University of Virginia Library

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.