University of Virginia Library

The Preambill of the Ferd Buke

Be this the queyn, throw hevy thochtis onsound,
In euery vayn nurysys the greyn wound,
Smytyn so deip with the blynd fyre of lufe
Hir trublyt mynd gan fra all rest remufe.
Compasing the gret prowes of Ene,
The large wirschip feill syss remembris sche
Of his lynnage and folkis; for ay present
Deip in hir breist so was hys figur prent
And all hys wordis fixt, that, for bissy thocht,
Noyn eys hir membris nor quyet suffir mocht.
The nyxt day following, with hys lamp brycht
As Phebus dyd the grund or erth alycht,
Eftir the dawing heth the donk nychtis clowd
Chasyt from the sky and the ayr new schrowd,
Ful evil at eyss Queyn Dido on this kynd
Spak to hir systir, wes of the sammyn mynd:
“My sistir An, quhat swevynnys beyn thir”, quod sche,
“Quhilk me affrays in sik proplexite?
Quhat be he, this gret new gest or stranger,
Onto our realm laitly is drevyn heir?
Quhou wyss in speche and in his commonyng
He schawys hym self! O God, quhat wondir thing!
Quhou stout in curage, in weir quhou vailȝeand!
I trow, sistir, and, as I vndirstand,
Myne opinion is nane oncertane thing,
Thai beyn sum lynnage of verray goddis ofspring,
For dreid always and schaymful kowardyss
Degeneryt wightis and bowbartis notyfyss.
Allace, quhat wondir fatale aventuris
Hess hym bywaif! quhat travel, pane and curis,
How huge batellis, be hym eschewit, tald he!
Now certis, war it not determyt with me
And fixit in my mynd onmovabilly
That to no wyght in wedlok me list I
Cuppil nor knyt, sen my first luf is gane,
By deth dissoverit, and left me alane;
War not alsso to me is displesant
Genyvs chalmyr or matrymone to hant;
Perchans I mycht be venquist in this rage,
Throu this a cryme of secund mariage.
Annes, I grant to the, sen the decess
Of my sory husband Syche, but less,
Quhar that our howss with brodyrris ded wes sprent,
Only this man hess movit myne entent,
And heth my mynd inducyt to forvay:
I knaw and felis the wemmys and the way
Of the ald fyre and flambe of luffis heit.
Bot rather I desyre baith corss and spreit
Of me the erth swelly law adown,
Or than almychty Iove with thundris sovn
Me smyte ful deip onto the schaddoys dern,
Amang pail gastis of hellis holl cavern,
In the profond pot of deth and dyrk nycht,
Or I becum so schamful wrachit wyght
That I myne honeste fyle or womanhed,
Or brek ȝour lawis—na, quhil I be ded!
He that me first to hym in wedlok knyt
My first flowr of amouris tuke, and ȝyt
For euermair with hym he sal thame haue,
And he most keip thame with hym in his grave.”
Thus sayand, the brycht teris onon owtbrist
And fillyt all hir bosum or scho wist.
Annes answerd: “O thou, sa mot I thryve,
To thi systir derrar than hir awyn lyve,
Quhiddir gif thou wilt alane, in wedowhed,
Evir murnand thus waist away thy ȝowthed,
Nowthir ȝyt the comfort of sweit childring thou knawis,
Nor the plesour felis of Venus lawys?
Quhat, wenys thou assys cald and gastis in grave
Of al syk walyng ony fest sal haue?
In cayss that in thi duyll afor thir days,
Thy lord new ded, the list inclyne na ways
Nowthir prynce nor duke to tak as for husband;
Supposs thou lychtlyit than, of Lyby land,
Hyarbas kyng, and othir heris all,
Quhilkis in the rich sulȝe triumphall
Of Aufrik boundis dwelling wydequhar;
Quhat, wilt thou als debatyng euer mar
Agane this lykand lufe, cummys of plesance?
Consideris thou not, and hess in remembrance,
Amyddis quhays grond heir thou remanys?
On this hand, citeis of Getulyanys,
A kynd of pepill invincibill in batell;
Heir the ondantit folk of Numyda dwell,
And on that other part ombyset, I wyss,
We ar with bustuus onfrendly Syrtis;
And ȝondir the desert region alsswa,
Ay ful of thyrst, in barrand Libya;
And wydquhar thens the wild pepil of Barchay.
The weris moving from Tyre quhat sal I say,
And the gret brag and mannans of our brothir?
Be dispositioun of goddis, I weyn, nane othir,
And by the purvyans of Iuno, to our supple,
Thir Troiane schippis by prospir wynd our see
Heth hyddir set thar coursys fortunate.
O systir myne, considir in quhat estait
Thys cite, quhilk thou beildis, sal vpryss!
Persaue quhou that this realm may, on syk wyss,
Beyn vpheyt throu sa nobil a mariage!
Behald quhou mekill the glory of Cartage
Salbe extollyt, and encress in euery thyng,
Throu help in armys of the Troianys ofspryng!
Quharfor the nedis beseik goddis of thar grace,
With sacrifyce, tobe favorabil in this cace.
Do set alhaill thi cure and diligence
To causyng hym mak with the residence,
And fenȝe causys to tary hym and wythhald,
So lang as thus, duryng the wyntir cald,
The sey ragis throu watry Orion,
And quhil the stormys be al our blawyn and gon;
And quhil hys schippis, with the tempest schaik,
Be bet, byd spair nowthir fyr, elm nor aik.”
Wyth thir wordys the spreit of Dido queyn,
The quhilk tofor in lufe wes kyndlyt grene,
Now al in fyre the flambe of lufe furth blesys;
Hir doutsum mynd with gude hope so scho esys
That al the schame and dreid wes blaw away;
And to the tempill furth held tha baith tway.
Eftir the serymonys of thar payane gyss,
Beneuolence and gude luk, syndry wyss,
Thai sekyng and thai serss at ilke altar;
And twyntris, walit for sacrifyce, heir and thar
Thai brytnyt; and sum in honour dyd address
Of the law ledar Ceres, the goddes,
To Phebus, and to Bachus part alsso,
Bot principaly onto the queyn Iuno,
Quhilk heth in cuyr the band of mariage.
Hir self, most gudly Queyn Dido of Cartage,
Held in hir richt hand a cowp full of wyne;
Betwix the hornys twa furthȝet it syne
Of ane ontamyt ȝong quy, quhite as snaw;
And othir quhilis wald scho raik on raw
Or payss tofor the altaris, wyth fat offerandis
Ay chargyt full, and oft with hir awyn handis
Renew and beyt the sacrifyce all day;
And rich gyftis geif Troianys; and wald ay
The beistis costis, as thai debowellit wer,
And thar entralis behald flekkyr and steir,
Accordyng the auld vsans to that effect,
Sum augury to persaue or gude aspect.
O wallaway! of spamen and dyvynys
The blynd myndis, quhilkis na way diffynys
The forss ne strenth of luf with hys hard bandis!
Quhat avalyt thir sacrifice and offerandis?
Quhat helpis to vyssy tempillis in luffis rage?
Behald onhappy Dido of Cartage
In this meyn sesson byrnyng hait as gleyd:
The secrete wound deip in hir mynd gan spreyd,
And of hoyt amouris the subtell quent fyre
Waistis and consumys merch, banys and lyre.
Our all the cite enragyt scho heir and thar
Wandris, as ane strykkyn hynd, quhom the stalkar,
Or scho persave, from far betis with hys flane
Amyd the woddis of Creyt, and lattis remane
The braid hed, onknaw the beste wass hyt;
Scho skypping furth, as to eschew the byt,
Gan throu the forest fast and gravys glyde,
Bot evir the dedly schaft stykkis in hir syde.
Sum tyme the queyn Ene with hir dyd leid
Throu owt the wallys onto euery steid,
The tresour al and richess of Sydony
Schawyng to hym, and offerit al reddy
The cite of Cartage at hys commandment:
Begyn scho wald to tell furth hir entent,
And in the myd word stop and hald hir styll.
And quhen the evyn come, it wes hir will
To seik ways hym to feste, as scho dyd ayr;
And, half myndles, agane scho langis sayr
For tyll enquyre and heir the sege of Troy,
And in a stair behaldis hym for ioy.
