University of Virginia Library

“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.”