University of Virginia Library

[The Proloug of the Sevynt Buke]

As bryght Phebus, scheyn souerane hevynnys e,
The opposit held of hys chymmys hie,
Cleir schynand bemys, and goldyn symmyris hew,
In laton cullour alteryng haill of new,
Kythyng no syng of heyt be hys vissage,
So neir approchit he his wyntir stage;
Reddy he was to entyr the thrid morn
In clowdy skyis vndre Capricorn;
All thocht he be the hart and lamp of hevyn,
Forfeblit wolx hys lemand gylty levyn,
Throu the declynyng of hys large round speir.
The frosty regioun ryngis of the ȝer,
The tyme and sesson bittir, cald and paill,
Tha schort days that clerkis clepe brumaill,
Quhen brym blastis of the northyn art
Ourquhelmyt had Neptunus in his cart,
And all to schaik the levis of the treis,
The rageand storm ourweltrand wally seys.
Ryveris ran reid on spait with watir brovne,
And burnys hurlys all thar bankis dovne,
And landbrist rumland rudely with sik beir,
So lowd ne rumyst wild lyoun or ber;
Fludis monstreis, sik as meirswyne or quhalis,
Fro the tempest law in the deip devalis.
Mars occident, retrograde in his speir,
Prouocand stryfe, regnyt as lord that ȝer;
Rany Oryon with his stormy face
Bewavit oft the schipman by hys race;
Frawart Saturn, chill of complexioun,
Throu quhais aspect darth and infectioun
Beyn causyt oft, and mortal pestilens,
Went progressyve the greis of his ascens;
And lusty Hebe, Iunoys douchtir gay,
Stude spulȝeit of hir office and array.
The soyl ysowpit into watir wak,
The firmament ourcast with rokis blak,
The grond fadyt, and fawch wolx all the feildis,
Montane toppis slekit with snaw ourheildis;
On raggit rolkis of hard harsk quhyn stane
With frosyn frontis cauld clynty clewis schane.
Bewte was lost, and barrand schew the landis,
With frostis hair ourfret the feldis standis.
Seir bittir bubbis and the schowris snell
Semyt on the sward a symylitude of hell,
Reducyng to our mynd, in euery sted,
Gousty schaddois of eild and grisly ded.
Thik drumly skuggis dyrknyt so the hevyn,
Dym skyis oft furth warpit feirfull levyn,
Flaggis of fire, and mony felloun flaw,
Scharpe soppys of sleit and of the snypand snaw.
The dolly dichis war all donk and wait,
The law valle flodderit all with spait,
The plane stretis and euery hie way
Full of floschis, dubbis, myre and clay.
Laggerit leyis wallowit farnys schew,
Brovne muris kythit thar wysnyt mossy hew,
Bank, bra and boddum blanchit wolx and bar.
For gurl weddir growit bestis hair.
The wynd maid waif the red wed on the dyke,
Bedowyn in donkis deip was euery sike.
Our craggis and the front of rochis seir
Hang gret ische schouchlis lang as ony speir.
The grond stud barrant, widderit, dosk or gray,
Herbis, flowris and gersis wallowyt away.
Woddis, forrestis, with nakyt bewis blowt,
Stude stripyt of thar weid in euery howt.
So bustuusly Boreas his bugill blew,
The deyr full dern doun in the dalis drew;
Smale byrdis, flokkand throu thik ronys thrang,
In chyrmyng and with cheping changit thar sang,
Sekand hidlis and hyrnys thame to hyde
Fra feirfull thuddis of the tempestuus tyde;
The watir lynnys rowtis, and euery lynd
Quhislit and brayt of the swouchand wynd.
Puyr lauboraris and bissy husband men
Went wait and wery draglit in the fen.
The silly scheip and thar litil hyrd gromys
Lurkis vndre le of bankis, woddis and bromys;
And other dantit grettar bestiall,
Within thar stabillis sesyt into stall,
Sik as mulis, horssis, oxin and ky,
Fed tuskyt barys and fat swyne in sty,
Sustenyt war by mannys governance
On hervist and on symmeris purvyance.
