University of Virginia Library

“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.”