University of Virginia Library

The Proloug of the Saxt Buke

Qwil on this wyss ilk man occupyit was,
Reuthful Eneas bownys him to pas
Onone to serss the strenth and tempil tho
Dedicat ontil the myghty Apollo,
That feirfull gowsty cave far from the way,
And secret hald of Sibilla the may,
Quhais hait memor and resson oft infyrit
Delyus, the prophet divyne, and so inspirit
That scho the secretis fortocum did knaw.
With this thai entrit in the hallowit schaw
Of the thrynfald passynger Dyane,
And howss of brycht Apollo gold bigane.
The fame is so, that Dedalus, the wright,
Furth of King Mynos realm takand his flycht,
Sa bald was with swift fedrame, and happy
To aventur hym self heich in the sky,
And by a quent onvsyt way to knaw,
Towart the frosty poil artik he flaw;
Bot, at the last, softly he gan alicht
Of Chalcydonys apon the castell hicht;
And rendrit fyrst into thir landis, he
Offerit and hallowit, Phebus, onto the,
The fard and flycht of baith hys weyngis two,
And thar grathit a fair tempil alsso.
Apon the portis dyd he carve and grave
Androgyus slauchtir, falsly brocht to grave,
And for hys deth the vengeance and the wrake;
Quhou of Athenes commandit war, alake,
Twyss sevyn childir onto Creyt be send,
Perpetualy ilk ȝeir, a sair presand;
The dedly vrn stand porturat mycht thai knaw,
Owt of the quhilk the lottis warrin draw.
Forgane Athenes, a litil our the see,
The ile of Crete he wrocht, musterand ful hie
(The kingis cite thar hecht Gnosya),
Quharin he porturit als ful, wallowa!
The lufe abhominabill of Queyn Pasyphe,
Quhou pryvely with the bul forlane was sche;
The blandit kynd, and birth of formys twane,
The monstruus Mynotawr, doith thar remane,
Ane horribill takin of schrewit Venus wark.
Thar was alsso craftely schape and mark
That namekouth howss, quhilk Laborynthus hait,
Ful of wrynkkillit onreturnabil dissait.
Bot, netheless, Dedalus, cawcht piete
Of the gret luf of fayr Ariadne,
That was the kyngis douchtir, tawght ful rycht
Of this quent howss fortil omdo the slycht—
Quhou by a threid the subtell wentis ilkane
Thai myghtin hald, and turn that way agane.
And thou alsso, the ȝong child Icharus,
Quhilk son was onto this ilk Dedalus,
A gret part of this wark suld haue beyn thyne,
Gyf that the dolour and the huge pyne
Had sufferit hym to kyth his craft on the:
In gold to grave thi fall twyss etlyt he,
And twyss, for rewth, failȝeis the faderis handis.
Eneas tho, and al at with hym standis,
This sculptur al espyit had on breid,
Ne war Achates, quhilk befor him ȝeid,
Be than returnyt was, and with him brocht
The religyus woman quham thai socht,
Baith consecrate to Dyane and Phebus,
Hait Deiphobe, the douchtir of Glawcus,
Quhilk to the king sone spak apon this wyss:
“This tyme,” quod scho, “to stair and to devyss,
Govand on figuris, is not necessary.
Mair neidfull now it war, but langar tary,
Sevin ȝong stottis, that ȝok bur nevir nane,
Brocht from the bow, in offerand brittin ilkane,
And alsmony twyntyrris, as is the gyss,
Chosyn and ganand for the sacrifyss.”
On this wyss till Eneas spak Sibill,
And Troianys tareis nocht forto fulfill
Hir commandment, that, but langar delay,
The sacryfyis and offerand done haue thai;
And syne the nun to the hie tempill thame brocht,
Quhilk in maner of ane gret cave was wrocht,
Of Cuma holkit in the hillis side.
Ane hundreth entreis had it, large and wyde,
Ane hundreth durris tharon stekit closs,
Out at the quhilkis ruschit alsmony a voce,
Gevand responss onto this Sibilla.
Tho to the dur threswald cummyn ar tha,
Quhen that this virgyn said: “To ask answeris
Now is the tyme; lo, lo, the god me steris!”
And as scho gan sik wordis say and cry,
Without the entre standand, suddanly
Nowdir vissage nor cullour, as thai war air,
Remanys than, nor hir weil dressit hair,
Bot fast hir breist the breth dyd clap and bete;
Hir fers hart boldynnys vp ful grete,
Enragit of the sprete divyne alsso,
That of mair statur gan scho semyng tho;
Hir voce ne sovndis lyke a mortale wight;
For, with the goddis maieste and myght
Twichit and smyte, that drew hir mynde ful neir,
Hir hart pipis gan to flekkir and steir.
“Blyn nocht, blyn nocht, thou gret Troiane Ene,
Of thi bedis nor thi prayeris,” quod sche,
“For, bot thou do, thir gret durris, but dreid,
And grisly ȝettis, sal nevir warp on breid.”
And, with that word, scho cessit and no mor said.
The cald dreid gan tho Troianys invaid,
Thirland throu owt hard banys at euery part;
The king hym self than inkirly from his hart
Maid this oryson, and devotly said:
“O bright Phebus, that evir reuth has had
On Troys hard aduersite and wo,
Thow quhilk direkkit the Troiane dartis so
In Achillis body, schot by Parys hand;
This see, at goys about mony gret land,
Thou beand my gidar, entrit haue I,
And eyk the wilsum desert land Masylly,
Quhar the schald sandys strekis endlang the schor;
Now at the last, that fled ws evir mor,
The forther cost of Ital haue we kaucht,
Thocht, hiddertillis, hard fortoun hass omberaucht
The Troianys, and persewit onfrendfully.
Now all ȝe goddis and goddessis, quham by
Vmquhile was thocht gret Ilion ful of ioy,
And the schynand gloryus town of Troy
Semyng resist and gaynstand ȝour godhede,
Lesum it is to desist of ȝour fede,
And now to spair the puyr pepil Troiane.
O thou maist haly prophetess souerane,
Quhat is to cum hess knawlage of all thingis,
Grant at Tewcranys may dwel in Ital ringis,
For I ne ask na land, nor realm algatis,
Bot quhilk is grantit to ws by our fatis—
Schaw and declar for our goddis errand,
That cachit bene our mony see and sand,
Quhar sal thar resting place be to remane,
So eftir that to Phebus and Diane
Of sownd marbill tempillis beld may I,
And festual days for Appollo gar cry.
To the alsso, within our realmys, salbe
Mony secrete closet and revestre,
Quharin thi warkis and fatale destaneis,
Thi secret sawis, and thi propheceis,
Endite of my kyn and genolegy,
I sal gar kepe and obserue reuerendly;
And, O thou blissit woman, onto the
Wyss walit men sal dedicate and sacre;
So that thou write nocht on the levis thi wordis
For dreid al turn bot til a mok or bourdis,
Gif that the wynd thame skattir and blaw away.
Pronunce it with thyne awin mowth, I the pray.”
Tharwith he held hys pace and said no mor.
Bot than Sibill the prophetes, ful ȝor
Within the cave, as half enragit wight,
Kouth nocht contene of Phebus the gret mycht;
And evir the mair scho hyr enforcys ay
The gret god from hir breist dryve away,
The mor he gan invaid hir and infest,
Hir rageand mowth and fers hart, as him lest,
Danting at wil, and forgeand hir sayngis;
Scho was constrenyt to schaw al suthfast thingis.
The hundreth gret durris of that howss, with this,
At thar awin willis warpit wide, I wys,
And brocht the prophetis ansuer to thar erys:
“O Eneas, that, eftir mony ȝheris,
Now finaly hess dryve to end,” quod sche,
“Sa mony huge gret dangeris of the see!
Bot on the land, I tel ȝou al and sum,
Far grettar perellis remanys forto cum.
The Troiane pepill to the realm of Lavyne
Sal cum (that is determyt be goddis dyvyne;
Out of thi mynde sik dowtis do away),
Bot forthirmor, I wil onto the say,
Quhen thai the grond of Italy haue nummyn,
Thai sal desyre neuer thiddir to haue cummyn.
Batalis, horribil batalis, to conclude,
I now behald, and Tibris, the gret flude,
For gret habundance of blude on spait walx reid.
Nowdyr Exanth nor Symois in that sted
Sal thou myss, nor ȝit the Grekis army.
Thou sal befor the fynd in Italy
Ane othir Achil, born als of a goddes,
Nor Iuno, Troianys persewar expres,
Sal neuer mair failȝe in ȝour contrary.
And quhen thou art thar, as thou waldbe cary,
Of succurss and of help al desolate,
Quhat pepill, and quhat citeis than, God wait,
In Ital salt thou beseik of supple!
Few sal remane onrequerit, trast me.
The causys of al this myscheif and pane,
Ane othir woman, a fremmyt gest agane
For the Troianys, is tobe spowss and wed,
A strange bride, or scho be brocht to bed.
Withdraw the from na perellis, nor hard thrist,
Bot evir inforss mair strangly to resist
Agane dangeris, than fortune sufferis the.
Ȝour first reskew of succurss and supple
Furth of a Gregioun cite salbe schaw,
Quhilk thou leste wenys, a wondir thing to knaw.”
Furth of hir secret closet, thus onane,
Sik sawis warpis this Sibilla Cwmane,
Horribil answeris, ful dowtsum to consave,
Quhar as scho sat rumysand in hir cave,
In subtel wordis of obscurite
Involupand the trewth and verite;
For on sik wyss Apollo hir refrenys,
Bridillis hir sprete, and, as him list, constrenys,
From hir hart pipis his fers brod withdrawing.
As the divyne fury gan first sessing,
And eik hir ragiand mowth begouth to rest,
Godly Eneas begynnys als prest,
And said: “Virgyn, na kynd of pane may ryss
Onknaw to me, of new that may me gryss;
Or now I am warnyt of al sik chance,
And hess thame rollit in my remembrance.
Bot a thing I beseik the and requeir;
Sen the entress and port, thai sai, bene heir,
Of the infernal king, and the layk dyrk
Of Acheron, gorgeit with fludis myrk,
Thocht it be rycht difficil, ȝit grant me
Thai quent realmys I may behald and se,
And cum onto my deir faderis sight;
Thiddir the passage, and al ways rycht,
Do teche me, and tha secret portis onschet.
I hym delyuerit amyd from flambis het,
And on thir schulderis careit him away,
A thousand speris followand to assay,
From myd ennymeis brocht him to salfte;
In my vayage, accumpaneit with me,
He went throu owt al seys and strange strandis,
All maner perrellis of fludis, stremys, and sandis,
And stormys of the hevin, thocht he was waik;
He sufferit and sustenyt, for my saik,
Ful huge pane, as he had beyn a page,
Abufe the strenth and common curss of age.
And forthir he me chargit and gan beseik
To the, lady, I reuerently suld seik,
And pass hiddir to thi sted and dwelling place.
Haue reuth now, haly woman, schaw sum grace
Baith to the son and fader, I requeir,
For thou may do all thing, I wait, but weir—
Ne not but gude resson, ful weil I knaw,
Beside Avernus, our hir hallowit schaw,
Proserpyn maid the patron and mastres.
Gif Orpheus mycht reduce agane, I gess,
From hell his spousis gost with his sweit stringis,
Playand on his harp of Trace sa plesand springis;
Or gif Pollux redemyt his broder Castor,
As he that was immortal get and boyr,
Partyng with him his immortalite,
Athir for other sufferand forto de,
That ych of thame, by coursis alternate,
Sa oft gais and returnys that gait;
Is it nocht anys lesum I pass that way?