Wyde quhar with forss so Eolus schowtis schill
In this congelit sesson scharp and chill,
The callour ayr, penetratyve and puyr,
Dasyng the blude in euery creatur,
Maid seik warm stovis and beyn fyris hoyt,
In dowbill garmont cled and wily coyt,
With mychty drink and metis confortyve,
Agane the stern wyntir forto stryve.
Repatyrrit weil, and by the chymnay bekyt,
At evin be tyme dovne a bed I me strekyt,
Warpit my hed, kest on clathis thrynfald,
Fortil expell the peralus persand cald;
I crosyt me, syne bownyt forto sleip,
Quhar, lemand throu the glass, I dyd tak kepe
Latonya, the lang irksum nyght,
Hir subtell blenkis sched and watry lycht,
Full hie vp quhirlyt in hir regioun,
Till Phebus ryght in oppositioun,
Into the Crab hir proper mansioun draw,
Haldand the hight all thocht the son went law.
Hornyt Hebowd, quhilk we clepe the nycht owle,
Within hir cavern hard I schowt and ȝowle,
Laithly of form, with crukyt camscho beke,
Vgsum to heir was hir wild elrich screke;
The wild geiss claking eik by nyghtis tyde
Atour the cite fleand hard I glyde.
On slummyr I slaid full sad, and slepit sound
Quhil the oriȝont vpwart gan rebound.
Phebus crownyt byrd, the nyghtis orlager,
Clapping his weyngis thryss had crawin cleir;
Approching neir the greking of the day,
Within my bed I walkynnyt quhar I lay;
So fast declynys Synthea the moyn,
And kays keklis on the ruyf aboyn;
Palamedes byrdis crowpyng in the sky,
Fleand on randon, schapyn like ane Y,
And as a trumpat rang thar vocis soun,
Quhois cryis bene pronosticatioun
Of wyndy blastis and ventositeis;
Fast by my chalmyr, in heich wysnyt treis,
The soir gled quhislis lowd with mony a pew:
Quhar by the day was dawyn weil I knew,
Bad beit the fyre and the candill alyght,
Syne blissyt me, and in my wedis dyght,
A schot wyndo onschet a litill on char,
Persauyt the mornyng bla, wan and har,
With clowdy gum and rak ourquhelmyt the ayr,
The sulȝe stythly, hasart, rouch and hair,
Branchis bratlyng, and blaknyt schew the brays
With hirstis harsk of waggand wyndill strays,
The dew droppis congelit on stibbill and rynd,
And scharp hailstanys mortfundeit of kynd
Hoppand on the thak and on the causay by.
The schot I closit, and drew inwart in hy,
Chyvirrand for cald, the sesson was so snell,
Schupe with hayt flambe to fleym the fresyng fell.
And, as I bownyt me to the fyre me by,
Baith vp and down the howss I dyd aspy,
And seand Virgill on a lettron stand,
To write onone I hynt a pen in hand,
Fortil perform the poet grave and sad,
Quham sa fer furth or than begun I had,
And wolx ennoyt sum deill in my hart
Thar restit oncompletit sa gret a part.
And to my self I said: “In gud effect
Thou mon draw furth, the ȝok lyis on thy nek.”
Within my mynde compasyng thocht I so,
Na thing is done quhil ocht remanys ado;
For byssynes, quhilk occurrit on cace,
Ourvoluyt I this volume, lay a space;
And, thocht I wery was, me list not tyre,
Full laith to leif our wark swa in the myre,
Or ȝit to stynt for bitter storm or rane.
Heir I assayt to ȝok our pleuch agane,
And, as I couth, with afald diligens,
This nixt buke following of profond sentens
Has thus begun in the chil wyntir cald,
Quhen frostis doith ourfret baith firth and fald. &c.
Tho gan the sey of bemys walxin red,
And heich abuf, dovn from the hevinly sted,
Within hyr rosy cartis cleirly schane
Aurora vestit into brovn sanguane.
Eftir the wyndys lownyt war at will,
And all the blastis pacefyit and still,
Out our the calm streym of marbill gray
With ayris palmys sweip thai furth thar way.
