University of Virginia Library

The Prolouge of the Secund Buke

“The Grekis chiftanys, irkit of the weir
Bypast or than samony langsum ȝeir,
And oft rebutyt by fatale destany,
Ane huge horss, lyke ane gret hil, in hy
Craftely thai wrocht in wirschip of Pallas
(Of sawyn beche the ribbis forgyt was)
Fenȝeand ane oblacioune, as it had be
For prosper returnyng hame in thar cuntre—
The voce this wyss throu owt the cite woyk.
Of choyss men syne, walit by cut, thai tuke
A gret numbyr, and hyd in bylgis dern
Within that best, in mony huge cavern;
Schortly, the belly was stuffit euery deill
Ful of knychtis armyt in plait of steill.
Thair standis into the sycht of Troy ane ile
Weil knawin by name, hecht Tenedos, vmquhile
Myghty of gudis quhil Priamus ryng sa stude;
Now it is bot a fyrth in the sey flude,
A raid onsikkyr for schip or ballyngare.
In desert costis of this iland thar
The Grekis thame ful secretly withdrew,
We wenyng thame hame passit and adew,
And, with gude wynd, of Myce the realm had socht.
Quharfor al thai of Troy, blyth as thai mocht,
Thair langsum duyl and murnyng dyd away,
Kest vp the portis and yschit furth to play,
The Grekis tentis desyrus forto se
And voyd placis quhar thai war wont tobe,
The cost and strandis left desert al cleyn.
‘Heir stude the army of Dolopeis,’ sum wald meyn,
‘Cruel Achil heir stentit his pailȝeon;
Quhar stude the navy, lo the place ȝonder down;
Heir the ostis war wont to ioyn in feild.’
And sum wondring the scaithful gyft beheld
Suldbe offerit to the onweddit Pallas;
Thai mervellit fast the horss samekill was.
Bot Tymetes exortis first of all
It forto leid and draw within the wall
And forto set it in the cheif palyce—
Quhidder for dissait I not, or for malyce,
Or destany of Troy wald sa suldbe.
Bot Capis than, with ane othir menȝe
Quhilk bettir avyss thar myndis set apon,
Bad cast or drown into the sey onone
That suspek presand of the Grekis dissait,
Or kyndill tharvndir flambe of fyris hait,
Or forto rype that holkit hug belly,
And the hyd hyrnys to serss and weil espy.
Quhat nedis mair? The onstabill common voce
Diuidit was in mony seir purposs,
Quhen thidder come befor thame al onone,
Followand a gret rowt, the prest Laocon
From the cheif tempil rynnand in ful gret hy.
On far, ‘O wrachit pepil,’ gan he cry,
‘Quhou gret wodness is this at ȝe now meyn,
Ȝour ennymyis away salit gif ȝe weyn,
Or gif ȝe traist ony Grekis gyftis be
Withowt dissait, falshed and subtelte.
Knaw ȝe na bettir the quent Vlixes slycht?
Owder in this tre ar Grekis closit ful rycht,
Or this engyne is byggit to our skaith,
To wach our wallis and our byggyngys bath,
Or to confound and ourquhelm our cite.
Thar lurkis sum falshed tharin, trastis me.
Lippyn nocht, Troianys, I pray ȝou in this horss;
Quhow euer it be, I dreid the Grekis forss,
And thame that sendis this gyft always I feir.’
Thus sayand, with al his strenth a gret speir
At the syde of that bysnyng best threw he,
And in ionyngis of the thrawyn wame of tre
Festynnyt the lance, that trymlyng gan to schaik;
The braid belly schudderit, and with the straik
The boyss cavys sowndit and maid a dyn.
And had nocht beyn that owder his wit was thyn,
Or than the fatis of goddis war contrary,
He had assayt, but ony langar tary,
Hyd Grekis covert with irne to haue rent owt;
Than suld thou, Troy, haue standyn ȝit, but dowt,
And the prowd palyce of Kyng Priamus
Suld haue remanyt ȝit ful gloryus.”
“Lo, the ilk tyme, harland onto the kyng
Troiane hyrdis with gret clamour dyd bryng
A ȝong man, baith his handis behynd his bak
Hard bundyn, that wilfully fortobe tak
Rendrit hym self, onknawyn the cawss quhy,
Forto perform his deid mair secretly;
By stowt curage reddy to athir of tway,
Owder tobryng hys slycht to gude assay,
Or faillyng tharof, dowtless reddy to de
Less than to Grekis he oppynnyt the cite.
On ather part hym tobehald atanys
Fast flokkis about a multitude ȝong Troianys,
Byssy to knak and pul the presoneir.
Now the dissait of Grekis may ȝe heir,
And all thar falshed lern by this a slycht,
For, alsso fast in myddis of al our sycht
As that drery onarmyt wyght was stad
And with eyn blent about, semyng ful rad,
Behaldand Troiane rowtis on athir hand,
‘Allace,’ quod he, ‘wald God some erd or sand
Or sum salt sey dyd swelly me alyve!
Quhat other thing now restis to me catyve,
Quhamto sal nevir amang Grekis agane
A place befundyn suythly to remane?
And maratour Troianys, offendyt eik,
To sched my blude by paynful deth dois seik.’
With this regrait our hertis sterit to piete;
All molestatioune cessit and lattyn be,
We hym exort reherss, and tobe bald,
Of quhat lynnage he was, and quhat he wald,
And to remembir gude hope of ferm supple
Happynnys oft to presoneris in captiuite.
He at the last this fenȝeit dreid dyd away
And on this wyss onone begouth to say:
‘Forsuyth, Schir Kyng, I sal quhat euer betyde
Grant to the all the verite and nocht hyde,
Nor, be na ways, me lyst nocht to deny
That of the Grekis menȝe ane am I.
Thys principaly I wald thou vndyrstude:
Thocht frawart fortoun miserabill and bayr of gude
Hass maid Synon, sche sal nocht mak hym als,
Quhat euer he says, nowder lear nor fals.
Gyf euer onto ȝour eris come the name,
The hie wirschip and the renownyt fame
Of Palamedes, from Belus blude discend,
Quham Grekis by fals traysoun, as weil is kend,
Throw corrupt witness stanyt to ded, but less,
For he the weir forbad and procurit pess—
Now murn thai for his dede. And with hym heir
In falloschip my puyr fader in weir
Send me of ȝouth, as to hym neir of blude.
Quhil in prosperite of the realm he stude,
And Grekis ryng by counsale was rewlit wysly,
Sum name of wyrschip and autorite bair I,
Bot efter that by envy and haitrent
Of the fals flechand Vlixes sa quent
(I iape not, for that I say weyll I knaw)
Fra he was slane, allace, and brocht of daw,
Dolorus my lyfe I led in sturt and pane,
Hevyly weyand my innocent frende thus slane.
Sess couth I nocht, bot in my franacy,
Gyf euer I happit my tyme forto espy,
And victour hame returnyt onto Arge,
I hecht tobe revengit; with wordis large
Thus I prouokit scharp feid and malyce baith.
To me this was fyrst apperans of skaith.
From thens fordwart Vlixes mair and mayr
With new crymys begouth affray me sair,
And dangerus rumour amang the commonys hedis
Skalit and sew of me in diuerss stedis,
And, knawyng hym self gylty, by hys consait
Grathit hys wapynnys of slycht and fals dissait,
Nor cessit he neuer his purposs to persew
Quhil the solysting of Calcas I mycht rew . . .
Bot quharto tell I or rehersis this
That be na ways displesis ȝou, I wyss?
Quhy tary I my deth? And ȝe lyst, stryke:
Gyf that ȝe favour all the Grekis elyke,
This is enewch at ȝe haue hard of me—
Now haist my pane, sen algatis I mon de.
Vlixes, quhilk is kyng of Ithacy,
Wald it war swa, and with gret price wald by
My deth Agamenon als, and Menalay.’
Than hastit we and brynt to heir hym say,
Desyrus all the maner forto heir,
Mysknawyng the gret iniquiteis seir
And sle craftis of Grekis in euery deid.
He quakand than, as it had bene for dreid,
Begouth forto tell furth the remanent,
Sayand on this wyss, with ful dissemlyt entent:
‘The Grekis oft in purposs war and will
To fle from Troy and leif it standand still
And, wery of thar lang weir, pass away.
(Wald God swa thai had done syne mony a day!)
