University of Virginia Library

Onon Eneas induce gan to the play,
With arowys forto schute quha wald assay;
The pryce tharfor ordanys; and syne, but let,
With forss of mennys handis vp hess set
Amyd the greyn Sergestus schippys mast;
Apon the top tharof gart fessyn fast
A fleand dow intil a cord, quharat
Thai suld thar arowys schuyt. The men with that
Conuenyt togiddir, and in a helm of steill
Thar kavillys haue thai castyn fair and weill.
And first of al, with frendly noyss and sound,
Hyppocaon the first place hys hess fond,
That was of kynrent cummyn from Hirtacus;
Quham nixt eftyr followys Mynestheus,
Victour afor amang the schip bargane—
The grene olyve about hys forhed schane.
The thryd kavill betyd Evricyus,
Thy brodir, O maist doughty Panderus,
Quhilk vmquhile, forto brek the trewis command,
On the Grekis fyrst set with speir in hand.
And of the helmys boddom al thar last
The ancyant kyng Acestes lot furth past,
Quhilk, for Eneas sayk, durst anys assay
With hys awyn hand ȝong mennys sport and play.
Than euery man, accordyng thar strenth ful meyt,
Thair byg bowys gan bend, and at thar feyt
Dyd schaik onone thar arowys of thar cayss.
Ȝong Hippocaon, quhilk had the first place,
A quhidderand arow leyt spang fra the stryng,
Towart the hevyn fast throu the ayr dyd thryng;
The mastis top it hyt, and tharin stak,
Quhil al the tre trymlyt with the swak;
The fowle affrayt flychtris on hir weyngis;
Of gret rumour than al the feildis ryngis.
Nixt scharp Mynestheus, war and avysye,
Onto the hed hess halyt vp on hie
Baith arow and eyn, etland at the mark.
Bot it was reuth, the fowle, for al hys wark,
Ne mycht he twich; and netheless ȝyt quyte
The bandis and lyamys in twa dyd he smyte,
Quharwith, by baith the feyt, thar fast was sche
Attachit at the mastis top onhie;
Sche in the ayr and dyrk skyis flaw onon.
With arow reddy nokkyt than Ewricion
Plukkis vp inhy hys bow, and maid hys vow
Onto hys brothir Pander; with that the dow
Heich in the lyft ful glaid he gan behald,
And with hir weyngis sorand monyfald;
Hys arow he threw vndir the clowdis blak,
And persyt hir quyte owtthrou the bak;
Hyr lyfe sche lost heich vp in the ayr,
Down fallys ded, and hass brocht with hir thar
The arow brochyt throu owt hir body.
Acestes now alane stude all reddy
To schute, quhen that the pryce was tynt and won;
And netheless to schuyt he hess begun,
And threw ane arow in the ayr on hycht,
Schawand hys craft, and hys byg bowys mycht,
That lowsyt of the takill with a spang.
And sone betyd and in thar sychtis sprang
A fellon grysly monstre and wondryng,
As weil was knaw syne at the endyng;
The feirfull spa men tharof pronosticate
Schrewyt chancis to betyde and bad estate.
For quhy, this schaft, fleand in the moyst ayr,
Brynt in a bless, and the randoun alquhar
With low and flambys gan do notyfy,
And al consumyt vanyst in the sky,
As doys oft starnschoit fallyng fra the hevyn,
Drawand thar eftyr a taill of fyry levin.
Estonyst in thar myndis, abasyt stude
The folk of Sycill and all the Troiane blude;
And netheless maist douchty Eneas
Reffusyt nocht the takyn, bot gan embrass
Acestes glaidly, and rych gyftis hym gave,
Syne said hym thus: “Tak, fader myne, ressaue
Sik favorabill aspectis benevolent
As the gret kyng of hevyn heth to the sent,
That lyst with onkouth syngnys honour the.
Thou sal haue heir this reward and degre,
A cowp of gold engrave with figuris seir,
A presand vmquhile of my fader deir,
Ancyant Anchiss, quham Cysseus, of Trace kyng,
In remembrance hym gave and lufe takynnyng.”
And sayand thus, hys tymplis al, but weir,
He gan involue and belt with grene lawrer,
And syne hess causyt, al the othiris befor,
Proclame Acestes and declair victor.
Nor gentill Euricion hys gloyr envyes nocht,
Quhoubeyt that he only the fowle down brocht,
And in the skyis smait hir ded, ȝyt than
The secund place he tuke as curtass man;
Nixt eftir quham, the wageour hess ressaue
He that the lysch and lyam in sondir drave;
And last rewardyt was he, that hys flycht
Into the mastis top festynnyt on hyght.