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Innatyve is alsmekil to say as inborn, or that quhilk cumis till ony person be thar natural inclinatioun of kynd throw thar forbearis.

Ptholome kyng of Egipt, the famous gret clerk, astronomer and discryvar of the warld, that causit lxxii interpretouris to translait the Bibill, had sa gret plesour and delyte of bukis that he gadderit togidder in ane librar xxxvi thousand volummys.

Caxton faltes.

Vnder derk poetrye is hid gret wisdome and lerning.

Thistory of Saul and the spreit of Samuel rasyt by the Phitones is in the first Buk of Kyngis, in the xxviii c.

Exhortatione to the Reder.

Admonitione vnto vnlerned peopill, quhase rudnes can nocht onderstand Vyrgill.

Oppetere is alsmekil to say as ore terram petere, lyke as Seruius exponys the sammyn term, quhilk to translate in our tung is with mowth to seik or byte the erd. And lo, that is ane hail sentens for ane of Virgillis wordis.

As for animal and homo in our langage is nocht a propir term, and thai be bot bestis that exponys animal for a beste. Ane beste is callit in Latyn bestia and pecus, and animal betakynnys all corporall substans that hass ane saull quhilk felis payn, ioy or ennoy. And vndyr animal beyn contenyt all mankynd, beist, byrd, fowll, fisch, serpent, and all other sik thingis at lyfis and steris, that hass a body, for al sik and euery ane of thame may be properly callit animal. And thus animal is ane general name for al sik maner thingis quhatsumeuer. Homo betakynnys baith a man and a woman, and we haue na term correspondent tharto, nor ȝit that signifyis baith twa in a term alanerly.

Genus is that thing quhilk is common and may be verefyt of mony other thingis different in kynd or of diuerss kyndis; as this word, a beste, may be verefeit and is common till al and syndry kynd of bestis, for a horss is a beste, ane ox a beste, a scheip a beste, a dog a beste, and swa of otheris. Species is that thing or word that is common and may be verefeit of mony thingis different in numbir, as this word, a man, may be verefeit and is common till al maner of man particular, for Iohne is a man, Thomas a man, Wilȝam a man, and furth of otheris. Syk lyke, this word, a horss, is common to this horss, and that horss—the gray is a horss, the blak a horss, the quhite a horss. Sexus is the discretioun, diuersitie or differens in schap, betwix the mail and the female in al maner corporal creatouris, for thocht a man and a woman beyn baith of a kynd and natur, ȝit ar thai different and diuerss in thar schap. Rycht swa is ane horss fra a mair, quhilk ar bath of a kynd; siklyke a cok from a hen, a kow from a bull, and swa is of all kyndis quhar the mail is distinct fra the femell.

This argument excusis nocht the tratory of Eneas na his maynsweryng, considering quhat is said heir afoir in the ii c. of this prolog, that is,

It followis than that Eneas vroucht nocht be command of ony goddis, bot of his awyn fre wyl, be the permission of God, quhilk sufferis al thing, and stoppis nocht, na puttis nocht necessite to fre wyll. He falit than gretly to the sueit Dydo, quhilk falt reprefit nocht the goddess diuinite, for thai had na diuinite, as said is befoir.

Heir he argouis better than befoir.

Virgille reherssis not Eneas naim, bot callis him “the man” be excellens, as thocht he said “the mast soueran man.”

Lavyn, Lavinium, Lawrentum stud viii mylis fra the mowth of Tibyr, and was cyte of the king Latynus, of quham eftyr in the vii buyk, quhill the end of this volume.

Quhat is Latium, or Latio, luyk eftyr in the vi c. of the viii buyk. The cite of quham heir is mention was New Troy, quham Eneas biggit at the mouth of Tibir; and fra Ene bein namyt the Latynis, and nowdir fra the cyte nor the land.

Of Alba cyte luyk eftyr in the fyfte c. of this buyk and in the fyrst c. of the viij buyk.

Musa in Grew signifeis an inuentryce or inuention in our langgage, and of the ix Musis sum thing in my Palyce of Honour and be Mastir Robert Hendirson in New Orpheus.