Of Thesyus quhat nedis mair to say,
Or of the strang maste dowchty Hercules,
Quhilk thiddir went with sa gret forss and press?
Am I nocht eik discend from Iupiter?”
Sik prayer maid he, grippand the altar,
Quhil thus begouth the prophetess speke agane:
“Of goddis blude, Anchises son Troiane,
It is richt facil and eith gait, I the tell,
Forto discend and pass on down to hell;
The blak ȝettis of Pluto and that dirk way
Standis evir oppin and patent nycht and day:
Bot tharfra to return agane on hyght,
And heir abufe recovir this aris licht,
That is difficil wark, thar lawbour lyis.
Ful few thar bene, quhom heich aboue the skyis
Thar ardent vertu hass rasit and vphyeit,
Or ȝit quhom equal Iupiter deifyit,
Thai quhilk bene gendrit of goddis, may thidder attayn.
Al the myd way is wildirnes onplayn,
Or wilsum forest, and the laithly flude
Cochytus, with his drery bosum onrude,
Flowis enveroin rownd about that place.
Bot gif sa gret desyre and luf thou hass
Twyss til our sayll of Stix the dedly layk,
And twyss behald blak hellis pyt of wraik,
Or sa huge laubour delytis the,” quod scho,
“Harkyn quhat first behuffis the to do.
Amyd a rank tre lurkis a goldin bewch,
With aurial levis, and flexibill twystis tewch,
Onto Iuno infernal consecrate,
That standis lowkit abowt and obumbrate
With dirk schaddowis of the thik wod schaw.
Bot it is na wyss lesum, I the schaw,
Thir secret ways vndir the erd to went,
Quhil of the tre this goldin grayn be rent;
Fair Proserpyn hess institut and command
To offer hir this, hir awin propir presand.
Ane other goldin grane, to the ilk effect,
Thou sal nocht myss, thocht the first be down brek;
Incontinent evir of the sammyn mettall
Sik a lyke branch sal burgion furth withall.
The nedis, tharfor, to hald thine eyn on hight,
It forto serss and seik; syne all at right,
Quhen it is fund, thou hynt it in thi hand.
For, gif it list, esely that sammyn wand,
Of the awin will, sal follow thi grip fut hait,
Gif so the fatis wil thou pass that gait;
Or ellis be na strenth thou sal it ryve,
Nor kut in twa with wapyn, sword or knyve.
And mair atour, beforn the in the place,
At thou ne wait, of thi deyr frend, allace!
Onerdyt lyis of new the ded body,
That with hys corps infekkis al thi navy,
The self tyme slane thow askand our answer
And in this place remanys with ws heir.
First se that hym to hys lang hame thou haue,
And, as efferis, gar bery law in grave.
Til his funeral entyre, or sacrifyss,
Do bring the blak bestis, as is the gyss;
Lat tha be ȝour first expiationys,
And clenging graith, eftir ȝour serymonys.
So at the last, of Stix the cayrful schaw,
And realmys wilsum for levand men to knaw,
Thou salbehald,” quod scho, and tho gan sess,
Hir mowth clappit to giddir, and held hir pess.
Ene, with drery cheir and eyn down cast,
Levand the cave, furth on his way is past,
And in his breste gan rollyng all on raw
Thir onkouth chancis, wondir strange to knaw.
Achates, hys traste frend, furth by hym went,
Ilk step and payss musyng the sammyn entent,
Ful mony diuerss sermondis betwix thame two
Talkand and carpand oft quhar as tha go,
Dowtsum quhilk of thar feris this mycht be
The prophetes thame tald was done to de,
Or quhat corps was this scho thame bad bery.
And, as thai come apon the strandis dry,
Thai gan behald, ligging in the ilk sted,
Mysenus new slane be onworthy ded,
Mysenus, Eolus son, nane mair cunnand
Ostis to assembill with brasyn trump in hand,
That with his sovnd and weirly blastis oftsyss
The martial curage maid in brestis ryss.
Sum tyme he was ane of gret Hectoris feris;
About Hector evir hantit he the werys,
Now blawing with hys trump maste craftely,
Now with a speir ionand hys mastir by.
Eftir Achil reft him the lyfe in wer,
Til dowchty Ene this forcy chyvaler
Adionyt hess him self in falloschip,
A man of na less prowes nor wirschip.
Bot now, percace, with his boyss trump as he
Went onprovisitly blawand by the see,
To stryfe prouoking the goddis with his springis,
Gif it be lesum to trast sa schameful thingis,
Triton the god, havand tharat dispite,
Or he was war, hym hyntis and dyd smyte
Amang the fomy rolkis law adown,
And in the salt wallys the man gan drown.
Quharfor about his corps with gret clamour
The Troianys stude murnand, and maid dolour;
Bot principaly the rewthfull Eneas.
Sibillais heste, as he commandit was,
Tho sped in haist forto perform weping;
For the sepulcre funerale fyre or byng,
Ane hepe of treis thai press onone to dycht,
And vp onto the hevynnys rayss on hight.
Ontil ane ancyent forest socht thai then,
Entrand in mony dern wild bestis den;
Ful of roset down bet is the fyr tre,
Smyte with the ax dyd rayr the akis hie,
Gret eschin stokkis tumlys to the grond,
With weggeis schydit gan the byrkis sovnd,
The felloun elmys weltis down the hillys.
Ene him self alsso, with ful gude willys
Into sik warkis, with the first, al day
For tobe bissy gan hys feris pray,
With lwme in hand fast wirkand lyke the laif;
And in hys breste gan to and fra consaif,
Ful hevely, thir materis war betyde,
Behaldand the large wod on athir syde,
Thar as he stude thus makand hys prayer:
“Wald God ȝon goldyn branch list now appeir,
And kyth the self to ws in this forest!
Sen lo, al thing the prophetes exprest
Of the, Mysenus, ar our trew, allace!”
Skars war thir wordis said, quhen, in that place,
A payr of dowis fra hevin come with a flycht,
And richt forgane the mannys face dyd lycht,
And on the grene sward thar place tuke law.
This rial prynce, alssone as he thame saw,
His moderis byrdis knew, and blithly than
Hys orison hess maid, and thus began:
“O haly fowlys, gif the way may be went,
Be ȝe my gydis to compleit myne entent.
Address ȝour courss throu owt the ayr in hy
Onto that haly schaw, with soyl myghty,
Quhar as that rych branch the grond ourheildis.
And ȝe, my blissit moder, that our beild is
Into this dowtsum cace, be nocht away:
I ȝou beseik be favorabill to our way.”
And prayand thus, efter the spamen werd,
He prentit baith his futsteppis in the erd,
Behaldand redly quhat syngnys thai schaw,
Or quhidder thai mark, etand, pasyng on raw.
Thai at the last gan flychtir furth a space,
Half stalkand on the grond a soft pace,
Sa fer befor Achates and Ene
As thai mycht weil behald thame with thar e.
And alssone as thai come to the entre
Of Avernus, that stynkand hellys see,
Vprayss thai swyftly, and in the moste ayr
Flaw furth, and syne gan alycht and repair
Apon thar segyss, quhar thame list tobe,
Of diuerss naturis perkit on the tre,
Throw quhais branchis, of seir hewis mony ane,
The brycht glittyrrand goldin cullour schane.
Lyke as ful oft, in chil wyntiris tyde,
The gum or glew, amyd the woddis wide,
Is wont to seym ȝallow on the grane new,
Quhilk nevir of that treis substance grew,
With saffron hewit frute doyng furth sprowt,
Circulis and wymplis rownd bewis abowt—
Siklyke was of this gold the figur brycht,
That burgionyt fayr on the rank akis hycht.
Evir as the branch for pypand wynd reboundit,
The goldin schakeris ratlis and resoundit.
Eneas smertly hynt the grayn at schone,
And but delay hess rent it dovn anone;
Desyrus to compleit hys way alssua,
Bair it onto the hald of Sibilla.
And netheless Troianys, this ilk tyde,
Mysenus deth bewalit at the cost syde,
Onto the dolorus onsilly body
Funeral seruyce completand by and by.
At the begynnyng first vp hie thai beild
A huge munge or byng amyd the feild,
Of dry ayk schydis and fat roset treys;
Al sydis tharof, als fer as ony seys,
Was dek and coverit with thir dedly bewis,
And wild cipress, the tre of mortall hewys;
The top abufe arrayt was at richt,
And adornyt with schynand armour bricht.
Sum spedis to graith hait watir bissely
In caldronys playand on the fyre fast by;
The cald ded corps is weschin and invnct,
Enbalmyt with rich gummys euery iunct.
Thai schowting, gowling and clamour abowt him maid;
The body syne bewalit haue thai laid
In a soft bed, and thar abuf was spred
Purpour robbis, quharwith he wont was cled.
Sum on thar schulderis the gret beir vpbair,
A dulful office, with mony sob and rayr,
And, as the maner of tendir frendis is,
For sorow thar facis writhis away, I wys,
Puttand the kyndling in with hait fyre brand.
Gret hepis of censs vpblesit fra hand to hand;
Cowpis and goblettis, warpit in the fyre,
Ful of oyl dolyve, brynt vp brycht and schire.
Efter all was fallin in puldir and in ass,
And the gret heit of flambis quynchit was,
The reliqueis and the dry ammeris syne
Thai sloknyt, and gan weschin with sweit wyne.
The banys, walit by and naitly chosit,
Choryneus in a brassyn twn hess closit;
And this ilk man his feris al, but dowt,
With cleyn watir clengit thryss abowt,
Strinkland a litil dewing, as was the gyss,
With the branch of a happy olyve thryss;
He purgit and aspergit weil the men,
The lattir word, “Al in done!” said he then.
Eneas tho gart vp erekkit be
A sepultur, of ful huge quantite,
In takynnyng of the mannys instrumentis,
Ane ayr and eik a trumpet tharon prentis,
Vndir the mont, vmquhile Aeryus
Was clepit, quhilk now is hait Mysenus,
Eftir his name callit perpetualy,
That evir sal his memor testify.
This beand done, Sibillais commandment
Ene addressis perform incontinent.
Thar stude a dirk and profound cave fast by,
A hidduus hoill, deip gapand and grisly,
All ful of cragis and of thir scharp flynt stanys,
Quhilk was weil dekkit and closit for the nanys
With a fowle layk, als blak as ony craw,
And skuggis dym of a ful dern wod schaw,
Abufe the quhilk na fowle may fle but skath.
Exalationys or vapouris blak and laith
Furth of that dedly golf thrawis in the air,
Sik wyss na byrd may thiddir mak repair;
Quharfor Grekis Avernus clepis this sted,
The place bot fowlis to say, or pyt of ded.
Heir first Ene, at this ilk entre vyle,
Fowr ȝong stottis addressit, blak of pyle;
The nun Sibilla ressauys thame, and syne
Amyd thar forhedis quhelmyt on cowpis of wyne,
And of thar top, betwix the hornys twa,
The ovirmast haris hass scho pullit awa,
And in the haly ingil, as was the gyss,
Kest thame, in maner of the first sacrifice,
Apon Hecate cryand, with mony a ȝell,
Mychtful in hevin and dym dungeon of hell.
Sum slevit knyvis in the bestis throtis,
And otheris, quhilk war ordand for sik notis,
The warm new blude keppit in cowp and peyss.