And suddanly heir from the stabillit see
A large semly schaw beheld Enee,
Amyddis quham the flude he gan aspy
Of Tybir flowand soft and esely,
With sworland welis, and mekill ȝallow sand,
Into the sey dyd entyr fast at hand.
The byrdis seir of mony diuerss hewis,
About the watir, abuf vp in the clewis,
On bankis weilbyknaw and fludis bay,
Wyth wryblis sweit and myrthfull sangis gay
Gan meyss and glaid the hevynnys and the ayr,
And throu the schaw went fleand our alquhar.
To turn thar courss he gan his feris command,
And stevin thar schippis to the sammyn land;
Ioyfull and blith thai entring in the flude,
That dern about skuggyt with bewis stude.
Now, thou my muse, Erato, I the pray,
Do schaw me this, at I may scharply say
Quhatkynd process of tyme was, and quhat kyngis
In ald Latium, and in quhat stait all thingis,
Quhen first this strange army or falloschip
In Italy gan arryvyn, euery schip:
I sall declar all, and reduce fut hait,
From the begynnyng of the first debayt.
O thou sweit goddes, O thou haly wight,
Convoy and tech thy poet to say ryght!
I sall the horribill batellis schaw and tell,
The bludy ostis, and the feildis fell;
Quhou, throw thar curage, douchty kyngis seir
As ded corpss becum war, and brocht on beir;
The power hale of all Tuscany,
And all the gret rowtis of Italy
Assemblit into armys on the land.
Per ordour now thar risis apon hand
Fer largear materis forto treit and write,
A grettar wark begyn we to endyte.
Tha boundis, with thar lusty citeis all,
By lang proces of peax, in stait riall
The king Latinus held in governyng;
Or than full agyt was this nobill kyng,
Quham, as we haue hard tald ful long agone,
By Kyng Fawnus engendrit was apon
The mayd or nymphe of Lawrent, Marica.
And to this Fawnus fader was alssua
Picus the kyng, quhilk doith the represent,
Saturnus, for hys fader and parent:
Thou was the fyrst gan all thar blude begyn,
The first fundment and cheif stok of kyn.
By dispositioun of the goddis dyvyn,
Son nor manchild nane had Kyng Latyn,
For alsmekill as his ȝong son, a page,
Discessit was within his tendir age.
The kyngis palice and all that riall hald,
All hyr allane, a douchtir dyd with hald,
Now reddy for a man, and cum to age
In grene ȝheris to compleit mariage.
Full mony nobillis into Latium
Axit hir to wyf, throu Itale all and sum:
Turnus hir axis, cummyn of hie parage,
Abuf all other maste gudly personage,
And tharto rich of frendis, and myghty
Of eldris gret and riall anchestry,
Quham Kyng Latinus spowss, Queyn Amata,
With diligens dyd procur, day by day,
That he adionyt war thar son in law.
Bot feirfull syngnys by the goddis schaw,
And syndry terrouris gan tharto ganestand.
Amyddis of the palyce closs dyd stand,
With blisfull bewis, a fair grene lawrer,
Haldyn in dreid and wirschip mony a ȝer,
Quham this ilk prynce and fader Latinus
Dyd consecrat and hallow to Phebus,
For that he fand it growand in the feild
Quhar he hys ryall palyce first dyd beild:
The indwellaris of the grond, efter this tre,
Lawrentes onto name clepit hes he.
Betyd a wondir takynnyng for to say:
A gret flight of beys, on a day,
Careit our the sey heich throu the moist ayr,
With lowd bemyng gan alycht and repar
On the hie top of this forsaid lawreir;
Intill a clud ful thik togidder infeir,
Thar feyt al sammyn knyt efter thar gyss,
A swarm, or ony wyst quhou or quhat wyss,
Hang from a florist branch of this ilk tre.
Incontinent the spaymen cryis: “We se
A strange man tocum onto thir partis
With a gret rowt, and, fra the sammyn artis
Quharfra ȝon beis cam, sal hidder seik;
Quhilk, for hys bonte and his thewis meke,
Sall weild this palice and hie senȝeory.”