Eftir all wes voydyt, and the licht of day
Ay mair and mair the moyn quynchit away,
And the declynyng of the starris brycht
To sleip and rest persuadis euery wight,
Within hir chalmyr alane scho langis sayr,
And thocht al waist for lak of hir luffar.
Amyd a voyd bed scho hir laid adoun,
And of hym absent thinkis scho heris the sown;
Hys voce scho heris, and hym behaldis sche,
Thocht he, God wait, far from hir presens be:
And sum tyme wald scho Ascanyus, the page,
Caucht in the figur of hys faderis ymage,
And in hir bosum brace, gif scho tharby
The lufe ontellabill mycht swik or satisfy.
The wark and wallys begun ar not vpbrocht,
The ȝonkeris dedis of armys excersis nocht,
Nothir fortress nor turettis suyr of weir
Now graith tha mair, for al the wark, but weir,
Cessis and is stoppyt, baith of pynnakillis hie,
And byg towris, semyt to ryss in the skie.
Alsswyth as Iuno, with syk maleyss ourtane,
Persauyt hir deir frend that remeid was nane,
Nothir fame ne honour the rage resyst mycht,
Saturnus douchtir with syk wordis on hyght
Begouth to carp onto Venus, I wyss:
“A huge honour and lawd ȝe sal of this
Raport, and richt large spulȝe beir away,
Thou and thi child forsuyth”, quod scho, “bath tway:
O Lord, quhou gret power and notabil mycht,
Gif that, of twa hie goddis throu the slycht,
A sylly woman sal ourcummyn be!
Not so, I wyss, hes thou dissavyt me,
Bot that I knaw thou had in feir and dreid
Our cite, and held the lugyng suspek in deid
Of our renownyt hie burgh of Cartage.
Bot on quhat wyss sall sesyng al this rage?
Or now quhat nedis sa gret stryfe and contak?
Far rather perpetuell pess lat ws mak,
And knyt vp band of mariage thartill,
Sen thou hess gottin al thyne hartis will;
For Dido byrnys in hait lufe al atanys,
The brym fury glydis throu owt hir banys.
Lat ws thir pepill to ws common, for thy,
Be frendly favouris govern equaly;
So that it lesum be Dido remane
In spousage bund, and serve a lord Troiane,
And suffir Tirreanys, and al Lyby land,
Be geif in dowry to thi son in hand.”
Than Venus (knawing hir spech of fenȝeit mynd,
To that effect scho mycht the Troiane kynd,
And werys tocum furth of Itail alsswa,
With hald and kepe from boundis of Lybia)
Answerd and sayd: “Quhat wikkyt wyght wald euer
Refuyss syk proffyr, or ȝyt with the had levir
Contend in bataill or stand at debait,
Gif that, as thou rehersis, the deid algait
Als sovirly mycht follow fortunabill?
Bot I affeir me less the fatis onstabill
Nor Iupiter consent not ne aggre
That bot a cite to Tyryanys suld be
And eik to folkis from Troy in vayage cummyn,
Or list appreif thai pepillis all and summyn
Togiddir myddill, or ioyn in lyge or band.
Thou art hys spowss; til the to tak on hand
Is lefull with request hys mynd to assay.
Pass on befor, I follow the perfay.”
Than Iuno queyn syk answer maid agane:
“This laubour I tak on hand, al myne alane.
Bot on quhat wyss, sen tyme is convenabill,
The fasson quhou this stant to do maist habill,
Hark, at schort wordys that poynt I sal ȝou say.
Eneas and onsilly Dido, baith tway,
To forest grathis in huntyng furth to wend,
To morow, als fast as Titan doith ascend
And our the warld gan hys bemys spreid.
Quhen that the rangis and the faid on breid
Dynnys throu the gravys, sersyng the woddis wyde,
And setis set the glen on euery syde,
I sal apon thame a myrk schour down skaill
Of weit and wynd, mydlit with fellon haill,
And al the hevyn with thundyrris blast sa steir
That all thar falloschip sall withdraw for feir
Enclosyt with a myst als dyrk as nycht.
Dido and eik the Troiane duke full rycht,
Alanerly, bot be thame selvyn twane,
Togiddir sal entir in a cave of stane:
Thar sal I be reddy, and, but delay,
Gif thi mynd be ferm tharto the ilk day,
In sovir wedlok I sal conioyn hir thar,
Tobe his propir spouss for euermair:
Apon this wyss thar wedding salbe wrocht.”
Affermys all hir wil, contrarying nocht,
Of Cetheron Venus the goddes brycht,
Lauchyng scho fund had so controvit a slycht.
Furth of the sey, with this, the dawyng spryngis.
As Phebus rayss, fast to the ȝettis thringis
The choss gallandis, and huntmen thame besyde,
With ralys and with nettys strang and wyde,
And huntyng sperys styf with hedis braid;
From Massilyne horsmen thik thiddir raid,
With rynnyng hundis, a full huge sort.
Nobillys of Cartage, hovand at the port,
The queyn awatys that lang in chawmyr dwellys;
Hyr ferss steyd stude stampyng, reddy ellys,
Rungeand the fomy goldyn byt gynglyng;
Of gold and pal wrocht hys rych harnasyng.
And scho at last of palyce yschit owt,
With huge menȝe walking hir abowt,
Lappyt in a brusyt mantill of Sydony,
With gold and perle the bordour al bewry,
Hyngand by hir syde the cayss with arowis grund;
Hir bricht tressis envolupyt war and wond
Intil a quayf of fyne gold wyrin threid;
The goldyn button claspyt hir purpour weid—
And furth scho passyt with all hir cumpany.
The Troiane pepill forgaderit by and by,
Ioly and glaid the fresch Ascanyus ȝyng,
Bot first of all, maist gudly, hym self thar kyng
Enee gan entir in falloschip, but dout,
And onto thame adionyt hys large rowt.
Lyke quhen Apollo list depart or ga
Furth of hys wyntring realm of Lysya,
And leif the flude Exanthus for a quhile,
To vissy Delos, his moderis land and ile,
Renewand ryngis and dansys, mony a rowt;
Mixt togiddir, hys altaris standing about,
The pepil of Creit, and thame of Driopes,
And eik the payntit folkis Agathirces,
Schowtand on thar gyss with clamour and vocis hie:
Apon thi top, mont Cynthus, walkis he,
Hys wavand haris, sum tyme, doyng doun thryng
With a soft garland of lawrer sweit smellyng,
And vmquhile thame gan balmyng and enoynt
And into gold address at full gude poynt,
Hys grundyn dartis clattering by hys syde—
Als fresch, als lusty dyd Eneas ryde,
With als gret bewte in hys lordly face.
And eftyr thai ar cummyn to the chace,
Amang the montanys in the wild forest,
The rynnyng hundis of cuppillys sone thai kest,
And our the clewys and the holtis, belyve,
The wild beistis doun to the dail thai dryve.
Lo! thar the rays, rynnyng swyft as fyre,
Drevyn from the hyghtis, brekkis out at the swyre;
Ane othir part, syne ȝondyr mycht thou se
The herd of hartis with thar hedis hie,
Ourspynnerand with swyft courss the plane vaill,
The hepe of duste vpstowryng at thar taill,
Fleand the hundis, levand the hie montanys.
And Ascanyus, the child, amyd the planys,
Ioyus and blith hys startling steid to assay,
Now makis hys rynk ȝondir, and now this way
Now prekis furth by thir and now by thame,
Langyng, amang faynt frayt beistis ontame,
The fomy bair, doun from the hyllis hycht,
Or the dun lyoun discend, recontyr he mycht.
In the meyn quhile, the hevynnys al about
With fellon noyss gan to rummyll and rowt.
A bub of weddir followyt in the tayll,
Thik schour of rayn myddillit ful of haill.
The Tyriane menȝe skalis wydequhar,
And al the gallandis of Troy fled heir and thar,
And eik with thame the ȝong Ascanyus,
Nevo to Kyng Dardan and to Venus.
For feir, to diuerss stedis throu the feildis,
Thai seik to haldis, howsis, hyrnys and beildis:
The ryveris rudly ruschit our hillis bedene.
Within a cave is entrit Dido queyn,
And eik the Troiane duke, al thame alane,
By aventur, as thai eschewyt the rane.
