioyusly enioys, myn awyn Enee,
The gret weilfar fra thens sal betyd the.
Now is thy rest and quiet fund and kend,
Now of thy harmys is cummyn extreme end;
Now at the last, as thou desyris, perfay,
This warld with the sal knyt vp peax for ay.
Abhor thou nocht the fyre and flambis brycht,
From thy deir spowsys hed glaid to the hycht,
Bot constantly thy mynd thou now address;
It salbe scho, I the declar express,
That sall with blude ryall the douchty name,
Thy successioun, renown and nobill fame,
And Troian pryncis, of thy seid discend,
Abufe the clowdis hie and sternys send.
Scho sall of thy lynnage, my son Enee,
Bair childryng full of magnanymyte,
Of quhais ofspryng sik men sal succeid
That all this large warld far onbreid
With thar excelland wirschip sall fulfill,
And by thar mychty power, at thar will,
As conquerouris, vnder thar senȝeory
Subdew and rewle this warldis monarchy;
Of quham the schynand souerane glor sall wend,
And far beȝond the occean see extend,
Makand thame equale with the hevynnys hie;
Quham, finaly, thar ardent gret bonte
And soueran vertu, spred sa far onbred is,
Eftir innumerabill sa feill douchty dedis,
Sall mak thame goddis and thame deify,
And thame vpheiss full hie abufe the sky.
This flambe of fyre the wirschip and renovn
Doith signyfy of thy successioun;
The god almychty from his starrit hevin
Hass schawin tharfor this syng of fyry levin:
Tharfor, in recompens of sykkyn thyng,
And samekill wirschip of hir sal spring,
This cite, quhilk thou closys with a wall,
Eftir thy spowsis name clepe thou sall.
And forthir eyk, the goddis quham thou hynt
Of Troy, that tyme quhen it in flambys brynt,
Penates, or the goddis domesticall,
Thou set alsso within the sammyn wall:
Tharin thou gar thame soyn be brocht inhy
In hie honour, and tyme perpetualy
Thar to remane, eternaly to dwell.
I sall to the of thame a wonder tell:
Thai sall sa strangly luf this new cyte,
That, gyf thame happynnys careit fortobe
Tyll ony other sted or place tharby,
All be thame self agane full hastely
Thai sall return to this ilk town of thyne,
That thou beildis in boundis of Kyng Latyn;
Ȝa, quhou oftsyss that thai away be tayn,
Thai sal return haymwart agane ilkane.
O happy cyte and weil fortunat wall,
With quham sa gret rellykis remane sall,
Quharin thou sall in tyme tocum, but leyss,
Govern the Troian folk in plesand pess!
Eftir this at last Latyn, thy fader in law,
Wery of hys lyfe and far in age draw,
Doun to gostis in the campe Elyse
Sall wend, and end his dolly days, and de:
Onto hys ceptre thou sall do succeid,
And vnder thy senȝeory, far onbreid,
Sall weld and led thir ilk Italianys,
And common lawis for thame and the Troianys
Statut thou sall; and syne thou sall ascend,
And vp to hevyn glaidly thy self send:
Thus standis the goddis sentens and decreit.”
Na mair scho said, bot, as the gleym doith gleit,
From thens scho went away in the schyre ayr,
I wait nocht quhidder, for I com neuer thar.
Enee astonyst, havand hys mynd smyte
With syk promyss of renown and delyte,
Hys blissyt moderis command gan fulfill:
And now at plesand rest, at hys awyn will,
The Troian pepill rewlit he in pess.
With this the kyng Latynus can decess
And left the ceptre vacand to hys hand;
Than the reuthfull Ene our all the land
Of Italy succedis in hys sted
And gan full large bundis in lordschip led,
That halely obeyt to hys wand,
And at hys lykyng rewlit all the land.