The poet inqueris quhat maieste or power offendyt of Iuno, quhilk is fenyeit to haf many poweris. She is clepit queyn of goddis, mastres and lady of realmys, precident of byrthis, spouss and sistir to Iupiter &c.

Samo is an ile in Trace quhar Iuno was weddit and born, as sais Seruius, and ther, as vitnessyth Sanct Ierom, stud the farest tempil of Grece, dedicat to Iuno.

C L marginal note hir see, hir seit; B marginal note or hir sett.

Lybia or Liby is the thrid part of the warld, callit Affryk, quham now we call the land or cost of Barbary.

The iugement of Paris is common to all knawis the sege of Troy.

Hebe, douchter of Iuno and goddes of Ȝouth, seruyit Iupiter of his covp; quhilk at a fest amang the goddis makand hir seruice, slaid and schew hir schame in al thar presens, for the quhilk lak Iupiter gaif to this Ganymedes, son to Kyng Troyus, hir office. Of the ravisyng of this Ganymede, ȝe haf benayth, in the v c. of the v buyk, and of this Hebe sum thyng in the prolog of the vij buyk.

“And as the Troianys, &c.” First abuyf the poete proponis his entent, sayand, “The batellis and the man, &c.”; nyxt makis he inoucation, calland on his muse to tech hym thar, “O thou my Muse, &c.”; and ther, lyke as his muse spak to hym, declaris the caussis of the feid of Iuno, sayand, “Ther was ane anchient cyte hecht Cartage.” Now heir thridly proceidis he furth on his narration and history, and beginnys at the sevint ȝeir of Eneas departyng of Troy, as ȝe may se in the end of this first buyk, and efter the decess of his fadir Anchises, quham he erdit in Sycill at Drepanon, as ȝe haf in the end of the thrid buyk. The remanent of his auenturis beyn reseruyt, be craft of poetry, to the banket of Queyn Dido, quhar thai be then lenth rehersit by Eneas in the secund and thryd.

This offence was the ravising of Cassandra furth of the tempill of Pallas, as ȝe haue in the vij cheptour of the secund buke following. And sum says this Aiax oppressit hir in the tempill; quhilk Aiax was son to Kyng Oylus, prince of Locria, or Locrida, and his pepyll beyn nammyt Locri or Locranys.

Thoght in verite Iuno was bot ane woman, dochter of Saturn, sistir and spows to Iupiter, King of Crete, ȝit quhen poetis namys hir swa, thai ondirstand sum tyme by Iuno the erth and the watir, and by Iupiter the ayr and the fyr; and for alss mekyll as the ayr and the fyr is actyve, and the watyr and the erth patient, and that all corporall thyngis beyn engendrit therof, heirfoir bein thai clepit “spowsis.” Bot for that sum tym Iuno betakinys alanerly the ayr and Iove the fyre, than, be raison of ther contegwyte and quantite convenient, bein thai clepit sistyr and brothir; and for that all thyngis, by the influens of the planetis, starnys and hevinnis abufe, be maid of thir elymentis, therfor bein thai clepit kyng and queyn, fadir and mother to goddis and men. And ferther as twychyng this Iuno, hir other namys and proprieteis, I refer to Iohn Bocass in the Genealogy of gentille Goddis, onto the nynt buyk thereof, and first c. of the sammyn.

The cuntre or realm of Eolus, clepit Eolia, lyis betwix Sycill and Italy, vii ilandis in the sey, of quham thir be the namys: Lipara, Hiera, Strogile, Didyme, Eriphusa, Phenycusa and Evomynos. And for alsmekyll as thir ilis bein full of cavernys, wyth bryntstan blawand and byrnand onder the erd, that therby throw the swouch of the fir may be persauyt a day or twa befor fra quhat part or art the wynd is fortocum; and this Eolus kyng therof, as an naturall man, first be experiens persauyt this, and wald schaw the pepill therby, weill two or thre dais befor, the wynd was to blaw from syk an art, for the quhilk rayson, with the rud pepill, was he nammyt kyng or god of windis. And thai put that he had vi sonnys and vi dochtiris, quhilkis ar nocht ellis bot the xii wyndis, of quham the [namys], to begin at the est and go round abowt, bein thir: Subsolanus, Ewrus, Nothus, Auster, Affricus, Ȝephyrus, Fauonius, Circius, Chorus, Boreas, Aquilo and Wlturnus.