Erth, the first moder, maid a takyn of wo,
And eik of wedlok the pronuba Iuno,
And of thar cuplyng wittering schew the ayr:
The flambe of fyreslaucht lychtnyt heir and thar
And on the hillys hie toppis, but less,
Sat murnand nymphis, hait Oreades.
This wes the formaste day of hir glaidnes
And first morrow of hir wofull distress.
For nother the fasson nor the maner sche
Attendis now, nor fame ne honeste,
Ne from thens furthwart Dido ony mor
Musis on lufe secrete, as of befor,
But clepis it spousage, and with that fayr name
Clokyt and hyd hir cryme of oppyn schame.
The fame heirof, belyve, gan walx and spreid
Throu cheif citeis of all Affrik on breid:
Fame is myscheif, quham na harm vndyr the lyft
In motioun nor sterage is mair swyft.
Movand scho growis, and, passand our alquhar,
Hir strenth encressis and walxis mair and mayr.
Lytil, for feir, the fyrst tyme semys sche,
Sone eftir rysys to the starnys on hie;
Apon the grond scho walkis fra sted to sted,
And vp amang the clowdis hydis hyr hed.
Throu greif of goddis commovyt, and nocht glaid,
Erth, the gret moder, bayr this child, as is said,
Last systir to Ceyos and Enchelades,
Ane huge, horribill and strange monstre, but less,
Spedy of fut, and on weyngis swyft as wynd.
Quhou mony fedderis bene on hir body fynd,
Als mony walkryfe eyn lurkis thar vndir,
Als feil tongis, that for totell is wondir,
With als feil mouthis carpis sche and beris,
Als mony hess scho prik vpstandand eris.
By nycht scho fleys amyd the hevyn throu owt,
Circuland the schaddow of the erth about
With huge fard, nother cuyr gevand nor keip
Hir eyn anys to rest nor tak a sleip;
Al day scho syttis, wachand byssely,
Apon the top of nobillis howsis, to spy,
Or on thir princis palyce with towris hie,
And with hir noyss gret citeis affrays sche—
Als weil ramembring fenȝeit and schrewit sawys
As scho the treuth and verite furth schawis.
Thys ilke wensch, that tyme, with mony a taill,
Glaidly this rumour gan throu the pepill skaill,
Telland the thing wrocht, and not wrocht, togiddir;
Quhou of the Troiane blude wes cummyn thiddir
Ene, with quham the fair Dido be wed
Dedenyt, and as husband go to bed;
And how the wyntir sesson betwix thame tway
Thai spend in lang reffell, lust and play,
Of thar realmys na thing remembring,
In fowle delyte ybond by Cupyd kyng.
Thys menskless goddes in euery mannys mouth
Skalys thir newis est, west, north and sowth.
Hir courss, onon, but langar tarying,
Addressys scho ontill Hyarbas kyng,
With hir sawis his mynd inflambyng as fyre,
Prouokand hym to wreth and fellon ire.
To Amon he wes son, beget alswa
Apon the maid revist Garamantida;
Within his large realmys huge braid
Ane hundreth tempillis to Iupiter he maid,
Ane hundreth altaris, quharon the walkryfe fyre
He dedicate, altymys byrnand schyre,
Set wachis in honour of goddis perpetuelly,
Of beistis blude the fat grond nevir dry,
Strowit with garlandis and flowris of diuerss kynd.
This ilke kyng, wod wroith, half owt of mynd,
And for thir schrewyt rumouris sor ammovit,
In presens of the goddis quhilk he luffit,
Befor the altar, to Iupiter, as thai say,
Hevand vp handis, devotly thus gan pray:
“Almychty Iove”, quod he, “quhamto, feill syss,
On brusyt beddis hie fest and sacryfyss
Of Mawrusya the pepill hantis thus,
Offeryng to the the honour of Bachus,
Consideris thou this? or quhidder, fader, gif we
For nocht the dredis, quhen thou lattis thundir fle?
Or gif thi fyreslauch, the blynd clowdis within,
To fley our myndis, invane makis noys and dyn?
Ȝone woman, lait exile and vagabund
Com to our boundis, that by pryce bocht the grund
A litil village to byg, and quhamto we
For to manuyr gave the strand of the see,
Quhamto our lawis and statutis we gart mak,
Our mariage gan lychtly and forsaik,
And in hir ryng hess tane Ene for lord.
And now that secund Parys, of ane accord
With his onworthy sort, skant half men beyn,
Abufe his hed and halffettis, weil beseyn,
Set lyke a mytir the Troiane foly hat,
Hys hair enoynt weil prunȝeit vndir that,
By reif mantemys hir suld owris be—
Becauss onto thi templis dayly we
Bryngis offerand and invane hallowis thi name.”
With syk wordis Kyng Hyarbas at hame
Makyng hys prayeris, and grippand the altar,
Him hard onon almychty Iupiter,
And hys eyn turnys towart the riall wallis
Of Cartage, and thir luffaris (quhilkis so fallis
At thai thar fame and gude renown forȝet),
Syne thus said to Mercuryus, but let,
And with sik maner charge gan hym direk:
“Pass, son, inhaist, graith the wyndis in effek;
Slyde with thi feddyrame to ȝon Troiane prynce,
Quhilk now in Cartage makis residence,
Gevand no cuyr of citeis in Italy
To hym ygrant by fatale destany.
Do beir my message swyftly throw the skyis,
Sa to hym thus my wordis on syk wyss:
His derrest moder promist ws not that he
Of hys gydyng sa faynt a man suldbe,
Nor, for syk causys, hym delyverit twyss
Furth of the Grekis handis, hys ennemyss;
Bot at he suld haue beyn wyss, sage and grave,
Hie senȝeoreis and gret empyre to have,
And Itale dant, quhilk brandysis in battell,
And, by his dedis, declair and cleyrly tell
Hym cummyn of Teuceris hie genealogy,
And to subdew the warldis monarchy.
Of sa gret thingis thocht na wirschip hym steris,
Nor for hys honour list not laubour as efferis,
Ȝyt than, the fader aucht na wyss to envy
That Ascanyus bruke Romys senȝeory.
Speir quhat he beildis, or how that he dar dwell
Amang a pepill salbe hys ennemyss fell.
Hys lynnage tocum in Itale forȝettis he,
And gevis na compt of Lavyne the cuntre.
Byd hym mak saill. This is all in effek;
Thiddir on our message thus we the direk”,
Said Iupiter, and Mercur but arest
Dressyt to obey hys gret faderis behest;
And first ontill hys feyt fast buklyt he
Hys goldyn weyngis, quharwith he doith fle,
Quhen so hym lyst, abuf the fludis on hyght,
Or on the erth, with gret fard and swyft flycht;
Syne tuke his wand, quharwith, as that thai tell,
The pail sawlis he cachis furth of hell,
And other sum tharwith gan schet full hoyt
Deip in the sorofull grisly hellys pote—
Quharwith he makis folk sleip, magre thar hed,
And revis fra othir al sleip, and to the ded
Closis thar eyn, and brekis the stryngis tway—
Throu help tharof he chasys the wyndis away,
And trubly clowdis dyvidis in a thraw.
Tho furth he fleys, till at the last he saw
The heich top and sydis braid onevyn
Of hard Atlas, baryng on his crown the hevyn,
The mysty clowdis cirkilland his hed about
(Quharon of fyrryn treis stant mony rowt,
With wynd and storm full oft to schaik and blaw),
Hys schulderis heildit with new fallyn snaw;
Furth of the chyn of this ilk hasard auld
Gret fludis ischis, and styf ise schokyllis cauld
Doun from his stern and grysly berd hyngis.
Heir first Mercur, with evynly schynand weyngis,
Gan hym arest, and with hail fard fra thens
Vnto the sey fludis maid hys discens.
Lyke till a fowle that, endlang the cost syde,
About the strandis, of fysch plentuus, and wyde,
Fleys by the watyr, skummand the fludis law;
Betwix the hevyn and erth, the sam wyss, flaw
Mercury, clepit the child Cyllenyus,
Discendyng from hys moder granscher thus,
The sandy costis and desertis of Lyby,
And eik the wyndis, persyng by and by.
