University of Virginia Library

[The Proloug of the Thryd Buke]

“Eftyr that seyn and thocht expedient
Was by the goddys to dystroy and schent
Of Asya the empyre, and down to bryng,
But offens, Priamus pepil and ofspryng,
And prowd Ilion was brokyn and bet down,
And from the soyl al Troy, Neptunus town,
Ybrynt is smoke of flambis and in reik;
Syndry landis and cuntreis forto seik,
And wend exile in diuerss nationys,
Of the goddis by reuelacionys,
We war admonyst feil syth, as is said.
Schippis we graith and navy reddy maid
Bewtix Anthandros and the mont of Ida,
Oncertane quhidder the fatis wald we suld ga,
Or quhar we suld remane ȝit fynaly;
Our men togidder gadderit we in hy.
And skant begunnyn was the fresch veir,
Quhen that Anchises, myne awyn fader deir,
Bad ws mak saill and follow destany.
Than, weping sayr, my native cost left I,
The havynnys, and the feildis dissolait
Quhar Troys ryall cite stude of lait:
Furth sail I banyst throw the deip see,
With my ȝong son Ascanyus and our menȝe,
And with our frendly goddis, Penates hait,
And eik our gret goddis of mair estait.
Thar lyis a weirly cuntre weil far thens,
With large feildis lauborit ful of fens;
Of Trace the pepill ar thar inhabityng
Quhar that vmquhile strang Lycurgus was kyng—
Ane ancyant and ane tendir herbry place
To Troianys, quhil we stude in fortonys grace,
Our pepil togidder confederate and aly.
By schip thiddir our sey careit was I,
Quhar, at the bayand costis syde of the see,
Begouth I first set wallis of a cite,
Althocht my foundment was mysfortunat:
The toune I nemmyt efter myne estait
And fra my name it clepit Eneadas.
Onto my moder, of Dyona douchter was,
Sacrifice I maid, and to the goddis all
Quham for new warkis men happy helparis call;
And to the kyng of hevinly wightis that tyde
A quhite bull slew I by the costis syde.
On cace, thar stude a litil mote neirby,
Quhar hepthorn buskis on the top grew hie,
And evin saplynnys of myrthus, the tre funerale.
Thiddir I went, greyn bewis doune to haill,
Hard by the grond myne altare forto dycht
With burgyonys and with branchis al at rycht:
A grysly takyn, feirful to tell, I se.
As from the soyll vprent was the first tre
By the rutys, the blak droppis of blude
Distillit tharfra, that al the erth quhar it stude
Was spottit of the fylth and stenyt, allaik!
The cald dreid maid all my membris quaik,
And for effeir my blude togidder fresyt.
Ane other smal twyst of a tre I chesit
Forto brek down, the causys to assay
Of this mater, that war onknawyn alway;
And ȝit the blude followit on the sam maneir
Furth of the bark of that other, but weir.
Than in my mynd of mony thingis I musyt,
And to the goddessis of wildyrnes, as is vsyt,
Quhilk Hamadriades hait, I wirschip maid,
Onto Gradyus fader, that ryngnys glaid
Our all the land of Getya and Tarss
(Quhilk clepit is the god of armys, Marss),
Besekyng this avisioun worth happy,
And the oracle prosperite suld signyfy.
Bot efter that the thyrd syoun of treys,
Apon the sandis syttand on my kneys,
I schupe to haue vprevyn with mair press
(Quhidder sal I spek now, or hald my pess?),
Furth of the graif a duylful murnyng law
I hard, and to myne eris come this saw:
‘Ene, quhy rentis thou a wrechit creatur?
Haue reuth of hym now laid in sepultur,
And forto fyle thi deuote handis spair;
Of Troy I born am, to the na strangar:
This blude droppis nocht from that stok in thi hand.
Fle sone, allace, furth of this cursyt land,
Fle from this avarus kyngis cost in hy;
For lo! thus, Polidorus heir I ly,
Througyrd with dartis, and thyk steil hedis schote,
Apon sik wyss ourheildit on this mote;
The scharp lancis growis greyn and spredis owt.’
Than wist I not quhat I suld do for dowt,
The feir affrayit my mynd estonyst als,
Vpstart my hayr, the word stak in my hals.
With a gret sold of gold fey Priamus
Secretly vmquhile send this Polidorus,
Quhilk was his son, to Polynestor, kyng
Of Trace, to kepe and haue in nurysyng,
Quhen first of Troiane defens begouth he dowt
And saw the town besegyt all abowt.
Bot this ilk kyng of Trace, seand how Troy
Lossyt his myghtis be forton turnyt from ioy,
The party chesis of Agamenon,
Anherdand to the victouris syde onon;
Al faith and frendschip brak he than in hy,
And Polydorus slane has cruelly,
And thus, be forss, the tresour he doith withhold.
O cursyt hungyr of this wrachit gold!
Quhat wikkytnes or myscheif may be do
At thou constrenys not mortale myndis tharto?
Eftir this effray was fra my banys went,
Of the goddis thir feirfull wordis quent
Onto the noblis and grettast of our men,
And to my fader fyrst, rehers I then,
And quhat thar purposs was, eik I inquir.
Thai war al of a will and a desyr
To pass furth of this wareit realm of Trace,
And for toleif that pollut herbry place,
And set our navy to the wynd but weir.
Tharfor, to Polidorus vp a beyr
We erekkit, and of erd a gret fluyr
Kest in a hepe abuf his sepultur;
Syne, in ramembrance of the sawlis went,
The dolorus altaris fast by war vpstent,
Crownyt with garlandis al of haw sey hewis,
And with the blaiknyt cypress dedly bewis.
The Troiane wemen stude with hayr down schaik,
About the beir weping with mony, ‘Allake!’
And on we kest of warm mylk mony a skul,
And of the blude of sacrifyce cowpis full.
The sawle we bery in sepultur on this wyss,
The lattir hailsyng syne lowd schowtit thryss,
Rowpand atanys, ‘Adew!’ Quhen al is done,
Ilkane per ordour, the mon we follow sone.”
“Syne, quhen we se our tyme to sail maist habill,
The blastis mesit, and the fludis stabill,
The softe piping wynd callyng to see,
Thar schippis than furth settis our menȝe:
Ȝe mycht haue sene the costis and the strandis
Fillit with portage and pepil tharon standis.
Furth of the havin we salit al onone;
The sicht of land and cite sone is gone.
Amyd the sey yclepit Egeos
Ane haly iland lyis, that hait Delos,
Beluffit of Neptune and the moder alswa
Of the Nereydes, clepit Doryda;
Quham the cheritabil archer, Appollo,
Quhen it flet rollyng from costis to and fro,
Saisit and band betwix other ilis twa,
Quhilk clepit ar Mycone and Gyara,
Stablisyng so that it mycht lauborit be,
And comptis nowthir the wynd nor storm of see.
Thidder ar we careit, and in that plesand land
A sovir havyn ressavit ws at hand.
Al wery beyn we yschit furth of schip
The cite of Apollo to wirschip.
The kyng tharof, yclepit Anyvs,
Prince of the men and preste eik to Phebus,
With bendis baith and haly lawrer crown
Set on his hed, met ws withowt the town;
His agit frend Anchises knew this kyng.
Handis we schuke with hartly welcumyng,
And to his palyce al with hym we went,
Quhar that I wirschip, as wes myne entent,
The god Apollo, within his hallowit hald
Or tempil beldyt al of stanys ald.
‘O thou,’ quod I, ‘Appollo Tymbreus,
Sum propir dwellyng place thou grant to ws:
We the beseik that schaw alsso thou wald
To ws irkit sum strenth and stalwart hald,
And at thou grant ws eik succession,
And for to dwel in a remanand town.
Salve ws, lattir wardis of Troy, that we ne spill,
Levyngis of Grekis and of the ferss Achill.
Geif ws thine answer quharon we sal depend;
Quhidder wilt thou, fader, at we now wend?
Quhar sall we set our lugyng to remane?
Condiscend in our myndis, and schaw this plane.’