Iohn Bocas, be Eolus set hie in his chare to rewle and dant the windis, ondirstandis raison set hie in the manis hed, quhilk suld dant, and includ the law in the cave or boddum of the stomak, the windis of peruersit appetyte, as lord and syre set be God almychty therto.

Ilion, or Ilium, was the cyte of Troy, havand his naym fra King Ilus, fadir to Laomedon. The hayll cuntre was callit Troy fra King Tros, or Troyius, fadir to this Ilus. The awld naim therof is Phrigia, bot oft bein ather of all ther namys takin for other, as Troy, alss weill for the cyte as the realm. And heir, be a maner dispite, Iuno, for the pepill or gudis of Ilion, namys the hail cyte. Thir goddis bein clepit penetes, of quham in dyuerss placis eftyr, and in speciall in the thrid buyk in the first and thrid c. And thai may be callit goddis domestyk famyliar, or hamhald goddis, bot thai be propirly the Troian goddis and nain otheris.

For alsmekill as I hafe said abufe Iuno betakinnys the air, in quham blawis thir windis, and by quham the mater quharof windis bein engendrit beyn producit to ther perfection, therfor iustly and of rycht Eolus grantis him to hald his ring of Iuno.

Ewrus is heir taken for the gret est wynd, thocht it be bot the wind est to sowthin; siklyke, Nothus for the mayn sowth, thocht it be south to est; and Affricus is takin for plat west wynd, that is bot sowth sowthwest. And thus heir the thre principall gret windis contrarius blew attanys apon thaim, and the north wind also in the nyxt c., “A blastirrand bub owt from the north braying &c.”

(1) Her fyrst namys Virgill Eneas. (2) This cald, sais Seruyus, coym of dreid; nocht that Eneas dred the ded, bot this maner of ded; and alsso he that dredis na thyng, nor kan haf na dred, is not hardy, but fuyll hardy and beistly.

The maner was swa in tha dais that nobillis slan in feld tuke ther mouth full of erd, to that effect that in the ded thrawis nain myssyttand word nor voce suldbe hard of ther mowth.

Mast forcy, that is to sey, on of the maste forcy.

Sarpedon, son of Iupiter and Laodomya, dochtyr to Bellerophon, was kyng of Lycia; of huge statur, and slan by Patroclus.

Thar lyis betwix Affryk and the ile of Sardynia, amyd the sey, a hirst or ryg of craggy rolkis, quhilk beyn callit “altaris of suple or help,” becaus therat on a tyme the pepill of Affrik and Romanys band vp perpetwall payce. And thir schald bankis of sand heir nammyt bein the twa dangeris of the sey Affrican, callit Syrtis, the mair and the less; mar perellus than Ȝairmuth sandis or Holland cost.

Off Orontes and Lewcaspis sum thing in the v c. of the vi buyk, and of this Pander or Pandarus in the ix c. of the v buyk.

Of this Ilioneus and the otheris Troianys heir nammyt beyn oft benath maid mension.

Neptun or Neptunus, brother to Iove and Pluto and son to Saturn. For that the partis of his heritage lay in Creit by the sey cost, and for he vsit mekill salyng and rowyng, and fand the craft or art therof, therfor is he clepit god of the sey. He was alsswa an the first tawcht to dant and taym horsss; and onto hym beyn consecret the fundment of wallis, for alsmekill as it is said he biggyt the wallis of Troy, or than becauss the watyr inclusyt ondyr the erth is oft tymys causs of erdqwkyng and trimbillyng or moving of the erth, as we se by experiens in watyr brekis. And perchanss thir thre poweris signefeis the thre granyt ceptour, quhilk his statw in ald days bair in hand, lyk a crepar or a graip wyth thre granys. Tha discryve hym rydand in a cart, quhilk betakinnys the weltyng our of the sey wallys, that rollys, hurlys and brais lyke cart quhelis. Quha lykis mair of him, go reid Bocas, in the first c. and tent buyk of the Genealogy of Goddis.