The seys rage and storm thame stoppit oft,
And from thar passage the north wynd onsoft
Held thame abak in angwyss and in feir,
And principaly now sen this hors was heir
Of hattyr gestis beldit vp but dowt
The stormy clowdis our al the ayr gan rowt.
We dowtyng heiron send the preste Erypilus
Answer to seik at the tempill of Phebus,
And from the secret oratory, suyth to sayn,
Thir soroful tythyngis he wss brocht agane:
“With blude and by the slauchtir of a maid,
Grekis, ȝe mesyt the wyndis first,” he said,
“Quhen that ȝe come of Troy to the cuntre;
Ȝour haym passage by blude mon fundyn be,
And haue ȝour askyn by deth of a Gregyoun.”
Quhen to the commonys eris ran the sown
Of thir wordis, with myndis affrayit atanys
The cauld dreid ran in throu thar banys
For feir quhamto was schape this destanye
Or quho it was Apollo desyrit to die.
Vlixes than amang thame with gret dyn
Calcas the gret dyvynour has brocht in
And bissely at hym inquiris he,
By respons of the goddis, quha suld de.
Than mony ane demyt to me, ful rycht,
The cruel wraik of that dissaitful slycht
And quyetly persavit how it wald wend.
This Calcas held his tong ten days to end,
Kepand secret and cloyss al his entent,
Refusyng with his word ony to schent
Or to pronunce the deth of ony wyght.
Skars at the last, throu gret clamour and slycht
Of Vlixes constrenyt, but mair abaid,
As was devisit, the laith word furth braid
And me adiudgit to send to the altare.
Tharto alhail the Grekis assentit ar
And sufferit glaidly so the mater pass;
Quhar as tofor eueryane tobasyt was
For hym selwyn, tho blyth was page and knycht
The chance returnyt on a catyfe wyght.
Cummyn was the duylful day that doith me gryss,
Quhen that of me suldbe maid sacryfyce,
With salt meldir, as weil the gyiss is kend,
Abowt my hede a garland or a bend.
I grant that from the deth my self I fred,
The bandis I brast, and fast away syne fled
Ontil a muddy marrass quhar, the dyrk nycht,
Amang the rysp and redis out of sycht
Full law I lurkit, quhil vp salys drew thai,
Gif thai perchance be ȝit passit away.
Now restis thar na hope (allace, fell me!),
My natyve cuntre sal I neuer se,
Nor deir childryng, nor fader weil belovit,
Quham, as I traist, the Grekis, all ammovit
For myne eschaping, turment sal with pane—
Thai, saykles wyghtis, sal for my gilt be slane.
Quharfor, Schir Kyng, be the hie goddis abufe,
And thar mychtis that trewth best knawis and lufe,
And by the faith onfylit and leil lawte
(Gyf it with mortale folkis may fundyn be),
Haue rewth and piete on sa feil harmys smart
And tak compassioune in thi gentill hart;
Apon my wrechit sawle haue sum mercy
That gyltles sufferis sik dyseyss wrangwisly.’”
“‘Pardon and lyfe to thir terys geif we,’
Quod Priamus, ‘and mercy grantis fre.’
And first of all, the mannykillis and hard bandis
Chargit he lowss of this ilk manis handis,
With frendly wordis syne thus onto hym said,
‘Quhat evir thou art, beis mery and glad,
Forȝet the Grekis that lost ar and away,
From thens fordwart thou salbe owris, perfay.
Bot schaw trewly this a thing I inquer,
Onto quhat fyne this huge hors was heir
Of sa gret statur beldit vp on hie.
Quha wrocht the wark? Quhat may it signyfie?
Quhat is it—ane offerand of sum halynes
Or sum engyne of batale, as I gess?’
Said Priamus. Bot than the tother wight,
Ful weil instrukit of Grekis art and slycht,
Lowsit and laitly fred of al his bandis,
Onto the starnys hevit vp his handis:
‘O ȝhe,’ quod he, ‘euerlestand lampis brycht,
And ȝour dyvyne power and ȝour gret mycht,
That aucht not beyn forsworn, I testefy,
And ȝou altaris and cruel swordis, quham I
Am eschapit, and al ȝou goddis wyss
Quhais garlandis bair I as ȝour sacryfyss,
Leiffull is now to brek but mair abaid
The sworn promyss that I to Grekis maid.
Leifful is eik tha pepill fortil hait,
And schaw furth planely al at euer I wait,
Thar hyd slycht als to rype furth to the grund:
To na cuntre nor lawis am I bund.
Sa mot thou, Troy, quham I sal salue fra skath,
Kepe me thy promyss and thi lawte baith,
As I sal schaw the verite ilke deill
And for my lyfe sal rendir ȝou a gret weill.
The Grekis trast and comfort mony ȝheris,
From the begynnyng of thir mortale weris,
On Pallas help stude haill this towne toget,
Bot efter that Thedeus wareit get
With Vlixes, fyndar of wykkytness,
The fatale rellyk of Palladium, I gess,
Furth of hir tempill and the hallowit hald
To reif away forsabilly war so bald,
And sla the wachis of the cheif castell,
The haly ymage, grysly forto tell,
Pollute and fylit, and with thar bludy handis
Hir vyrgyne valis and blissit godly garlandis
Presumyt twich—sen syne has euermair
Bakwart of Grekis the hope went and weilfair,
Thar mychtis and thar strenthis feblit fast;
So frawart thame hir mynd this god hes kast
That with na dowtsum takynnys, ma than twa,
Hir greif furth schew this ilke Trytonia.
Skarsly the statw was in thar tempill vpset
Quhen all hir membris bittir terys swet,
Hir eyn glowit as ony gleid for ire
Quharfra thar flaw mony sparkis of fyre,
A teyrful thing and wonderfull to tell;
Thryss schynyng down on the grond scho fell,
Hyr targe trymlyng, and schakyng fast hir speir.
“Onone, al most ȝe wend to sey infeir,”
Cryis Calcas, “Nor Grekis instrument
Of Troy the wallis sal neuer hurt ne rent
Less than agane the land of Arge be socht
With alkyn portage quhilk was hydder brocht
In barge or bilgeit ballyngare our see:
The goddess mon be mesit als,” quod he.
And now set thai, with this ilke wynd, haue socht
Thar land of Grece or Myce, this is thar thocht,
To graith thar armour and wapynnys by and by,
And with supple of goddis in cumpany
In haist forto return agane our see:
Or ȝe beyn war, apon ȝou wilt thai be.
Thus al per ordour declaris thame Calcas,
At quhais monicioun als vp biggit was
This bustuus form, in lyknes of a horss,
For Palladium, and to appeiss the forss
Of the goddes, and into recompens
Of thar wrachit and dolorus offens.
And mairatour, of sa huge quantite
Calcas commandis beld this statw of tre
Thus large and gret, weil neir the hevyn on hycht,
So at the portis it ne entyr myght,
Nor ȝit be brocht within ȝour wallys wyde,
Nor ȝour pepill favour, help nor gyde
Eftir the auld relligioun and vsage.
For gif ȝour handis had violet, in ȝour rage,
This haly presand of the god Mynerve,
Gret wraik suld follow that al suld ȝe sterve,
Priamus ryng distroyit and al ȝour pelf—
Quhilk destany goddis turn rather in hym self!
Bot gif this ilk statw, standis heir wrocht,
War with ȝour handis into the cite brocht,
Than schew he that the pepill of Asya
But ony obstakill in fell batale suld ga
Bet down the townys of Arge, that regioun,
And the sam fait happyn our successioune.’
Be sik wylis and slychtis mony one
Of fals controvit and maynsworn Synone
The mater is belevit with all it heris,
And takyn ar by dissait and fenȝeit teris
Tha pepil quham the son of Thedeus,
Nor fers Achilles, clepit Larysseus,
Nor Grece ten ȝheris in batale mycht ourcum,
Nor ȝit the thousand schippis al and sum.”
“Betyd, the ilke tyde, a fer grettar woundir
And mair dreidful to catyvis be sik hunder,
Quhilk of Troianys trublit mony onwarnyt breste.
As Laocon, that was Neptunus prest
And chosyn by kavill onto that ilk office,
A fair gret bull offerit in sacrifyce
Solemnytly befor the haly alteir,
Throw the styl sey from Tenedos infeir,
Lo, twa gret lowpit edderis, with mony thraw,
Fast throu the flude towart the land gan draw.