And, with the weyngit solys of hys feyt,
As he of Cartage fyrst tred on the streyt,
Eneas foundand towris he gan aspy,
And garrand beild new lugyngis byssyly:
Belt he wes with a swerd of mettale brycht
Of quham the scawbart with brown iasp wes pight;
His rych array dyd our hys schuldris hyng,
Bet of a purpour claith of Tyre glittering,
Fettysly stykkit with prynnyt goldyn thredis;
Of mychty Didois gift wrocht all his wedis.
Mercur recontris hym and said onon:
“Of Cartage now the prowd wallis of stone
Thou foundis,” quod he, “and biggis at al devyce
A cite, excersyt intill a wyfis seruyce,
Thyne awyn materis and realm forȝetting, allace!
Hiddir onto the, from his bricht hevynly place,
The governour of goddis heth me sent,
Quhilk rewlys at will erd, hevyn and elyment;
He bad me throw the skyis bair this charge:
Quhat beildis thou heir in Lyby or Cartage?
Or to quhat fyne or beleif takis on hand
To waist thi tyme into this fremmyt land?
Gif that na lavd ne honour move the list
Of sa hie thingis as ar to the promyst,
Nor thi selvyn thou wil not occupy
To purchess thine awyn renown ne glory,
Ȝyt than behald Ascanyus vpwalxing,
And the gret hope of his seid and ofspring,
Quhamtil the realm and kynryk of Itaill,
With Romys boundis, beyn destinate, sans faill.”
On syk wyss thus carpys Mercuryus,
And in the myddis of his sermond, thus,
He vanyst far away, I wait nevir quhar,
Furth of this mortale syght, in the schyre ayr.
Bot than Ene half mad and dum stude als,
Vpstart his hair, the voce stak in his hals.
Sayr he langis to fle and to depart;
And that sweit cuntre, on the tother part,
To leif ful laith wes hym, or go at large.
Astonyst he wes to syt sa hie a charge—
Or dysobey the gret godis beheste
(Allace! quhat suld he do? oneth he wist);
Or with quhat wordis suld he now assay
The amorus queyn forto requir and pray;
Or on quhat wyss hys taill he mycht begyn;
Baith to and fra compasyng, hys breist within,
Feill purpossys for euery part about.
And, at the last, thus as he stude in dout,
Thys resson hym semyt fynaly the best:
He callys to hym Mynestheus and Sergest
And strang Cloanthus, and bad thai suld in hy
Do graith hys schyppys and navyn secretly,
And gaddir hys folkis towart the cost togydder,
Armour and al thyng necessar bring thyddir,
And to dissymyll, gif ony axit quhy
Thai thus addressyt thar geyr sa suddanly.
Hym self, he said, the meyn quhile, suld assay
To purches leif to pass and go away,
And wait hys tyme to speke tharof maist habill,
Quhen that the queyn Dido, maist honorabil,
Suld not beleif sa sone he kouth depart,
Nor sa gret luf dissyvir mycht be na art.
At hys command thai al glaidly furth went
And bissely begouth speid hys entent.
Bot sone the queyn persavyt al the slycht—
Quhay may begile a luffer, day or nycht?
Thar departing at hand fyrst scho aspyis,
Dredyng all sovir thing, as is the gyss
Of euery luffar altyme to stand in feir.
This ilke cursyt Fame we spak of eyr
Bair to the amorus queyn noyss and gan rown,
“The schippis ar grathand, to pass thai mak thaim boun.”
Quharfor, inpacient and myndles in hir rage,
Scho wyskis wild throu the town of Cartage,
Syk wyss as quhen thir nunnys of Bachus
Ruschis and relis our bankis, brays and buss,
Quhen, euery thryd ȝeir, on thar payane gyss,
Thar goddis feist thai hallow with lowd cryis,
That, al the nycht, the mont of Cytheron
Resoundis of thar clamour, quhar thai gone.
And at the last, ȝit thus, of hir fre will,
Eftir lang musyng, scho spak Eneas tyll:
“With dissymulance wenyt thou, onfaithfull wight,
Thou mycht haue hyd fra me sa fals a slycht,
And, myne onwyttyng, steill furth of my land?
That nothir our gret lufe, promys, nor rycht hand
Gevyn me vmquhile, may the heir withhald,
Nor cruel deth of Didois corss so cald!
Gif thou depart (and forthir quhat wald thou do,
In wyntir sesson press graith thi navy, lo!)
And the address to pass throu the wod see,
Myd tyme quhen stormys and wyndis blaw maist hie—
Art thou sa cruel? I put the cace, alsso,
That to nane onkouth landis the list go
Nother to fremmyt place, nor stedis will,
Bot that auld Troy war ȝyt vpstandand still;
Aucht thou, ȝit than, leif this weilfair and ioy,
And in sik perrell seik throu the sey to Troy?
Quhat! wilt thou fle from me? allace! allace!
Be all thir teris trygland our my face,
And be that rycht hand vmquhile thou me gave
(Sen to my self nocht ellis left I have,
Now wrachit catyve), be our treuth plychting eyk,
And be our spowsage begunnyn, I the beseik,
Gif euer ony thank I deservit towart the,
Or ocht of myne to the wes leif”, quod sche,
“Haue mercy of our lynnage reddy to spill;
Gif tyme remanys ȝyt thou heir prayeris will,
This fremmyt mynd, I pray ȝou, do away.
For the I haue beyn hatyt, this mony a day,
With all the pepill of Affrik, and with the kyng
That rewlys the land of Numyda and ryng;
For the myne awyn Tyrianys ar with me wraith;
For the is womanheid went and wirschip baith,
And my first fame, lavd and renownye,
Quharby I wes rasyt to the starnys hie.
Reddy to de and my selvyn to spill,
My sweit gest, quhamto thou me leif will?
My gest, ha God! quhou al thyng now invane is,
Quhen of my spowss nane othir name remanys!
Bot quharto suld I my ded langar delay?
Sal I abyde quhile thou be went away,
And quhil myne awyn brothir, Pigmaleon,
Bet down the wallis of my cite onon,
Or stern Hyarbas, kyng of Getule,
Led me away into captiuite?
Bot, at the leist, tofor thi wayfleyng,
Had I a child consavyt of thyne ofspryng,
Gif I had ony ȝong Eneas small,
Befor me forto play within my hall,
Quhilk representit by symylitude thi face,
Than semyt I nocht, thus wyss, allace! allace!
Aluterly dissauyt nor dissolate.”
Thus said the queyn Dido, in febil estate.
Bot, apon Iovis message fermly he
Stude musyng so, he movit nocht ane e,
Refrenyt his will, hydand in hart his thocht,
And, at the last, thir few wordis hess furth brocht:
“O gentil queyn, that sall I nevir deny,
Thy gude deid and desart is mair worthy
Than thou with wordis or tong may expreme;
Nor it sal nevir me irk, na ȝyt mysseym,
The worthy Dido to hald in fresch memory,
So lang as that my self remembir may I,
Or quhil the spreit of lyfe this body steris.
As the mater requiris, a litil heris:
I purposyt nocht forto hyde thyftuusly
My vayage, nor, as ȝe weyn, secretly
Away to steil; quhat nedis ȝou sa tofeyn?
For I pretendit nevir, be na meyn,
With ȝou to mak the band of mariage,
Nor in that ȝok, ne frendschip in Cartage,
Ȝyt come I nevir: bot gif the fatis, but pled,
At my plesour sufferit me lyfe to led,
At my fre wil my warkis to modyfy,
The cite of Troy than first agane suld I
Restore, and of our deir frendis remanys
Gaddir togiddir, and to the venquist Troianys
Raparal with my handis agane thar wallis,
And beild vp Priamus palyce at now fallis.
Bot sen Appollo, clepit Gryneus,
Gret Italy to seik commandis wss,
To Itale eik oraclys of Lycia
Admonyst ws, but mair delay, to ga;
Thar is my lust now and delyte at hand,
Thar is my cuntre and my natyve land.
Gif the, of Cartage the burgh and towris swa,
Quhilk art a woman of Phenycia,
And the aspect of citeis Affricane
Delytis, and withhaldis heir toremane,
Quhat wrang is it, causs of envy or schame,
Thocht Troianys seik to Itale for thar hame?
Or is it nocht als lesum and ganand
That fynaly we seik to onkouth land?