Heir is an notabyll doctryn, that nan nobill man suld hastely reveng him eftyr his greif. Tharfor was gevin consell to August Octavian the empriour, that eftir his commotion, or euer he did or said ocht, he suld wryte xxiiii lettiris.

This thre granyt ceptour in sum part haf I twychis [sic] abuf. It may betakyn alsswa the thre properteis of the watyr, quhis is flowand, drynkabyll and ganand to sayll or swym intyll.

Cymothoe, as sais Seruyus, is in Grew alss mekyll to say in our language as the flowand or rinnand flud, quhilk may be clepit a ganand dochtir to Neptun, god of seys. Tryton, as sais Bocas, is the bruyt or rowtyng of the wally sey: quharfor iustly is he fenȝeit trumpet to the occian and son to Neptun. Netheless, Plynyus in his Naturall History reherssis that Triton is a verray monstre of the sey, and that in the tym of Tyberius the emperour syk an was hard and seyn. His schap and portatour is discryvit in the x buyk in the iiii c., and he slais Mesenus in the iii c. of the vi buyk.

Noyte Virgill in this comparison and symilytud, for therin and in syk lyke baris he the palm of lawd, as I haf said in my proheme. It is to be considderit alsso that our all this wark, he comparis batell tyll spayt or dyluge of watyr, or than to suddan fyr, and to nocht ellis.

Cristoferus Landynus, that writis moraly apon Virgill, says thus: Eneas purposis to Italy, his land of promyssion; that is to say, a iust perfyte man entendis to mast soueran bonte and gudnes, quhilk as witnessyth Plato, is situate in contemplation of godly thyngis or dyvyn warkis. His onmeysabill ennymy Iuno, that is fenȝeit queyn of realmys, entendis to dryve him from Italle to Cartage; that is, Avesion, or concupissence to ryng or haf warldly honouris, wald draw him fra contemplation to the actyve lyve; quhilk, quhen scho falis by hir self, tretis scho with Eolus, the neddyr part of raison, quhilk sendis the storm of mony warldly consalis in the iust manis mynd. Bot, quhoubeyt the mynd lang flowis and delitis heirintyll, fynaly by the fre wyll and raison predomynent, that is, ondirstand, by Neptun, the storm is cessit, and, as followis in the nyxt c., arryvit in sond havin, quhilk is tranquilite of consciens; and fynaly Venus, in the vi c. following, schawis Ene his feris recouerit again, quhilk is, fervent lufe and cherite schawis the iust man his swete meditationys and feruour of deuotion, quham he tynt by warldly curis, restorit to hym again, and all his schippis bot on, be quham I ondyrstand the tyme lost.

C f marginal note setts; L B marginal note or settis.

Nympha may be clepit a spowss or a damysell. Bot thai bein taken wyth poetis for goddessis of woddis, wildirness, fludis or wellis, and Nympha is a generall naym to all syk. Nymphis of wellis bein callit Naydes; of hillis or montanys, Oreades; of woddis and forestis, Dryades; of salt fludis, Nereides; of flouris, Napee; and Hamadriades ar fenȝeit to grow and de wyth the tre, as quha wald say the sawll of the tre.

Ȝe sall ondirstand Virgill in all partis of his prosess, quhat maner or fasson he discrivis ony man at the begynnyng, sa continewys he of that samin person all thro, and Eneas in all his wark secludis from all vylle offyce; bot as twychand materris of pyety or devotion, thar labowris he euer wyth the first, as ȝe may se in the beginyng of the vi buke.

Thocht sum wald say, perchans, that in Affrik bein na hartis, therto answeris Landinus that, albeit perchans now ther be nain, in tha days tha war not to seyk, or thocht in the ferther partis of Affrik be nain, in the hiddir partis, quharto was Eneas dryve, ther beyn mony.

or gydaris.

Acestes, kyng of Sycilly; of quham in the first c. of the thrid buke.