My spreit abhorris this mater to declare:
Abufe the watir thar halss stude euermare,
With bludy crestis owtwith the wallis hie;
The remanent swam always vnder see,
With grysly bodeis lynkit mony fald;
The salt fame stowris from the fard thai hald.
Onto the grund thai glaid with glowand eyn
Stuffit ful of vennom, fyre and fellon teyn,
Wyth tongis quhislyng in thar mowthis rede
Thai lyk the twynkland stangis in thar hed.
We fled away al bludeless for affeir,
Bot, wyth a braid, to Laocon infeir
Thai stert atanys, and hys twa sonnys ȝyng
First athir serpent lappit lyke a ryng,
And, with thar cruell byt and stangis fell,
Of tendir membris tuke mony sary morcell.
Syne thai the prest invadit, baith twane,
Quhilk with hys wapynnys dyd hys byssy pane
His childryng forto helpyn and reskew.
Bot thai about hym lowpit in wympillis threw
And twyss cyrkyllit his myddil rownd about
And twyss faldis thar sprutlit skynnys but dowt
About hys hals—bath nek and hede thai schent.
As he etlys thar hankis to haue rent
Of with his handis, and thame away haue draw,
Hys hed bendis and garlandis all war blaw
Ful of vennom and rank poyson atanys,
Quhilk infekkis the flesch, blude and banys.
And tharwith eik sa horribilly schowtis he,
His cryis dynnyt to the sternys on hie;
Lyke as a bull doith rummysing and rayr
Quhen he eschapis hurt from the altair,
And charris by the ax with his nek wight,
Gif on his forhed the dynt hyttis nocht rycht.
Syne thir twa serpentis hastely glaid away,
Onto the cheif tempil fled ar thai
Of stern Pallas to the hallowit place
And crap in vnder the feit of the goddess,
Hyd thame behynd the boyss of hir bukleir.
Than trymlit thar mony stowt hart for feir,
The onkowth dreid into thar brestis crap.
All said, ‘Laocon iustly, sik was his hap,
Has deir ybocht his wikkit and schrewit deid,
For he the haly horss or stalwart steid
With violente strake presumyt forto deir
And tharintil to fessyn his cursit speir.
Onto the hallowit sted bryng in,’ thai cry,
‘The gret fygur! And lat wss sacryfy
The haly goddes, and magnyfy hyr mycht
With orysonys and offerandis day and nycht!’
Quhat wil ȝe mair? The barmkyn down we rent,
And wallis of our cite we maid patent.
Onto that wark al sped thame bissely;
Turnand quhelis thai set in by and by
Vndir the feit of this ilke bysnyng iaip,
Abowt the nek knyt mony bassyn raip.
This fatale monstre clam our the wallis then,
Gret wamyt and stuffit ful of armyt men,
And tharabout ran childer and madis ȝyng
Syngand karrellis and dansand in a ryng—
Ful weil war thame, and glaid was euery wight
That with thar hand anys twich the cordis mycht.
Furth drawyn haldis this suttell hors of tre
And mannysand slydis throu the myd cite.
O natyve cuntre and rial realm of Troy!
O goddis howss, Ilion ful of ioy!
O worthy Troiane wallis chevalrus!
Four tymys stoppyt that monstre peralus,
Evin at the entre of the portis wyde,
And four syss the armour, that ilk tyde,
Clynkit and rang amyd the large belly;
Bot netheless, intil our blynd fury
Forȝetting this, instantly we wirk
And forto drug and draw wald neuer irk,
Quhil that myschancy monstre, quently bet,
Amyd the hallowit tempill vp was set.
Cassandra than the fatis tocum tald plane,
Bot, by command of Phebus, al was invane,
For thocht scho spayit the suthe and maid na bowrd,
Quhat euer scho said Troianys trowit nocht a word.
The tempillis of goddis and sanctuaryis all
We fey pepill—allace, quhat say I sall?—
Quhamtill this was the duylfull lattir day,
With festuale flowris and bewys, as in May,
Dyd weil anorn, and fest and ryot maid
Throu owt the town, and for myscheif was glaid.”
“Wyth this the hevyn sa quhyrlit about his speir
Out of the sey the dym nycht gan appeir,
With hir dyrk weid bath erth and firmament
Involwyng, by hir secret schaddowis quent
Covering Gregion and Myrmydonys slyght;
Within the wallis to bed went euere wyght;
Still war in all, and soft vapour of sleip
Apon thar wery lymmys fast doith creip.
Be than the army of mony a Gregioun,
Stuffit in schippis, come fra Tenedon,
Stil vnder frendly sylens of the moyn,
To the kend costis speding thame ful soyn;
And quhen the takynnyng or the bail of fyre
Rayss from the kyngis schip, vp byrnand schyre,
Of the goddis be frawart destany
Synon preservit couth this syng aspy,
The fyrryn closeris oppynnys, but noys or dyn,
And Grekis hyd the horssis cost within
Patent war maid to sight and to the ayr.
Ioyfull and blyth from that boyss statw thar
Discending, thai downlat by cordis atanys
Thersander and Sthenelus, twa capitanys,
The dowr Vlixes als, and Athamas,
Pelyus nevo Pyrrus, and Kyng Thoas,
The first Machaon, and Menelaus,
And the engyne forgyar hait Epeus.
The cite thai invaid and fast infest,
With wyne and sleip yberyit and at rest.
Slane ar the wachis liggyng on the wall,
Opnyt the portis, leyt in thar feris all,
Togidder ionyt euery cumpany:
Throu the cite sone rayss the noyss and scry.
Thys was that tyme quhen the fyrst quyete
Of naturale sleip, to quham na gyft mair swete,
Stelis on fordoverit mortale creaturis,
And in thar swewynnys metis quent figuris.
Lo, in my sleip I se stand me befor
(As to my syght) maist lamentabil Hector
Wyth large flude of teris, and al besprent,
As he vmquhile eftyr the cart was rent,
With barknyt blude and powder. O God, quhat skath!
Boldynnyt ful gret war feit and lymmys baith
By bandis of the cordis quhilk thame drewch.
Ha, walloway, quhat harm and wo eneuch!
Quhat ane was he, how far changit from ioy
Of that Hector, quhilum returnyt to Troy
Cled with the spulȝe of hym Achillys,
Or quhen the Troiane fyry blesis, I wyss,
On Grekis schippis thyk fald he slang that day
Quhen that he slew the duke Prothesylay!
Hys fax and berd was fadyt quhar he stude
And all hys hayr was glotnyt ful of blude.
Full mony woundis on his body bayr he,
Quhilk in defens of hys natyve cuntre
About the wallys of Troy ressavyt he had.
Me thocht I first wepyng and na thing glaid
Rycht reuerently begouth to clepe this man,
And with sik dolorus wordis thus began:
‘O thou, of Troy the lemand lamp of lycht,
O Troiane hope, maist ferm defens in fyght,
Quhat has the tareit? Quhy maid thou this delay,
Hector, quham we desyrit mony a day?
From quhat cuntre this wyss cummyn art thou?
That eftir feil slauchter of thi frendis now
And of thi folkis and cite efter huge payn,
Quhen we beyn irkit, we se the heir agayn!
Quhat hard myschance fylyt so thi plesand face?
Or quhy se I tha feil woundis, allace?’
Onto thir wordis he nane answer maid,
Nor to my voyd demandis na thyng said,
Bot with ane hevy murmour, as it war draw
Furth of the boddum of his breste weil law,
‘Allace, allace, thou goddes son,’ quod he,
‘Salf thi self from this fyre and fast thou fle.
Our ennemyss has thir worthy wallys tane;
Troy from the top down fallys, and all is gane.
Enewch has lestit of Priamus the ryng,
The fatis wil na mair it induryng.
Gif Pergama, the Troiane wallys wyght,
Mycht langar haue beyn fendit into fyght,
With this rycht hand thai suld haue be defendit.
Adew, fair weil, for euer it is endit.
In thi keping committis Troy but less
Hir kyndly goddis clepit Penates;
Tak thir in falloschip of thi fatis all,
And large wallis for thame seik thou sall,
Quhilk at the last thi self sall beld vp hie
Eftir lang wandryng and errour our the see.’
Thus said Hectour, and schew furth in his handis
The dreidfull valis, wymplis and garlandis
Of Vesta, goddes of the erth and fyre,
Quhilk in hir tempil eternaly byrnys schyre.”