Als oft as day is gone, and the dyrk nycht
With hir donk schaddow hydis of the erth the sycht,
Als oft as schynyng starnys doith vpryss,
My faderis gost, Anchises, als feil syss
Into my sleip mannasis me tharto fast,
And oft his feirfull ymage doith me agast;
And in lyke wyss the child Ascanyus,
Quhais deir hed suffir iniurys is hard to ws,
Quham of the realm of Itail I defraud,
And fra the grond to hym promyst withhawd.
Be athir of our hedis this I sweir;
Now laitly eik of goddis the messynger,
From hie Iupiter in hasty message sent,
Down throu the ayr brocht the ilk commandment:
On fair day lycht, myne awyn self dyd I se
Mercur the god entyr in this cite,
And his wordis with thir sam eris hard I.
With thy complayntis ony langar, forthy,
Lat be to vex me, or thy self to spyll,
Sen I seik nocht to Itale with fre will.”
Dydo, aggrevit ay quhil he his tayl tald,
With acquart luke gan towart hym behald,
Rollyng vmquhile hir eyn, now heir, now thar,
With syght onstabil waverand our alquhar,
And all enragyt thir wordis gan furth braid:
“Nothir wes a goddes thy moder, as is sayd,
Nor ȝyt Kyng Dardanus cheif stok of thi kyn,
Thou treuthless wyght, bot of a cald, hard quhyn
The clekkyt that horribill mont, Cawcasus hait—
Thou sowkyt nevir womanis breist, weil I wait,
Bot of sum cruel tygir of Araby
The pappis the fosterit in the wod Hyrcany.
To quhat effect suld I hym langar perswaid,
Or quhat bettir may beleve than he hess said?
Quhiddir gif he murnyt quhen we wepit and walyt?
Quhiddir gif he steryt his eyn, as ocht hym alyt?
Quhidder gif for rewth he furth ȝet anys a teyr
Or of hys lufe had piete? Na, not to ȝeir.
Quhou sal I begyn, quhat first, quhat last to say?
Now, now, nothir gretast Iuno, wallaway,
Nor Saturnys son, hie Iupiter, with iust eyn
Hess our querrell considerit, na ourseyn;
For no quhar now faith nor lawte is fund.
I ressavyt hym schypbrokkyn fra the sey grund,
Wilsum, and mystyrfull of al warldis thyng,
Syne, myndles, maid hym my fallow in this ryng:
Hys navy lost reparalyt I, but faill,
And hys feris fred from the deth alhaill.
Allace! enragyt or enchantit am I;
Quhen now Appollo, with hys sossery,
And quhilis, he says, the kavillys of Lycia,
And quhilis, fra Iupiter down sent alsswa,
The messynger of goddis bryngis throu the skyis
Sa feirful charge and command on this wyss:
Lyke as the goddis abufe nocht ellys rocht,
Bot on thi passage war al thar cuyr and thocht.
Nothir wil I hald the, nor thi wordis contrar:
Pass on thi way, towart Itale thou fair;
Seik throu the fludis with wyndis to that ryng.
Forsuyth, gif reuthfull goddis may ony thing,
Amyd thi way, I traist on rolkis blak
Thou sal deir by thy treuth thou to me brak,
And clep oft my richt name, ‘Dido, Dido!’
With fyre infernale, in thine absens alsso,
I sal the follow; and, fra the cald ded
Reif from my membris this sawle, in euery sted
My gost salbe present the to agryss;
Thou salt, onworthy wyght, apon this wyss
Be punyst weil; and tharof wald I heyr—
The fame tharof sal cum onto myne eyr,
Vndir the erth, amang the schaddowys law.”
And this spokkyn, hir sermond with the ilk saw
Brak scho in twane, ful dolorus in hir thocht:
The lycht scho fled, and als fast as scho mocht
Turnys frawart hym, and wyskyt of hys sycht,
On seir materis leifand hym pensyve wight,
And purposyng to haue said mony thyngis.
The damycellis fast to thar lady thryngis,
That was in dedly swoun plat for dispar:
Vp thai hyr hynt, and to hyr chawmyr bayr,
Quhilk was of marbill wrocht, and in hir bed
Laid softly down apon rych carpettis spred.
Bot ȝyt, althocht the reuthful Eneas
The dolorus queyn to meyss ful bissy was,
To do hir comfort, and hir dyseyss asswage,
And with hys wordis return hir sad curage,
Bewalyng mekill hyr sorow and distress,
Proplexte in mynd by gret lufe; netheless,
The command of the goddis, by and by,
He execut, and vysseys hys navy.
Than byssely the Troianys fell to wark,
And mony gret schyp, ballyngar and bark
Langis the cost brocht in and bet full weill.
Now fletis the mekil holk with tallonyt keyll.
The burgionyt treys on burd thai bring for aris,
Weltis down in woddis gret mastis, and na thing sparis,
Saysyng half onwrocht, so ithand thai war fair bown.
Rynnand heir and thar and wendyng fast of town,
Ȝhe mycht haue seyn thame haist, lyke emmotis grete
Quhen thai depulȝe the mekill byng of quhete,
And in thar byke it careis, all and sum,
Providing for the cald wyntir tocum:
The blak swarm our the feildis walkis ȝarn,
Tursand throu the gerss thar pray to hydlys darn:
Sum on thar nek the gret cornys vpwrelis,
And our the furris bissely tharwith spelys;
Sum constrenyng the otheris fast to wirk,
And sum the sleuthful chasteis, that thocht irk
Of thar labour; quhil euery rod and went
Wolx of thar ithand wark hait, quhar thai went.
Quhat thocht thou now, Dydo, seand thir thingis?
Quhou mony sobbys gave thou and womentyngis
Quhen thou, out of thi castell from the hycht,
The large costis beheld thus at a sycht
Ourspred with Troianys, in fervent bissynes
Gan spedely for thar vayage addres,
And of thar clamour befor thine eyn dyd se
Dyn and resoundyng al the large see?
O wytles lufe! quhat may be thocht or do,
At thou constrenys nocht mortell myndis tharto?
Scho is compellit to fal agane to teris
And Eneas assay with new prayeris,
And condiscendyt hir provd hart to submyt
Onto the strenth of lufe thus anys ȝyt:
Less scho onwar, but causs, hir deth purvayt,
Hir list na thyng behynd leif onassayt.
Till hir scho gan hir systir call inhy:
“Annes,” quod scho, “thou seys how byssely,
Our al the cost, for this vayage haist thai,
And now the wynd blawis weil to sail away:
The maryneris glaid lays thar schippis vndyr croys.
O systir! in tyme kouth I haue trowyt this loyss
And sa gret dolour, I had providyt, but weir,
That this displesour suld haue beyn eith to beir.
And netheless, for me, onhappy wight,
Do this a thing, Annes, with al thi mycht,
Sen ȝon ilk faithles man, deir systir, the
Was wont to cheryss and hald in gret dante
And als hys secretis onto the reveill—
Hys sweit entres sum tyme thou knew ful weill,
Nane bot thou only the tyme of hys cummyng.
Pass on, systir, in my name this a thyng
Say lawly to my provd fa and declair
That in the port Aulyda I neuer swair
With the Grekis the Troianys to distroy,
Nor I non navy send to sege Troy,
Nor ȝyt his fader Anchises graf schent—
I nothir the muldis nor banys tharof rent.
Quhy doith he reffuss my wordis and prayeris
To lat entir in his dul ontretabill eris?
Quhidder haistis he sa fast from hys behufe?
Beseik hym grant ontil his wrachyt lufe
This lattir reward, sen algatis he wil fle:
Tary quhil wynd blaw soft, and stabill see.
His ald promys na mair wil I hym crave,
Nor band of wedlok, quhilk he hes dissave,
Nor ȝyt him pray go not to Italy,
Ne leif fair realmys onto him destany:
A litil delay I ask, but othir eyss,
A space my furour to asswage and meyss,
Quhill that my frawart forton and estait
Of my beleve schaw me I am frustrait,
And tech me for to murn mair paciently.
This lattir gift only at hym ask I.
Haue mercy, systir, of thy systir deyr—
Quhilk seruyce quhen thou done hess, without weir,
I sal the recompens weil twentyfald,
And quhil my ded the sam in memor hald.”
With syklyke wordis hir request scho maid,
Hir supplicatioun, with teris ful onglaid,
Reportis hir systir, and answer brocht agane
Quhou al hir prayeris and desyre was invane,
For al thar wepyng mycht not him anys steir;
Nane of thar wordis lykis hym to heir,
Thocht he of natur was tretabill and curtass.
