University of Virginia Library

“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.’”