“In seyr placis throu the cite wyth this
The murmur rayss, ay mair and mair I wyss,
And clerar wolx the rumour and the dyne,
So that, supposs Anchyss my faderis in
With treys abowt stude secrete by the way,
So bustuus grew the noys and furyus fray
And ratlyng of thar armour on the streit,
Affrayit, I glystnyt of sleip and start on feit,
Syne to the howssis hed ascendis onone,
With eris prest stude thar als stil as stone.
A sownd or swowch I hard thar at the last,
Lyke quhen the fyre be fellon wyndis blast
Is drevyn amyd the flat of cornys rank,
Or quhen the burn on spait hurlys down the bank,
Owder throu a watir brek or spait of flude,
Ryvand vp rede erd as it war wod,
Down dyngand cornys, all the pleuch laubour atanys,
And dryvis on swyftly stokkis, treis and stanys:
The sylly hyrd, seand this grysly syght,
Set on a pynnakill of sum cragis hycht
Al abasit, nocht knawand quhat this may meyn,
Wondris of the sovnd and ferly at he has seyn.
Rycht so I than by cleyr takynnys enew
Manifestly al the Grekis falshed knew—
Thair hyd dissait wolx patent than to wss.
The nobil lugyng of worthy Deyphobus
Was fal to grond, the fyre vpspred onone;
The nixt howss byrnys of Vcalegon;
The large seys and costis Sygean,
Throu lycht of flambis and brycht fyris, schane.
Vpsprang the cry of men and trumpys blist;
As out of mynd, myne armour on I thryst,
Thocht be na rayson persave I mycht, but fail,
Quhat than the forss of armys couth avail,
Ȝit hand for hand to thryng out throw the press
With my feris, and rynnyng or we cess
To the castel, our hartis brynt for desyre.
The fury cachit our myndis hait as fyre,
So that we thocht maist semly in a feld
To de feghtand, enarmyt vnder scheld.
Bot lo, Panthus, slippit the Grekis speris,
Panthus Othriades son, that mony ȝheris
Was of the strenth and Phebus tempill preste,
Into his armys lappit to his breist
The haly rellykkis of the sanctuary,
And eik our venquist goddis by and by
With hym beryng, and in his hand alsso
Harlyng hym efter his litil nevo,
Cummys lyke a wodman til our ȝet rynnyng.
‘How now, Panthus, quhat tythingis do ȝe bryng?
In quhat estait is sanctuary and haly geir?
To quhilk other fortress sall we speir?’
Skars said I this, quhen gowlyng petuusly
With thir wordis he answerd me in hy:
‘The lattir day is cummyn of Dardanus end,
The fatale tyme quham na walyng may mend.
We war Troianys, vmquhile was Ilion,
The schynand glory of Phrygianys now is gone,
Fers Iupiter to Grece all hass translait.
Our al the cite, kyndillit in flambis hait,
The Grekis now ar lordis but ony forss.
Within the wallis ȝone mekil standand horss
Ȝettis furth armyt men, and now Synon
Is victour haill, kyndilland eueron
The new fyris glaidly, as it war sport.
At athir ȝet beyn ruschit in sik a sort,
Sa mony thousandis come neuer from Myce nor Arge.
Sum cumpanyis with speris, lance and targe
Walkis wachand in rewis and narow stretis;
Arrayit batalis with drawyn swerdis at gletis
Standis reddy forto styk, gor and sla.
Skarsly the wachis of the portis twa
Begouth defens and melle as thai mycht,
Quhen blyndlyngis in the batail fey iha fyght.’
Throu thir wordis of Panthus and goddis heste,
Amyd the flambis and armour in I preste,
Ruschand thidder quhar sorofull Erynnys,
The noys and brute me drew, and quhar I wyss
The clamour hard I ryss vp to the ayr.
And of our fallowis to me come twa pair,
Repheus fyrst, be the lycht of the moyn,
Valiant in armys Ephitus followit soyn;
Hypanys syne and eik Dymas in hy
Fast to our syde adionyt by and by,
Mygdoneus son alsso, Chorebus ȝyng,
Quhilk in tha days, for fey luf hait byrnyng
Of Cassandra, to Troy was cummyn that ȝeir
To help Priam and Troianys in the weir—
Onhappy he was, wald not beleif fermly
Hys sayd spowsis command and prophecy.
Quhen I thame saw this wyss adionyt to me
And wilful forto stryke in the melle,
Thus I begouth thame forthirmar to steir:
‘O ȝe maist forsy ȝong men that beyn heir,
Wyth brestis strang and sa bald curage hie,
Invayn ȝe press to succur this cite
Quhilk byrnys al in fyre and flambys rede:
The goddis al ar fled out of this stede
Throu quhais mycht stude our empyre mony day,
Now all thar templis and altaris waist leif thai.
Bot gif ȝour desyre be sa fermly prest
To follow me dar tak the vtyrmest,
Quhat fortune is betyd, al thingis ȝe se.
Thar is na mair—lat ws togidder de,
And in amyd our ennemyis army schute.
To venquist folkis is a comfort and bute
Nane hope of help tobeleif, or reskew.’
Swa with thir wordis the ȝong menis curage grew
That in the dyrk lyke ravenus wolffis on rawis
Quham the blynd fury of thar empty mawis
Dryvis furth of thar den to seik thar pray—
Thar litil quhelpis left with dry throtis quhil day—
So throw the wapynnys and our fays went we,
Apon the ded ondowtit, and wald nocht fle.
Amyd the cite we held the master streit,
The dyrk nycht hyd ws with cloyss schaddowis meit.”
“Quha sal the harmys of that woful nycht
Expreme? Or quha with tong to tell hes mycht
Sa feil ded corsis as thar lyis slane?
Or thocht in cace thai weip quhil teris rayn
Equaly may bewail tha sorowis all?
The ancyant, worthy cite down is fall
That mony ȝeris held hie senȝeory.
Stekit in stretis heir and thar thai ly,
Feil corsis ded of mony onweldy wyght,
Dung down in howsis, fey thai fal all nycht,
In sanctuarys and templis of goddis eik;
Na quhar mercy nor succor mycht thai seik.
And not only of Troianys throu owt the town
The blude is sched, thus marthyrit and slane down,
Bot sum tyme eik to thame, ourcummyn and schent,
Agane returnys in brestis hardyment,
So that sum Grekis victoris war smyte ded.
Cruel womenting occupyit euery steid,
Our alquhar dreid, our alquhar wo and cayr,
And of the deth feil gastly schaddowis thair.
Bot first enconteris wss Androgeus
With a gret cumpany of the Gregyus,
Onwarly wenyng his fallowis we hadbe.
In haymly wordis to wss thus carpis he:
‘Haist ȝou, matis, quhat slewth tareit ȝou thus lait?
Our other feris rubbis, tursyng away fut hait
The spreith of Troy, quhilk now is brynt to gledis,
And ȝe, fyrst from ȝour schippis now ȝou spedis.’
Thus said he, quhen that suddanly and onone
He felt hym self happynnyt amyd his foyn,
For we hym gave answer not traist enewch.
Estonyt with the word, abak he drewch,
As quha onwar tred on a rowch serpent
Lyggyng in the buss, and for feir bakwart sprent,
Seand hir, reddy to stang and to infek,
Set vp hir vennamus ȝallo boldyn nek:
On the sammyn wyss, Androgeus, of our syght
Gretly effrayt, fled in al his mycht.
On thame we schot, and in thar myd rowt duschit,
Hewit, hakkit, smate down, and al to fruschit
Tha fey Gregionys, on ilk syde heir and thair,
With dreid ourset, and wist not quhar thai war.
The first lawbour thus lukkit weil with wss.
Ioyus in hart of this chance, Chorebus,
‘O ȝe feris, hald furth this way,’ quod he,
‘Quhar forton first has schawyn ws sik supple,
Hald thidder quhar our manhed has ws taucht.
Now lat wss change scheildis, sen we beyn sawcht,
Grekis ensenȝeis do we cowntyrfeit;
Quhidder by slycht or strenth of armys gret
A man ourcum his ennemy, quha rakkis?
Thai sal ws rendir thir harnes of thar bakkis.’
And sayand thus, Androgeus cristit helm
He hynt in hy and our his hed gan quhelm;
His schynand scheild with his bawgy tuk he
And hang a Gregioun swerd down by his the.
Syklyke dyd Rypheus, my self eik, and Dymas,
And all the other ȝongmen at thar was,
Ful glaidly in that recent spulȝe warm
Belyf ilk man dyd thame self enarm.