Scarss war thir wordis said quhen that I se
Al thingis trymmyl and schaik neir abowt me,
The durris and the lawrer tre but dowt,
And al the montane movit rownd about;
A murmur or a rumysyng hard we haue
Within the courtyng and the secret cave;
The quyet closettis oppynnyt with a rerd,
And, we plat law gruflyngis on the erd,
A voce com til our erys, sayand thus:
‘O ȝe dowr pepil discend from Dardanus,
The ilke grond, fra quham the first stok cam
Of ȝour lynnage, with blyth bosum the sam
Sal ȝou ressaue thiddir returnyng agane:
To seik ȝour ald moder mak ȝou bane.
Thar sal Eneas lynnage haue senȝeory
Our al realmys and landis vndir the sky,
And thar sonnys, and sonnys sonnys syne,
And al that evir succedis of thar lyne.’
Thus said Phebus, and than, our folkis amang,
Mixt with blithnes a fellon dyn vpsprang:
‘Quhat place was this,’ euery ane fast gan frane,
‘Quhiddir callis Phebus? Byddis he ws turn agane?’
My fader than, revoluyng in his mynd
The discens of forfaderis of our strynd,
‘Nobillis,’ quod he, ‘harkis quhat I sal say,
And leyr at me ȝour weilfair, I ȝou pray.
The ile of Cret lyis amyd the see,
The native land of Iupiter maist hie;
Thar is the first hyll, yclepit Ida,
Thar our forbearis first in thar credlys lay;
The land maist plentevs of wyne, oyl and quhete,
Inhabyt with a hundreth citeis gret,
Quharfra thar com, gif I remembir rycht,
Our gret forfader Teucrus the wycht,
First to the cost of Rethea in Phrygy,
And for his cite chesit the set fast by—
For ȝit than was not Ilion vpbeld,
Nor the strang wallis of Troy, bot on the feld
Thai dwelt in lugys and mony litil cave.
The adornar eik of our realm we haue
From that land, the moder of goddis Cybele,
And blast of brasyn trumpettis, as ȝe se;
From thens com eik the wod of Idea,
And the traist serymonys of sacrifice alswa;
The fasson eik and gyss we lernyt thar
Quhou the lyonys suld draw the ladeis char.
Haue done onon, tharfor, and lat ws wend
Thiddir quhar the goddis oracle haith ws kend.
The wynd first lat ws meyss, or that we ga,
Syne seik the realm of Crete and Gnosia.
It is not thens lang cowrs nor vyage far;
Our navy salt, with help of Iupiter,
The thrid morow be at the cost of Crete.’
This beand said, ganand offerandis ful mete
Befor the altaris he slew in sacrifyce;
A bul first to Neptune, as is the gyss,
A bull to brycht Appollo for his beheist,
And to the god of tempestis a blak beist,
And to the chancy wyndis ane mylk quhite.
The fame was than, of Crete the cost stude quyte
Dissolate, but prince; for Idomeneus the kyng
Was by the pepil expellit from his ryng,
The lugyngis voyd and reddy to thar fays,
The sete left waist til ony it vptais.
The porte tharwith, Ortygia, leif we,
And with swift cowrs flaw throu the salt see;
By the iland swepit we onon
With hillis ful of wynys, hait Naxon,
By Donysa quhar growis the marbill greyn,
And by Paron with his quhite marbill scheyn,
By Olearon, and mony ilis, but less,
Skatterit in the sey, yclepit Cyclades;
We slyde throu fludis endlang feil costis fayr.
The noys vpsprang of mony marynar
Byssy at thar wark, to takilling euery tow,
Thar feris exorting, with mony heys and how,
To speid tham fast towart the realm of Crete,
With thar forfaderis and progenitouris to mete.
The followand wynd blew strek in our tail,
Quhill finaly arrive we, with bent saill,
Apon the ancyant cost of Curetanys,
A kynd of pepill quhilk into Crete remanys.
And sone I me enfors with diligence
To byg a wallit cite of defens;
Pargamea I namyt it, but baid:
Our folkis than, that warryn blyth and glaid
Of this kowth surname of our new cite,
Exort I to graith howsis and leif in le,
And rayss on hycht the strenth and fortaless.
Our schippis or this ful weil we gart adress
And lay almaist apon the dry sand.
The ȝong men fortil laubour thar new land,
And in honour of wedlok, as is the gyss,
Makkis thar offerand and thar sacryfyss,
And I thar statutis and seyr lawis thame tawcht,
Assyngnand ilkane propir howsis and aucht,
Quhen suddanly a cruel pest and traik,
So that cornys and frutis goith to wraik,
Throu the corruppit ayr and cowrss of hevyn,
A dedly ȝeir, far wers than I kan nevin,
Fell on our membris with sik infectioun
Was na remeid, cure nor correctioun;
The sweit sawlis lefis the bodeis ded,
Or seik thai ly gaspand in euery sted.
And forthir eik, Syryvs, the frawart star,
Quhilk clepit is the syng canicular,
So brynt the feildis al was barrand maid;
Herbis wolx dry, wallowyng, and gan to faid;
The seik grond denyis hys fruyt and fudis.
My fader exortis ws turn agane our fludis
To Delos, and Apolloys answer speir,
Besekyng hym of succurs ws to leir,
Quhat end ontil our irksum panys he sendis,
And be quhat way we mycht assay amendis
Of this turbacioun, or quhidder and quhar that he
Wil at we seik or set our cowrss our see.”
“Cummyn is the nycht, that euery beist on grond
Desiris rest by kynd, and slepis sovnd;
Quhen that the figuris of our goddis blist,
And the Phrigiane Penates, or I wist,
Quhilkis from amyd the fyris of Troy I brocht
Thidder with me, quhar I lay and slepit nocht,
Gan to appeir standyng befor myne eyn:
With ful gret lycht graithly I haue thame seyn,
Quhar as the ful moyn schawing bemys brycht
Inthrou the tyrlyst wyndo schane by nycht.
Than said thai thus, with wordis to asswage
My thochtis and my hevy sad curage:
‘That thing,’ quod thai, ‘quhilk Apollo wald sa
And thou war brocht onto Ortygia,
Heir he the schawis, and eik, as thou may se,
Onrequirit hes send ws hidder to the.
Quhen Troy was brynt, we followit thi prowes,
Vnder thi gward to schip we wss address,
Ourspannand mony swelland seys salt;
And to the starnys eik we sal exalt
The childryn for tocum of thine ofspryng;
Thi cite sal we geif empyre to ryng
Our al the erth. Tharfor to goddis grete
Begyn to graith gret wallis and ryal sete;
Leif not thi langsum lavbour, bot fle away;
This duelling place thou mon change, we the say:
Delyvs Apollo, certis, as thou thocht,
Tocum onto this cost perswadit nocht
Nor chargit neuer in Crete thou suld remane.
A land thar is, in Grekis langage plane
Hesperya clepit, a bald cuntre in weir,
A fructuus grond of corn and richess seir,
By Kyng Onotryvs inhabit first with wyne,
Bot in our days laitly, the fame is syne,
Eftir thar duke it is namyt Italy.
Thar beyn our propir setis and our herbry;
Tharof com Dardane and his brothir Iasyvs,
And from that ilk prince, Schir Dardanus,
Is the discens of our genealogy.
Get vp onone, tel thi ald fader blythly
Thir tythyngis, quhilk beyn trew and certan thing.
Seik to Coryte and Italy the ryng,
For the feildis in Crete neyr Dycteus
Iupiter denyis to granting onto ws.’
Of this visioun estonyst quhar I lay,
And of tha wordis quhilkis the goddis gan say
(For this wes nowthir dreym nor fantasy;
Thar propir vissage befor me stand knew I,
With garlandis and thar cirkillettis on thar hair;
Thar figur saw I present to me thair—
The cald sweit our al my body ran),
Furth of my bed on fute son sprent I than,
And, strekand vp my handis towart hevyn,
Myne oryson I maid with devote stevyn;
A cleyn sacrifyce and offerand maid I syne,
Into the fyris ȝettand senss and wyne.
The serymoneis endit, blyth and glaid
To my fader per ordour al I said
As ȝe haue hard (quhat nedis tell agane?),
And of this mater maid hym ful certane.