Ene him self a ȝow was blak of flece
Brittnnyt with hys sword, in sacrifice ful hie
Onto the moder of the fureys thre,
And hir gret systir; and to the, Proserpyne,
A ȝeld kow all to trynschit; and eftir syne
To the infernal kyng, quhilk Pluto hait,
Hys nycht altaris begouth to dedicate;
The hail bowkis of bestys, bayn and lyre,
Amyd the flambys kest and haly fyre;
The fat oly dyd he ȝet and peyr
Apon the entralys, to mak thame byrn cleir.
Bot lo, a litill befor the son rysyng,
The grond begouth to rummyss, croyn and ryng,
Vndir thar feyt, and woddy toppys hie
Of thir hillys begyn to move thai se;
Amang the schaddowys and the skuggis mark
The hell hundys hard thai ȝowl and bark,
At cummyng of the goddess Proserpyne.
Sibilla cryis, that prophetess dyvyne;
“All ȝe that bene prophane, away, away!
Swith, outwith al the sanctuar hy ȝow, hay!
And thou,” quod sche, “hald on thi way with me.
Draw furth thi swerd, for now is neid, Ene,
To schaw thi manheid, and be of ferm curage.”
Thus far scho said, smyte with the godly rage,
And tharwith entris in the oppynnyt cave;
Eneas onabasit, fra all the lave,
Followis his gide with equale pays ful rycht.
O ȝhe goddis, in quhais power and mycht
The sawlis beyn, and ȝhe dern skuggis dyrk,
Confusyt Chaos, quharof all thing beyn wirk,
Skaldand hellis flude, Flagiton, but lycht,
Placis of silence and perpetuall nycht:
Mot it be leful to me for to tell
Tha thyngis quhilkis I haue hard said of hell,
And, by ȝour myghtis, that I may furth schaw
Seir thingis drynchit in the erd ful law,
And deip envoluyt in myrkness and in myst!
Thai walking furth sa dyrk, oneth thai wyst
Quhidder thai went, amyd dym schaddowys thar,
Quhar evir is nycht, and nevir lyght dois repar,
Throwout the waist dongion of Pluto kyng,
Thai voyd boundis, and that gowsty ryng—
Siklyke as quha wald throw thik woddis wend
In obscure licht, quhen moyn may nocht be kend
As Iupiter, the kyng etheryall,
With erdis skugg hydis the hevynnys all,
And the myrk nycht, with hir vissage gray,
From every thing hess reft the hew away.
Befor the porch and fyrst iawys of hell,
Lamentatioun and wraikfull Thochtis fell
Thar lugyng had; and thar at dwellis eyk
Pail Maladeis that causys folk be seik,
The feirful Dreid, and als onweldy Age,
The fellon Hungir with hir ondantit rage;
Thar was alsso the laithly Indigence,
Terribill of port and schameful hir presence,
The grysly Ded at mony ane hess slane,
The hard Laubour, and diseysful Pane,
The slottry Sleip, Dedis cousyng of kynd,
Inordinat Blithnes of peruersit mynd:
And in the ȝet forganyst thame dyd stand
The mortal Batall with hys dedly brand,
The irne chalmeris of hellys Fureys fell,
Witless Discord, that wondryng maist crewell,
Wymplit and buskit in a bludy bend,
With snakis hung at euery harys end.
And in the myddis of the vtyr ward,
With braid branschis spred our al the sward,
A rank elm tre stude, huge gret, and stok ald—
The wlgar pepil in that sammyn hald
Belevis thir vayn dremys makis thar duellyng;
Vndir ilk leif ful thik thai stik and hyng.
Thar beyn eik monstreis of mony diuerss sort:
The Centawres war stablit at this port,
The dowbil porturat Scilla with thame infeir,
Bryareus with ane hundreth formys seyr,
The bysnyng best, the serpent of Lerna,
Horribilly quhysland, and quent Chymera
With fyre enarmyt on hir toppys hie,
The laithly Harpyes, and the Gorgones thre;
Of thrynfald bodeys gaistly formys dyd grone,
Baith of Erylus and of Geryon.
Eneas smartly, for the hasty dreid,
Hynt furth hys swerd in this place, and, gud speid,
The drawin blaid he profferis thar and heir
Onto tha monstreis, evir as thai drew neir;
And war not his expert mait Scybilla
Tawcht him thai war bot voyd gaistis all tha,
But ony bodeis, as wandrand wrechys waist,
He had apon thame ruschit in gret haist,
And with his bytand brycht brand, all invane,
The twme schaddowis smyttyn to haue slane.
Fra thyne, strekis the way profund onone
Deip onto hellys flude of Acheron,
With holl bysme and hydduus swelch onrude,
Drumly of mud, and skaldand as it war wod,
Popland and bulrand furth on athir hand
Onto Cochitus all his slyke and sand.
Thir ryveris and thir watyris kepit war
By ane Charon, a grisly ferryar,
Terribil of schap and sluggart of array,
Apon his chyn feil cannos harys gray,
Lyart feltrit tatis; with burnand eyn red,
Lyk twa fyre blesys fixit in his hed;
Hys smottrit habyt, owr his schulderis lydder,
Hang pevagely knyt with a knot togiddir.
Hym self the cobill dyd with hyss bolm furth schow,
And, quhen hym list, halit vp salys fow.
This ald hasart careis owr fludis hoyt
Spretis and figuris in hys irne hewyt boyt,
All thocht he eildit was, or step in age,
Als fery and als swippir as a page;
For in a god the age is fresch and greyn,
Infatigabill and immortall as thai meyn.
Thiddir to the bra swarmyt all the rowt
Of ded gostis, and stud the bank abowt,
Baith matronys and thar husbandis all yferis,
Ryal pryncis, and nobill chevaleris,
Smal childering, and ȝong damysellis onwed
And fair springaldis laitly ded in bed,
In fader and moderis presence laid on beir.
Als gret numbir thiddir thikkit infeir
As, in the first frost eftir hervist tyde,
Levis of treys in the wod doys slyde;
Or byrdis flokkis owr the fludis gray
Onto the land seikand the nerrest way,
Quhom the cald sesson cachis owr the see
Into sum benar realm and warm cuntre.
Thar stude thai prayand sum support to get,
That thai mycht with the formast owr be fet,
And gan vp heving petuusly handis twa,
Langand tobe apon the forthir bra.
Bot this soroful boytman, with brym luyk,
Now thir, now thame, within his veschel tuke,
And other sum expellit, and maid do stand
Far from the ryvage syde apon the sand.
Awondrit of this sterage and the press,
“Say me, virgyn,” quod Ene, “or thou cess,
Quhat menys sik confluence at this watir side?
Quhat wald thir sawlys? Quhy nyl thai nocht byde?
Quhilk causis beyn, or quhat diuersite,
Sum from the brays thame withdraw I se;
And other sort, eik, of thir sawlys ded
Rollys owr this ryver, cullorit as the led?”
Thys ancyant relligius woman than,
But mair delay, to answer thus began:
“Anchises get, heynd child, curtass and gude,
Discend ondowtabill of the goddis blude,
The deip stank of Cochitus doith thou se,
And eik the hellis puyll, hait Stix,” quod sche,
“Be quhais myghtis the goddis ar full laith
And dredis sair to sweir, syne fals thar aith.
All thir thou seis stoppit at the schor
Beyn helples folk, onerdit and forlor;
Ȝon grysly ferryar to name Charon hait;
Thai beyn all bereyt he careys in hys bayt.
It is not to him lefull, he ne may
Thame ferry owr thir rowtand fludis gray,
Nor to the hydduus ȝonder costys haue,
Quhil thar banys be laid to rest in grave.
Quha ar onbereit ane hundreth ȝer mon bide,
Waverand and wandrand by this bankis syde;
Than, at the last, to pass owr in this boyt
Thai beyn admyt, and costis thame not a grote,
And frely may behaldyn or espy
Tha lakis, quhilkis thame langis to vissy.”
Anchises son tho styntis a litil stownd,
And baith his futsteppis fixit in the grond,
Musyng in mynd sum deil, sad in a part,
And of this hard forton kauch rewth in hart.
Thar saw he, dolorus and wofull of cheir,
But funeral seruyce, nevir laid on beir,
Lucaspes and Orontes, baith twane,
Quhilum masteris of the schyp Lyciane,
Quham baith yfeir, as said befor haue we,
Saland from Troy throw owt the wally see,
The dedly storm ourquhelmyt with a quhiddir,
Baith men and schip welt vnder flude togyddir.
Lo, Palynurus eyk, his sterysman,
Amang otheris fast to the watir ran,
Quhilk laitly saland in the Libyane see,
As that he gan behald the starnys hie,
Togidder with the helmstok, quhar he stude,
Owr schipburd swakkit was amyd the flude.
And skarsly as he, Ene, gan hym espy,
Amang dirk skowgis standand full drery,
First he him gretis, sayand to him thus:
“Quhilk of the goddis, O Palynurus,
The ws bereft, and drynt amyd the see?
Quhow tyd that cace? Declar me, I pray the.
For certis, bricht Apollo nevir or now
Was fals to me; bot I wait neuer how
Of hys answer twiching the he ravyt,
And hess my mynd tharin al hail dissavit;
That schew thou suld hailskarth owr the see
Onto the grond of Ital cum,” quod he.
“Se, thus his lawte and promyt is keip!”
The tother answeris with a petuus peip:
“Maist worthy duke, Anchises son sa deir,
Nowder hath the of Phebus the answer,
Vndir his secrete cortyne, so dissave,
Ne ȝit na god sa far hass me bywave,
Nor drownyt in the deip, as ȝe beleve.
Bot, as I slaid our burd to my myscheve,
The helmstok, or gubernakil of tre,
Quharwith I rewlit owr courss throu the see,
Lenand tharon sa fast, per cace it threw,
And rent away owr burd with me I drew.
The wally seys to wytnes draw I heir,
That for my self tuke I nane sa gret feir
As of thi schip, quhom that I knew ful quyte
Spulȝeit of hir graith, and lodysman furth smyte,
Dreding scho suld haue perist in sik neid,
Owr the huge swelland fludis rayss on breid.
The sowth wynd Nothus thre days me drave
Throw owt the see, with violent wallys wave;
Skarss on the ferd day at morn dyd I spy,
Heich from the wallys croppis, Italy.
Huly and fair onto the cost I swam,
And tho almaist in surte cummyn I am,
Ne war the crewel pepil of tha landis,
As that I grippit with my crukit handis
The scharp rolkis toppys at the schoyr,
In hevy wayt frog stad, and chargyt soyr,
Thai gan with irne wapynnys me invaid,
Wenyng a spy that I had beyn, thai said,
From thar cuntre sum pray to dryve away.
So now I am bedyit in fludis gray,
And wyndis warpis my corps apon the strandis,
Quhar for I pray the, hevand vp my handis,
And be the plesand light of hevyn requiris,
And be the hailsum ayr at thou inspiris,
And be thi weilbelovit fader dyng,
And gud hope of thi ȝong sonnys ofspryng;
O thou onvenquyst valyant champyoun,
Delyuyr me fra thir gret harmys onon,
Or, at the leist, grave me in sepulture,
Sen weil thow kan and may perform that cur;
Speir to the portis quhilkis Velynos hayt;
Or gyf thar may be fundyn ony gayt,
Quhilk thy blyssit moder hess the techit rycht,
Reke thy rycht hand onto this wrechit wight,
And haue me with the our thir fludis red;
So, at the leist, I may, eftir my ded,
Into sum plesand sted remane and rest—
For I beleve fermly thou nocht addrest
Sa large fludis but goddis authoryte,
Nor Stix this layk fortil owr swym,” quod he.