Sylla and Charybdis bein twa gret dangeris in the Sycill sey; of quham in the vi and viii c. of the thrid buyk.

Off thir Cyclopes alsso in the ix and x c. of the thrid buyk.

Wyne the eldar the bettir, sa that it be fresch, and euery man knawis vennyson owt of ply tynys the sesson.

Iove or Iupiter by the gentillis was clepit the mast soueran god, fader of goddis and men, and all the otheris war bot haldyn as poweris dyuerss of this Iupiter, callit “iuuans pater,” the helply fadir; bot quham we cleip swa I haf writyn in my proloug of the x buyk. Of Iupiter, as writis Sanct Augustyn in his volume clepit the Cyte of God, in the vii buke and ix c. therof, thus writis poetis:

“Iupiter omnipotent, king of kingis, and god, fader and moder of goddis, an god, and all the goddis.” Of him largly spekis he alsswa, reprevand the gentile opinionys, in the sam volum, in the first buk and xi c. therof; and in the xii c. repreuys the opynion of Plato, that haldis God the sawll of the warld. Of Iupiter sais the poet Lucan:

“Iupiter is all that euer thou seis, and all that euer movis.” Bot quhou ther beyn thre syndry Iupiteris, reid Iohn Bocas in his Genealogy of Goddis, in the first c. of the xi buyk, quhar he tretis of Iupiter, kyng of Crete, quhilk was Iupiter the thrid; and ther at the full of all the fiction and fabillis therof, and quhy he is clepit gret god, and of this Iupiter in the recollectis of Troy. Of the secund Iupiter, kyng of Archad and syne of Athenes, quhilk slew Lycaon and was fadyr to Dardanus, of quham cam the Troianys, he writis in the first c. of his v buyk. And of Iupiter the first, callit Lysanyan, and kyng Athenes, in the ii c. of his ii buke, quhar he tretis the proprieteis of Iupiter the planeyt. And now to speyk of Iupiter the planete, quhilk is secund in ordour, and vnermaste nyxt Saturn. He is gentyll and meyk, and full of gud influens, and profitabill aspectis, in sa fer that gif he conionys with a frawart planete, sik as Mars or Saturn, he meysis ther wreth. Gif he conionys with a meyn planete, as the Sone, the Moyn or Mercury, he drawis thaim and makis inclyn to his gudness. Quhen he conionys wyth Venus, or is participant wyth her, as he stud in the ascendent at this tym of Eneas landyng, quhilk is fenȝeit the commonyng betwix hym and Venus, than, as heir apperis, batakynnys all gud; for Iove is clepit “Fortuna maior,” and Venus “Fortuna minor.” He completis his curss in xii ȝeris, and by this constylation betwix him and Venus, Seruius ondirstandis felicite tocum be a woman, as followis be Dido. And that Venus was sorofull, that is to knaw, discendent, and nocht in hir strength, signifeis the sorofull departyng and myschans of Dido.

Becauss ther is mension of Anthenor, quham many, followand Gwydo De Columnis, haldis tratour, sum thing of him will I speyk, thocht it may suffis for his purgation that Virgill heir hayth namyt him, and almaste comparit him to the mast soueran Eneas, quhilk comparison na wyss wald he haf maid for lak of Eneas, gif he had bein tratour. Bot to schaw his innocens, lat vs induce the mast nobill and famus historian and mylky flud of eloquens, gret Tytus Lyuius, quhilk of Anthenor and Eneas sais thir wordis in his beginning: “It is weill wyt that, Troy beand takin, in all the otheris Troianys crudelite was exersit, exceppand twa, Anthenor and Eneas, to quham the Grekis did na harm, bot abstenyt fra all power of batall as twichyng thaim, becauss of the rayson of hospitalite, for thai had beyn ther ald hostis, and all tymys thai war solistaris and warkkaris to rendyr Helen and to procur paice.” Now I beseik ȝow, curtess redaris, considdir gif this be punctis of traison, or rathar of honour, and wey the excellent awtorite of Virgill and Tytus Lyuius wyth ȝour pevach and corrupt Gwido. Landinus sais als of this Anthenor that, for his sone Glaucus followit Paris, he depechit him of him, and for that sam caus, quhen he was aftyr slan by Agamenon, he maid na duyll for his ded.