The fatis war contrar thar desyre netheless,
And hys benyng eris the goddis dyttit,
That of thar askyng thar was nocht admittit.
And lyke as quhen the ancyant aik tre,
With hys byg schank, by north wynd oft we se
Is ombeset, to bet hym down and ourthraw,
Now heir, now thar, with the fell blastis blaw,
The swouchand byr quhisland amang the granys,
So that the hyast branchys, al atanys,
Thar croppys bowis towart the erth als tyte,
Quhen with the dynt the maister schank is smyte;
And, netheles, the ilk tre, fixit fast,
Stikkis to the rochis, not doun bet with the blast:
For quhy? als far as his crop heich on breid
Strekis in the ayr, als far hys rute doith spreid
Deip vndir erth, towart the hell adoun—
The sammyn wyss was this gentil baroun,
Now heir, now thar, with wordis ombeset,
And in his stout breist, ful of thochtis het,
Of reuth and amouris felt the perturbance.
Bot euer his mynd stude ferm, for ony chance
Onmovyt, quhar hys fyrst purposs was set,
That al for nocht the teris war furthȝet.
Than suythly, the fey Dydo, al affrayt,
Seand fatis contrar, eftir deth prayt:
Scho irkit of hir lyfe, or to tak tent
Forto behald the hevynnys firmament.
Tharfor, in takyn hir purposs to fulfill,
And leif the lycht of lyfe, as was hyr will,
As on the altaris byrnand ful of senss
The sacrifyce scho offerit, in hir presence,
A grisly thyng to tell, scho gan behald
In blak adyll the hallowyt watir cald
Changyt and altyr, and furthȝet wynys gude
Onon returnyt into laithly blude.
This visioun sche to nane reveil wald,
Nor ȝyt to An, hir deir systir, it tald.
In wirschip eik, within hir palyce ȝet,
Of hir first husband, was a tempil bet
Of marbill, and hald in ful gret reverens,
With snaw quhite bendis, carpettis and ensens,
And festuale burgeonys arrayt, on thar gyss;
Tharin was hard vocis, spech and cryis
Of hir said spouss, clepand hir ful lowd,
Evir quhen the dyrk nycht dyd the erth schrowd.
And oft with wild scryke the nycht owle,
Heich on the rufe, alane, was hard ȝowle
With langsum voce and a ful petuus beir.
And eik bygane the feirful sawis seyr
Of the dyvynys, with terribil monysyngis,
Affrayt hir by mony grysly syngis.
And in hir sleip, wod wroth, in euery place
Hir semyt cruel Eneas gan hir chace;
And evir, hir thocht, scho was left al alane,
And, but cumpany, mony far way had gane,
To seik hir folkis in a wilsum land—
Lyke Kyng Pentheus, in his wod rage dotand,
Thocht he beheld gret rowtis stand in staill
Of the Ewmenydes, fureys infernale,
And in the lyft twa sonnys schynand cleir,
The cite of Thebes gan dowbil to hym appeir;
Or lyke Orestes, son of Agamenon,
On theatreis, in farcis mony one,
Rowpyt and sung how he his moder fled,
With fyre brondis and blak serpentis ourcled,
And saw the furyis, and grisly goddis fed,
Sittand in the tempill port to wrek hir ded.
Thus quhen Dydo had caucht this frenasy,
Ourset with sorow and syk fantasy,
And determyt fermly that scho wald de,
The tyme quhen and maner quhou it suld be
Compasyng in hir breist, but mair abaid
Onto hir dolorus systir thus scho sayd,
Hir purposs by hir vissage dissymuland,
Schawand by hir cheir gude hope and glad sembland:
“Systir germane,” quod scho, “away ȝour smart;
Beys of ȝour systeris weilfar glaid in hart.
I haue the way fundyn, quharby ȝone syre
Salbe to me rendryt at my desyre,
Or me delyvir from hys lufe al fre.
Neyr by the end of the gret occiane see,
Thar as the son declynys and goys doun,
At the far syde of Ethiope regioun,
A place thar is, quhar that the huge Atlas
On schuldyr rollys the round speir in cumpass,
Full of thir lemand starnys, as we se:
Thar dwellys, systir, as it is schaw to me,
Ane haly nun, a ful gret prophetess,
Born of the pepill of Massylyne, I gess,
And wardane of the ryal tempil, thai sa,
Set in the gardyngis hecht Hesperida,
And to the walkryfe dragon mete gave sche,
That kepyt the goldyn apyllis in the tre,
Strynkland to hym the wak hunny sweit,
And sleipryfe chesbow seyd, to quykkyn his spreit.
This woman hechtis, with hir enchantmentis,
From luffis bandis to lowss al thar ententis
Quham so hir lyst, and bynd other sum alsso
In langsum amouris vehement payn and wo.
The rynnand fludis thar watir stop kan scho mak,
And eik the starnys turn thar courss abak,
And on the nycht the ded gastis assemmyll:
Vndir thi feyt the erd rayr and trymmyll
Thou most se, throw hir incantatioun,
And from the hillys treys discendyng down.
To wytnes the gret goddis draw I heyr,
And thy sweit hed, myne awyn systir deir,
Agane my wil, ful sayr constrenyt am I
Art magyk to excers or sossary.
Richt secretly intil our innar closs,
Vndir the oppyn sky, to this purposs
Pass on, and of treys thou byg a byng
Tobe a fyre, and tharapon thou hyng
Ȝon mannys sword, quhilk that wikkyt wight
Left stykand in our chawmyr this hyndir nyght,
Hys cote armour, and othir clethyng all,
And eik that maist wrachit bed coniugall,
Quharin I perychit and wes schent, allace!
For so the religyus commandyt hass,
To omdo and distroy al maner thyng
Quhilk may ȝon wareit man to memor bring.”
This sayd, scho held hir tong; and tharwithall
Hir vissage wolx als pail as ony wall.
Thocht Annes wenyt not hir systir wald
Graith sacryfice for hir ded body cald,
Nor that syk fury was in hyr breist consavyt;
For by na resson dred sche, nor persavyt
Now mor displesour or harmys apperand
Than for Sycheus ded, hir first husband:
Quharfor, scho hes hir command done ilk deill.
Bot quhen the gret byng was vpbeildit weill
Of ayk treys and fyrryn schydis dry,
Within the secrete closs, vndyr the sky,
The place with flowris and garlandis stentis the queyn,
And crownys about with funerale bewis greyn.
Abuf the mowe the forsaid bed was maid,
Quharin the figur of Ene scho layd,
Hys clethyng and hys sword at he had left,
Ramembring weill the thyng that followyt eft.
Feill altaris stude about the fyre funerale,
And the religyus nun, with hair down skaill,
Thre hundreth goddis with hir mouth rowpyt sche—
Herebus, the grysly of the deyp hellys see,
Chaos, confoundar of elymentis, alssua,
And the thrynfald goddes Proserpina,
The thre figuris of the virgyn Dyan.
And evir the watir strynklis scho onan,
Contyrfait tobe of Avernus the well,
Quhilk lowch is situate at the mouth of hell.
Spryngand herbys eftir the courss of the moyn
War socht, and with brasyn hukis cuttit soyn,
To get thar mylky sap and vennom blak.
Thai seik alsso, and owt gan rent and tak
The lump betwix the new born folys eyn,
And fra the moder byreft the lufe sa greyn,
The queyn hir self fast by the altar standis,
Haldand the meldyr in hir devote handis,
Hir ta fute bayr, and the bandis of threyd
Nocht festynnyt, bot hung by hyr lowyss weyd;
And, remembring scho was in poynt to de,
The goddis all onto wytnes drew sche,
The starnys and planetis, gydaris of fatis,
And gif thar ony deite be, that watis
Or persavys luffaris inequale of behest,
To have in memor hir iust causs and request.
The nycht followys, and euery wery wight
Throu owt the erth hath caucht, onon rycht,
The sownd plesand sleip thame lykit best.
Woddis and rageand seys war at rest;
As the starnys thar myd courss rollys doun,
All feildis still, but othir noyss or sown,
All beistis and byrdis of diuerss cullouris seir,
And quhatsumeuer in the braid lowys weir,
Or, amang buskis harsk, leyndis vndir the spray,
Throu nychtis sylence slepit quhar thai lay,
Mesyng thar bissy thocht and curis smart,
All irksum laubour forȝet and owt of hart.