Quhen that he had thir wordis said express,
Syk answer til hym maid the prophetess:
“Palynurus,” quod scho, “thou sary syre,
Quhiddir is becummyn sik ondantyt desyre
To the, and ferss will sa onressonabill?
Wenys thou, onerdyt now, and thus onhabill,
Owr Stix the hellys puyll sik wyss to fair,
And grysly fludis, abowt quham doith repar
Thir dreidfull fureys, to behald and se?
Oncallyt, on the ȝondyr bra wald thou be?
Desist, and cess to weyn with thy prayer
The goddis decrete at thou may brek or steir.
Bot now inprent in thy ramembrance
Thir wordys, in solace of thy hard chance.
Quhar thy body is at this tyme present,
For feir tharof, the pepil adiacent,
By wondir takynnys from the hevynnys schaw
Constrenyt, sal bygrave thy banys law,
And on thy corps erect a sepultur,
Doyng tharto solempnyt funeral cur;
Palynurus to name that place for thy
Sal bar, and clepit be perpetualy.”
With thir wordis assuagyt hys hevy thocht,
And fra hys sorofull hart, as that he mocht,
Sum deil expellyt hess the dolorus cayr,
Reiosyt of the grond hys surname bayr.
Quharfor Eneas and Scybill, baith tway,
As thai begunnyn had, held furth thar way.
And as thai gan approch toward the flude,
This churlych boyt man, on Stix quhar he stude,
Alsswyth as he persavit thame cum swa
Throw the darn wod, and draw nerar the bra,
First with sik bustuus wordis he thame grat,
And, but offence, gan thame chidyng thus plat:
“Quhat evir thou be, that cummys enarmyt so
Towart owr fludis, quhiddir etlys thou go?
For quhat causs come thou hyddir? Tell me tyte;
Stand styl thar as thou art, with mekill syte.
Press na forthir, for this is the hald richt
Of gaistis, schaddowys, sleip, and dovyrrit nycht:
Onlefull war, and ane forbodyn thing,
Within this passyngear our Stix to bryng
Ony levand wight. Certis, in myne entent,
I am nocht glaid ȝyt of the last sa went,
Nor that I careyt Hercules owr this layk,
Ne Thesyus, and Pyrothous hys mayk,
All thocht thai war cummyn of goddis lynage
And invynsibill of strenth and vassallage.
For this ilk Hercules, with hys stalwart handis,
The grym wardane of hell strenyt in bandis,
And drew hym trymlyng from the kyngis trone.
The tother twa gret violence wald haue done;
The fresch Proserpyne, Plutois lady gay,
Furth of hir bowr begouth to led away.”
To hym agane this answer maid express
Of Amphrisya Phebus prophetess:
“Do all suspicioun furth of thy consate;
Heir is,” quod scho, “nane sik gyle nor dissate;
Na violence owr wapynnys doith pretend.
Weill lykis ws, it doith ws not offend,
Thocht in hys cave ȝour hydduus portar
Ȝowland affray the ded gaistis evyrmar;
We stand content, it sufficyth ws alssua,
That ay remane the chaste Proserpina
Within hir fader broderis boundis and ryng.
Bot heir is cummyn, of Kyng Troas ofspring,
Eneas, full of piete and knychthed,
To vissy hys luffit fader, quhilk is ded,
Discendit to the law skuggis of hell.
Of sa gret vertu and piete, quhilk I tell,
Gyf na considerance may the move,” quod sche,
“At leist thou knawys this goldin granyt tre,”
And with that word the branch schew and omdyd,
That pryvely vndir hyr clok was hyd.
The rageand hart, all ful of wraith and ire,
Than wolx appesit of this laithly syre,
And but ma wordys or langar delay,
Awondryt of the presand fresch and gay,
Thys fatale wand sa precyus was, I meyn,
That he tofor a lang tyme had nocht seyn,
Hys watry hewyt boyt, haw lyke the see,
Towart thame turnys and addressis he,
And gan approch onto the bra in haist,
Syne othir sawlys expellit hess and chast
Furth of hys bayt, quhilk sat endlang the wayll.
He strekyt sone hys ayris, and grathis his saill,
And tharwithall the byg weghty Ene
Within his veschell boddum ressavis he.
Vndir the paysand and the hevy charge
Gan grane or geig full fast the saymyt barge,
Sa ful of ryftys, and with lekkis perbrake,
Scho suppit huge watir of the layk.
Bot, at the last, owtour the flude ȝit than
Salfly scho brocht baith prophetess and man,
And furth thame set amyd the fowl glar,
Amang the fawch ryspys harsk and star.
Cerberus, the hydduus hund, that regioun
Fordynnys, barkand with thre mowthis sown,
Onmesurabill in hys cave quhar he lay
Richt owr forgane thame in the hie way;
Quhom till the prophete, behaldand quhou in hy
Hys nekkis wolx of eddyrris all grysly,
A sop, stepyt intil hunny alsfast,
And of enchantit cornys maid, gan cast.
For hungyr wod, he gapys with throtis thre,
Swith swellyand that morsell raucht had sche,
And tho hys terribyll body with a rerd
He tumlys owr, liggyn on the erd;
Of huge statur and fellon quantite,
Our all the cave furth strekit him hess he.
Thus quhil the portar in sleip sowpit lyis,
The entre tho Eneas occupyis,
And owr the fludis bank ful swyftly sprent,
Quhais passage is onreturnabill went.
Onon thai hard seir vocis lamentabill,
Gret walyng, quhympring, sprachis miserabill.
In the first cyrkill, or the vtyr ward,
Ȝong babbys sawlys weping sor thai hard,
Quhom the hasty and blak duylful day
Sowkand thar moderis pap had reft away,
From the swete lyfe twynnyt ontymusly,
As cayrful corps plungit in grave gart ly.
Nixt thame, the secund place tha folkis hess
Wrangwysly put to ded for cryme sakless.
Nor, sykkyrly, thir settis to ilke wight
War nocht assignyt but iuge, doym and rycht,
For Kyng Mynos, inquistour and iustice,
The fatale vrne and ballance at device
Rewlys equaly, and be discretioun steris
To consale and to iugement as efferis;
The silly gostis callys in that secret cage,
Baith of thar life and crymys takkand knawlage.
Syne eftir thir, al sory and full of cayr,
The thryd place haldis, and sal evir mayr,
Giltles folk, that for disdene, wo or fed,
With thar awin handis wrocht thar self to ded,
And irkit of the life at thai war in,
Thar sweit sawlys maid fra the body twyn.
O, quhat penuryte and hard distres infeir
Wald thai now suffir tobe in this warld heir!
Bot the fatis and goddis decrete gaynstandis
That thai may nevir return onto thir landis:
The woful puyl with watyr onlufly
Withhaldis thame, so at thai may nocht go by,
And Stix, the flude, bylappis thame abowt
Nyne tymys, sa closs at thai sal nevir wyn owt.
Nocht far from thens, wide quhar on euery syde,
Thai mycht behald the large fieldis wyde
And boundis of Complaynt, all voyd of lycht
(Sa beyn thai clepit properly at rycht),
Quharin war all by strang lufe in thar days
With sik crewel infectioun wastit away is,
The hydlys held thai and the roddis darn,
A myr tre wod about thame lowkyt ȝarn;
Thar paynfull musyng and thar hevy thocht,
Eftir thar ded alsso, forȝet thai nocht.
Thar was Phedra, the spowss of Theseus,
And Procrys eyk, the wyfe of Cephalus;
In that ilke sted was trist Eryphyle—
Hir crewell sonnys wondis schawys sche;
Evadne he beheld, and Laodomya,
And Pasyphe in falloschip with tha,
And Ceneus, first a wench and syne a man,
In hyr ald schap eftir ded changit than.
Amang otheris the Phenyssyane Dido
Within the gret wod walkis to and fro,
The greyn wound gapand in hir breist all new,
Quhom as the Troiane barroun nerrer drew,
And throw the dyrk schaddowis first dyd knaw—
Sikwyss as quha throw clowdy skyis saw,
Or, at the leist, wenys he heth do se,
The new moyn quhen first vpwalxis sche.
The terys leyt he fall, and tendyrly
With hartly lufe begrat hir thus in hy;
“O fey Dido, sen I persave the heyr,
A sovir warnyng, now I knaw ful cleir,
Was schawin me, at thou with swerd was slaw,
Byreft thi self the lyfe, and brocht of daw.
Allace, I was the causar of thy ded!
By al the starnys schynys abone our hed,
And be the goddis abone, to the I swer,
And be the faith and lawte, gif ony heir
Trewth may be fund deip vndir erd,” quod he,
“Malgre my wyl, Prynces, sa mot I the,
From thy costis depart I was constrenyt.
Bot the commandment of the goddis onfenyt,
Quhais gret mychtis hess me hyddir dryve,
To pass throwout thir dirk schaddowis belyve,
By gowsty placis, welch savorit, must and hair,
Quhar profund nycht perpetual doith repar,
Compellit me from the forto dissevir;
Nor in my mynde ymagyn mycht I nevir,
For my departing or absens, I wyss,
Thou suldist kaucht sa gret dyseyss as this.
Do stynt thy payss! Abide, thou gentil wight,
Withdraw the not sa sone furth of my sight!
Quham fleist thou? This is the lattir day,
By werdis schape, that with the speke I may.”
With sik wordis Eneas, full of wo,
Set him to meyss the sprete of Queyn Dido,
Quhilk, all inflambit, ful of wreth and ire,
With acquart luke glowand hait as fyre,
Maid him to weip and sched furth teris wak.
All fremmytly frawart hym, as he spak,
Hir eyn fixit apon the grond held sche,
Moving na mair hir curage, face nor bre,
Than scho had bene a statu of marbil stane,
Or a ferm rolk of Mont Marpesyane.
Bot finaly, full swyft scho wiskis away,
Aggrevit fled in the darn woddis gray,
Quhar as Sycheus, hir first spowss, ful suyr
Corespondis to hir desyre and cuyr,
Rendring in lufe amouris equiualent.
And, netheless, fast eftir hir furth sprent
Ene, perplexit of hir sory cace,
And weping gan hir follow a weil lang space,
Regratand in his mynd, and had piete
Of the distress that movit hir so to fle.
Wyth al his speid fra thens he tuk the gayt
That was ontil him grantit by hys fayt.
And sone thai warin cummyn to the plane
And lattir wardys, quharin dois remane
Valyant folkis in feild and chevalry,
Tha secret stedis hantand by and by.
Heir him recontrit Parthenopeus,
And intil armys valyant Tedeus,
The pail gost eik of Adrastus the king.
Thar saw he als, with huge greyt and murnyng
In mydlerd oft menyt, thir Troianys
Duryng the sege that into batale slane is,
Quhom as he gan behald wydequhar on raw,
Ful tendirly complenyng, thar he saw
Glawcus, Medontus and Thersylocus,
Anthenoris thre sonnys, and Polybetus
Onto the goddess Ceres consecrate;
Ideus saw he in his ald estate,
Baith rewland ȝit his cart, and wapynnys weildand.
Onto Eneas left side and rycht hand
The sawlys flokkis, circulyt in a rowt.