Ilyria hes his naym fra Illyrus, son to Polyphemus, and, as sais Sextus Rufus, it contenys xvii provyncis. It extendis endlang all the gret flud Danubyum, callit Hister, on bayth the sydis, and in it is Vngary, Pannony, Sclauony, Bohem, Denmark and Macydon; and this Lyburnya is bot a part therof, contenand certan ilis. Timauus is a flud in Lumbardy, in the Venytian landis, that cumis furth of the Duch montanys at ix beginnyngis, quhilk all rynnys in a loch, quham the pepill adiacent callis a sey, and from this loch cumys the flud that rynnys to Padva, byggit be Anthenor, as heir ȝe may se. Bot it is tobe notyt that Virgill sais abuf, in the first c., Eneas coim fyrst fra Troy to Italy, and heir it apperis Anthenor caym befor him: to that sais Seruyus, tha partis quhamto coym Anthenor beyn not haldyn of Italy, bot of Lumbardy, callyt Gallia Cysalpina. Or mayr evidently may we say that Ene was the fyrst coim to Italy by fait, and at the goddis command. Anthenor coym at his awin auentur, and nocht be destine.

Venus is clepit Cytherea fra the ile Cythera, besid Creyt, quhar scho was norysit; or fra the mont Cytheron, quhar scho was gretly wirscheppit.

The cyte of Rome, or than of New Troy.

The deyfication of Eneas is eftyr, in the last c. of the xiii buyk.

Of the barganyng or batellis of this Eneas, her in dyuers bukis followand; and of the beldyng of his cyte and how lang his ryng endurit, in the last and penult c. of the xiii buyk.

Iulus is thre sillabis, spellit wyth i per se and v per se.

The cite Alba, biggit by Ascanius son of Creusa, eftyr Virgill had his naim fra the quhite swyn, as ȝe may se in the first c. of the viii buk; and was clepit Lang Alba for it was set endlang the band or ryg of a law hill, as writis Tytus Lyuius, and wass distroit by Tullus Hostilius, thrid king of Rom, and tharof in the xi c. of the xiii buke.

Pepill Hectorean, hardy as Hector, or of the kinrent and blud of Hector, for this Ascanȝus was his fift son.

Of Romulus ȝe sall knaw, that Porcas, the xi kyng of Alba or Albanys, gat twa sonys, Numytor and Amulyus, betwyx quham he dividit his realm. Bot this Amulyus banyst his brother Numytor, and slew his son Lawsus; and his dochtir, callit Ilya or Rhea, consecrat a nun onto the goddes Vesta, to that effect scho suld haf na succession, for in tha dais sik nunis, gif tha brak ther virginite, war eyrdit qwyk. Bot this Ilia consauyt and brocht furth twa childyr mayll, quham thai fenȝe to haf beyn engendyrit of Mars, becauss thai war bellicoss and chevalruss, and bygettin of sum dowchti man. And than this Amulyus gart put this Ilia to ded and bad kast tha childyr in Tybyr. Bot the flud bean speyt was flowyn sa far our the brays thai mycht nocht wyn to the crocis of the water and thus war thai left on the bra. And ane Faustus, an hyrd, had thaim haim to his howss, and maid Acca his wyf, other wyss callyt Lupa, nuryce thaim; and for that Lupa betakinnys a wolf and scho was callit Lupa, therfor is it said a wolf fosterit Romulus and Remus. And becauss this said Acca or Lupa maid Romulus hir ayr, therfor sais Virgill he was cled in his motheris or nuryce tawbart. And eftyr, quhen thai worth men, thai becam for the nanys briggantis of the wod, and by a maner pollycy or practyk convenyt that the tayn of thaim suld tak his brother and all his complicis, and sa thai did, and brocht him befor ther vncle the kyng Amulyus, as thocht he wald accuss him of a dedly cryme. And quhen thai war in presens cumin, thai bayth attanys rayss apon Amulyus and slew him, and ther declaryt ther blud and genealogy, and therefter brocht haim thar grandsyr Numytor, and restoryt to him his realm, syn went ther way and for thaim selvyn biggit Roym and wallyt fyrst. And for thai war bayth of a byrth, thai beguyth debait for the naim of the cyte. Than was appunctyt that on the morn quha saw the mast nobyll syng or takin augurian suld geif the cyte his naym. And Remus fyrst saw vi gripis, and Romulus eftyr hym xii gripis. Than said the tayn his takyn was most nobyll for that he saw thaim first; and the tother na, becauss he saw ma; bot quhiddir it was for that debait, or for the goyng our the wallis, as otheris will say, Remus was slayn be Fabyus, chyftan of weyr to Romulus, and the cyte clepit Roma eftyr Romulus. And quhou or quhy that he is callit Quyrites, and of his dowtsom end, and of the sonnis eclips the tym of his ded, and quhy he was repute a god, reid Titus Lyuius, Iohn Bocas in the last c. of the Genealogi of Godis in the ix buke, and Augustyn in the Cyte of God in the xv c. of the iii buke. And sum thing heir eftir in the xiii c. of the vi buke and the x c. of the viii buyk.