Amang the Grekis mydlit than went we,
Nocht with our awyn takyn nor deite;
Mony debatis and onsettis haue we done,
And, throu the silens of the nycht, ondone
Feil of the Grekis, and send to hell adown.
Ane other menȝe fled fast out of town
To thar schippis and tha traist coistis nyce;
Sum part alsso for schaymfull cowartyce
Clam vp agane in the gret horssis maw
And hyd thame in that belly weilbeknaw.
Allace, onleiffull is ony man to weyn
(Contrar the plesour of goddis) ocht may sustene.
Lo, Priamus dochtir, the virgyne Cassandra,
Was from the tempill and sete of Mynerva
Drawyn forsabilly bairhed, with hayr down schake,
Reuthfully invane behaldand hevyn, alake,
With glotnyt eyn, for baith hir tendir handis
War strenȝeit sayr, ybondyn hard with bandis.
This dolorus syght Chorebus mycht nocht se,
But ruschit with furyus mynd in the melle,
Reddy to de, and we all followit fast,
Amang glavys and armour in we thrast.
Heir war we fyrst tofruschit and hard byset,
With dartis and with stanys all tobet
By owr awyn feris from the templis hycht—
A miserabil slauchtir thar begouth that nycht;
The portratour of armys was mysknaw,
All war bot Grekis tymbrellis at thai saw.
Als quhat for walyng of irus wordis fell
Agane reskewit said by the damycell,
Grekis flokkis togidder heir and thar
And ombesettis cruelly and sayr,
The fellon Aiax and othir Atrides
And al the rowtis clepit Dolopes.
Lyke as sum tyme the fers wyndis ȝe se,
Ȝepherus, Nothus and Eurus, all thre
Contrarius blaw thar bustuus bubbys with byr,
The woddis rerdis, bath ayk, elm and fyr
Ourturnys to grond and Nereus the fomy
From the sey grond wod wraith is cachit in hy:
On siklyke wyss the Grekis wss invadit,
For than thai alls that fled war and evadit,
Throu the dyrk nycht, quhen sum thar feris slew we,
And thame had chasit throw owt all the cite,
Thai war the first come now to do wss deir;
Our fenȝeit scheildis, wapynnys and other geir
Ful weil thai knew, and by our vocis eik
Thai notyfy that nane of wss was Greik.
By multitude and nowmyr apon wss set
All ȝeid to wraik, thar war we hail doune bet.
And first of all, down smyte is Chorebus
By the rycht hand of Greik Peneleus
Befor the altare of armipotent Pallas;
Rypheus down fell, ane the maist iust man was,
Amang Troianys best kepand equite—
Bot other ways the goddis thocht suldbe;
Hypanys eik and Dymas than alssua
War by thar fallowis throwgyrd bath twa;
Nor ȝit the, Panthus, quhen that thou fell down,
Thy gret pety and godly religioun
Nor habyt of Apollo hyd from skaith.
O ȝe cald assys of Troy and flawmys baith
And extreme end of cuntre folkis, heir I
Drawis ȝow to witness and doys testyfy,
Quhen that ȝe fell togrund thus and war slane,
I nowder sparit wapynnys, strenth nor pane,
Nor nane onset eschewit of Grekis mycht,
And gif fatis wald I had fallyn in fyght,
Thar with my handis wrocht I worth my ded.
Bot with the press we war relit of that sted,
Only with me Hyphitus and Pelyas—
For age Hyphitus waik and febill was,
And Pelyas slawly mycht onethis go,
By Vlixes for he was woundit so.”
“Onone onto the palyce of Priamus
The schowtis and the cryis callys wss.
Thar was ane hydwyss batale forto seyn,
As thar nane other bargane ayr had beyn,
Lyke as nane slane war throu all the cite,
Sa wod ondantit melle thar we se:
The Grekis ruschand to the thak on hyght,
So thik thai thrang about the portis all nycht
That lyke a wall thai ombeset the ȝettis.
Vp to the syd wallys mony leddyr sett is
Quharon thai preyss fast our the rufe to speill,
Coverit with scheildis agane the dartis feill
Thar left hand heich abuf thar hed gan hald,
And oft with rycht handis gryp the battalyng wald.
Troianys agane, schaping defens to mak,
Rent turettis doune and of howss hedis the thak;
Quhen all wes lost thai se, at lattyr end,
With sik wapynnys thai schupe thame to defend.
The gilt sperris and gestis gold begane
Down on thame slyng thai, and mony costly stane,
The prowd and ryal werkis of faderis ald.
And other sum, law down within that hald,
With drawyn swerdis stude reddy to kepe the ȝet;
In a thik rowt tharat was mony set.
Our spretis war restoryt, and curage grew
The kyngis palyce to succur, and reskew
The men tharin with all help and supple,
To strenthing thame war venquyst neyr, we se.
A smal wykket thar was or entre dern,
A litil ȝet clepit a postern,
On the bak half Priamus palyce almaist,
Amang byggynnys stude desolate and waist,
Quharat was wont alane Andromocha
To entir oft to Priam and Hecuba,
And Astyanax, hir ȝong son, with hir bring
Onto his grandsyre Priamus the kyng.
Tharat I enterit, and to the wallys hyght
Vpwent, quhar wrachit Troianys as thai mycht
Threw down dartis, thocht all was bot inwaist.
We start ontil a hie turate in haist,
The top vpstrekand to the starnys hie,
Quharon we wont war al Troy forto se,
The Grekis schippis and thar tentis eik.
With instrumentis of irne we pyke, and seik
Round al about quhar the ionyngis war worn,
Reddy to fall, and corbalys al to torn;
We holk and mynd the corneris for the nanys,
Quhil down belive we tumbil it al atanys.
A fellon rusch it maid, and sownd with all,
And large on breid our Grekis rowtis dyd fall,
Bot sone ane other sort start in thar stedis—
Nowder stanys, nor quarellis with scharp hedis,
Nor na kynd of wapynnys war sparit than.
And first of al, befor the porch inran
Hard to the entre, in schynyng plait and mail,
Pyrrus, with wapynnys fersly to assaill,
Lyke to the edder, with schrewit herbis fed,
Cummyn furth to lycht and on the grond lyis spred,
Quham wynter lang hyd vnder the cald erd,
Now slippit hir slowch with schynand skyn new brerd,
Hir slydry body in hankis rownd al run,
Heich vp hir nek strekand forgane the son,
With forkit tong intyll hir mouth quytterand.
To the assalt with Pyrrus come at hand
Periphas, and Automedon his squyer
Was wont to govarn Achilles cart in weir,
And al the fensabill men of Scyrrya
Bownys our the wallis and howss hedis alsswa,
And fyre blesis abuf the rufe garris fle.
Bot first of al, ane stalwart ax hynt he,
The stern Pyrrus, to hew and brek the ȝet,
And furth of har the stapillis has he bet,
And bandis all of brass yforgyt weill:
Be that in twa the master bar ilk deill
Is al tofruschit, syne the hard burdis he hakkis,
And throu the ȝet ane large wyndo makkis,
By the quhilk slop the place within apperis,
The wyde hallys wolx patent al infeiris
Of Priamus and ancyant kyngis of Troy;
Secret throwgangis ar schawyn wont tobe quoy;
Armyt men se thai stand at the first port.
Bot than throw owt the inner palyce, at schort,
With duylful scryke and walyng al is confoundit;
The holl howsis ȝowlit and resowndit
For womentyng of ladeis and wemen—
The clamour vpstrak to the starnys then.
The woful moderis ran frayit on athir syde
Ful lamentabil throw out the chawmeris wyde,
Brasand the postis in armys, and durris cald,
And feil syss with mowthis kyss thame wald.
Instantly Pyrrus assailȝeis with al his mycht,
By naturale strenth of his fader the wight,
That nowder closeris, nor barryt ȝettis stowt,
Nor ȝit the keparis may hald thame langar owt.
Oft wyth the ram the port is schaik and duschit,
Down bet ȝet chekis and bandis al tofruschit.
The way is maid by forss, and entre brokkyn;
Grekis insprent, the formaste haue thai stokyn
And slane with swordis; the large hald heir and thar
Was fyllit full of Grekis our alquhar.
Not sa fersly the fomy ryver or flude
Brekkis our the bankis on spait quhen it is wode,
And, with hys brusch and fard of watir brown,
The dykis and the schoris bettis doun,
Ourspredand croftis and flattis with his spait,
Our al the feildis that thai may row a bayt,
Quhil howsys and the flokkis flyttis away,
The corn grangis and standand stakkis of hay.