Onone he knew our elderis dowtis ilk deill,
And of our clan the dowbill stok full weill:
He grantis the onkouth errour hym dissavit
Of ancyant placis, quhilk he not persavit.
Syne said he, ‘Son, thou irkit art algatis
By the contrarius frawart Troiane fatis;
Now I remembir only quhou Cassandra
Ful oft maid mensioun of Hesperya
And oft als of the realm hait Italy,
Thir materis me declaring by and by.
That land now knaw I destinate to our kyn,
Bot quha wald haue belevit at euer within
The realm of Itail Teucrus blude suld cum?
Or quha wald than, mair than scho had bene dum,
Set by the prophetess wordis Cassandra?
Lat ws obey Phebus, and wend awa
As we bene monyst, follow our chance, but pleys.’
Thus said he, and we glaid al hym obeys:
A few folkis thar left to kepe the town,
This sted alsso leif we, and sail maid bown;
In bowit bargis throu the large streym we slyde.
Quhen sycht of land was tynt on euery syde,
Sa that na cost apperis quhilk we mycht se,
Bot the schippis haldand the deip see,
The hevin abufe and fludis al abowt,
A watry clowd, blak and dyrk but dowt,
Gan tho appeir abone our hed ful rycht,
And down a tempest sent als myrk as nycht.
The streym apperis vgsum of the dym sky;
The wyndis weltris the sey continualy
That huge wallis boldynnys apon loft;
Skatterit widequhar our the fame ful oft
War our schippis, and the brythnes of day,
Inuolvit al with clowdis, hyd away.
The rayn and royk reft from ws sycht of hevin,
The brokkyn skyis rappis furth thunderis levin;
Forswiftit from our richt cowrss, gan we ar
Amang the blynd wallis waverand far.
For Palynurus him self maist expart,
For al his cunnyng of schip man craft and cart,
Amyd the sey forȝet the richt way,
Denyand als that the nycht from the day
He mycht discern be sycht of firmament.
Apon sik wyss oncertanly we went
Thre days wilsum throu the mysty streym,
And als mony nychtis but starnys leym,
That quhiddir was day or nycht oneith wist we.
Bot at the last, on the ferd day we se
On far the land appeir, and hillis ryss,
The smoky vapour vpcasting on thar gyss.
Down fallis salis, the aris sone we span;
But mair abaid, the marineris euery man
Egirly rollis our the fomy flude,
And the haw sey weltis vp as thai war woid.
Salve from the wallis at the costis of Strophe
With al our navy first arryvit we.”
“Strophades in Grew leid ar nemmyt so,
In the gret sey standing ilis two,
The quhilk sey clepit is Ionium;
And, in thir ilandis quhidder we ar becum,
Dwelt and inhabit the cruel Celeno,
With all the otheris harpyes mony mo,
Evir sen thai war expeld from the land
Of Arcad, quhar Kyng Phyneus was dwelland,
And for dreid at his tabil durst not remane.
Mair wikkit monstreis than thai kan be nane,
Nor nan mair cruel pestilens is fund,
Nor fury of goddis that cummys from hellis grund,
Furth of the flude of Stix that sory place.
Thir fowlis hes a virgynys wlt and face,
With handis like to bowland byrdis clewis,
Bot the vile belleis of thai cursit schrewis
Aboundis of fen maist abhomynabill,
And pail al tyme thar mowthis miserabill
For wod hungyr and gredy appetite.
At this ilke cost as we arryvit als tyte
And in the port entrit, lo! we se
Flokkis and herdis of oxin and of fe,
Fat and tydy, rakand our alquhar,
And trippis eik of gait, but ony kepar,
In the rank gyrss pasturyng on raw;
With wapynnys thame we brittyn, but dreid or aw:
To goddis syne and Iupiter we pray,
And thame distribut a party of our pray,
Syne eftir, endlang the sey costis bay,
Vp sonkis set, and desys dyd array.
To meit we sat with habundans of cheir,
Quhen suddanly, with horribill dyn and beir,
From the montanys the harpeis on vs fell
With huge fard of weyngis and mony a ȝell.
Our mesis and our mete thai reft away,
And with thar laithly twich al thing fyle thai;
Thar voce alsso was vgsum fortil heir,
With sa corruppit flewyr nane mycht byde neir.
From that place syne ontil a caif we went,
Vndir a hyngand hewch, in a dern went,
With treys closs bilappit rownd about,
And thik harsk granyt pikis standing owt:
Thar vp agane our tabillis haue we dicht
And on the altaris bet the fyris bricht.
Bot of the hevin agane from syndry artis,
Out of quyet hyrnys, the rowt vpstartis
Of thai birdis, with byr and mony a bray,
And in thar crukyt clawis grippis the pray:
Evir as thai fle about fra sete to sete,
With thar vyle mowthis infek thai al our mete.
Quhen I saw this, our feris command I than
Tak thar wapynnys, and bargane euery man
Agane tha cruell pepill or byrdis fell.
As I thame chargit, schortly fortotell,
Sone haue thai done, and, vnder the gerss al bair
Ful prevaly thar swerdis in thai stair,
And darnly eik thar targis al ourheildis,
So that, quhen the sey costis and the feildis
Resoundis at down come of thir harpeys,
Mysenus, the wait, on the hie garet seys,
And with his trumpet thame a takyn maid.
Our falloschip thir fowlys gan invayd,
And onkouth kynd of batail dyd assay,
With wapynnys forto bet and dryve away
Thir laithly sey byrdis of syk effeir.
Bot thar was na dynt mycht thar fedderis scheir,
Nor in thar bodeis wound ressave thai nane,
Bot suddanly away tha wysk ilkane
Furth of our sycht, heich vp in the sky;
The pray half etyn behynd thame lat thai ly,
With fut stedis vyle and laith to se.
Ane, on a rolkis pynnakill perkit hie,
Celeno clepit, a drery prophetess,
Furth of hir breist thir wordis warpis express:
‘Theyfage lynnage of fals Laomedon,
Address ȝe thus to mak bargane onon?
Becauss ȝe have our oxin reft and slane,
Brytnyt our styrkis and ȝong bestis mony ane,
Schaip ȝe, tharfor, harpeys expell and dyng,
But ony offens, furth of thar faderis ryng?
Ressave for that, and in ȝour brestis enprent
My wordis, quhilk I, gretast fury of torment,
Schawis ȝou, that thing quhilk Iupiter maist hie
Schew to Phebus, and brycht Phebus tald me.
I knaw ȝe set ȝour cowrss to Italy:
Ȝe cal eftir gude wyndis and prospir sky:
To Itale sal ȝe wend, and thar tak land.
Bot first, or wallis of the cite vpstand
Quhilk by the goddis is ȝou predestinate,
For strang hungir sal ȝe stand in sik state,
In wraik of our iniuris and bestis slane,
That with ȝour chaftis to gnaw ȝe salbe fane,
And runge ȝour tabillis al and burdis,’ quod sche,
And sone away in the thik wod gan fle.
The suddane dreid so stonyst our feris than,
Thar blude congelit and al togiddir ran;
Dolf wolx thar spretis, thar hie curage down fell,
No mair thame lykis assayng sik batell,
Bot, with offerandis and eik devot prayer,
Thai wald we suld perdoun and pace requer,
In cace gif thai war goddessis or fowlis,
Vengeabill wightis or ȝit laithly owlis.
Bot our fader, hevand vp his handis,
The gret goddis dyd call, and on the sandis
Hallowis thar mycht with detful reverens:
‘O hie goddis, forbyd syk violens,
Stanch this bost and ondo this myscheif,
Salve petuus folkis, ameyss ȝour wrath and greif,’
Quod he, and tharwith chargit ankyrris haill,
Do lowss the rabandis, and lat down the saill.
The sowth wyndis stentis furth strait our schete;
Swiftly we slyde our bullyrand wallys grete,
And followit furth the sammyn went we have,
Quhar so the wynd and sterysman ws drave,
Quhil that amyd the fludis gan we se
The woddy ile Ȝacynth with mony tre;
Dulichium syne and Same we aspy,
And Neritos with his rochis hie;
By craggis and hewys of Itachia,
That was Laertes realm, we slyde alswa,
And fast we wary and cursyt oft, but less,
That land quhilk bred the cruel Vlixes.