Sanct Augustyn in his volum clepit De Verbis Domini, in the xxix sermond, mokkis at this word, sayand: “Ȝit is not the end, and the empyr is translat to the Almanys. Bot Virgill was crafty,” sais he, “that wald not on his awyn byhalf rehers thir wordis, bot maid Iupiter pronunce thaim—and as he is a half fenȝeit god, swa is his prophecy.”

Pthytia was the cuntre of Achilles; Myce or Mycene, the realm of Agamenon; Arge, the realm of Kyng Adrastus, pertenyng eftir to Diomed be raison of his moder, and it is oft tane for all Grece, and the Grekis therfra bein oft clepit Argiui, or pepill of Arge.

Of Iuliuss Cesar, quhen I behald his Commentareis, and the gret volum of Lucan, and quhat of hym writis Swytoneus, I thynk bettyr hald styll my pen than wryt lytill of sa large a mater and sa excellent a prynce. Bot ȝe sall knaw that the principall entent of Virgill was to extoll the Romanys, and in specyal the famyllye or clan Iulyan, that coim from this Ascanyus, son to Eneas and Crevsa, otherwais callyt Iulus; becauss the empryour August Octavyan, quhamto he direkkit this wark, was of that hows and blud, and sistyr son to Cesar Iulyus. And therfor, quhen Cesar was slayn by the Sanatouris, Octavyan had revengit his deth, and rang passabilly at the byrth of our Salviour, quhen the starn of Bethliam apperit. Than to pless Octavian, said the Romanys that was the sawll of Cesar quhilk was deifyit, and this opynion heir twischis Virgill and alss in his Bucolyqueys.

Off the stek and of closyng of the tempill of Ianus in tym of weyr and of pace, ȝe haf in the vii buyk in the x c. And this tempill of Ianus was twyss closit befor Octauian: anys be Numa Pompilius, and the secund tym be Tytus Manlyus, and thriss be Octavyan. And this tym heyr markyt was the last tym, at the cumyng of Cryst, quhen all the warld was in pace. In wytnes therof the angellis sang pace in erd, the tym of bryth: the ii c. of Sanct Luke.

Off Mercury red in the v c. of the iiii buke; and that Mercur heir was send doun from Iupiter is nocht ellis bot the planet Mercur was at disces and Iove stud ascendent, quhilk signifeit frendschip in hast tocum bot not to lest lang.

In this cheptir ȝe haf that Eneas met his moder Venus in lykness of a virgyn or a mayd, by the quhilk ȝe sall vndirstand that Venus is fenȝeit to be modyr to Eneas becaws that Venus was in the ascendent and had domynation in the hevyn and tym of his natyvite; and for that the planet Venus was the signifiar of his byrth and had domination and speciall influens towart hym, therfor is scho fenȝeit to be his mother; and thus it that poetis fenȝeis bein full of secreyt ondyrstandyng ondyr a hyd sentens or fygur. And weyn nocht for this, thocht poetis fenȝeis Venus the planet, for the causs foirsaid, tobe Eneas mother, at thai beleve nocht he was motherless, bot that he had a fayr lady to his moder, quhilk for hir bewte was clepit Venus. And that Venus metis Eneas in form and lykness of a maid is tobe onderstand that Venus the planete that tym was in the syng of the Virgyn, quhilk betakynnyt luf and fawouris of wemen. And of Venus and hir son Cupyd I sall say sum thyng in the x c. of this sam buke.