Not sufficyt thame to spy him anys abowt,
Bot, desiring he tareit evir mair,
Furth with him forto walkin and repar
Weil lykis thame, towart him fast to thring,
And to inquire the causs of his cummyng.
The nobillis eik of Grekis, one by one,
With the gret rowtis of Agamenon,
Alssone as thai the stalwart Troiane saw
In brycht armour amyd the schaddowis law,
Gretly afferd war smyte with fellon dreid.
Sum gave the bak, takand the flycht gude speid,
As quhilum thai onto thar schippis socht;
Sum rasyt a cry with waik voce, as thai mocht;
Bot al for nocht, thar clamour was ful skant,
The sovndis brak with gasping or a gant.
Syne Deiphobus, quhilum armypotent,
Kyng Pryamis son, with body tor and rent,
Thar he behald, and crewel maglit face,
Vissage menȝeit, and baith hys handis, allace!
Halfhedis spulȝeit, of stowyt his erys tway,
By schaymful wound hys ness cuttit away.
With gret difficulte he him skarsly knew,
Trymlyng for lak, eschamyt red of hew,
As that he mycht, hydand hys fellon woundis.
Ondemandit, with frendly wordis and sovndis
Ene hym grat, sayand: “Of gret renown,
Deiphobus, armypotent champyoun,
Quha hess, allace! the marthyrit swa and slane
By sa crewel tormentis and hydduus pane?
Quhou euer was ony sufferit the sa to dight?
It was me tald, of Troy the lattir nyght,
Thou, wery and forfochtin in that sted
For sa feil Grekis be thi dyntis ded,
Abuf the hepe of ded corpsis ourane
Fell down for bled, thar standing thyne allane.
Than I my self, fra this was to me schaw,
Down at the ness Rethe, by the costis law,
A voyd tumbe rasyt, and with lowd voce thryss
Apon the wrethis and wandrand gaistis cryis.
Thy armys and thy name that place doith hald.
My frend, thy body kouth I nocht behald
Nor fynd, thocht I wald it haue gravit eft,
The tyme quhen I our natyve cuntre left.”
Kyng Pryamis son maid answer: “Suyth is it,
Na thing, my deir frend, dyd thou pretermyt;
All that thou aucht to Deiphobus, ilk deill
Thou hest perfurnyst worthely and weil,
As to my berial and sprete appertenyt.
Bot my hard fatis war wers than thou wenyt,
For the detestabil cursyt wikkytnes
Of Helyn born in Lacena, I gess,
Hass me involuyt in thir harmys ȝe se—
Thir ar hir last luf drowreis left with me.
Ful weil thou wait quhou that the lattir nycht
In fals myrthis we spendyt, euery wight
(Allace the quhile, our gret mater of cayr
Behuffis ws hald in memor euermar),
Quhen that the fatale horss, to our ennoy,
Com speland owr the hie wallys of Troy,
With belly chargit ful of armyt men.
That strang lurdane than, quham weil ȝe ken,
The Troiane matronys hedis in a ryng,
Fenȝeand to Bachus feste and karellyng;
Amyddis al the laif a gret fyre brand,
Byrnand ful cleir, scho haldis in hir hand,
Quharwith, out from the master streyt of Troy,
The Grekis dyd scho bekyn and convoy.
This ilk tyme me, with hevy curis lang
Of irksum weir and sad, slumrys strang
Oppressyt, for my walkyn mony fald,
My fey chalmer gan my body hald.
Fordoverit as I lay in to that sted,
In swete profound rest of sleip lyke soft ded,
That notabil spowss furth of hir lugyng place,
This meyn sesson, al armour dyd arrace;
My trasty sword fra vnder my hed away
Stall scho, and in the place brocht Menelay;
The chalmer durris oppynnyt scho in hy
Wenyng to wyrk a hie plesour tharby
To hir first luffar, and hir ald schame
Tharthrou to quynche, and recovyr gud name.
Quhat suld I tary, or ȝou langar hald?
The Grekis ruschit in the chalmyr thikfald;
Amang al otheris sammyn thiddir spedis
That schrew prouocar of all wikkyt dedis,
Eolus nevo, cursyt Vlixes sle.
On siklyke wyss as thar thai dyd with me,
Gret goddis mot the Grekis recompens,
Gif I may thyg avengeans but offens!
Bot say me this agane, frend, altogidder,
Quhat aventur hess brocht the levand hydder?
Quhidder wavyt wilsum by storm of the see,
Or at command of goddis, cum thou?” quod he,
“Or quhat fortoun doith the cach and steyr,
That to this sory hald thou cummys heir,
To vissy this trublyt dym regioun,
Quhar evir is nycht, and nevir son ȝit schon?”
The quhile as thai thus carpyt to and fra,
Hir rosy charyot the fresch Aurora
Amydwart of the hevynnys assiltre
Begouth fortil vproll and rayss onhie.
The myd declynyng of hir cowrss was went,
And thai, percace, on sik wyss mycht haue spent
The tyme compleyt was for thar iourne grant;
Bot sone hym warnys Scibilla the sant,
His trew marrow gan schortlie to him say:
“The nycht, Eneas, slydis fast away;
Weping the howris we consume and waist;
Heir is the place quhar owr passage inhaist
Departit is, and sched in stretis twane.
This way, towart the rycht hand, strekis plane
To the hie wallys of Schir Ditis kyng;
It is our reddy went, quhilk sall ws bring
Onto the plesand playn of Elyse.
This other gait, on the left hand ȝe se,
Convoys onto the sted of fell torment,
Quhar dampnyt schrewis in Tartarus ar sent
In woful pyt perpetual to remane.”
Than Deiphobus maid this answer agane:
“Beis nocht agrevit, souerane nun, I pray,
I sal no langar dwel, bot go my way:
I sal compleyt my numbir furth,” quod he,
“And to dym schaddowis rendrit sall I be.
Pass on, pass on, our wirschip and renown,
Mair prosper chance to hant go mak the bown!”
Thus fer spak Deiphobus, and, with that saw,
About turnyt hys payss, and gan withdraw.
Eneas blent him by, and suddanly
Vndir a rolk at the left syde dyd spy
A wondir large castell, strang and stowt,
With wallys thrynfald lappit rownd about,
Quham the grysly Tartareane Flagiton,
That ravenus flude, closys enveron,
With watir blesand brym in fyry low,
And rolland stanys rumland deip and how.
The port in foirfront was ful huge gret;
Of ferm adamant war the pillaris bet,
Sa that na forss of men mycht thame down myne,
Nor ȝit the strenth of goddis with strang ingyne;
Ane irne towr stude beildit wondir hie,
Quhilk semyt forto reke vp in the skye.
Tysiphone, that furyus monstre wild,
In bludy caip revestit and oursild,
Sittys kepand, but sleip, baith nycht and day,
That sory entre and this porch alway.
Tho begouth thai first in this sted to heyr
Murnyng, granyng, gowlyng and duylfull beir;
Feil crewell strakis smytyn hard thai sovnd,
Frasyng of irne fettris and chanys rovnd.
Ene gan him arrest, in mynd within
Al abasit, herknand this feirfull dyn.
“O haly virgyn, say furth now,” quod he,
“Quhat kynd of grysly turment may this be?
In quhat punytioun, panys and distress
Beyn sawlis ȝondir strenȝeit, prophetess?
Quhat menys this bruyt, weping and woful cryis,
With sik walyng semys fordyn the skyis?”
Scibilla thus begouth answer agane:
“O wirschipfull and gentil duke Troiane,
It is nocht lesum to nane innocent wight
Within boundis of wikkytnes or onrycht
Til entir, nor attayn to neir that ȝet,
Bot the first tyme Proserpyn maid and set
Me mastress of Avern, hir hallowit schaw,
The goddys turmentis gan scho to me schaw
And me convoyit thar throw euery sted.
This maist dolorus realm to steir and led
Hess Radamanthus, vmquhile of Creyt kyng,
Haldand maste scharp and sayr lawys in hys ryng;
Chastiand folkis, speris thar offence express;
By turment thame compellis thar cryme confess,
Synnys committit abufe in the erd,
Quham ony, ioyand to thar awin wanwerd,
But proffyt doith conseil, hyde or delay,
Onamendit quhil dedis lattyr day.
Syk wikkyt and condampnyt wightis, als tyte
As thai cum in that dolly pyte of syte,
Tysyphone, the wrekar of mysdedis,
With quhip in hand al reddy fast hir spedis
Thame to assail, to tor, skurge and bete,
And with hir left hand terribil eddyrris gret
Thik at thame swakkis; syne to pyne thame, doith call
Of fel torment the rowt of systyrris all.
And tho at last with horribil sovndis trist
Tha wareit portis, iargand on the hirst,
Warpit vp braid. Lo, ȝondir may thou se
Quhat kynd wardane syttis in the porch,” quod sche,
“And quhou terribill of contenans and cheir
Thou hir behaldis kepis the entre heir;
Ane mair feirful monstre and mair fell,
Ane vgly serpent, syttis within ȝon hell,
With fyfty hydduus blak throtis gapand.
And forthir eik ȝon Tartarus ay trymland,
Quhilk is of hell the dirk dungeon and pyt,
Dippis twyss als holl down, I lat the wyt,
Semyng so law vnder the erth reke,
As that our sight may vp to hevynnys streke.
Tharin the ancyant lynage of the erd,
Thir gyantis hait Tytanas, be wanwerd
With thundris blast dovn smytyn and ourthraw,
Ar warpyt in ȝon pottis boddum law.
Thar saw I eyk Aloes twynnys twane,
Othus and Ephialtes, bredir germane,
With huge bodeis, that pressyt dovn to rent
With thar handis the large firmament,
And by thar forss begouth expell the kyng,
Hie Iupiter, furth of his hevynly ryng.
Thar I beheld Salmoneus alsswa,
In crewel torment sufferand mekil wa,
For that he gan to contyrfet him cast
Gret Iovis fyre and hevynly thundris blast.
By horssis four furth rollit was his char,
Secret condytis of fyre smytand sayr,
Throwout the pepil of Greyss and of Arcad,
Amyd the cite of Elys, blith and glaid,
Prowd and haltand in hys hart, walkyt he,
And as a god bad honorit he suld be;
For that, intil his dotage and fuyl heyt,
By sownd of brass and stampand stedis feyt,
He maid hym forto feyn a simylitude
Of clowdis blast and rumland thundir rude,
Quhilk on na wyss aucht tobe contyrfet.
Bot the hie fader almychty from hys set
Throw thyk clowdis at hym hys dart dyd thraw,
Nowder blak fyre brand, nor reky flambys law,
Bot suddanly, with a fel bless of thundyr
Threw hym to grond and smayt him al in sondyr.
To Tytyos thar was I schawin in deid,
With body speldyt nyne akyr on breid,
That fostyr child vmquhile was cleyp and call
Onto the Erth, quhilk moder is of all.
Ane hydduus grype with bustuus bowland beyk
Hys maw immortal doith pyk and owrreik,
Hys brudy bowellys torryng with huge payn,
Furth rentyng all, hys fuyd to fang full fayn,
Vndir his cost holkand in wail law,
And sparis nocht to rug, ryfe and gnaw:
All thocht the entralis springis new ilk day,
Thai get na rest, the fowle hess thar hys pray.