Belyve the mysty toppys of mont Lewcas
Apperis, quharon Appollois tempil was,
That feirful is til euery maryner.
Al wery of our vayage thidder we steir,
And come onon afor the litil town,
And of our forschip ankyrris leit we down:
Endlang the costis syde our navy raid.
And thus at last brocht to land blyth and glaid,
Quhar as to have arryvit we not belevit,
We clenge ws first, less Iupiter war aggrevit,
Syne on the altaris kendillit sacrifyce,
And langgis the channel, eftir the Troiane gyss,
The active gemmys and sportis gart assay.
Our falloschip excerss palestral play,
As thai war wont at hame, with oyll envnte,
Nakyt wreslyng and struglyng at nyce punte.
Ioyvs thai war to haue eschapit at hand
Sa mony citeis of the Grekis land,
And to haue fled til salfte on this wyss
Throu the myd rowtis of thar ennemyss.”
“Be this the son had circulit his lang ȝer,
And frosty wyntir scharpit the watir cleir
With cald blastis of the northin art.
Quhen sesson come that tyme was to depart,
Apon a post in the tempyl I hang
A bowand scheild of plait, quhilk Abas strang
Bair vmquhile, and, the maner to reherss,
I notyfy and tytillis with this verss:
‘Eneas hec de Danais victoribus arma,’
That is to say, ‘Eneas festnyt thus
This armour of the Grekis victorius.’
Syne, to depart of that havyn, I command
Syt down on hechis and span aris in hand.
Byssely our folkis gan to pyngil and stryve,
Swepand the flude with lang rowthys belyve,
And vp thai welt the stowr of fomy see,
Quhil sone the citeis of Corsyra tyne we
And vp we pyke the cost of Epyrus,
And landyt thar at port Chaonyus,
Syne to the hie town of Butrot ascendit,
Quhar tythingis, oncredibill to thame not kend it,
Come to our erys, schawyng that Helenus,
The lauchful son of the kyng Priamus,
Rang kyng our mony citeis in Greik land,
Berand tharof the ceptre and the wand
By resson of his spowss adionyt, but less,
Be Pyrrus vmquhil son of Achilles;
And that Andromacha wes wed agane
Onto ane other husband and man Troiane.
Heirof awondrit, with breist hait as fyre,
Be fervent luf kendillit in gret desyre
Our cuntre man to vissy and with hym talk,
To knaw thir strange casys, on I stalk
From the port, my navy left in the raid.
That ilke sesson, percace, as I furth glaid,
Befor the cite, in a schaw, I wys,
Besyde the fenȝeit flude of Symois,
Andromache maid anniuersar sacrifyce
And funerale servyce, on ful dolorus wyss,
To Hectoris puldir or hys assis brynt.
Oft wald scho clepe and call, and oneth stynt,
Apon the sawlis that onbodeit war,
Beside Hectoris voyd tumbe stannand thar,
Quhilk scho vpbeildit had of herbis greyn
With twa altaris, and oft with wepyng eyn
Bewalis scho that hard dissyverance.
And alssone as scho me aspyis perchance,
And Troiane armour and ensenȝeis with me saw,
Affrayit of the ferly, scho stude syk aw,
And at the fyrst blenk become so mait,
Naturale heyt left hir membris in sik stait
Quhil to the grond half mangit fel scho down,
And lay a lang tyme in a dedly swown
Or ony speche or word scho mycht furth bring,
Ȝit thus, at last, sayd eftir hir dwawmyng:
‘Is that thine awyn face, and suythfast thyng?
Schawis thou to me a verray sovir warnyng?
Levis thou ȝit, son of the goddes?’ quod sche.
‘Gif thou be ded, quhar is Hector?—tell me.’
And with that word, scho bryst furth mony a teir,
And walit so that piete was to heir,
Quhil al about dynnys of hir womentyng.
A few wordis skars as I mycht furth bryng
For to confort that maist lamentabill wight,
With langsum speche said, quhispirand, as I mycht:
‘I leif forsuyth and ledis lyfe, as ȝe se,
In al hard chance of fortunys extremyte.
Be nocht agast, ȝe se bot suythfast thyng.
Allace, quhat aventur, in this onkouth ryng,
Is the betyd, and hess degradit,’ quod I,
‘Eftir thi husbandis deth, was maist douchty?
Or quhat fortune mycht sufficient happyn the,
Spowss to maist worthy Hector, Andromache?
Art thou, or na, to Pirrus ȝit bywed?’
Hyr vissage down scho kest, for schame adred,
And, with a bass voce, thus said, as scho mycht:
‘O thou alane, befor al madynnys bricht,
Happy was, virgyne douchtir of Priam kyng,
Quhilk, vnder the wallis hie of Troys ryng,
Apon thine ennemeis grafe was maid to de;
Thou suffert no kut nor kavillys cast for the,
Nor in bondage away was thou nocht led,
Nor ȝit twichit na victour lordis bed.
Bot we, quhen that ybrynt war our kynd landis,
Careit our fremmyt seys and diuerss strandis,
The dortyness of Achillis ofspring,
In bondage, vndir the prowd Pyrrus ȝyng,
By forss sustenyt thraldome mony a day,
Quhil he at last ensewit ane othir may,
Hermyone, the douchtir of Helena,
In fey wedlok at Lachidemonya;
Than send he me, his seruand, hiddir thus,
Tobe spowsit with his seruand Helenus.
Bot Orestes, cachit in furyus rage
For cryme of his moderis slauchtir, and savage,
In lufe hait byrnyng for his spowss byreft,
Or he was war, set on this Pirrus eft,
And in Delphos (quhat nedis wordis mair?)
Smate of his hed befor his faderis altair.
Thus, by decess of Neoptolymus,
Of the realm a part fell to Helenus,
The quhilk boundis and feildis braid alsswa
He has to name clepit Chaonya
Eftir his brodir of Troy, Chaonyus,
And Troiane wallis heir has beild vp thus,
And on thir motis a strenth hait Ilion.
Bot quhat wyndis thi cowrss has hydder gone?
And quhat aventur has the hyddir dryve?
Or of the goddis quha maid the heir arrive
At our marchis, mysknawyng our estait?
Quhou faris the child Ascanyus now of lait,
Quham to the bayr Crevse, thi spouss and ioy,
That tyme enduryng the sege lay about Troy?
Levis he ȝit in helth and in weilfair?
Ha! how gret harm and skaith for euermar
That child has caucht throu lesyng of his moder!
O Lord! quhat ancyant vertuys, ane and othir,
And knychtly prowes in hym steris frendis befor,
Baith fader Eneas and hys vncle Hector!’
Syk wordis scho spak, wepyng with petuus mayn
And with lang sobbis furthȝettand teris invayn,
Quhen that hir lord hym self cummys from the town,
Kyng Priamus son, Helenus of renown.
Neir he approchit with ful gret cumpany,
And hys awyn natyve frendis knew in hy,
And blithly to hys cite hes ws led:
Betwix ilk word feil bricht teris furth he sched.
We passit on, and litil Troy I knaw,
Lyke the gret cite contyrfait on raw,
With Ilion, and wallis lyke Pergama,
And a smal burn half gane dry alswa
Onto his surname clepit Exanthus.
At port Seya I entir, and eik with ws
Al our Troianys togiddir welcum war
Onto thar frendly cite famyliar.
In hys wyde palyce the kyng ressauyt thaim all,
And, in the myddis of the mekil hall,
Thai byrl the wyne in honour of Bachus—
Gret fest with ioy wes maid for luf of ws,
The mesis and the danteis thyk dyd stand,
And goldyn cowpis went fra hand to hand.”
“Thus drave we our in solace day be day,
Quhil at the weddir prouokis ws to assay
Our salis agane, for the sowth wyndis blast
Our piggeis and our pynsalis wavit fast.