Abuf this, eik, betyd a mar farly:
As Kyng Latinus kyndillis, on thar gyss,
Apon the altaris for the sacrefyis,
The clene schidis of the dry fyre brandis,
Quhar that also fast by hir fader standis
Lavynya the maid, his douchter fair;
A selcouth thing to se, in hir syde hair
It semyt the hait fyre kyndillit bricht,
And hir gay clething al with lowis lyght
Gan gleit, and sperkland birn vp in a bless;
Hir ryal tressis inflambit, evil at eyss;
Hir crownel, picht with mony precyus stane,
Infyrit all of byrnand flawys schane;
And efter that semyt this gudly wight
Tobe involuyt in ȝallo reky lyght,
And furth our al the place and rufe on hie
The fyre blesys, thame semyt, skattirris sche.
Certis, this was reput with ȝyng and ald
A grisly thing and wondrus to behald,
For the diuinys declaris by and by
Quhat this feirful takyn dyd signyfy:
That is to knaw, at this ilk maid suld be
Of fame excelland and felicite
Bot to the pepill pronosticatioun cleir
Of suddane batale and of mortal wer.
Bot than the king, thochtfull and al pensyve
Of sik monstreis, gan do seik belyve
Hys fader Fawnus orator and answar,
Quhilk couth the fatis for tocum declar;
And gan inquiryng responsions alssua
In the schaw vndre hie Albunea,
Quhilk is a cheif gret forest, as thai tell,
And namyt from a haly rowtand well,
Quhar, from the erth, in dern wentis heir and thar,
A strang flewyr thrawis vp in the ayr.
Thiddir hail the pepil of Italia,
And al the land eik of Onotrya,
Thar dowtsum axyng tursis for ansuer,
And thar petitions gettis assolȝeit heir.
The kingis offerand and rich sacryfyss
The preist thidder gart bring, as was the gyss,
And, vnder silence of the dirk nycht,
On scheip skynnys, weil spred and couchit rycht,
Quhilk slane war in the sacrifice that day,
He strekis him adovne and tharon lay,
Demandand swevynnys and visions til appeir.
On mervellus wyss, thir fleand schaddoys seir
And figouris nyss dyd he se and aspy,
And diuerss vocis hard he eik fast by,
And gan the goddis carping bruke and ioys,
With speche of thai spretis that beyn ycloss
In Achyron, the depest pyt of hell,
And thame that far doun in Avernus dyd dwel.
The kyng alsso, that tyme, atour the laif,
Heir wald him self his answer ask and craif:
Ane hundreth wollit wedderis, weil ganand,
In sacryfyss he brytynnys for offerand,
On quhais soft flesys, weil and dewly spreid,
The kyng down liggis for that nyghtis bed.
And suddanly, furth of the schawys closs,
Sayand him thus, thar com a hasty voce:
“O thou my child, cummyn of my stok,
Adress the nevir to knyt into wedlok
Thi dochter til a man of Latyn land;
Lyppin nocht in ȝon allyance reddy at hand.
Tobe thi mawch sal cum ane alienar,
That of his blude sal gendir sik ane air,
Quhilk sal our name abufe the starnys vpbring;
Of quhais stok the nevoys and ofspryng
Vnder thar feit and lordschip salbehald
All landis sterit and rewlit as thai wald,
Als fer as that the son, circuland we se,
Behaldis baith the est and westir seye.”
The kyng thir ansueris of his fader Fawnus,
And admonitions be nyght gevin thus,
Ne hydis nocht nor closys in his moutht;
So that the fame tharof walkis full couth
Our all the citeis of Italy wyde quhar,
Quhen as the ȝonkeris of Troy arryvit war,
And at the schor, vndre a gresy bank,
Thar navy can thai ankyr fast and hank.
Eneas, and othir chiftanys gloryus,
And the fresch lusty springald Ascanius,
Vndre the branchis of a semly tre
Gan lenyng dovn and rest thar bodeys fre,
And to thar dyner dyd thame all adress
On grene herbis and sonkis of soft gerss.