Bot the onrestles fey spreit dyd not so
Of this onhappy Phenyssane Dydo,
For neuer mair may scho sleip a wynk,
Nor nychtis rest in eyn or breist lat synk.
The hevy thochtis multipleis euer on ane;
Strang luf begynnys to rage and ryss agane
And fellon stormys of ire gan hir to schaik.
Thus fynaly scho owt bradis, allaik!
Rollyng alane seir thyngis in hir thocht:
“Ha! quhat do I?” quod scho, “all is for nocht.
Sall I thus mokkit, and to hething dryve,
My fyrst luffaris agane assay belyve?
Or sal I lawly sum lord Numydane
Pray and beseik of mariage now agane,
Quhom I sa oft lychtlyit to spowss or this?
Na, wyll I not! Quhat, sal I than, I wyss,
Follow the Troiane navy in strange landis,
And reddely obey al thar commandis?
I hope it sal profyte, na litill thyng,
My gret help done thame and suppowellyng;
For amang kynd folkis this is na dreid,
Weil is remembrit the ald thankful deid.
Bot thocht in cace to do this war my will,
Quha wald me suffir my purposs to fulfyll,
Or in thar prowd schippis me ressaue?
Thus drevyn to hethyng, and al thi grace bywave,
Tynt woman, allace! baris thou not ȝyt in mynd
The maynsweryng of fals Laomedonis kynd?
And maratour, quhat ettill I for todo?
A queyn alane to steil away thus, lo!
Accumpanyit bot with mery maryneris?
Or than with all my Tyrianys, as efferis,
And all my power assemblit me about,
On schipburd entyr with al that huge rowt
Quhilk furth of Sydon scarsly draw I mycht,
Sal I thame cach agane our seys lycht?
Byd thame mak saill onon, and a new rayss?
Na, rather de, as thou deservyt hass,
And with a swerd mak of this duyl ane end.
O systir germane, thou me fyrst taucht and kend,
Allace the quhile! and offerit me to my fo;
Thou with thir harmys ourchargit me alsso,
Quhen I fell fyrst into this rage,” quod sche,
“Bot so to do my teris constrenyt the.
Was it not lefull, allace! but cumpany,
To me but cryme in chawmyr alane to ly,
Or led my lyfe lyke to thir beistis wild,
And not beyn thus with thocht nor harmys fild?
Allace! onkepit is the trew cunnand
Hecht to Sycheus assys, my first husband.”
Syk gret complayntis from hir breist bryst kan.
Bot Eneas, sovir to depart or than,
And al hys neidful thyngis grathit, by and by,
Heich in hys eft schyp sownd slepand kan ly;
Quhamto in visioun the sam god dyd appeir,
In syklyke figur as that he dyd eyr,
Onto Mercuryus lyke, in al fasson,
Baith cullour of vissage and of vocis sown,
In form of a ȝongker with membris fair,
Plesand of cheir, and ȝallow glitterand hair.
Hym thocht agane he monyst on this wyss:
“Son of the goddes, quhou is this heir thou lyis?
Quhat, may thou vndir sa gret danger sleip,
And al forvayit takis nothir cuyr nor keyp
For tobehald quhat perrellys about the standis
Nor harknys the fair wynd blawys of landis?
Scho quham thou knawys, within hir breist ful hait
Sorowfull vengeans compasis and dissait,
And certanly determyt forto de,
In diuerss stowris of ire brandysys sche.
Quhy wilt thou not fle spedely be nycht,
Quhen forto haist thou hess laser and mycht?
Thou salt, onon, behald the seys large
All ombeset with toppyt schyp and barge.
The feirful brandis and blesys of hait fyre,
Reddy to byrn thi schippys, lemand schyre,
And al the cost belyve of flambys scald,
Gyf, quhil to morow, tary in this land thou wald.
Haue done, speid hand, and mak na mair delay,
Variabill and changeand thyngis beyn wemen ay.”
And sayand this, into the dyrk nyght
He gan hym hyde, and vanyst out of sycht.
Eneas, of this hasty visioun affrayit,
Gan start on fut, and fast his feris assayit:
“Awalk onon, get vp, my men, inhy,
Tyte to ȝour wardis, span aris bissely,
Schaik down the salys sone and lat ws wend.
From the hie hevyn the god agane is send,
Lo! spurrand ws to haist and fle away,
And byddis smyte the twyne cabyll in tway.
O blissyt wyght! quhat god at evir thou be,
We sal obey thi charge and follow the,
And thy command fulfyll agane blithly,
Besekyng the assist to ws frendly
Help and support, with prospir influens
The hevyn and starris dress our vayage hens.”
And with that word, hys scherand sword als tyte
Hynt owt of scheith, the cabil in twa gan smyte.
The sam maner of haist caucht al the lave;
Thai hurl away, ankyrris vphynt and rave,
Left the costis desert on athir sydis.
The stabil sey vndir the schippis slydis;
The stour of fame vpwelt thai egyrly,
And swepis our the haw fludis inhy.
Be this Aurora, leifand the purpour bed
Of hir lord Titan, heth the erd ourspred
With new days licht, and quhen the queyn
The first grekyng of the day hes seyn
And fra hir hie wyndoys gan espy,
With bent sail furth caryand, the navy,
The costis and the schor al desolate
Behaldis eik but owthir schip or bate,
Hir fayr quhite breist, thar as scho dyd stand,
Feil tymys smate scho with hir awyn hand,
And ryvand hir bricht haris petuusly,
“Iupiter,” quod scho, “sal he depart, ha, fy!
And leful tyll a vavengeour stranger
Me and my realm betrump on this maner?
Sal not my menȝe to harnes ryn in hy
Our al the town, and follow bissely?
Speid, tak ȝon schippys! on burd fast to the raid!
Haist sone, and kast on thame fyre blesis braid!
Schute dartis thik, and qwel thame with ȝour glavys . . .
Quhat said I or quhar am I? Now thou ravys;
Quhat wodness, fey Dydo, movis thi mynd?
Now art thou hyt with frawart werdis onkynd?
Sa til haue done than had bene mair ganand
Quhen thou hym gave the ceptour of thi land.
Ha! now behald hys gret prowes,” quod sche,
“Hys reuthful piete and faith! Is not ȝon he
Quham, as thai say, the goddis of hys land
In hys navy careis our sey and sand?
Is not ȝon he quhom on his schulderis, thai say,
For reuth his agit fader bair away?
Mycht I not caucht and rent in pecis his corss,
Syne swak the gobbettis in the sey by forss
Of hym and all hys fallowys? Weill I mocht!
And eik ȝone sam Ascanyus mycht I nocht
Haue trynschit with a sword, and maid a meyss
To his fader tharof to eyt at deyss?
Forsuyth, in cace the aventur of bataill
Had beyn doutsum, wald God it war assaill!
Quham sall I dreid, now reddy forto de?
Wald God I mycht, in ȝon navy I se,
The hait fyre brandis set, and euery boyr
Fyll all with flambys red, and forthirmor
Baith fader and son, with hail generacioun,
That I had brynt, distroyit and bryttnyt doun,
And thame abuf syne ded my self had laid!
O thou brycht son, that, with thi bemys glayd,
All erdly laubour clengis, circuland about;
And thou Iuno, mediatrix, but dout,
Of al thir hevy thochtis, and weill thame knawis;
And thou Proserpyne, quhilk, by our gentile lawys,
Art rowpit hie and ȝellyt lowd by nyght,
In forkyt ways, with mony mudy wight;
And ȝe infernale fureys, that wrekis al wrang;
And ȝe goddis eik, quham now amang
Dido standis reddy tocum in poynt to de;
Ressaue thir wordis quhilkis I sal say,” quod sche,
“Withdraw fra hyme ȝour gret mychtis, quharby
Schrewis aucht be punyst for thar cryme, and not I;
And thir our prayeris accept, we ȝou beseik.