Onto the prophet Helenus tho went I,
And with syk wordis besocht hym reuerently:
‘O gentil Troiane, dyvyne interpretur,
Quhilk the respons of Phebus hes in cur,
Quhilk knawist eik the reuelationys
Of god Apollois diuinationys,
Vndir hys trestis and burdis at Delphois schene,
And into Claryus vndir the lawrer grene,
That vnderstandis the cowrss of euery star
And chyrm of euery byrdis voce on far
And euery fowle on weyng fleyng in the sky,
Quhat thai betakyn and quhat thai signyfy;
Say me, I pray the, quhat dangeris principaly
In to my cowrss and vayage eschew sall I,
Or how I may, or be quhat meyn, eschaip
Sa gret aduersiteis quhilkis beyn to me schaip.
For as to me al devote godly wightis
Schew we suld haue a prospir rays at rychtis
And euery oracle of goddis admonyst eik
That we the realm of Italy suld seik,
Ensew tha landis quhilkis war for ws provyde
Alanerly newlyngis on that other syde;
Schame for to say the Harpye Celeno
Spays onto ws a feirful takyn of wo—
A vengeans from the goddis pronuncis sche,
With schameful hungir sal happyn our menȝe.’
Helenus than, eftir the rytis and gyiss,
The ȝong bestis slew in sacryfyss,
Purchesyng favour of goddis to stanch thar fed,
And lowsit the garlandis of his haly hed;
Syne me, Phebus, he ledis by the hand
Onto thi tempil, on seyr materis musand,
Quhar this gret preist gan spekyn and declar
To me thir wordis of the goddis answar:
‘Son of the goddes, sen traist is manifest
That throu deip seys thi wayage is addrest,
And eik, of forton by the boundis hie,
The purviance dyvyne wil so it be—
The kyng of goddis so distributis the fatis,
Rollyng the chancis and turnyng thame thusgatis;
Of mony wordis, schortly, a quhoyn sall I
Declare, at thou mayr sovirly tharby
May seik out throu the strange stremys onkend,
And at a port of Itale arryve at end;
The remanent heirof, quhat evyr be it,
The Werd Systeris defendis that suld be wyt,
And eik the douchtir of auld Saturn, Iuno,
Forbyddis Helenus to speik it and cryis, “Ho!”
First say I the, that twichand Italy,
Quhilk thou trastis be at hand and fast by,
And the addressis ignorantly, but weyr,
To entyr sone in the port, as it war neir,
Lang wylsum ways and far landis alswa
A ful gret space dissyveris ȝou tharfra.
Ȝour aris fyrst into the Sycil see
Bedyit weill and bendit oft mon be,
And of Ausonya the salt stremys eik
Rownd about with ȝour schippis mon ȝe seik,
And Avernus, clepit the layk of hell,
And Aheie, the ile quhar Circes dwell,
Or euer thou may sovirly vpbeild
Thi cite in land of Italy or feild.
I sall the schaw takynnys tharof ful meit,
Quhilkis thou sal hald within thi mynd secreit.
Quhen thine alane musyng as thou sal ga,
By aventur, endlang a watir bra
And vndir ane aik fyndis in to that steid
A gret sow ferryit of grysis thretty hed,
Lyggyn on the grond, mylk quhite, al quhite brodmell
About hir pappis sowkyng, thar, I the tell,
Is the richt place and sted for ȝour cite,
And of ȝour travell ferm hald to rest in le.
Nor the nedis nocht to gruch in tyme tocum
The rungyng of ȝour tabillis euery crum:
Destany sal fynd tharfor a ganand way,
And Phebus sal ȝou help, quhen ȝe list pray.
Bot ombyschew this cost of Italy
Quhilk nixt onto our bordouris ȝhe se ly,
Bedyit with flowyng of our seys flude,
Sen al tha citeis with wykkit Grekis, not gude,
Inhabit ar; for the Naricyanys,
Othir wyss nemmyt Locry, thar remanys,
Quhilk come with Aiax Oylus to the fecht;
And, neir the hill that Salentynus hecht,
The feildis all ar occupyit full meit
Be Idomeneus the kyng expellit from Crete;
Thar is alsso the litil cite, but less,
Of the duke of Melyboy, Phyloctetes,
Clepit Petilya, closyt with a wall—
Eschew thir citeis and thyr costis all.
Forthir, quhen that beȝond the sey sall stand
All thi navy, and thar apon the strand
Settis vp ane altare this sacrifyce to ȝeild,
Thyne haris with a purpur vail ourheild,
Less than amyd the godly fyris, per cace,
Thi ennemeis mycht occur, and knaw thi face,
And so perturbyng all thi sacrifyce.
Thou cawss thi feris keip the sammyn gyss
In thar oblacionys, and this vsage condyng;
Observe, thi self and thi chaist ofspring,
Every serimony of our religioun.
And, fra the wynd haith set thi courss adoun
From Itale towart the cost of Sycilly,
And the strait sowndis of the mont Pelory
Vanysys away peyss and peyss, than the land
Strekis all tyme towart the left hand,
And the left syde lang salt thou but dowt
Cyrkil, and sail mony seis about;
On the richt syde the cost and wallis evaid,
For tha partis vmquhile, as it is sayd,
Be forss of storm war in sondir ryfe,
And a huge deip gat thar holkit belyfe.
Behald quhat change and sa onkouth a kast
May be mysknaw, throw tymys lang bipast;
For, quhen that baith tha landis war al ane,
The seys rage draif in, and maid thame twane,
And forss of streym from the syde of Itale
The ile of Sycill devydit hess alhaill;
Ane narow fyrth flowis, baith evyn and morn,
Betwix tha costis and citeis insondir schorn.
The rycht syde tharof with Scilla ombeset is,
And the left with insaciabil Carybdys,
Quhar, in hir bowkit bysme, that hellys belch,
The large fludis suppys thryss in a swelch,
And othir quhilis spowtis in the ayr agane,
Dryvand the stowr to the starnys, as it war rane.
Bot Scilla lurkand in darn hyddyllis lyis,
Within hir cave, spredand hyr mouth feil syiss
To sowk the schippys amang rowkis onsure—
Lyke to a woman hir ovyr portrature,
A fair virgynys body doun to hir scheir,
Bot hir hynd partis ar alss gret, weil neir,
As beyn a hydduus huddon or a quhaill,
Quharto beyn cuppillit mony meyrswyne taill,
With empty mawys of wolfis ravenus:
Eschew, tharfor, this passage dangerus,
For bettir is thou seik the cost about
Of Pachynnus in Scycill, than stand in dout,
And turn thi cowrss on bawburd, a weilfar way,
Than anys tobe into sa hard assay
As forto se the vgly monstre fell,
Scilla, and heir the craggis rowt and ȝell
For barking of sey doggis in hir wame.
And mair atour, gif owthir wit or fame
Or traist may be geif Helenus the prophete,
Or gif with verite Phebus inspiris hys sprete,
This a thing, son of the goddess, I the tech,
Abuf al othir, this a thyng I the prech,
And principaly repetis the sam agane,
And seir tymys monysis heir in plane;
First of Iuno thou wirschip the gret mycht
And glaidly hallow with sacrifice al at rycht
The power of Iuno, and that mychty pryncess
To pless lawly with offerandis the address:
And on sik wyss quhen thou hir favouris hes get,
And hest alsso thi courss from Sycil set
Towart the boundis of Italy our see,
Syne, quhen thou art careit to that cuntre,
And cummyn is to the cite of Cumas,
And by the lakys dedicate to goddis doith pas
Outthrou the soundand forest of Avern,
Vndir a roch, law within a cavern,
Thar salt thou fynd the godly prophetes,
Ful of the spreit dyvyne, that schawis express
The reuelationys and fatis fortocum,
In palm tre leiffis thame notand al and sum,
Writand vp euery word as sal betyde,
Direkking the leiffis per ordour furth on syde.
Quhat euer this virgyne discrive in hir endyte,
Without the cave closyt scho lays the write:
Tha leiffis remanys onsterit of thar place,
Ne partis not furth of rewle, quhil percace
The piping wynd blaw vp the dur on char,
And dryve the leiffis, and blaw thaim out of har
In at the entre of the cave agane,
That all hir fyrst laubour was invane;
Bot, fra the blast and ȝet pertrubbil thus
Tha thyn leiffis, scho is so dangerus,
Nevir eftyr denȝeing hir within the cave
To gaddir togiddir thame with the wynd bewave,
Ne forto put thame into rewle agane,
Nor ione hir writis as thai dyd first remane.