The flowr sconnys war set in by and by,
With othir mesis, sik as war reddy;
Syne bred trynschouris dyd thai fyl and charge
With wild scrabbis and other frutis large.
Betyd, as was the will of Iupiter,
For falt of fude constrenyt so thai war,
The other metis all consumyt and done,
The paryngis of thar bred to mowp vp sone,
And with thar handis brek, and chaftis gnaw,
The crustis and the coffyngis all on raw;
Ne spar thai not at last, for lake of met,
Thar fatale four nukit trynschour forto eyt.
“Och!” quod Ascanius, “quhou is this befall?
Behald, we eyt our tabillis vp and all!”
He said na mair bot this, half deil in board.
Thame thocht thai hard a fatale voce or word,
Quhilk was as finale end of thar vayage.
Hys fader first of all, with glaid curage,
The word reft from his mouth as that he spak,
And followis on the answer stupefac:
“All hail thou grond and land,” quod he, in hy,
“By the fatis onto me destany,
And ȝe, O trast Penates,” said Enee,
“Alhail our natyve goddis, weil ȝe be!
Heir is our dwelling place quhar we sall leynd,
Forto remane heir is our cuntre heynd.
Certis, now I ramembir my fader Anchyss
Syk secret takynnys of fatis on this wyss
Schew and rehersit, sayand this to me:
‘Son, quhen in sik hungyr thou stad salbe,
As thou art careit till a strange cost,
That, all the mesis etyn, done and lost,
Thou art constrenyt thy burdis gnaw and fret,
Than thou, al irkyt, may thar beleif to get
A sovir duelling sted perpetualy.
Ramembir, in that place, or neir fast by,
To found thy first cite with thi hand,
Dychit with fowsys and wallys hie standand.’
This was that hungir tareit ws so lang,
This sall mak end of our myschevis strang.
Quharfor, tomorow ayrly, I ȝou pray,
First as the son vpryss, we glaidly may
Serss and inquir quhat place and land is this,
Or quhat maner of pepill tharin duellis,
And of thys kyth quhar standis the cheif cite;
Lat ws seik syndry ways fra the see.
Now mak we mery, away dolf hartis dull,
Now skynk, and offer Iupiter cowpis full,
And in ȝour prayeris and orisons infeir
Do call apon Anchyss, my fader deir!
Bryng wyne agane, set in tharof plente!”
And sayand thus, with a grene branch of tre
He dyd involup and aray his hed,
And Genyus, the god of that ilk sted,
He dyd wirschip, and gan in prayeris call
Erth, the gret moder and first god of all,
The nymphis and the fludis ȝit onknaw,
The nycht syne, with hir syngnys al on raw,
And Iupiter Ideus of Ida,
And Cibylla the mother in Phrigia;
He gan also beseik, quhar that thai dwell,
Athir of his parentis baith in hevin and hell.
The fader than almychty with cleyr lycht
Gan thundir thryss dovn from the hevynnys hycht;
And schakand in his hand, quhar as he went,
A byrnand clowd schew from the firmament,
With fyry sparkis lyke to goldyn bemys
Or twynkilland sprayngis with thar giltin glemys,
And tho belyve dywlgat round abowt is
The noyss and rumour throu the Troiane rowtis,
The day was cummyn, and the place quhar thai
Thar cite promist suld beld and array.
For ioy thai pyngill than fortill renew
Thar bankettis with all obseruancis dew,
And, for thir tithingis, in flacon and in skull
Thai skynk the wyne, and wauchtis cowpis full.
The nixt morow, with his goldin lamp bryght
As the cleir day dyd ayr and erth alycht,
Thai boundis, costis and the cheif cite
Diuerss spyis went furth to serss and se,
And fand ane stank that flowyt from a well
Quhilk Munycus was hait, and eik thai tell
This was the flude of Tibir thai had fund,
And strang Latyn pepill inhabyt this ground.
Thar with Anchises son, the wyss Enee,
Per ordour chosyn of euery degre
Ane hundreth gay ambassatouris dyd waill,
To pass onto the kyngis sted riall,
Bad bair the prynce rewardis for the nanys,
And him beseik of peax to the Troianys.