Now equaly of fre will euery ane,
Baith pepill of Troy and folk Italian,
All of a ryte, manerys and vsans,
Becummyn ar frendly but discrepans;
Thar myndis and thar brestis in amyte,
In ferm concord and gret tranquylite,
Gan leif at eyss, confiderat in ally,
As vnder a law sammyn coniunct evynly.
Venus with this, all glaid and full of ioy,
Amyd the hevynly hald, rycht myld and moy,
Befor Iupiter down hir self set
And baith hir armys abowt hys feyt plet,
Enbrasand thame and kyssand reuerently;
Syne thus with voce express scho said inhy:
“Fader almychty, that from thy hevynly ryng
At thy plesour rewlys and sterys al thyng,
That manis dedys, thochtis and aventuris
Reknys and knawys, and therof hess the curis;
Weill I ramember, quhen that the pepill Troian
With hard onfrendly forton was ourtane,
Thou promyst of thar laubouris and distress
Help and support, and efter dyseyss soless.
Nowder thy promyss, fader, nor sentens
Hess me dissauyt, for lo, with reuerens
All the faderis of Italy hess se,
But discrepans, fully thir ȝheris thre,
In blyssyt peax my son enioyss that land;
Bot certis, fader, as I vndirstand,
Onto the starnyt hevynly hald on hie
Thou promyst rayss the maste douchty Enee,
And, for hys meryt, abufe thy schynand sky
Hym forto place in hevyn and deify.
Quhat thochtis now doith rollyng in thy mynd,
Sen, ellys, doith the vertuus thewys kynd
Of this reuthfull Eneas the requyr
Abuf the polys brycht to rayss that syre?”
The fader tho of men and goddis all
Gan kyss Venus hys child, and tharwithall
Thir profund wordis from hys breist furth braid:
“My deir douchtir Citherea,” he said,
“Thow knawys quhou strangly the mychty Ene
And the Eneadanys all of hys menȝe
Ithandly and onyrkyt luffyt haue I,
On se and landis catchit by and by
In perrellis seir, and quhou that ofttyme eik,
Havand piete of the my douchtir meik,
For lufe of the, for thar dyseyss was wo;
And now I haue, lo, finaly alsso
All thar harmys and ennoy brocht till end,
And maid Iuno, as that full weill is kend,
Fortobecum frendly and favorabill:
Now lykis me, forsuyth, all ferm and stabill
My sentens promyst to compleit,” quod he,
“Quhen that the riall Troian duke Ene
Amang the hevynnys institut I sall,
And hym to numbyr of the goddis call:
All this I grant with gud willis per fay,
Tharfor, se that thou clenge and do away,
Gif thar be in hym ony mortall thyng,
And syne abuf the starnys thou him bryng:
I sall alsso heich ony of hys kyn,
Quhilk of thar proper vertu lyst do wyn
Perpetuall lovyng by dedis honorabill,
And doith contemp the wrachit warld onstabill;
Thame in lyke wyss abufe the hevynnys hie
I sal do place and deify,” quod he.
The goddis abuf alhaill gave thar consent,
Nor ryall Iuno, at that tyme present,
Lyst not contrary, bot gan perswaid full evyn
To bryng the gret Ene vp to the hevyn,
And frendly wordis of hym carpys thar.
Than Venus slaid discendand throw the ayr
And socht onto the feildis Lawrentan,
Neir by quhar that Numycus throu the playn,
That fresch ryver, flowys to the see,
Dekkyt abowt with redis growand hie;
Quharin the body of hir son sa deir
Scho maid do wesch, and vnder the stremys cleir
All that was mortale or corruptibill thyng
Gart do away; and syne, at hir lykyng,
The recent happy sawl with hyr hynt sche
And bair it vp abuf the ayr full hie
Onto the hevyn, quhar reuthfull Eneas
Amyd the starnys chosyn hass his place;
Quham the famyll and kynrent Iulian
Doith clepe and call amangis thame euery ane
Indigites, quhilk is alsmekill to say
As god induellar, at thar sudiornys ay;
And, in remembrans of this ilk turn,
Thai gan hys templis wirschip and adorn. etc.