Thus oft the pepil but answer gays thar ways,
And wareis the set of Sybil al thar days.
Fail not, for loss of tyme that may betyde,
Bot thou pass to that prophetis, thocht the tyde
And prospir wyndis challance the to the saill,
Ȝa, thocht thi fallowys cry owt, “Illyr haill!
On burd! a fair wynd blawis betwix twa schetis!”
Beseik hir or thou wend thocht thine hart betis,
Oppynnand hir voce, scho plesit schaw the evyn
Thy destaneys, be hir awyn mowthis stevin.
Scho sal ryply declare to the in hy
The maneris of al pepill in Italy;
The batellis fortocum scho wil the schaw,
And on quhat wyss al dangeir thou sal withdraw,
Or how thou may al lauborus payn sustene.
Wirschip this haly religyus woman cleyn,
Scho sal the grant a prospir courss at hand.
This is the effect, schortly to vnderstand,
That I am levyt with my wordis the to charge:
Adew, pass on, and by thi fatis large
The fame of mekil Troy bair vp to hevyn!’
Eftir at this prophet, with hys frendly stevyn,
Thir dyvyne answeris thus pronosticate,
Seyr weghty gyftis of massy goldyn plate
Onto our schippis chargit he beir onon,
And gret rychess of polyst eveir bone;
Our karvellis howys ladis and prymys he
With huge charge of syluer in quantite,
With caldronys and othir seir veschell ma
In Epyr land maid at Dodonea.
To me he gaif a thik clowyt habyrgeon,
A thrynfald hawbrik was al gold begone,
A rownd rich helm with creste and tymbrete fair,
The armour quhilum Neoptolemus bair:
Syne to my fader, effering to his age,
Rych rewardis he gaif of hie parage;
Tharto alsso he eikis and gaif ws then
Gentill horssis, pylotis and lodismen;
He ws suppleyt with rowaris and maryneris,
And armour plente atanys for al our feris.”
“In the meyn quhile Anchiss, my fader, in hy
Reddy forto saill chargis mak our navy,
Less than, percace, it mycht our courss delay,
Gif so the wynd blew fair that othir day:
Quhom till this wyss interpretour of Phebus,
Helenus, with gret honour carpys thus:
‘O thou Anchiss, that worthy was,’ quod he,
‘With fair Venus conionyt for tobe,
And twyss delyverit by purviance dyvyne,
And twyss eschapit of Troy the sayr rewyne,
Lo! ȝondir for the Ausonya or Itaill;
Onto ȝone cost syde ȝondir salt thou saill.
And netheleȝ, thocht it be necessar
Out our the sey to ȝondir grond ȝe fair,
That part of Itale is a far way hyne
Quhilk is previdyt ȝour kyn be Appollyne.
Wend on’, says he, ‘thou happy and fortunate
Of thi devote son by the godly estate.
Bot quharto suld I mak langar delay?
As I haue said, fayr weil, pass on ȝour way!
Quhat nedis with my speche ȝou tary mor
Or stop this fair wynd blawing evyn befor?’
This not theless, Andromacha, wo begone,
The lattir tyme we suld depart onon,
Brocht to wss brusyt clathis and rych wedis
Figuryt and prynnyt all with goldyn thredis,
And to Ascanyus a prowd tawbart gave
Sik as was honorabill hym to weir and have;
Hym and his feris of hir nedyll wark
And wovyn dowreys furnyst, worth mony mark:
And thus scho said, ‘My child, ressaue alswa
Thir remembrance wrocht with my handis twa,
In takyn lang tyme to thynkyng apon me,
Thyne vncle Hectouris wife, Andromache:
Tak thir with the as lattir presandis seir
Of thi kynd natyve frendis gudis and geir.
O leif is me! the lykast thing levyng,
And verray ymage of my Astianax ȝyng!
Syk eyn had he, and syk fair handis tway,
For all the warld syk mowth and face, perfay,
And gif he war on lyve quhil now infeir,
He hadbene evyneild with the, and hedy pair.’
Quhat wil ȝe mair? quhen we behuffyt depart,
Terys brysting furth on forss, and with sair hart,
To thame I said: ‘Deir frendis, weil ȝe be,
Weil mot ȝe leif in ȝour felicite,
Quhamtill the prospir forton is brocht till end;
Bot we, from werd to werd, and chance, mon wend.
Ȝour rest is fund, ȝou nedis sewch throw na seys,
Nor seik feildis of Itail, that evir ws fleys;
Symilytude of Exanthus and Troy ȝe se
Quhilk ȝour awyn warkis hes beldit vp on hie—
God grant in bettyr tyme thai be begunnyn,
And neuer eft with Grekis forss ourrunnyn!
Gif evir in Tybir to entyr me betydis,
And, on the feildis neirby Tybris sydis,
May behald wallis vpset for my menȝe,
Or may the frendly citeis sum tyme se,
Lat ws of Epyrus and of Italy,
Cummyn baith of Dardanus genealogy,
And quhamto eik the chance of fortoun is ane,
Mak bot a Troy of athir realmys twane,
And this sam lyge with our posterite
Sal evir remane in faith and vnyte.’”
“Furth on, with this, throu owt the sey we slyde,
By the forland Cerawnya fast beside,
Quhar fra, out our the fludis forto saill,
The schortast way and courss lyis to Itaill.
Down gois the son be than, and hillis hie
Wolx dyrknyt with schaddowis of the sky;
We sort our aris, and chesis rowaris ilke deill,
And at a sownd or cost we likit weill
We strike at nycht, and on the dry strandis
Dyd bawne and beyk our bodeys, feyt and handis.
Sone on our irkyt lymmys, lethis and banys
The naturale rest of sleip slaid al atanys,
And, or the speyre his howris rollit richt
Sa far about that it was scars mydnycht,
Not sweir, bot in hys dedis deligent,
Palynurus furth of his cowch vpsprent,
Lysnyng about, and harknyng our alquhar
With erys prest to kep the wynd or ayr.
Of euery starn the twynklyng notis he
That in the still hevyn move courss we se,
Arthuris Huyf, and Hyades betakynnand rayn,
Syne Watlyng Streit, the Horn and the Charle Wayn,
The fers Orion with hys goldyn glave,
And quhen he hes thame eueryane persaue
Into the cleir and serene firmament,
Furth of his eft schip a bekyn gart he stent:
We rayss and went on burd in our the waill,
Syne slakis down the schetis and maid sayll.
Be this the dawyng gan at morn walx red
And chasit away the starnys fra euery sted;
The dym hillis on far we dyd aspy,
And saw the law landis of Italy.
‘Italy! Italy!’ fyrst cryis Achates,
Syne al our feris of clamour mycht nocht cess,
Bot with a voce atanys cryis, ‘Itaill!’
And hailsyng gan the land with hey and haill.
Than my fader, ammyral of our flote,
A mekil tankart with wyne fild to the throte,
And tharon set a garland or a crown,
And to the goddis maid this orysoun,
Sittand in the hie eft castell of our schip,
With ful devote reverens and wirschip:
‘O ȝe’ quod he, ‘goddis haldis in pouste
Weddir and stormys, the land eik and the se,
Grant our vayage ane esy and reddy wynd,
Inspyre ȝour favouris that prospir courss we fynd.’
Scars this wes said quhen, evyn at our desyre,
The sessonabil ayr pipis vp fair and schyre;
The havyn apperis, and thiddir nerrar we draw,
And of Mynerva the strang tempill saw
Set in the castell apon ane hillis hycht.
Our fallowis fangis in thar salys tyght,
And towart the cost thar stevynnys dyd address.
A port thar is, quham the est fludis hess,
In maner of a bow, maid bowle or bay,
With rochys set forgane the streym ful stay,
To brek the salt fame of the seys stour.
On athir hand, als hie as ony towr,
The byg hewis strekis furth lyke a wall;
Within the hawyn goith lown, but wynd or wall,
And at the port the tempill may not be seyn.
Heir fyrst I saw apon the plesand greyn
A fatale takyn, fowr horssis quhite as snaw
Gnyppand gresys the large feildis on raw.