Quhat suld I rekkyn tha pepil of Thessaly,
That Lapytas ar hait, for gluttony
Distroyt all? Of Ixion to tell,
Or Pyrothous, quhat nedis langar dwell?—
Abuf quhom hyngis blak quhyn stanys gret,
Ay semand reddy to fall and thame to bete.
Befor Tantalus, and ane othir sort,
The goldin trestys schynand standis ourthwort,
Vndir ryche tablys dight for maniory,
Quharon, forgane thar face, is set reddy
All danteys langand tyl a kyngis fest.
Bot ane the gretast Fureys gan arest,
Syttand tharby, and hungyr in thame blawys,
And netheless thar handys scho withdrawys,
So that the mesys twichyn dar thai nocht;
As that thai mynt tharto, than all onflocht
With hait fyre brand in hand vp dois scho ryss,
Fleyis thame with flambe, grym luke and vgly cryiss.
Thai beyn alsso within ȝon pyt turment
Quhilk at thar bredir envy held or haitrent
Quhil that thai levyt in this present lyfe;
And tha quhom by, throu thar deray and stryfe,
Thar faderis warryn chasyt in exile;
All tha that ony falset, slyght or gyle
Aganys thar seruandis or famyliaris wrocht;
And tha that, only setting all thar thocht
Apon thar rychess quhilk wonnyn thai haue,
Tuke nocht thar nedis tharof, nor na man gave,
Of quhom ȝondir beyn ane ful huge rowt;
And all tha for adultry schent, but dout;
And tha that movyt wrangwyss batall or weyr;
Tha not eschamyt thar promyss to forswer,
Brekand lawte plight in thar lordys hand:
All sik inclusyt ar ȝondyr, abydand
Every day new panys perpetualy.
Speir not at me, for nocht declar can I,
Quhat diuerss kyndis of torment ȝondir thoil thai,
Nor ȝit quhat sort of payn is deput ay
For ilk trespass: to rekkyn I tak na keip
Quhat mysforton thame plungis in ȝon deip.
For sum weltris a gret stane vp the bra,
Of quhom in numbir is Sisyphus ane of tha;
On quhelis spakis speldyt otheris hyngis.
The maist wrechit of all princis and kyngis,
Phlegyas, vmquhile kyng of Thessaly,
All mortale wightis admonysys with his cry
And lowd voce throw the dyrk awytnessyng:
‘Be myne exampill all wightis, prynce and kyng,
Lernys,’ quod he, ‘to hant iustice and rycht,
And not contem the goddis strentht and mycht.’
Thar syttis eik, and sal syt evir mair,
The fey onhappy Thesyus, full of cair.
Sum ȝondir beyn, for reddy gold in hand,
Sald and betrasyt thar natyve realm and land,
And tharin brocht a myghty tyrrant strang;
Sum otheris eik, for pryce or meid to fang,
That lawys maid and onmaid, as thame list.
Thar beyn alsso, ful sorofull and tryst,
Thai quhilk thar dochteris chalmer vyolate,
Or, havand na regard to thar estate,
Forbodyn or incestuus mariage
Gan hantyng by ondantit lustis rage.
And schortly, all durst ymagyn or compass
Mastirfull wrang, myscheif or wykkytness,
Or ony sik consait brocht to effek,
Heir evyrmar the charge lyis on thar nek.
All thocht ane hundretht scharp tungis had I,
Ane hundreth mowthis forto clepe and cry,
Tharto my voce war strang as irne or steill,
All kynd of vicis to comprehend, half deill,
Nor all the namys of tormentis and of panys
I mycht nocht rekkyn, that in ȝon hald remanys.”
Fra that the ancyant nun of Dan Phebus
Thir wordys endyt had, and spokkyn thus:
“Haue done,” quod scho, “now tak thi way express,
Perform thy wark quhilk thou begunnyn hess:
Speid ws fordwart, for ȝondir, lo, I se
Of Plutois chymmys the byg wallys hie,
Forgyt of irne full craftely and bet
Be the Ciclopes furth of thar furnace het;
Eik I behald, lo, heir forgane our facé
Tha portis with thar stalwart bow or brace,
Quhar our instructioun techis ws ful plane
This presand thar to leif and goldyn grane.”
Thus said scho, and onon tharwith baith tway
Gan walkyn furth throw out the darn way,
And sone our passyt hess the myddill space,
Approchyng to the portis of that place.
Eneas baldly sprang in at the ȝet,
Hys body strynkillit, or a litil wet,
With cleir spryngand watir ran tharby;
Forgane thame eik, at the entre, in hy
The goldyn branch he stykkis vp far and weill.
This beand done at last, and euery deil
Perfurnyst langyng the goddess gyft gay,
Ontil a plesand grond cummyn ar thai,
With battil gyrss, fresch herbys and beyn swardis,
The lusty orchardis and the hailsum ȝardis
Of happy sawlys and weil fortunat,
To blissyt wightis the placis preparat.
Thir feildis beyn largiar, and hevynnys brycht
Ravestis thame with purpur schynand lycht:
The starnys, for this place conuenient,
Knawis weil thar son and obseruys his went.
Sum thar, amyd the gresy planys greyn,
Into palestral plays thame betweyn
Thar membris gan exerss, and hand for hand
Thai fal to werslyng on the goldyn sand,
Assayand honest gemmys thame to schort;
Sum other hantyng gan ane other sport,
As forto dansyng, and to leid the ryng,
To syng ballatis, and go in karalyng.
Thar was alsso the preist and menstrale sle,
Orpheus of Trace, in syde rob harpand hie,
Playand proportionys and spryngis dyvyne
Apon his harp, sevyn diuerss sovndis fyne;
Now with gymp fyngris doyng stryngis smyte,
And now with subtel evyr poyntalis lyte.
Heir was the nobil kyn and ancyant strynde,
The maist dowchty lynage sprang be kynde
Fra Kyng Tewcer, campyones souerane,
Into mair happy ȝeris born ilkane;
Thar was Ilus, and eyk Assaracus,
And the begynnar of Troy, Schir Dardanus.
On fer Eneas and als Sibilla
Awondrit war, and mervellis baith twa
The armour and the men for tobehald,
And voyd charyotis of thir chyftanys bald.
Thar sperys stikkyng in the erd dyd stand;
Wydquhar al lowss owr feildis and the land
Pasturyt thar horsis, rakand thame fast by;
For quhat plesour of armys or chevalry,
Or quhat cuyr to address thar cart or wedis,
To fedyng and to dant thar sleik swail stedis,
Thai hantyt quhil thai levyt heir alyve,
The sammyn solace, be thai man or wyfe,
Ȝit doith thame follow vndir the erth stad.
And lo, ane other sort, ful blyth and glaid,
On athir hand behaldis Eneas,
At bankat on the greyn herbys set was,
In loving of the goddis ioyusly
Ympnys of pryce, triumphe and victory
All syngand glaid togydder in falloschip
And pryncipaly Apollo to worschip;
Within a wod of lawrer greyn thai dwell,
Fragrant of sweit odour and hailsum smell,
Quhar throw the schawis scheyn in strandis seir
Erydanus, the hevynly ryver cleyr,
Flowys contyrmont and vpwart to the lift.
Within this place, in al plesour and thryft,
Ar hail the pissance quhilk, in iust batal,
Slane in defens of thar kynd cuntre fell;
And al thai preistis and religius wightis
Quhilk levyt chaste cleyn lyfe, as to thame rycht is;
And al godlyke devote prophetis trew,
That suythfast thyng worthy to Phebus schew;
And thai quhilkis, by thar craftys or science fyne,
Fund by thar subtel knawlage and engyne,
Thar lyfe illumynat and annornyt cleir;
And tha by merytabil dedis and gyftis seir
That maid otheris hald thame in memory—
Of al thir war the tymplis by and by
Arrayt with a fresch garland snaw quhite.
And as thai flokkit abowt Ene, als tyte
Syk wyss onto thame carpys Sibilla,
Bot principaly to Museus, ane of tha,
Was stad amyddis of the mekill rowt,
As sche beheld hym with big schulderis stout:
“O ȝhe so happy sawlys, tellith me,
And thou, maste souerane poet, schaw,” quod sche,
“In quhat regioun and place bene Anchises?
Hyddir for his saik come we, and with gret press
Hess oursalit of hell the gret fludis.”
This ryall lord in few wordis concludis,
And ansuerit thus: “Frend, certane dwelling nane
In this cuntre haue we, bot all ourane
Walkys and lugis in thir schene wod schawys,
Endlang thir ryver bankis all on rawys;
Thir bene our settis, and beddis of fresch flowris
In soft bene medowis by cleir strandis all howris
Our habitatioun is and residens.
Bot gif ȝour mynd langis to haue presens
Of Anchises, pass vp ȝone swyre fut het,
I sall ȝou lyghtly in the hie way set.”
And sayand thus, befor thame furth went he,
And can thame schaw, apon the hill on hie,
The schynand planys full of all plesance.
Agane returnys he, and thai avans,
Fra thyne discending from the hillis hyght,
Quhar thai at last of Anchises gat syght.
The meyn sesson thys Anchises, the prynce,
Intill a wondir grene vaill full of fence
Sawlys inclusit, quhilkis war forto wend
To myddil erd and thare in bodeis ascend,
Can rekkyn, and behald attentfully
Hail the nowmyr of hys geneologye,
His tendir nevoys and posterite,
Thare fatis, and thare fortonys euery gre,
Thare conditions, thare strenth and hardyment.
And sone as he persavys quhar that went
Forganyst him, cumand throu gresy sward,
Hys derrest son Ene with hasty fard,
Baith his handys ioyfull furthstracht he than;
The teris trynglyng our his chekis ran,
And fra his mouth slydis thir wordis myld:
“Thou art cummyn at last, my deir child!
Thy gret piete, and kyndnes weil expert
Onto thy fader, causyt the and gart
This hard vayage venquyss and ourset!
Quhat, is it grantit me? Ha, sall I get
A verray sight, luffit son, of thy face?
And grantit ws to carp or talk a space,
To heir and render frendly wordis knaw?
Within my mynd ymagynyt I on raw
Swa suld betyde, and weil belevit I
Thou was tocum, and the tyme by and by
I calculit and comptit quhen that suld be,
And my consait hes nocht dissauyt me.
O God, throu quhou feill landis braid and large,
Quhou mony seys ourcareit in thy barge,
Efter quhou feil dangeris with storm oft schaik,
I now ressaue the heir, deir son, allaik!
Quhou gretlie dred I of Lybie that ryng
Suld the haue hyndrit, and harmyt in sum thing!”
Eneas answeris: “Fader, thy drery gost,
Sa oft apperand, maid me seik this cost:
In Tyrrhean sey abydis our navy.
Grant me, fader, now grant me by and by,
We athir may with other handis schaik—
Fra myne embrasyng withdraw the nocht, allaik!”
And sayand thys, tendyrly wepit he,
Baithyng hys face in terys gret plente.
On this wyss talkyng, or thar wordis sessit,
With hys lang armys thryss Eneas pressit
About hys halss hym forto haue belappit,
And thryss, invane, hys handys togidder clappit:
The figur fled as lyght wynd, or son beym,
Or mast lykly a waverand sleip or dreym.
Duryng this tyme Eneas gan aduert
Within a vail fer thens closyt a part,
Quhare stude a wod with swouchand bewys schene,
The flude Lythee flowand throu the fair grene;
About the quhilk pepill onnowmerabill
And silly sawlys fleys fast, but fabill,
Quhil all the feildis of thare dyn resoundis—
Lyke as, in medowys and fresch florist boundis,
The bissy beys in schene symmeris tyde,
On diuerss colorit flouris skalit wide,
Flokkis about the blomyt lylleis quhite,
And other fragrant blosummys redymyt.