Gyf it be necessar and determyt eik
Ȝon wikkit hed in portis of Itale
To entir and cum or to thai boundis saill,
And gyf the fatis and Iove wil it be so
And hess decreit he fynaly thyddir go,
Ȝit, at the lest, thar mot he be assail,
With hardy pepill ay trublyt in bataill,
By forss of armys expellyt hys boundis eik,
Far from Ascanyus help, constrenyt beseik
Ayd and supple, and als that he behald
Feil cayrfull corsys of hys folk ded and cald,
And quhen alsso hym self submyt hes he
Vndir payce and lawis of iniquite,
That he bruke nowthir realm, nor gude lyfe led,
Bot fal fey or his day, and sone be ded,
And ly onerdyt in myddis of the sandis.
Thys I beseik ȝou hevand vp my handis;
Thys is my lattir word at I conclude,
Furthȝettand it togiddir with my blude.
And forthirmor, O ȝe my Tyrianys,
Quhilk now in Affrik at Cartage remanys,
Ȝon clan, with thar successioun and kynrayd,
Persew with haitrent perpetual, and invaid;
Onto my assys grant this a gift,” quod sche.
“Nevir luf nor payce betwix thir pepill be.
Of our levingis sum revengar mot spryng,
With fyre and sword to persew and doun thryng
The lauboreris discend from Dardanus.
Now fra thyne furth, all that succedis til ws,
Quhen euer thai may fynd tyme, with strenth and mycht
Batail to batail mot thai debait in fyght;
Thir costis mot be to tharis contrar ay,
And to thar stremys our seys frawart, I pray,
Thar ofspring eik amang thame self mot debate.”
Thus said scho, and with that word, God wate,
Hir faynt spreit in al partis writhis sche,
Sekand the way, alssone as it mycht be,
Forto bereif hir self the irksum lyve,
Tho callys scho to hyr Barcen belyve,
Nuryss vmquhile to Sychey hir husband,
For hir awyn nuryss in hir native land
Was beryit in to assis broun or than.
“Deir nurys,” quod scho, “fech my sister An;
Byd hir in haist with watir of a flude
Hir body strynkil; the bestis, and the blude,
And clengyng graith scho knawis, with hir bring.
Se on this wyss scho cum, forȝet na thyng;
And thou thy self thine halffettis als array
With haly garland. My will is to assay
And now perform the sacryfyce in hy
That onto Pluto dewly begun haue I,
To mak end of my dolorus thochtis all,
And byrn ȝon Troiane statw in flamb funeral.”
Thus said Dido, and the tother, with that,
Hychit on furth with slaw payss lyke a trat.
Bot now the hasty, egyr and wild Dydo,
Into hyr cruell purposs enragyt so,
The bludy eyn rollyng in hir hed,
Wan and ful paill for feir of the neir ded,
With chekis freklyt, and al of tychirris bysprent,
Quakyng throu dreid, ruschit furth, or scho wald stent,
Onto the innar wardis of hyr place,
As wod woman clam on the byng, allace!
And furth scho drew the Troiane swerd, fute hait,
A wapyn was neuer wrocht for syk a nate.
And sone as sche beheld Eneas clething,
And eik the bed bekend, a quhile wepyng,
Stude musyng in hir mynd, and syne, but baid,
Fel in the bed, and thir last wordis said:
“O sweit habyte, and lykand bed,” quod sche,
“So lang as God lyst suffir and destane,
Ressaue my blude, and this sawle that on flocht is,
And me delyvir from thir hevy thochtis.
Thus lang I levyt haue, and now is spent
The term of lyfe that forton heth me lent;
For now my gret gost vndir erth mon go.
A richt fair cite haue I beild alsso,
Myne awyn wark and wallys behald haue I,
My spowss wrokyn of my brothir ennemy,
Fra hym byreft hys tressour, and quyt hym weill.
Happy, allace! our happy, and ful of seyll,
Had I beyn, only gyf that neuer nane
At our cost had arryvit schip Troiane.”
And sayand this, hir mouth fast thristis sche
Doun in the bed: “Onwrokyn sal we de?
De ws behufis,” scho said, “and quhou beheld!”
And gan the scharp sword to hir breist vphald;
“Ȝa, thus, thus lykis ws starve and to depart!”
And with that word, rave hir self to the hart.
“Now lat ȝon cruel Troiane swelly and se
This our fyre funerale from the deip see,
And of our deth turss with hym fra Cartage
Thys takyn of myscheif in hys vayage,”
Quod scho; and tharwith gan hir seruandis behald
Hir fallyn and stekit on the irne cald,
The blude outbullyrand on the nakyt swerd,
Hir handis furthsprent. The clamour than and rerd
Went to the toppys of the large hallys;
The noyss ran wild out our the cite wallis,
Smate all the town with lamentabil murnyng.
Of greting, gowlyng and wyfly womentyng
The ruffis dyd resound, bray and rayr,
Quhil huge bewalyng al fordynnyt the air—
Nane other wyss than thocht takyn and doun bet
War al Cartage, and with ennemyss ourset,
Or than thar natyve cite the town of Tyre,
And furyus flambe, kendillit and byrnand schyre,
Spredyng fra thak to thak, baith but and ben,
Als weil our templis as howsis of othir men.
Hir systir An, spreitles almaist for dreid,
Herand sa feirful confluens thyddir speid,
With nalys ryvand reuthfully hir face,
And smytand with hir nevis hir breist, allace!
Fast ruschis throu the myddis of the rowt,
And on the throwand, with mony sprauch and schout,
Callys by name: “Systir germane,” quod scho,
“Och! was this it thou fenȝeit the to do?
Hess thou attempyt me with syk dissait?
This byng of treys, thir altaris and fyris hait,
Is this the thyng thai haue onto me dycht?
Quhat sall I first compleyn, now dissolate wight?
O deir systir, quhen thou was reddy to de,
Ha! quhy hess thou sa far dyspysyt me
As to reffuss thi systir with the to wend?
Thou suld haue callyt me to the sammyn end,
That the ilk sorow, the sammyn swerd, bath tway,
And the self hour, mycht haue tane hyne away.
Thys funeral fyre with thir handis biggyt I,
And with my voce dyd on our goddis heir cry,
To that effect as, cruel, tobe absent,
Thou beand thus sa duylfully heir schent!
Sistir, allace! with my counsell haue I
The, and my self, and pepill of Sydony,
The heris all, and eik thi fayr cite,
Distroyt and ondeyn for ay,” quod sche.
“Fech hiddir sone the well watir lew warm,
To wesch hir woundis, and hald hir in myne arm;
Syne with my mowth at I may sowk, and se
Gyf spreit of lyve left in hir body be.”
This sayand, the hie byng ascendis onane,
And gan enbrayss half ded hir systir germane,
Culȝeand in hir bosum, and murnand ay,
And with hir wympil wipyt the blude away.
And scho agane, Dydo, the dedly queyn,
Pressyt fortil vplift hir hevy eyn,
Bot tharof falys; for the grysly wound
Deip in hir breist gapis wyde and onsound.
Thryss scho hir self raxit vp to ryss;
Thryss on hir elbok lenys; and als feill syss
Scho fallys bakwart in the bed agane.
With eyn rollyng, and twynkland vp ful fane,
Assays scho to spy the hevynnys lyght,
Syne murmouris, quhen scho tharof gat a sycht.
Almychty Iuno havand reuth, by this,
Of hir lang sorow and tarysum ded, I wyss,
Hir mayd Irys from the hevyn hess send
The throwand sawle to lowyss, and mak ane end
Of al the iuncturis and lethis of hir corss;
Becauss that nothir of fatis throu the forss
Nor ȝit by natural ded peryschit sche,
Bot fey in hasty furour emflambyt hie
Befor hir day had hir self spilt,
Or that Proserpyne the ȝallow haris gilt
From hir fortop byreft, or dubbyt hir hed
Onto the Stygian hellis flude of ded.
Tharfor dewy Iris throu the hevyn
With hir safron weyngis flaw ful evin,
Drawand, quhar scho went, forgane the son cleir,
A thousand cullouris of diuerss hewys seir,
And abufe Dydoys hed arest kan:
“I am commandyt,” said scho, “and I man
Omdo this hayr, to Pluto consecrate,
And lowis thi sawle out of this mortale stait.”
Thys sayand, with rycht hand hess scho hynt
The hair, and cuttis in twa, or that scho stynt;
And tharwithall the natural heyt outquent,
And, with a puft of aynd, the lyfe furthwent.