‘Ha! lugyn land, batale thou ws pretendis,’
Quod my fader Anchiss, ‘for as weil kend is,
Horssis ar dressit for the bargane feil syss;
Weir and debait thir stedis signyfyiss.
Bot, sen the sammyn four futtit bestis eik
Beyn oft vsyt, ful towartly and meik,
To draw the cart and thoil brydill and renȝe,
It is gude hope pace follow sal,’ says he.
Than wirschip we the godhed and gret mycht
Of Pallas, with clattering harnes ferss in fyght,
Quhilk heth ws first ressauyt glaid and gay:
Our hedis befor the altar we array
With valys brown, eftir the Troiane gyss,
And onto Iuno of Arge our sacryfyss
Maid reuerently, as Helenus vss bad,
Obseruyng weil, as he commandyt had,
The serymonys leill. Syne, but langar delay,
Fra that perfurnyst was our offerand day,
Onon the nokkis of our rays we writh;
Down fallys the schetis of the salys swith;
The Gregionys herbry and fronteris suspek
We left behynd, and efter, in effek,
Of Taurentum the fyrth we se but less
(Biggit, as thai say, by worthy Herculess),
And, our forgane the tother syde alsso,
Rayss vp Lacynya the tempill of Iuno,
Of Cawlon cite eik the wallys hie,
And Scyllacium quhar schipbrokyn mony be.
Syne, far of in the flude, we gan aspy
The byrnand Ethna into Sycilly,
And a fell rage rowting of the sey
Alang way thens, and on the rolkis hie
We hard the iawpys bete, and at the cost
A hydduus brayng of brokyn seys bost—
Apon schald bankis boldynnys hie the flude;
The stowr vpbullyrris sand as it war wode.
My fader than cryis, ‘Howe! feris, help away,
Streke aris atanys with all the forss ȝe may!
No wondir this is the selkouth Caribdis;
Thir horribbill rolkis and craggis heir, I wyss,
Helenus the prophete ful weil dyd ws declare.’
The sammyn wyss as thai commandyt ware
Thai dyd onon, and Pallynurus fyrst
Hard halys the schete on syde, and fast gan thryst
The forschip to the wallis and the tyde,
Saland on bawburd towart the left syde;
Towart the left, with mony heyss and haill,
Socht all our flot fast baith with rowth and saill.
The swelland swyrl vphesyt ws til hevyn;
Syne wald the waw swak ws doun ful evyn,
As it apperit, vnder the sey to hell.
Thryss the holkyt craggis hard we ȝell,
Quhar as the swelch had the rolkis thyrlyt;
And thryss the fame furth spowt, that so hie quhirlyt
It semyt watir the starnys, as we thocht.
Be this the son went to, and ws forwrocht
Left dissolat; the wyndis calmyt eik.
We, not bekend quhat rycht courss mycht we seik,
War warp to seywart by the outwart tyde
Of Ciclopes onto the costis syde.
The port quhamto we cappit wes ful large,
And fra al wyndis blast for schip or barge
Sovir al tyme, but netheless fast by
The grisly Ethna dyd rummyll, schudder and cry,
Sum tyme thrawing owt, heich in the skyis,
The blak laithly smoke that oft dyd ryss
As thunderis blast, and rekand as the pyk,
With gledis sparkand as the hail als thik.
Vpspring the blesis and fyry lumpis we se,
Quhilk semyt forto lik the starnys hie;
Sum tyme it rasyt gret rochys, and oft will
Furth bok the bowellis or entralis of the hyll,
And lowsyt stanys vpwarpys in the ayr
Rownd in a sop, with mony crak and rayr:
The stew of byrnand heyt law from the grond
Vpstrikis thar, that doith to hevyn rebound.
The rumour is doun thrung vndir this mont
Enchelades body with thundir lyis half bront,
And hydduus Ethna abufe his belly set.
Quhen he lyst gant or blaw, the fyre is bet,
And from that furnys the flambe doith brist or glide:
Quhou oft he turnys our hys irkit syde
All Sycil trymlys, quaking with a rerd,
And vgly stew ourquhelmys hevyn and erd.
That nycht, lurkand in woddis we remane,
Of feirfull monstris sufferand mekil pane;
Bot quhat causyt syk noyss na thing we saw,
For nowthir lycht of planetis mycht we knaw,
Nor the brycht poyll, nor in the ayr a starn,
Bot in dyrk clowdis the hevynnys warpit darn;
The moyn was vndir walk and gave na lycht,
Haldyn ful dym throu myrknes of the nycht.”
“The secund day be this sprang fra the est,
Quhen Aurora the wak nycht dyd arest
And chayss fra hevyn with hir dym skyis donk;
Than suddanly, furth of the woddis ronk,
We se a strange man, of form onknaw—
A lenar wight na mayr pynyt I ne saw,
Nor ȝit sa wrachitly beseyn a wy;
Towart the cost, quhar that we stude in hy,
Hys handis furth he strekis askand supple.
We hym behald, and al hys corss gan se
Maist laithly ful of ordur, and hys berd
Rekand doun the lenth neir of a ȝerd,
Hys tawbart and array sewyt with breris,
Bot he was Greik be all hys othir feris,
And vmquhile was, as eftir weil we kend,
To Troy intil hys faderis armour send.
This ilk man, fra he beheld on far
Troiane habitis, and of our armys wes war,
At the first sicht he styntit and stude aw,
And fra hys payss begouth abak to draw,
Bot sone eftyr cummys rynnyng in a rayss
Down to the schoir, wepyng and askand grace:
‘O ȝhe Troianys, be all the planetis’, quod he,
‘Be all the starnys and the goddis hie,
And be the hailsum spreit of hevynnys lycht,
I beseik tak me with ȝou, catyve wycht,
And leid me in quhat land at euer ȝe pless:
That may suffyss, thar war my hartis eyss.
I knaw me ane of the Grekis navy;
In weir to Troy cuntre, I grant, socht I;
For the quhilk deid, gyf that of our trespas
Sa gret the offence and the iniurys was,
Rent me in pecis, and in the fludis swak,
Or drown law vndir the large seys brak.
Gyf that I perych, it is ȝit sum comfort
That I of mennys handis deing at schort,’
Quod he, and tharwith, grulyng on hys kneis,
He lappit me fast by baith the theys.
We hym exort to schaw quhat was his name,
Of quhat kynrent and blude cummyn at hame,
And syne to tell quhat forton had hym betyde.
My fader Anchiss na ma wordis wald byde,
Bot furthwith gaue that ȝong man his rycht hand,
And assurys hys spreit with that presand;
He at the last this dreid has done away,
And on this wyss begouth to carp and say:
‘Of the realm Itachia I am, but less,
And of the cumpany of fey Vlixes,
And Achemenydes onto name I hait,
Cummyn onto Troy with my fader of lait,
Bot a puyr wageour, clepyt Adamastus—
Wald God ȝit the same forton remanyt to wss!
My falloschip onwytting forȝet me heir,
Quhen tha thir cruel marchys left for feir,
And in the Ciclopes huge cave tynt me;
A gowsty hald within laithly to se,
Ful of vennom and mony bludy meyss.
Bustuus hie Poliphemus set a deyss
Thar remanys, that may the starnys schaik.
Ȝe goddis delyvir this erd from sik wraik,
For he is vgsum and grysly forto se,
Hutyt to speke of, and aucht not nemmyt be.
Thir wrachit mennys flesch, that is hys fude,
And drynkis worsum, and thar lappyrrit blude.
I saw my self quhen, gruflyngis amyd his cave,
Twa bodeys of our sort he tuke and rayf,
Intil hys hyddus hand thame thrymlyt and wrang,
And on the stanys owt thar harnys dang,
Quhil brayn and eyn and blude al poplit owt—
I saw that cruel fend eik thar but dowt
Thar lymmys ryfe and eyt, as he war woid,
The ȝoustir tharfra chirtand and blak blude,
And the hait flesch vndir his teith flykkerand.
Bot not onwrokyn, forsuyth, this feste he fand,
Nor Vlixes list not lang suffyr this,
Ne this kyng of Itachy hym self nor his
Myghtyn forȝet, into sa gret a plyght.