I saw my self thair Neoptolemus
Mak fellon slauchtir, wod and furyus,
And athir brodir of Atrides alswa.
Eldmodir to ane hundreth thar saw I Hecuba,
And Priamus at the altar quhar he stude,
All our bysprent and sperklyt ful of blude
Of sacryfice, quhamto he bet the fyre.
Fyfty chawmeris held that rial syre
Quhar warryn his gude dochteris, ladeis ȝyng,
Syk fayr beleif is lost of his ofspryng.
The prowd gestis and durris gilt with gold
Of barbary wark, and hungyn mony fold
With richess and spulȝe of seyr nationys,
Sa far as from the fyre onbet adoune is
The Grekis occupyis haly—al is tharis,
Quhat so thame lyst tospil is nane that sparis.”
“Peraventur of Priamus wald ȝe speir
Quhou tyd the chance. Hys fait, gif ȝe lyst, heir:
Quhen he the cite saw takyn and downbet,
And of his palyce brokyn euery ȝet,
Amyd the secret closettis eik hys fays,
The auld grayth, al for nocht, to hym tays
Hys hawbryk quhilk was lang furth of vsage,
Set on his schulderis trymlyng than for age;
A sword but help about hym beltis he
And ran towart hys fays, reddy to de.
Amyd the closs, vnder the hevyn al bayr,
Stude thar that tyme a mekil fair altare,
Neyr quham thar grew a rycht ald lawrer tre
Bowand towart the altare a litill wie,
That with his schaddow the goddis dyd ourheld.
Hecuba thyddir with hir childer for beild
Ran al invane and about the altare swarmys,
Brasand the godlyke ymage in thar armys,
As for the storm dowis flokkis togidder ilkane.
Bot quhen scho saw how Priamus has tane
His armour, so as thocht he had beyn ȝyng:
‘Quhat fulych thocht, my wrachit spowss and kyng,
Movis the now syk wapynnys forto weld?
Quhidder hastis thou?’ quod sche. ‘Of na sik beld
Haue we now mystir, nor syk diffendouris as the,
The tyme is nocht ganand tharto we se,
In cace Hectour war present heir, my son,
He mycht nocht succur Troy, for it is won,
Quharfor I pray the syt doune and cum hydder
And lat this altare salue wss al togidder,
Or than atanys al heir lat ws de.’
Thus said scho and with sik sembland as mycht be
Hym towart hir has brocht, but ony threte,
And set the auld doune on the haly sete.
Bot lo, Polytes, ane of Priamus sonnys
Quhilk from the slauchter of Pyrrus away run is,
Throw wapynnys fleyng and his ennemyss all,
Be lang throwgangis and mony voyd hall;
Woundit he was, and come to seik reskew.
Ardently Pyrrus gan him fast persew,
With grondyn lance at hand so neir furthstrekit,
Almaist the hed hym twichit and arekit,
Quhil at the last, quhen he is cummyn, I weyn,
Befor his faderis and his moderis eyn,
Smate hym down ded in thar sycht quhar he stude,
The gaist he ȝald with habundans of blude.
Priamus than, thocht he was halfdeill ded,
Mycht nocht conteyn his ire nor wordis of fed,
Bot cryis furth: ‘For that cruell offens
And owtragyus fuyl hardy violens,
Gif thar be piete in the hevin abone
Quhilk takis heid to this at thou has done,
The goddis mot condyngly the forȝeld,
Eftir thi desert rendring sik gaynȝeld,
Causit me behald myne awyn child slane, allace,
And with hys blude fylit the faderis face.
Bot he quhamby thou fenys thi self byget,
Achil, was not to Priam sa hard set,
For he, of rycht and faith eschamyt eik,
Quhen that I come hym lawly tobeseik,
The ded body of Hector rendrit me,
And me convoyit hame to my cite.’
Thus sayand the ald waykly, but forss or dynt,
A dart dyd cast, quhilk with a pyk gan stynt
On his harness, and in the scheild dyd hyng
But ony harm or other dammagyng.
Quod Pyrrus, ‘Sen always thou saist swa,
To Pellyus son, my fadir, thou most ga.
Beir hym this message, ramembir weil thou tell
Him al my warkis and dedis sa cruell—
Schaw Neoptolemus is degenerit cleyn.
Now salt thou de.’ And with that word in teyn
The ald trymlyng towart the altare he drew,
That in the hait blude of his son, sched new,
Fundrit; and Pyrrus grippis hym by the hayr
With his left hand, and with the tother albayr
Drew furth his schynand swerd, quhilk in his syde
Festynnyt, and onto the hyltis dyd he hyde.
Of Priamus thus was the finale fait—
Fortone heir endit his gloryus estait,
Seand Ilion albyrn in fryis brown
And Troys wallis fall and tumlyt down.
That ryal prince, vmquhile our Asya
Apon sa feil pepil and realmys alswa
Ryngnyt in welth, now by the cost lyis ded
Bot as a stok and of hakkit his hed,
A corps but lyfe, renown or other fame,
Onknawyn of ony wight quhat was his name.”
“Fyrst than the grysly dreid about me start:
Astonyst I wolx, for sone prent in myne hart
The ymage of my deir fader, quhen I
The kyng his evyneild beheld sa cruelly
By deidly wound ȝaldand vp the spreit.
On dessolat Crevse, my spowss sa sweit,
I thocht alsso, and dangeris of my place;
Of litil Ascaneus sayr I dred the cace.
About I blent to behald, heir and thar,
Quha of our feris remanyt with me thar.
Al war thai fled full wery, left me alane;
Sum to the erd loppin from hie towris of stane,
Sum in the fyre thar irkit bodeis leit fall—
Thar was na ma bot I left of thame all;
Quhen in the tempil of Vesta the goddas,
Lurkand ful law intil a secrete place,
Tyndarus douchter, Queyn Helene, I espy—
The fyrys schane sa brycht as I went by
All thing was patent quhar so euer I went.
Scho dreding less the Troianys wald hir schent
And kast sum way for hir distructioun
Becauss al Troy for hir was thus bet doun,
Sayr punytioun of Grekis dred scho, als
Hir husbandis wroth, quham scho left and was fals,
And eik the common fatale fury of Troy,
Hir self scho hyd tharfor and held ful koy,
Besyde the altare sytting onethis seyn.
My spreit for ire brynt in propir teyn
And al in greif thocht cruel vengeans take
Of my cuntre for this myschews wrake,
With byttir panys to wreke our harmys smart.
Thocht I, sal scho pass to the realm of Spart
Hailskarth, and se Mycene hir natyve land,
And with triumphe follow hir fyrst husband?
Or lyke a queyn sal scho wend hame our see?
Hir frendis agane and childring sal scho se
Accumpanyit with mony Troiane maid
And Phrygiane seruandis in bondage with hir had—
Sen now by hir with swerd lyis Priam ded
And ryal Troy all brynt in flambis red,
Of Dardane eik the strandis and the flude
Sa oft hass bene waterit or bathit in blude?
Na, na, nocht swa, I wyss, that sal scho nocht;
And set it be nocht lovabill nor semly thocht
To punyss a woman, bot schameful hir to sla,
Na victory, bot lak, followyng alswa,
Ȝit netheless I aucht lovit tobe
Vengeans to tak on hir deservis to de.
It wil my mynd asswage fortobe wrokyn
On hir quhamby Troy brynt is and down brokyn,
And forto eik the myscheif of hir ded
Til our sorowis fyllit with assis red.
Syk thingis I thocht half wod and furyus
As owt of wit my mynd was cachit thus,
Quhen that my blissit moder, of sik bewte,
Apperit farer than euer I dyd hir se,
Schynyng ful cleir for al the dyrk nycht,
Confessyng hir tobe a goddess brycht
In sik form of quantite and estait
As scho is seyn with spretis deificait.
Me by the rycht hand hynt scho and held fast
And with hir rosy lippis thus said at last:
‘Son, quha sa gret and furyus cruelte
And hie ondantit ire has rasyt in the?
Quhy gois thou mad? Quhidder is went thus onkynd
Our ramembrance, or we forȝet of mynd?
Suld thou not first think quhar thou left but less
Thi wery fader, the agit Anchises?