Mony expondis Achates for thochtfull cuyr or solicitud, quhilk all tymys is feyr and companȝeon to princis and gret men.

The madynnis of Sparta bene the Amasonys.

Harpalica douchter to Ligurgus kyng of Trace, hir fader beand tane be the pepil of Getya, assemblit hir power and with sa gret haist persewit thame that scho semyt in swiftness to forryn the swiftast flude of Trace, callit Hebrun; and with mair agilite and hardyment than is almaste tobe belevit, reskewit hir fader and ourcome hir aduersaris.

Thus said scho forto dissimyll hyr self, or than becauss that in Cypir was scho wirscheppit only wyth insens and flouris and nayn other sacrifyce, sa that it was onlefull ony blud war sched in hir tempyll.

Of Agenor ȝe sal knaw that Iupiter engendrit Ephaphus, quhilk gat Belus the first, that engendrit this Agenor, and he begat Phenix, fra quham the realm of Tyre was namyt Phenycia and the pepil bath of Tyre and Cartage Phenycianys or Punycianys. This Phenix begat Belus the secund, otherwyss callit Methres, and he was fader to this Pygmaleon and Queyn Dido, otherwyss nemmyt Elissa. This ilk Phenix also engendrit Philistenes, quhilk begat this Sycheus, otherwyss callit Sicarbas, spouss to this ilk Dido and gret preste to Hercules.

Sum sais scho gave alss mekyll gold as wald gang in a bul hid for this grund; sum haldis opynyon that in thai dais the monye was mad of cuyrbulȝe or leddyr, and this castell hes his naym therfra, for in the langage of Affrik, “byrsa” betakynnys leddyr or a hyd. Bot Seruyus is of Virgillis opynion, sayand Dido maid carve the bull hid in sa small twhangis that it cumpassyt abowt the spass of xxii stageis, that is, thre myllis quarter less.

That Eneas heyr commendis his self, it is not to be tayn that he said this for arrogans bot forto schaw his styll, as a kyng or prince onknawin in an onkowth land may but repreif reherss his estate and dygnite to mak him be tretyt as afferis. And alss, becauss he trastyt he spak wyth a goddess, that scho suld nocht aschaym to remayn and talk wyth hym therfor; and becauss scho was a woman, he schew that he was a man of autorite, wyth quham thai nedis nocht ascham to speyk, for he was that man quhilk by the common voce was clepit Eneas full of pyete. And for that Virgill clepis hym swa all thro this buyk, and I interpret that term quhylys for “rewth,” quhils for “devotion” and quhilis for “pyete” and “compassion,” tharfor ȝe sall knaw that pyete is a vertw or gud deid be the quhilk we geif our dylligent and detfull lawbour to our natyve cuntre and onto thaim beyn conionyt to vs in neyr degre. And this vertw, pyete, is a part of iustyce and hes ondyr hym twa other vertwys: amyte, callyt frendschip, and liberalyte.

Varo sais that Eneas, fra his departing of Troy quhil he coym in the feldis of Lawrentum, all the day saw the starn of Venus, and quhen he was thiddir cummyn he saw it na mair, quharby he ondirstud that was his grund fatayll.

Parentis betakynnys the childis fader and moder baith.

The Egill be poetis is fenȝeit tobe Iovis fowle, and that he maid minstration to him of the thunder and wapynnys the tyme of the batale betwix the god Dis and the Gyantis. Bot war it lefull to compar prophane fabillis to Haly Scriptour, Sanct Iohne the Ewangelist is verray Iovis egill and clepit son of thundir.

Of Typhon or Typheus, in the xi c. of the ix buke.

C L B marginal note or oblique.