For sammyn as that horribyll fendlich wight
Had eyt his fyll, and drunk wyne he hym gave,
Sowpit in sleip, his nek furth of the cave
He straucht, fordronkyn, lyggyng in his dreym
Bokkis furth and ȝyskis of ȝowstyr mony streym,
Raw lumpys of flesch and blude blandyt with wyne.
We the gret goddys besocht and kavillys syne
Kastis quhat suld be euery mannys part,
Syne al atanys abowt and on hym start,
And with a scharpyt and brynt steyng of tre
Out dyd we boyr and pyke hys mekil e,
That lurkit alane vndyr hys thrawyn front large,
Als braid as is a Gregioun scheild or targe,
Or lyke onto the lantern of the moyn:
And thus at last haue we ravengit soyn
Blithly the gostis of our feris ded.
Bot ȝhe, onhappy men, fle from this sted,
Fle, fle this cost, and smyte the cabill in twane!
For quhou grysly and how gret I ȝou sayn
Lurkis Polyphemus, ȝymmand his beystis rouch,
And al thar pappis mylkis throuch and throuch,
Ane hundreth otheris, als huge of quantite,
Endlang this ilk costis syde of the se,
Gret Ciclopes inhabitis heir and thar,
And walkis in thir hie montanys our alquhar.
The moyn hess now fyllyt hir hornys thryss
With new lyght sen I haue on this wyss
My lyfe in woddis led, but syght of men,
In desert hyrnys and seyr wild beistis den,
And far out from my cavern dyd aspy
The grym Ciclopes, and oft thar grysly cry
And eik stamping of thar feyt maid me trymmyl.
My wrachit fude was berreis of the brymmyll,
And stanyt heppis, quhilk I on buskis fand,
With rutis of herbis I holkit furth of land;
And vyssyand al about, I se at last
This navy of ȝowris drawing hyddir fast,
Quhamto I me betaucht and gan avow,
Quhat flote at euer it was—for wayt ȝe quhou
It is enuch that I eschapyt haue
Ȝone cruel pepill, I set not of the lave;
For, rather ȝe or I fal in syk wraik,
Quhat deith ȝe pless, the lyfe fra me gar taik.’”
“Skarss this wes sayd, quhen sone we gat a sycht
Apon ane hyll stalkand this hydduus wight,
Amang hys beystis, the hyrd Poliphemus,
Down to the costis bekend draw towartis wss,
A monstre horribyll, onmesurabill and myschaip,
Wanting hys syght, and gan to stab and graip
With hys burdon, that wes a gret fyr tre,
Fermand his steppis, becaus he mycht not se,
The wollyt scheip him followyng at the bak,
Quharin his plesour and delyte gan he tak.
About hys halss a quhissil hung had he,
Wes al his solace for tynsell of hyss e;
And, with his staf fra he the deip flude
Twichit, and cummyn at the seysyde stude,
Of hys e dolp the flowand blude and attir
He wysch away al with the salt wattir,
Grassilland his teith, and rummysand full hie.
He wadis furth throu myddis of the see,
And ȝit the watir wet not hys lang syde.
We, far from thens affrayt, durst not abyde,
Bot fled onon, and within burd hess brocht
That faithful Greik quhilk ws of succurss socht,
And prevyly we smyte the cabill in twane,
Syne, kempand with aris in al our mane,
Vpweltris watir of the salt sey flude.
He persauyt the sownd, quhar that he stude,
And towart the dyn movis hys payss onon,
Bot quhen he felt at we sa far war gone,
Sa that his handis wss areke ne mycht,
Nor the deip sey Ionium, for al hys hycht,
Ne mycht he waid equale ws to arest,
A fellon bray and huge schowt vp he kest,
Quharthrou the sey and al the fludis schuke;
The land alhail of Itail trymlyt and qwoyk,
And holl cavernys or furnys of Ethna rownd
Rummyst and lowyt, fordynnyt with the sound.
Bot than, furth of the woddis and hillys hie,
Walkynnyt with the cry, a huge pepill we se
Of Ciclopes cum hurland to the port,
And fillyt all the cost sydis at schort.
Tha elrych bredyr, with thar lukis thrawyn,
Thocht not avalyt, thar standyng haue we knawyn—
Ane horribil sort, with mony camscho beik
And hedis semand to the hevyn areik,
Syklyke as quhar that, with thar hie toppis,
The byg akis strekyng in the ayr thar croppys,
Or than thir cipressis berand heich thar bewys,
Growand in the woddis or hie vp on hewis,
In schawys ald, as men may se from far,
Hallowyt to Dyane or ȝit to Iupiter.
The scharp dreid maid ws so to cach haist,
Withdrawand fast, as thocht we had bene chaist,
And for toset our sail quhiddir we best mycht,
To follow the wynd, and hald na coursis rycht.
Aganys the counsale of Helenus, our feris
Perswadis to hald furth evyn the way that steris
Mydwart betwix Charibdis and Scylla,
A litil space fra ded by athir of twa,
For, bot we hald that courss, for owtyn fail,
Bakwartis, thai said, on Ciclopes mon we saill.
Bot lo! onon a fair wynd, or we wist,
Rayss of the north, blawing evyn as we lyst,
From the strait bay of Pelorus the mont
And sone we swepyt by, at the fyrst bront,
The mouth of flude Pantagyas ful of stanys,
The sownd Megarus, and Tapsum ile atanys.
The namys of thir costis Achemenydes,
The companȝeon of onhappy Vlixes,
Raknys to ws, as we past ane by ane,
For we return the sammyn went agane
Quhar thar navy had waverit by thar rayss.
Within the fyrth of Sycill, forgane the face
Of the flude Plemyrion ful of wallis,
Thar lyis ane iland, quhilk our elderis callis
Orthigia, quhar that the fame is so
That Alpheus, ane of the ryveris two
Of the cite of Elys in Archaid,
Vndir the sey gan thyddir flow and wayd
Throu secrete cundytis, and now eik, as thai say,
Arethusa, at thi mouth or ischay,
It entris rynnyng in the Sycill see.
The gret goddis of that place wirschip we
At command of my fader, and fra thyne
The fertill grond of Helory passyt syne,
Quhilk flude watyrris al the feild about.
Thar on the craggis our navy stude in dowt,
For on blynd stanys and rolkis hyrslit we,
Tumblit of Mont Pachynnus in the se;
And far from thens the loch Cameryna,
Quham the fatis forbyddis to do away,
Apperis to ws, and of Geloy the feildis,
Quhar that the gret cite Gela vpbeild is,
Havand the surname fra the flude fast by;
Syne heich Agragas far of we gan aspy,
A hyl and cite with large wallys of forss
Quhar vmquhile bred war the maist weirlyke horss;
And the alsso, Selynys, I left behynd,
For al thi palm treys, with the followand wynd.
The dangerus schaldis and cost vppykyt we,
With al hys blynd rolkis, of Lybibe.
Thar the port of Drepianon and the rayd,
Quham to remembir my hart may nevir be glaid,
Ressauyt me, quhar that, allace! allace!
I leyss my fader, al comfort and solace,
And al supple of our travell and pane;
Thar, thar, allaik! so feill dangeris bygane
And tempestis of the sey. O fader most deir,
Anchises, desolate quhy left thou me heir
Wery and irkyt in a fremmyt land?
O weilaway! for nocht wes all, I fand,
That thou eschapit samony perrellis huge.
Helenus the dyvyne, as we with hym gan luge,
Quhen horribill thingis seir he dyd aduert,
Schew not befor to me thir harmys smert,
Nor ȝit the fellon and akwart Celeno.
This wess extreme laubour of pane and wo,
Thys was the end of all hys lang vayage;
And hyddir syne, warpyt with seys rage,
Apon ȝour costis, as I fra thens was dryve,
Sum happy chance and God maid me arryve.”
The prynce Eneas, on this wyss, alane
The fatis of goddys and rasys mony ane
Rehersyng schew, and syndry strange wentis,
The queyn and all the Tyrryanys takand tentis.
And at the last he cessyt and said no moir,
Endyng his tayll as ȝe haue hard befor.