Wenys thou or not Crevsa ȝit levand be
And Ascanyus thi ȝong son, quam al thre
The Grekis armyis walkis rownd about,
And bot my myght rasistit thame, sans dout
Thai hadbene brynt or this in flambis red,
And with thar fays swordis smyte to ded.
Not the bewte of Helene Laconya,
Quham thou hatis, nor Parys, quhilk alswa
Is blamyt oft, this rychess has ȝou reft;
Bot the wroth of the goddis has down beft
The city of Troy from top onto the grond.
Behald (for I, within a litil stound,
The clowd of dyrkness from thi sycht so cleir,
That on ȝour mortell eyn, quhill ȝe beyn heir,
Lyke to ane watry slowch standis dym about;
Thi moderis heist on na wyss nedis the dowt,
Na hir command refusyng to obey)
Quhar thir towris thou seys down fall and swey,
And stane fra stane down bet, and reyk vp ryss,
With stew, powder and duste myxt on this wyss,
Neptune the fundmentis of thir wallis hie,
With his gret mattok havand granys thre,
Vndermyndis rownd about the towne,
Furth of the grond holkand the barmkyn doun.
Maist cruel Iuno hass, or this, alsswa
Saysit with the fyrst the port clepit Sceya,
And from the schippis the ostis in scho callis,
Standing wod wraith enarmyt on the wallis.
The hie castellis and strenthis to and fra,
Behald, now Pallas of Tritonya
All occupyis, schynyng in weirlyke weid,
Fell Gorgones hed into hir scheild, tak heid.
The gret fader Iupiter strenth and mycht
Distributis happely to the Grekis in fyght,
And eik the goddis ire prouokis he
Aganys Troianys power in the melle.
Fle thou, my son, in haist away thou wend,
And of this laubour onprofitabil mak ane end;
I salbe with the soverly and ful koy,
Quhil to thi faderis ȝet I the convoy.’
Thus sayand, scho hir hyd in the cloyss nycht.
Than terribil figuris apperis to my sycht
Of gret goddis, semand with Troy agrevit;
And tho beheld I al the cite myschevit,
Fayr Illion all fall in gledis down,
And, fra the soyll, gret Troy, Neptunus town,
Ourtumlyt to the grond—so as ȝhe se
The lauboreris into the montanys hie
With steil axsis byssely hak and hew
A mekil ayk that mony ȝeir thar grew;
The tre branglis bostyng to the fall,
With top trymlyng, and branchis schakand all;
Quhil finaly it get the lattyr straik,
Than with a rair down duschis the mekil aik,
And with his fard brekis down bewis about.
Furth of that sted I went, and throu the rowt
Of ennemyis and flambis I me sped
(The fyre and wapynnys gave me place) and fled.
So happely the goddes gydit me,
Quhil that within the portis and entre
Of my faderis lugyng am I cummyn;
My fader than, quham I schupe to haue nummyn
And caryit to the nerrest hillys hycht,
And hym tharto solist with al my mycht;
Bot he reffusys or euer to leif in ioy
Eftir the rewyne and distructioun of Troy—
To suffir exile he said that he ne couth.
‘O ȝe,’ quod he, ‘in blude and florist ȝouth
That has ȝour strenth ȝit and ȝour forcy mycht,
Pass on ȝour way onone, and tak the flycht.
Gif goddis lykyt lenth my life langar space,
Thai wald haue salwyt to me this litil place.
It is eneuch, eneuch and mair, I weyn,
A distructioun of Troy that we haue seyn,
Remanyng alyve eftyr the cite tane.
So, so, hald on, leif this ded body alane;
Say the last quething word, adew, to me.
I sal my deth purchess thus,’ quod he:
‘Quhen our ennemyss seys me enarmyt stand,
Sum sal haue reuth and sla me with his brand
To get my spulȝe—quhat of the body na cure:
The corps is sone warpit in sepulture.
Hatit of the goddis, to all nedis onhabill,
Thir mony ȝeris I left inprofitabill,
Ay sen the fader of goddis and kyng of men
With thunderis blast me smate, as that ȝe ken,
And with his fyry levin me omberauch,
That we intill our langage clepe fyreflauch.’
Rehersyng this, fermly he dyd remane
At his first purpos fixt, and we agane
Furthȝetting teris, and our spowss Crevsa,
Ascanyus ȝyng, and al our menȝe alswa
Besowth my fader to salue his wery banys,
And not be wilful to peryss all atanys,
And to escheif the chance as it was went:
Plat he reffusys, anherdyng to his entynt,
The fyrst sentence haldyng euer ane.
To start to harnes I am compeld agane,
And, as maste wrachit and miserabil catyve,
Ded I desyrit, and irkyt of my lyve;
For by na wysdome nor chance persave I mycht
We couth eschape, nor ȝit by forss in fyght.
‘O deir fader, quhat wenys thou for ded,
A fut,’ quod I, ‘me to steir of this sted,
And leif the heir? O God! quha euer couth
Sik cryme to me be said of faderis mouth!
Bot gif it lykis to the goddis hie
Na thing be left of sa fayr a cite,
Or gyf thou hest in mynd decretit eik,
And weil lykis thi self and thine to eik
Onto the rewyne of Troy, and tobe schent,
Ded at our dur is reddy and patent.
From mekil blude schedding of Priamus
Hiddir, belyfe, sal cum cruell Pyrrus,
Quhilk brytnys the son befor the faderis face,
And gorris the fader at the altare but grace.
Is this the way, my haly moder, at thou
Suld kepe me, fays and fyris passand throu,
That I behald, within my chawmyr secrete,
Myne ennemyss, and se Ascanyus swete,
My deir fader, and Crevsa my wyfe,
Ahtir in otheris hait blude leyss thar lyfe?
Harness, seruandis, harnes bryng hydder sone!
The lattyr end, thus venquyst and ondone,
Callys ws agane to batale and assay;
Adone, cum on, this is our lattir day.
Rendir me to the Grekis, or suffir me
The bargane agane begun at I may se;
This day onwrokyn we sal neuer all be slane.’
Abowt me than my swerd I belt agane,
And schot my left arme in my scheild al meit,
Bownyng me furth, quhen lo, abowt my feit
My spowss lappit fell down into the ȝet,
And litill Iulus forgane his fader vpset:
‘Gyf thou lyst pass,’ quod scho, ‘thi self to spill,
Harl ws with the in all perrell quhar thou will;
Bot gif thou trastis, as expert in thi dedis,
Ony help by forss of armys, than the nedis
First to defend and kepe this howss,’ quod scho,
‘Quharin thi ȝong son and thi fader beyn, lo!
And I vmquhile that salbe clepit thi spowss;
Quham to sall we be left in this waist howss?’”
“Wyth skyrlys and with scrykis thus sche beris,
Fillyng the howss with murnyng and salt teris,
Quhen suddanly, a wonder thing to tell,
A feirful takyn betyd of gret marvell.
For lo! the top of litill Ascanyus hed,
Amang the duylfull armys wil of red
Of his parentis, from the sched of his crown,
Schane al of lycht onto the grond adown.
The leym of fyre and flambe, but ony skath,
In his haris, about his halffettis baith,
Kyndyllis vp brycht, and we than, al in weir,
Abasit, trymlyng for the dreidfull feir,
The blesand haris bet furth at brynt sa schyre,
And schupe with watir to sloyk the haly fyre.
Bot Anchises, my fader, blyth and glaid
Lyft eyn and handis to hevyn, and thusgatis said:
‘O thou almychty Iupiter,’ quod he,
‘With ony prayeris inclynyt gif thou may be,
Tak heid to ws, and gif we haue deseruyt
For our piete and rewth tobe conseruyt,
Haly fader, send ws thi help als ȝoir,
And conferm al thir takynnys seyn befor.’
Scarsly the auld thir wordis had warpit owt,
Quhen sone the ayr begouth to rumbill and rowt
On our left hand, towart the north ful rycht,
And from the hevin fell, in the dyrk nycht,
A fayr brycht starn, rynnand with bemys cleir,
Quhilk on the top of our lugyng, but weir,
First saw we lycht, syne schynyng went awa
And hyd it in the forest of Ida,
Markand the way quhidder at we suld spur;
Thar followis a streym of fyre, or a lang fur,
Castand gret lycht about quhar that it schane,
Quhil al enveron rekit lyke bryntstane.
With that my fader venquyst start on fute,
And to the goddis carpis tobe our bute,
The haly starn adornyt he rycht thar:
‘Now, now,’ quod he, ‘I tary na langar;
I follow, and quhidder ȝe gyde me sal I wend.