Mysknawyng quhat this ment, Eneas wight
Becam abasit of the soddane syght,
And can inquir the causys of this cace,
Quhat war tha fludys far befor hys face,
Or quhat bene tha men in syk numbyr swa
With so gret fard flokkit to athir bra.
Tho quod hys fader Anchises: “All ȝon be
Thai sawlys quhamto, by the fatis hie,
Bene other bodeis eftir this yschape,
Quhilk drynkis ȝondir, or thai may eskape,
At ȝone ryver and the flude Lythee,
The sikkyr watir but curis, trastis me,
Quharby oblyvyus becum thai als tyte,
Forȝetting pane bipast and langsum syte.
Forsuyth, I purpos furthwith to declare,
And schaw befor thy face now standand thar,
The sawlys all, and numbyr in thy presens,
Quhilkis ar tocum of my stok and discens;
So that the mair glaidly with me tharby
Thou may reioss to haue fund Italy.”
“O fader,” quod Eneas, “quhidder or nay
Is that tobe belevyt at ȝhe say,
That souerane saulys from this place sall wend,
Onto the warld abufe or erd ascend?
Quhy may thai nocht in this swete stede remane,
Bot sal return in slaw bodeis agane?
Quhat cursyt covatyce causith wrachit wightis
So to desyre our life and drery lightis?”
“I sal the schaw forsuyth the causs,” quod he,
“My derrest son, and sal no wyss hald the
Thochtfull in mynde, ne doutsum by na way.”
Tharwith Anchises baith hys eyn twa
Gan lyftyng vp, and towart hewyn behald,
And euery thing per ordour thus he tald.
“Fra the begynnyng, all thing less and mar,
The fyry regioun, the erth, and the ayr,
The plane flowand boundis of the sey,
The lyghtnyt monys lamp that lemys hie,
The hevynnys starnys, and bryght sonnys ball,
Ane spreit thar is within, sustenys all:
In euery part the hie wysdome dyvyne
Diffundit movys this warldis hail engyne,
And by hys power mydlit is our all
This mekil body clepit vniuersal.
Fra this infusioun, and thir elementis seir,
Baith kynd of man and best cummys, but weir,
All leving foulys fleying in the ayr,
All fyschis, and the monstreis doith repar
Vndre the slekit sey of marbill hew.
A hait fyry power, warm and dew,
Hevinly begynnyng and original,
Beyn in thar sedis quhilk we saulys call,
Sa far as that thir noysum bodeis cald
Nocht tareis thame tharfra, nor doith withhald,
Nor withdrawis from souerane hevinly kynd:
Thar erdly lymmys, and eik thar irksum mynd,
Throu thar mortal membris euer deidlike,
Dullith thar curage and thar spretis godlyke.
Fra the quhilk cummys to al mankynd, that thai
Dredis, desiris, murnys or ioys ay;
Nor, in the dyrk mansioun and preson blynd
Of thir vyle bodeis yfettyrit and bynd,
The sawlis thar clene natur may attend.
So fer that, all efter the lattir end,
Quhen that the lif disseueris fra the body,
Than netheless nor ȝit ar fullely
All harm ne cryme from wrachit sawlis separate,
Nor ald infectioun come of the body layt:
And thus, aluterly, it is neidfull thing
The mony vycis lang tyme induryng,
Contrackit in the corps, be done away,
And purgit on seir wonderfull wyss to say.
Tharfor thai suffir panys and torment
For thar inveterat vycis ald bywent,
By punytioun satisfactioun to mak.
Sum stentit in wysnand wyndis wak,
Of sum the cryme committit clengit be
Vndre the watir or deip hydduus sey,
And in the fyre the gilt of other sum
Is purefyit and clengit all and sum.
Ilkane of ws hys ganand purgatory
Mon suffir, and fra thyne ar send in hy
Onto the large feildis of Elysee:
Thar bene of ws nane, bot a few menȝe,
Quhilkis cumis to inhabyt and remanys,
Bot ony purging, in thyr ioyful planys,
And heir mon dwell quhil that the lang day,
Be perfyt courss of tyme, heth done away
The spot of fylth hardnyt in the spreit,
For that it fand sum tyme the body sweit,
And quhil it be so purefyit and fynd,
Na thing remane bot a clene hevynly mynd,
And subtel pure flambe celestiall.
Thir other sawlis quhilk bene purgit all,
Eftir thai haue, within thir planys heir
By cirkill rollyt our a thousand ȝeir,
God callis thame onto this flude Lythe,
With felloun fard, in numbyr as ȝhe se,
To that effect, that thai myndless becum
Baith of plesour and ald panys all and sum,
Langing agane the warld abufe to se,
And gan begyn desire, baith he and he,
In bodeis ȝit forto return agane.”
Thus said Anchises, and tharwith baith twane,
Hys son and eik the prophet Sibilla,
Amyddys of that sort flokkit to the bra,
And gret rowt with rangald, in ledis he,
And gan ascend ontill a mote on hie,
Quharfra, per ordour, forganyst thame on raw,
Thai mycht thame rekkin all, and cleirly knaw
Thar vissagis and contenance also,
As that thai went and rowmyt to and fro.
“Now harkis, me behuffis schortlie say,”
Quod Anchises, “or thou depart away,
And rekkyn our Troian ofspring all and sum,
Quhat glor and honour beis of ws tocum,
And quhat successioun or posterite
Of Ital frendschip sal discend of the,
And tha illustir sawlis salbe sent
Heir, eftir this, in name of our kynrent;
Thy fatis and thy destany also
I sal the teche per ordour, or thou go.
Seys thou ȝon lusty springald or ȝonkeir
That lenys hym apon his hedles sper?
The formast place by chance doith occupy
Tyl pass to life in our geneology,
And first sal ryss in the ovir warld agane,
Commixit of the blude Italiane,
Siluius, to surname clepit Albanus,
Born efter thy decess, child posthumus;
Quham, consauyt of thyne ancyent lynage,
Thy secund spouss, Lavinia, wyss and sage,
In woddys fostir sal, a vailȝeant kyng,
And fader to al kingis of our ofspring;
Quharby our kynrent and famyl alswa
Sal ryng and lordschip hald in Lang Alba.
Ȝon is Procas that standys nixt hym be,
Of Troiane pepill the honour and glory;
Syne Capys, lo, and Munytor, baith twane;
And he that representis thy name agane,
Siluyus Eneas, notabil cheveller,
Renownyt baith of piete or in war,
Gif evir he may his tyme optene and se
To ryng into Lang Alba the cite.
Behald quhat maner ȝong gallandis bene ȝon,
Quhou gret curage thar hart is set apon,
Quhat gud semblant thai schaw of chevalre.
Bot ȝon, with coverit hedys by and by
With ciuile crownys of the strang aik tre,
Sall beld and found to thy honour,” quod he,
“Nomentum cite, and Gabios the tovne,
And Fidena, the cite of renoun;
Sum in the hillys hie sal set vp syne
The strenthis and the castellis Collatyne,
Pometios and New Castell, baith twa,
The cite Bolan, and the tovne Cora.
Thir namys salbe gevin thame efter this,
Quhar now but name the land remanand is.
Lo, Romulus, by martial wirschip
To hys grandschir ionyt in falloschip,
Quham, of Assaracus blude, the nobill kyng,
Hys moder Ilya discendit sal furth bring.
Seys thou nocht quhou apon thar hedys on hyght
Twa dowbil cristis standys schynand bryght?
Thar fader Mars, behald, this sammyn hour
Hass thame ymerkit with dyvyne honour;
And lo, my child, be ȝon manis prowes
That gloryus cite Rome sal so incres,
Tyll hyr empire be with the erth maid evin,
And vertuus curage equal to the hevin;
The quhilk cite all round togiddir sall
Sevin gret strenthis closs within a wall,
Happy and brudy of hir forcy ofspring—
Lyke as, throu out citeis of Phrecis ryng,
The moder of goddis, with hir towrit crovn,
Berecynthia, careit from tovn to tovn,
Within hir char yset, all ful of myrth
Of the goddis becauss of hir rich birth,
Hir hundreth childring and posterite
Ful tendirly in armys enbracis sche,
All haill the hevynly wightis to hyr behufe,
And all that weildis the hie hevynnys abufe.
Now turnys hyddir, my sweit son, albedene,
The cirkillis and the sight of baith thy eyn—
Behald thir pepill and thy cheif Romanys.
Cesar Iulyus, lo, in ȝonder planys,
And all the famyl of hym Iulius,
Quhilk eftir thys ar tocum, trastis ws,
Vndre the gret hie hevynnys assiltre.
Ȝon man, ȝon man, my son, the sam is he
Quham thou so oft has hard promist or this,
Cesar August Octauyane, I wyss,
Cum of the goddys geneology and kyn,
Quhilk sall agane the goldin warld begyn,
As vmquhile was, in tyme of Saturn ald,
Throu Ital ryng baith be firth and fald;
And hys empire sal delait and wynde
Our Garamantas, and the forthar Inde;
The landis lyis without the starnys blenk,
Outwith the ȝheris courss and sonnys renk,
Quhar the vpberar of the hevyn, Atlas,
On schuldir rollys the round speir in cumpas,
Ful of thir lemand starnys mony one.
Sall, at his hyddir cummyn, ror and grone.
The realme of Caspys or of Assery,
All Scithya, Meothys land fast by,
Horribill answeris sall of goddis heir;
All trublit in affray, trymlyng for feir,
To quakyng sall sevyn mowthis of Nyle flude.
Nevir, forsuyth, strang Hercules the gude
Samekil space of erth or land ourȝeid,
All thocht the wynd swift hart he schot to ded,
And stanchit Erymanthus forest roucht,
The serpent Lerna with hys bow persit throuch;
Nor Bachus, quhilk victor afor thir days
With wyne burgions the hillis top arays,
Dryvand the ferfull tygris fast away
Down fra the hyght of the gret mont Nysay.
And ȝyt we dowt onto the forthir end
Hys gret vertu and dedys to extend!
Than quha suld dreid stop ws to occupy
Or till inhabyt land of Italy?”
“Bot quhat maner man be ȝon,” quod Anchyss,
“With olyve branch on sik gudly wyss
Arrayit, and eik berys mony a syng
Of sacrifyce and ritis of offeryng?
I knaw hys canoss har and lyard berd
Of the wysast Roman kyng into the erd,
Numa Pompilius, quhilk sall in hys days
Begyn and statut with lawys and haly lays
The cheif cite Rome; and he sal pass
From a pur land, and smal cite Curas,
Send forto rewle and bruke a gret empire;
Quhamto thar sal succeid a lordly syre,
Tullus Hostilius, that first of hys land
The peyss and quiet, quhilk solang dyd stand,
He sal dissolue and brek, and dolf men steir,
Quhilk lang hath bene disosyt fra the weir,
To armys and triumphe of victory,
And thame array in hostis by and by.
Quham nixt followis Ancus Martyus,
Of hys estait mar prowd and gloryus,
And ourgretlie evin now, persaue and se,
Vaynglor and favour of pepill desiris he.
