University of Virginia Library

Ontyl Anchises graf and theatry
First brocht Ewmolus word, quhou the navy
Was al infyryt. Thai luke and gan behald
The fyre sparkis fleand vp thyk fald
In a blak sop of reik, and fyrst Ascanyus,
As he on horss playt with hys ferys ioyus,
Als swyft and fersly spurris hys steid fute hoyt,
And but delay socht to the trublyt flote.
Hys mastirys, half ded for affray and draid,
Mycht nocht withhald hym—thyddir gan he speid,
And cryit: “Allace, O wrachit citesanys!
Quhat new wodness be this ȝou ourtane is?
Quhou now, quhou now, quhat meyn ȝe for to do?
Ȝour ennemyss floyt, nor Grekis schippys, lo,
Ȝe byrn not, bot al hope of ȝour weil fair!
Se, this is I, ȝour awyn Ascanyus, ayr
Onto my fader!” And with that word his helm
Befor thar feyt al voyd doun dyd he quhelm,
Quharwith in the derenys cled was he
And contryfait the maner of a melle.
Eneas than and al the rowtis Troianys,
Fast as thai mycht, sped thame thiddir atanys.
Bot than the wemen al, for dreid and affray,
Fled heir and thair endlang the cost away,
Socht to woddys and cavys in euery rolk,
Eschamyt with thar deid, knew thar awyn folk,
Thar myndis changit, fled the lycht for dispyte,
Al Iunois rage smate from thar breistis quyte.
Bot not for this the flambys and byrnand bleyss
Dyd stanch thar forss ondantyt, ne appeyss.
The tuffyng kyndillys betwix the plankis wak,
Quharfra outthrawis the pykky smoke coil blak;
The hait fyre consumys fast the howe;
Our al the schip discendys the peralus lowe;
Thar was na strenth of vaillyant men to waill,
Nor large fludis on ȝet, that mycht avail.
Reuthful Ene than of hys schulderis tway
The claith hess rent, and gan the goddys pray,
Vp baith hys handis hevand in the sky:
“Almychty Iove,” quod he, “aluterly
Gyf thou hess not al Troianys at haitrent,
Of gif thi reuthfull clemens takis tent,
As thou was wont, to mennys travel and pyne,
Now, haly fader, thi maieste inclyne;
Grant at our navy this fyre may eschaip,
And from distructioun delyvir and outscrape
Thir sobir trumpys, and meyn graith of Troianys;
Or, gif I haue deseruyt, with the remanys,
Smyte al togyddir ded with feirful thundir;
Lat thi rycht hand heir schaik wss al in sondir.”
Scarss this wes sayd, quhen that a blak tempest
Brays but delay, and al the lyft ourkest;
A huge weyt gan down powre and tumbill;
Hillys and valys trymlyt of thundir rummyll;
The drumly schour ȝet furth our al the ayr
Als blak as pyk, in bubbys heir and thar,
Fyllys the schippys, quhil thai flet our the walys;
Wrayngis half brynt bedyit in watir salys;
That al the forss of fyre was slokyt owt,
And from the perrell salf and out of dowt
Was al the navy, outtake four schippys lost.
And, quhil he rowmys vp and doun the cost,
The fader Eneas, smyte with this smart cace,
Now heir, now thar, gan huge thyngis compace,
Rollyng in mynd quhiddir he suld or nay
Remane in Sycill, or thens pass away,
Or gif he suld seik ȝyt to Italy,
Lyke as he had forȝet hys destany.
Thus as he musyt, stad in sykkyn dowt,
Ane of the eldast herys stude abowt,
Clepyt Nawtes, quham the goddes Mynerve
Our al the layf instrukkyt hym to serve
And rendryt had ful scharp and rype of wyt,
Syk answer gave and plane declaris it,
Quhat pretendis this fellon goddes greif,
And eik, accordyng thar fatis, quhat was releif,
And comfortand Eneas, thus gan say:
“Son of the goddes, lat wss follow that way,
Bakwart or fordwart, quhyddir our fatis dryve;
Quhat evir betyde, this is na bute to stryve;
All chance of forton tholand ourcummyn is.
Heir is thi tendir frend Troiane, I wyss,
Worthy Acestes, of dyvyne lynnage;
Cal hym to the in counsale, wyss and sage,
And weil willyng to thi purposs to apply.