O natyve goddis, ȝour awyn kynrent defend,
Salwe ȝour nevo; ȝouris is this oracle,
In ȝour protectioun is Troy, for this myracle
I wil obey, and grantis onto ȝour will:
My deir son, quhidder euer thou wend will,
I sal na mair reffuss tobe thi feyr.’
Thus sayd he, and be than, thar and heir,
Throw out the wallis the rerd of fyris grew
Ay mair and mair, and the heit nerrar drew.
‘Have done,’ quod I, ‘fader, clym vp onone
And set the evyn abuf my nek bone;
Apon my schuldris I sal the beir, but weyr,
Nor this lawbour saldo to me na deir:
Quhat euer betyde, a weilfair and a skaith
Salbe common and equale to wss baith.
Lytil Iulus salbeir me cumpany,
My spowss ondreich eftyr our trayss sal hy.
And ȝe, my seruandis, tak heid quhat I say:
As ȝe pass furth of the cite this ilk way,
Thar is a mote, quhar ane ald tempil, but less,
Now standis desert of the goddess Ceress,
Besyde quham growis a sypir tre full auld,
With forfaderis feil ȝeris in wirschip hald;
In that place lat wss meit on athir syde.
Fader, sen that we may na langar byde,
Tak vp tha haly rellykis in thi hand,
And our penates or goddis of this land—
It war onleiffull and wykkitnes to me
From sa gret slauchter, blude schedding and melle
Newly departit, to twich thame, for the blude,
Quhil I be weschyn into sum rynnand flude.’
And sayng thus, I spred my schulderis brayd,
Syne our my nek, abuf the wedis, laid
A ȝallow skyn was of a fers lyoun,
And tharapon gart set my fader down;
Lytil Iulus grippis me by the hand,
With onmeit payss his fader fast followand:
Neir at our bak Crevse my spowss ensewys:
We pass by secret wentis and quyet rewyss.
And me, quhan laitly na wapyn, nor dartis kast,
Nor press of Grekis rowtis maid agast,
Ilke swowch of wynd and euery quhispir now
And alkyn sterage affrayt, and causyt grow,
Baith for my byrdyng and my litil mait.
Quhen we war cummyn almaist to the ȝet,
And al danger we thocht eschapit neyr,
A fellon dyn belyve of feit we heir;
My fader than lukand furth throw the sky,
Cryis on me fast, ‘Fle, son! fle, son, in hy,
Thai cum at hand! Behynd me I gat a sycht
Of lemand armour and schynand scheildis brycht.’
Thar knaw I nocht quhat fremmyt god onkynd
So me astonyst, and reft fra me my mynd,
For throu the secrete stretis fast I ran
Befor the laif, as weil bekend man,
Allace to me catyve! I wait neuer quhydder
My spowss Crevse remanyt or we come thydder,
Or by sum fait of goddis was reft away,
Or gif scho errit, or irkit by the way,
For nevir syne with eyn saw I hyr eft,
Nor neuer abak, fra scho was lost or reft,
Blent I agane, nor perfyte mynd has nummyn,
Quhil to the mote of Ceres war we cummyn.
And fynaly, quhen we beyn gadderit thidder,
Fast by the haly tempil al togydder,
Scho was away, and betrumpit suythly
Hyr spowss, hir son and all the cumpany.
Than wod for wo, so was I quyte myscaryit
That nowder god nor man I left onwaryit:
For quhat mair hard myschance, quhen Troy down fell,
Apperit to me as that, or sa cruell?
Ascanyus tho and my fader Anchises,
And eik our Troiane goddis penates,
Onto my feris betauch I for to keip
And hyd thame darn within a valy deip.
To town agane I sped with al my mycht,
Claspit ful meit into fyne armour brycht,
Wilful al aventuris newlyngis to assay,
And forto serss Troy, euery streit and way,
And eik my hed agane in perrell set.
Bot first the wallis, the darn entre and ȝet,
Quharat we yschit furth, I seik agane,
Haldyng bakwart ilk futstep we had gane,
Lukand and sersand about me as I myght.
The vgsumnes and silens of the nycht
In euery place my spreit maid sayr agast.
Fra thyne ontil our lugyng hame I past
To spy perchance gif scho had thidder returnyt;
It was with Grekis beset and hail ourturnyt,
Alhail the howss with thame sa occupyit;
Belyve the fyre al waistand I espyit
Bless with the wynd; our the rufe, heir and thar,
The flambe vpsprang and hait low in the ayr.”
“To Priamus palyce eftyr socht I than,
And syne onto the tempil fast I ran,
Quhar at the porchis or clostir of Iuno,
Than al bot waist, thocht it was gyrth, stude tho
Phenix and dowr Vlixes, wardanys tway,
Forto observe and keip the spreth or pray.
Thydder in a hepe was gadderit precyus geir,
Richess of Troy, and other iowellis seyr
Reft from all partis; and of tempillis brynt
Of massy gold the veschel war furth hynt
From the goddis, and goldyn tabillis all,
With precyus vestmentis of spulȝe triumphall;
The ȝyng childring, effrayt matronys eik,
Stude al on raw, with mony petuus screik
Abowt the tresour quhymperand wondir sayr.
And I alsso my self sa bald wolx thair
That I durst schaw my voce in the dyrk nycht,
And clepe and cry fast throu the stretis on hycht
Ful dolorusly, ‘Crevsa! Crevsa!’
Agane, feil syss, invane I callit swa
Throu howsys and the cite quhar I ȝoyd,
But owder rest or resson, as I war woyd;
Quhil that the figur of Crevsa and gost,
Of far mair statur than ayr quhen scho was lost,
Befor me, catyve, hyr sekand, apperit thar.
Abasyt I wolx, and widdyrsyns start my hayr;
Speke mycht I not, the voce in my halss swa stak.
Than scho, belyfe, on this wyss to me spak,
With sik wordis my thochtis to asswage:
‘O my sweit spowss, into sa furyus rage
Quhat helpis thus thi selwyn to torment?
This chance is not but goddis willis went;
Nor it is nocht leifful thing,’ quod sche,
‘Fra hyne Crevse thou turss away with the,
Nor the hie governour of the hevin abufe is
Wil suffir it so tobe; bot the behuffis
From hens to wend ful far into exile
And our the braid sey sail furth mony a myle
Or thou cum to the land Hesperya,
Quhar wyth soft cowrss Tybris of Lydya
Rynnys throu the rych feldis of pepil stowt;
Thar is gret substans ordanyt the but dowt,
Thar salt thou have a realm, thar salt thou ryng
And wed to spowss the douchtir of a kyng.
Thy wepyng and thi teris do away
Quhilk thou makis for thi luffyt Crevsay,
For I, the neyce of mychty Dardanus
And gude douchtyr onto the blyssit Venus,
Of Myrmydonys the realm sal nevir behald
Nor ȝit the land of Dolopeis so bald,
Nor go to serve na matron Gregion,
Bot the gret modir of the goddis ilkon
In thir cuntreis withhaldis me for evyr.
Adew, fayr weil, for ay we mon dissevir.
Thou be gude frend, lufe weil and keip fra skath
Our a ȝong son is common til wss baith.’
Quhen this was spokkyn, fra me away scho glaid,
Left me wepyng and feil wordis wald have said,
For sche sa lychtly vanysyt in the ayr
That with myne armys thryss I presyt thar
About the hals hir fortil haue belappit,
And thryss, al waist, my handis togiddir clappit:
The figur fled as lycht wynd or the son beym,
Or maist lykly a waverand swevyn or dreym.
Thus finaly, the nycht al passit and gane,
Onto my falloschip I return agane,
Quhar that I fand assemlyt al newly
So huge a rowt of our folkis that I
Wondryt the nowmyr, thai so mony weir
Of men and women gadderit al infeir
And ȝong pepil to pass in exile abill
And of commonys a sort sa miserabill
Fra euery part that flokkyng fast about,
Baith with gude wil and thar moblis, but doubt,
Reddy to wend in quhat cost or cuntre
That evir me list to cary thame our see.
Wyth this the day starn, Lucifer the brycht,
Abuf the top of Ida rayss on hycht,
Gydand the day hard at his bak followyng:
The Grekis than we se in the mornyng
Stand forto kepe the entreis of the portis,
And thus quhen na hope of reskew at schort is
My purposs I left, obeyand destanye,
And careit my fader to Ida hyll on hie.”