Pless the behald the Tarquynys kingis two,
And the stowt curage of Brutus alsso,
Quhilk can revenge the wrang in hys cuntre,
His gret honour gif thou lest heir or se,
And ensenȝeis send fra Ethrurianys:
This ilk Brutus sall first amang Romanys
Ressaue the dignite and stait consular;
With heding swerd bath felloun, scharp and gar,
Befor hym born throu all Romys tovne,
In takin of iustice executioun,
Hys awin sonnys, movyng onkyndly wer,
To punytioun and ded sal damp infeir,
To kepe frensches and souerane liberte;
And thus onsilly fader sall he be,
Quhou sa evir the pepil hys fatel dedis
In tyme tocum sal blason, quha thame redis;
The feruent lufe of his kynd natyve land,
And excedand desyre he bar on hand
Of honour and hie glory to ressaue,
Mot at evil rumour fra his lawd byvaue.
Attour, behald, lo, athir Decyus,
And standing fer of, twa that hait Drusus;
Considir Torquatus ȝondir, doith him rax
So brym and fellon with the heding ax;
And Camyllus, the vailȝeand capitane,
Bringand the Romane standartis hame agane.
Ȝon twa sawlys, quhilk thou seis, sans faill,
Schynand with elike armys peregale,
Now at gud concord stad and vnite,
Ay quhil thai stand in myrk and law degre:
Allace, how gret batale and debait
Salbe betwix thame, gif thai til estait
May cum abufe, and to the lyght of lyfe!
O, how gret slauchter, assembleis and huge strife
Sal thai exerce and move into thar days!
Cesar, the eldfader, by the strait ways
With his gret rowtis our the Franch montanys
Discendand dovn Lumbardy throu the planys,
His mavch Pompey sal strech agane him went
With rayt ostis of the orient.
O my childring, cum nocht in vss to hant
Sik fremmyt batalis, bot ȝour curage dant;
Exers ȝhe neuer ȝowr vailȝeand forss,” quod he,
“Amangis the entralis of ȝour awin cuntre.
And O thou Cesar, thou formast in the press,
Cum of hevinly kyn, abstene and cess;
Myne awin lynage, obeys my command,
Do cast sik wapynnys fer furth of thy hand.
And he that standys ȝonder, Lucyus,
Onto his surname clepit Munyus,
Efter he venquist haue Corinthe tovne,
And in batale the worthy Grekis bet dovn,
His char, with mekil glor triumphale,
Sal steir furth to the hie capitol wal.
And he ȝon other, Quintus Metellus,
Ful gret honour sal conquess onto ws,
For he sal bet dovn and distroy al clene
Baith Arge and Agamenonys realm Mycene;
And ȝonder Curyus with his fallow syne,
Pyrrus, cummyn of Kyng Eacus lyne
And of Achillis armipotent ofspring,
In batel sal ourcummyn and dovne thryng,
And thare eldris of Troy wreke and revenge,
And the tempill of Mynerve pollute clenge.
Quha wold the, gret Cato, lefe onhyt?
Or quha with silens Cossus pretermyt?
Quha list forȝet the kynrent of Gracchus?
Or athir of the Scypionys gloryus,
Thai twa thunderis of batale in thar rage,
Fynale rwyne of Affrik and Cartage?
Quha wald, Fabricius, of the say na thyng,
That art ful myghty bot of litil thing?
Of the, Seranus, quha wald na thing schaw,
Quhar thou thi ryggis telys forto saw,
As thou was chosyn capitane of weir?
Quhidder withdraw ȝhe, Fabyus, cum neir,
Thole me na mar be irkyt ȝou tobehald:
Thow art that ilk mast souerane Fabius bald,
Quhilk only, throu thy slycht and tareyng,
Restoris the common weill of our ofspryng.”
“The pepil of othir realmys, son,” said he,
“Bene mor expert in craftis, and mar sle
To forge and kerf lyflyke staturis of brass,
Be contenans as the spreit tharin was;
I trast, forsuyth, heirefter mony ane
Sal hew quyk facis furth of marbil stane;
Sum otheris bettir can thar causis pled;
Sum bene mar crafty in ane other sted,
With rewlis and with mesouris by and by
For til exers the art of geometry;
And sum mor subtel to discryve and prent
The starnys movyng and the hevynnys went:
Bot thou, Romane, ramember, as lord and syre,
To rewle the pepil vnder thyne empyre;
Thir sal thy craftis be, at weil may seme,
The peax to modefy and eik manteme,
To pardon all cumis ȝoldin and recryant,
And prowd rabellis in batale forto dant.”
Thus said the noble fader Anchyses meik,
As thai awondrit can thir wordis eik:
“Behald Marcus Marcellus mast douchty,
Quhar that he walkis, lo, sa gloriusly,
With the rich spulȝe triumphale deirly dycht,
Quhilk he reft from his aduersar in fyght,
As the maste vailȝeant victor that I ken,
In bonty doith exceid all other men.
This worthy knycht the common weil Romane,
In gret affray perturbit, to rest agane
And quyet sal restor, and ȝon is he
That venquys sal the Affricane menȝe,
And the Franch rebellioun sall down bet;
The thrid armour or rych spulȝe gret,
Reft from chiftane of weir, this Marcellus
Sall hyng vp to the fader Quirynus.”
And for alsmekil as Eneas saw
In falloschip with this Marcus raik on raw
A sembly springald, a far ȝong galland,
Rycht schaply maid, in armour brycht schynand,
Bot his vissage semyt scarsly blith,
With luke doun cast, as in his face dyd kith
That he was sum deill sad and no thing lycht:
“Fader,” quod he, “quhat be ȝon drery knycht,
Quhilk haldis so with ȝon prince cumpany?
Quhidder his son, or sum nevo worthy,
Of our gret lynage and successioun?
O Lord, how gret brute, noys and sovn
Of confluens that walkyng him about!
Quhou gret apperance is in hym but dout
Tilbe of prowes, and a valȝeant knycht!
Bot a blak sop of myst, als dyrk as nycht,
With drery schaddo bilappis his hed.”
The fader tho, Anchises, in the sted,
With teris bristyng furth, begouth to say:
“O my sweit son, inquir nocht, I the pray,
The excedand regrait and womanting
Of thame bene fortocum of thyne ofspring.
The fatis sall bot for a litill space
Schaw ȝon man to the erth and wardly place,
And sal no langer suffer him tharin.
O goddis abufe, the Romanys blude and kyn
Semyt to ȝou our myghty and potent,
Gif so it war the giftis ȝhe hym lent
Had remanyt, or lang his lyfe had lest.
Quhou gret murnyng of men all forcyest,
For hym, furth of the feildis marcyall,
Sall dyn and resound to the cite wall!
And O thou god of the flude Tyberyne,
Quhou mony fertyrris and duyl habetis schyne
Sall thou behald, as thou flowis at Rome
Down by his new maid sepultur or tovme!
Ne nevir child cummyn of Troiane blude
In sic beleif and glory and gret gude
Sal rayss his forbearis Italianys;
Ne nevir, certis, the grund of the Romanys
Of ony fostir sal him so avance.
Allace, quhat harm of the disseuerance!
Of thy gret piete and thyne ancyant treuth,
Thy hand onvenquyst in batale, O quhat reuth!
Nane suld, but dammage, hym in harnes meit,
Quhidder so aganyst him he went on feit,
Or ȝit on horsbak, as thir knychtis rydis,
With spurris brochand the fomy stedis sydis.
Allace my child, so worthy tobe menyt,
Worthy tobe bewalit and complenyt!
Gyf thou thyne hard werdis mycht vincus,
Thou salbe namyt the souerane Marcellus.
Of fresch lilleis reke me my handis full;
The purpour flowris I sal skattir and pull,
That I may strow, with sik rewardis at lest,
My nevoys sawle, to culȝe and to fest,
And, but profit, sik costage sall exers.”
Apon this wyss seir thingis dyd reherss
Anchises, and thus wide quhar thai do walk
Our al that regioun, haldand spech and talk
Within the large feildis of hailsum air,
And euery thing per ordour visseyt thar.
And efter that Anchises, hand in hand,
Had thus his son led our all that land,
And his curage inflambit by and by
With the gret fame tocum and hie glory;
Syne to this valȝeant man he rekkynnys heir,
Per ordour, all the batalis and the wer
Quhilk eftir this he had to ber on hand;
And of the pepill eik in Latyn land,
And of the cite of the kyng Latyne,
He him instrukkis; and tharefter syne
Taucht him quhat wyss he myght sustene or fle
Evir hard danger or aduersite.
Thar bene ordanyt for dremys ȝettis twane,
Quharof, thai say, of horn forgit is ane,
At quham the suythfast swevynnys by and by
Departis all ways, and ischis furth lychtly;
The tother port is forgit wail perfite
Of eliphantyne and polist evor quhite,
Bot tharat goddis infernal lattis owt
The fals swevynnys to the warld about.
So as Anchises had, apon this wyss,
Rehersit, as said is, all thingis at devyss,
Sibilla and his son togidder at schort
He leit depart furth at the evor port.
Eneas spedis the strecht way to the schippis,
And can vissy agane his falloschippis.
Fra thyne thai hald, endlang the costis bay,
Onto the port of Caiet the strecht way.
Furth of the forschip leyt thai ankyris glyde;
The navy raid endlang the schoris syde.
O Caieta, thou nurys of Ene,
Thou hass alsso, that tyme quhen thou can de,
Ontil our cost or fronteris of Itale
Gevin the bruyt and fame perpetual,
Quhil this day the ilke place and sted
Observis the renovn eftir thy ded,
Thy tumbe and banys merkit with thy name
In gret Hesperia witnessyng the same,
Gyf that be ony glory now to the.
The reuthfull than and devote prince Ene
Performyt dewly thy funerall seruys,
Apon the sepultur, as custum was and gyss,
Ane hepe of erd and litil mote gart vprayss,
And with bent saill syne furth his vayage tays;
Eftir that asswagit was the deip sey,
Thai leif the cost and sped on thar iourne.
The pypyng wynd blew in thar tail at nyght,
Nor the schene moyn hir curss and cleir lyght
Hass nocht denyit, so that the haw stremys
Couth schyne and glittir vndre the twynkland glemys.
The cost endlang the ille Circea
Thai swepyng fast by, hard on burd the bra,
Quhar as the ryche Sonnys douchtir, Circe,
Thai schawis, quhamto repar nane aucht tobe,
With hir ythand sweit sand and caralyng
Cawsys allway forto resound and ryng,
And in hir prowd place of beddis all the nycht
The weil smelland cedyr byrnys bright;
With subtil slays and hir hedlys sle,
Rich lynȝe wobbis natly wefis sche.
From this land redly on fer mycht thai her
The gret rageyng of liones and the beir,
Quhilk thai dyd mak, refusyng tobe in band
In silens, all the lait nycht rumesand;
The byrsit baris and beris in thar styis
Roryng all wod with quhrynys and wild cryis,
And gret figuris of wolffis eik infeir,
Ȝowland with ȝammering grisly forto her;
Quhilkis all this crwell goddess, hecht Circe,
By enchantment and forcy herbis sle,
Had furth of mannys figur and estait
Into wild bestis schap and form translait.
Quhilk monstruos transmutatioun for the nanys
Ne happin mycht onto devoyt Troianys,
Gyf thai arryvit in thai portis nyss
Thai cursit costis of this enchantryss,
At thai ne suld do entir, ne thame fynd,
Thar salis all with prosper followand wynd
Neptunus fillit, and maid thame sail swiftly,
All dangeris and gray schaldis careit by.