With fresch garlandis and branchis all thai be
Arrayt of the olyve of Pallas tre;
And but delay, as he thame chargit had,
With swyft payss thai on thar message glaid.
And he into the meyn tyme fast can spur
Bot with a smal sewch, or a litill fur,
To mark the fundment of his new cite;
And fast by the ilk costis syde of the see
Hys first mansioun, in maner as it had bene
Ane ost of tentis stentit on the grene,
With turettis, fowsy and erd dikis ilk deill,
He gan address to closing wonder weill.
Be this the ȝong men send furth in message
Sa far has sped furthwart thar vayage,
That thai the towris and the turettis hie
Of Kyng Latyn the cheif chymmys gan se.
Vndre the cite wall childir and pagis
And lusty springaldis, al of tendir agis,
Thar horssis and thar stedis dyd assay,
And dantit cartis in the dusty way;
And sum thar big bowis dyd bend and draw,
Sum with armys leyt trymland dartis thraw,
Baith with swyft curss and schuting so thai wirk,
Ilkane bissy his party forto irk.
Than, careit on ane horss, a messynger
Brocht tithingis to the ancient kyngis eyr,
A gret menȝe of sturdy men war cum,
Cled in a strange habyt all and sum.
The kyng bad bryng thame in his palyce sone,
And set hym self amyd his eldris troyn.
Thar stude a gret tempill or sail ryall,
Of Lawrent cite seyt imperiall,
Belt with a hundreth staitly pillaris hie,
Of Kyng Picus the chymmys cheif to se,
With semly schawys circulit, and lang hald
In wirschip and reuerence be faderis ald;
Quhar was statut by the consent common
The kyngis suld ressaue ceptur and crovn,
And of iustice other ensenȝeis seir,
And thar the baner fyrst rayss for the weir.
In this tempill held thai curt on raw;
That was the set eik by thar gentil law
Deput for hallowit fest and mangeory;
And heir full oft at burdis by and by
The heris war wont togidder syt all sam,
Quhen britnyt was, eftir thar gyss, the ram.
And forthir eik, per ordour mycht ȝe knaw
Within the cheif deambulatour on raw
Of forfaderis gret ymagis dyd stand,
Of ald cedir carvyt with crafty hand:
Kyng Italus, and fader Sabinus
That first the wyne tre plantit, stok or buss
(The crukyt huke vndre hys weid held he);
The ancyent kyng Saturn thar mycht thou se,
And Ianus statur eyk with dowbill face,
With other pryncis porturyt in that place,
From the begynnyng of thar first discens,
Quhilk, of thar natyve cuntre for defens,
In marcyal batale sufferit woundis sair.
Apon the postis alsso mony a pair
Of harnes hang, and cart quhelis gret plente,
From ennemys war wonnyn in melle;
The bowand axis, helmys with hie crestis,
Of rich citeis ȝettis, stapillis and restis,
Gret lokkis, slottis, massy bandis sqwair,
Dartis and scheildis hyngis heir and thar,
And stalwart stevynnys, baith of irne and tre,
Reft from thir schippis fechtand on the see.
The ymage porturit was of Kyng Pycus,
Dantar of horssis, in chair sat gloryus,
Cled in a ryal rob auguriall,
And in his hand a ceptre wand riall,
And in his left hand haldand a bukleir;
Quham, revist for his luf, throu vennomys seir,
Circes hys spouss smate with a goldin wand,
And in a byrd hym turnyt fut and hand
With sprutlyt weyngis, clepit a Speicht with ws,
Quhilk in Latyn hait Pycus Marcyus.