Leif with hym all may nocht in thi navy
Be tursyt now, for lak of schippis lost;
Als syk as beyn ennoyt and irk almost
Of thi gret purposs, thi dedis and efferis;
And thai that beyn agyt passyt dait of ȝeris,
Or ald matronys wery of the see;
Wail out al thame beyn waik and onweilde,
Or ȝyt afferyt beyn in ilke affray—
Syk cummyrryt wightis suffir, I the say,
To haue ane hald and dwel heir in this land;
The cite salbe, as was first cunnand,
Acesta clepyt, eftir Acestes kyng.”
With syk wordis and prudent sermonyng
Of hys wyss agit frend, than Eneas
On all sydis gan ithandly cumpass
Quhat was to do; and as the dirk nycht
Rollyt hys cart ourthourt the polys bricht,
Eftir that all was went to rest and pace,
The ymage of hys fader Anchises
Gan from the hevin appeir, and but abaid
Ontil Eneas heth thir wordis said:
“O thou my child, derrer, so mot I thrive,
Quhil that I levit, than myne awin lyve;
O son, in Troiane fatis exercit sayrly;
Hiddir, at the command of Iove, cummyn am I,
Quhilk from thi navy stanchit the fyre,” quod he,
“And from hie hevin at last heth reuth on the.
Follow the counsale is maist ganand and heynd,
That agit Nautes gave the, thi trew frend,
And chose ȝong men of hart maste curagiouss
Turss in Itale with the, I tel the thus;
A dour pepill, and of conditioun fell,
The nedis in Latium ourcum in batell,
Bot first, of Pluto the infernale see,
And deip regioun of hell, behufis the se,
To cum and speke with me, myne awin son deir.
Be nocht agast, my child, and haue na feir,
For I am nocht withhald, I lat the wyt,
In Tartarus, the soroful hellys pyt,
Nor drery pottis deip of saulis paill,
Bot in the hailsum rowtis, furth of baill,
I dwel amyd the plane of Elyse.
The chaist virgyn Sibil wil convey the
The rycht way thidder, quhilk at thou sal tak
By blude offerit of mony bestis blak.
Thar sal thou lern all thi genolegy,
And quhat cite is to the destany.
Adew, as now na langar dwell I may.
The donk nycht is al maist rollyt away,
And the ferss Orient wil at I withdraw—
I feil the ayndyng of hys horssys blaw.”
Thus hes he said, and with that word, but mair,
Vanyst away, as the reik in the ayr.
And quhen Eneas saw him pass, he said,
“Quhidder bradis thou now sa fast, without abaid?
Quhidder hastis thou swa? Quhom fleys thou? . . . Me, allace?
Quhat is the let I may the nocht enbrace?”
Thus sayand the assys and coverit fyre bet he;
To Troiane Ingil, and the cannos Veste,
Within hys secret closet maid reuerence,
With hallowyt flour, deuotely, and incence;
Syne sone assemlyt his feris all in press,
Bot first of al the ancyant Acestes;
The wil and plesour of Iove schew thame cleir,
And eik the charge brocht by hys fader deir,
And tald thame planely his mynd and desyre.
Thai tary nocht at counsale, for this syre,
Acestes, was al reddy at command.
Than al tha folk quhilk list bide in that land,
For this new cite titil thai and writis;
The matronys first, and sik as nocht delytis
Nor hess in cure desyre of hie renoun,
Thai deput, and thai ordand for this town.
Thar hechis and thar ourloftis syne thai beit,
Plankis and gestis gret, squair and meit,
Into thar schippis ionand with mony a dynt,
In sted of thame war with the flambys brynt;
Thar cabillis new, and thar hed towis reparis,
And gan to forge newly wrayngis and ayris.
In numbir war thai bot a few menȝe,
Bot thai war quyk and vailliant in melle.
In the meyn tyme, Eneas with a pleuch
The cite circulit, and merkit be a seuch;
By cavillys syne the tenementis dyd depart;
Heir ordanys Ilion, and, in ȝondir art,
Of Troy commandis beld othir memoriallis.
Of this new cite and thir frendly wallis
Glaid wolx Troiane Acestes, and, but mair,
Did mak proclame thar merkattis and thar fair,
And all the hedismen gadderis and set doun,
Stabillis thar lawys and statutis for that town.
Syne, on the top of Erix the montane,
Full neir the lift, thai found, of marbill stane,
A tempil to Venus of Idalia,
And about Anchiss sepultur alssua
Ane hallowit schaw on breid as sanctuar
Plantit thai haue and stabillit prestis thar.