In sik a tempill of goddis Latyn kyng,
Amyd his faderis set ryall sytting,
Gart fech the Troianys to his presens heir,
And as thai entrit, and befor him wer,
With glaid semlant and vissage ful benyng
Thir wordis first to thame carpis the king:
“Say me, Troianys, quhat ȝe desire,” quod he,
“For weil we knaw ȝour lynage and cite,
And it is alsso cummyn to our erys
Ȝe set ȝour courss our se thir mony ȝeris;
Schaw for quhat causis, or quhat necessite,
Ȝour schippis our sa feill haw stremys of see
Beyn hiddir to this cost of Italy
Careit or dryve, or quhidder ȝour navy
Has errit by thar courss, and far gone will,
Or ȝit by forss of storm catchyt hiddertill,
As oft wil happin by the frawart tyde
To marynaris on fludys deip and wyde.
Gyf ȝe sik wyss within our ryver bankis
Be entyrt, or remanys with our thankis
In to our port and havynnys fast heir by,
Withdraw ȝou not, ne fle nocht that harbry;
Nor mysknaw not the condityons of ws
Latyn pepill and folk of Saturnus,
Onconstrenyt, not be law bund thartill,
Bot be our inclinatioun and fre will
Iust and equale, and but offencis ay,
Ar rewlit eftir the ald goddys way.
As twichyng eik ȝour discens and ofspryng,
Weil I ramembir that I haue hard sum thing;
Bot that is passyt, or now, sa mony ȝheris,
The fame almaste forȝet is and efferis;
Agit men of the cite Arunca,
With gret avant, forsuyth, thame hard I say,
Of this cuntre Schir Dardanus ybor
Throw out the sey socht far and ferthyrmor
Tyl Samo, fyrst, in Trace, the nerrest gait,
Quhilk Samothracia now to name is hait;
Syne socht he to the land of Phrygia,
And citeis set in the wod of Ida.
The goldyn palyce now with sternys brycht
Of hevyn in seyt riall withhaldys that wyght,
That vmquhile socht fra hyne of Tuscany,
And Corith cite, standis our cost hard by;
That now a god is clepit our all quhar,
And to thar numbir ekis hys altar.”
Thus said the kyng, and Ilioneus, but baid,
Onto hys wordys thus wyss answer maid:
“Maist ryall prynce, cummyn of hie parage
Of god Fawnus, nowdyr the seys rage
By forss of dyrk tempest has ws dryve
Onto ȝour realm, and tharat maid arryve,
Nor ȝit the laid stern from our courss bywauyt,
Nor strange cost of this regioun dissauyt.
Bot by assent common, and of fre will,
And set purposs, we socht this cite till,
As folkis flemyt fra thar natyve cuntre,
Vmquhile the maste souerane realm, trast me,
That evir the son from the far part of hevyn
With hys bemys ourschane, or man can nevin.
From Iupiter dyd our lynnage begyn,
And all the ofspring of Schir Dardanus kyn
Of Iupiter thar forfader can reioss;
Of Iovis stok in hyast gre most choiss
Our kyng discend, the strang Troiane Enee,
In message send ws heir to thy cite.
Quhou gret tempest of batale and debait
Our Troiane feildis wyd hass walkyt layt
By cruel Grekis hydduus confluens,
Quhat fatale bargane thar maid and defens,
Athir part knawys of the warldis twa,
That is to say, Europ and Asya,
And gif thar ony ferthir regioun be,
Diuidit be the streym and occiane see
Fra the ferm land, tharof thai haue hard tell,
And thai alsso, gif ony thar may dwell,
The sonnys myd cirkill remanys vnder,
Hait Torrida Ȝona, dry as ony tundir,
Quhilk is amyd the hevynnys situat
Amang four othir plagis temperate.
Fra that diluge eschape and feirful spait,
Careit throu feil large haw stremys wayt,
A litil sted or mansioun, we beseik,
Grant to our natyve kyndly goddis meik,
The bair sey cost, hurtand na mannys rycht,
With air and watir common to euery wight.
Na mar lak to ȝour realm sall we be,
Nor na repreif tharby to ȝour renowne
Be ws, nor nane other, sal nevir spreid;
Nor ȝit the thankis of sa frendful a deid
Sal ony tyme into obliuion slyde;
Nor Italy, with hir braid bundis and wide,
Sal nevir repent that scho the folk of Troy
Hess ressauyt, nor tharof thynk ennoy.
Be al Eneas destaneis I sweir,
Hys trasty faith, or rycht hand into weir
Sa valȝeand at onset and defens,
And by his lang wse and experiens
Of armys, quhilk he hes in batale hantit:
Ful mony pepil, victoryus, ondantit,
Desirit ws in frendschip and ally,
And tobe ionyt in thar senȝeory;
Nor lichtly not forthy our frendly proffer,
Quhilk of our fre will onrequirit we offir,
With wordis of request and of trety,
The takynnys in our handis born vp hye;
For oft the fatis of the goddis seir
Hass ws compellit by thar strang power
Onto ȝour landis and thir costis seik.
Schir Dardanus born of this cuntre eik
Desiris hiddir to return agane;
And with commandmentis strait, ful mony ane,
Appollo chargit ws to sper bedene
To Tybyr, flowand in the sey Tirrene,
And to the fontane and the strandis cleir
Of Munycus, the hallowit fresch ryver.
And forthir eik our prince hes to the sent
Of his ald fortoun bot a smal present,
The sobir levyngis reft from Troys fyre.
Into this cowp of gold Anchiss hys syre
At the altar was wont to sacrify;
And of the gret kyng Pryam, mast douchty,
This was the cheif dyademe our the laif,
With quham he crownyt sat and domys gaif;
Hys ceptre als, and eik his tyar hat,
Hallowit quharwith at sacrifice he sat;
And this was eik hys precius rob ryall,
By Troiane ladeis wrocht and brusyt all.”
Herand sic wordis of Ilioneus,
Ful stil his vissage haldis Latynus;
Hys syght onmovyt to the erd dyd he prent,
Witht eyn rollyng, and erys rycht attent.
The brusyt purpur movis hym na thing,
Nor Priamus ceptour sa sar steris the kyng,
As that he musys thochtfull gretumly
Apon his douchteris spousage and ally,
And in his mind gan cumpas oft infeir
His fader Fawnus responss and answer,
Thynkand this ilk Eneas semyt tobe
The self stranger, quham fatale destanee
Signyfeit tocum furth of ane vncouth sted,
Tobe his son in law, and forto led
Equale dignite with him in that ryng,
Ful of souerane vertu, quhais ofspring
By thar power suld ioys and occupy
The haill warld vndre thar senȝeory.
And at the last, efter ful lang musyng,
Witht ioyus cheir on this wyss said the kyng:
“The goddis ȝour begynnyng furthir and speid,
And thar pronosticatioun manifest in deid.
I grant thyne axyng, Troiane messynger,
And ȝour rewardis ressauys in thank, for heir
Ȝe be all hartlie welcum, trastis me:
So lang as levys Kyng Latyn in this cuntre,
The riches of mast plentuus fertil grund
Ȝe sal nocht want, that in this realm is fund,
Ne ȝit nane othir welth, weilfar and ioy
Quhilkis ȝe war wont to bruke and haue in Troy.
Bot, at the lest, ȝe causs ȝour prince Enee,
Gyf that so gretlie he desiris tobe
With ws confiderat intil allyance,
Or gif he langis, but langar discrepans,
Within our palice to entir befor othir,
And be clepit our companȝeoun or brother,
Dwel no langar, bot cum hidder in haist,
Ne skar not at his frendis face as a gaist.
For the mast part of our convene and band
To me salbe to twich ȝour kyngis hand.
And now agane ȝe sal, turnand ȝour went,
Bar to ȝour prince this my charge and commandment.
I haue a douchter quham responsis schaw
Furth of my faderis oratory law,
And mony feirful takynnys of the hevin
Be diuerss ways schawin, and fyry levin,
Wil not suffir at scho in wedlok be
Gevin ontil a man of our cuntre;
Bot all the spaymen declaris, by and by
Thar suld cum to remane in Italy,
Fra strange costis, tobe our son in law,
A douchty man, vnkouth and onknaw,
Quhilk, of his lynage and posterite,
Our name abufe the sternys sal vphie.
Gyf that my mynd can ocht ymagyn rycht,
I weyn that he suldbe the sammyn knycht,
And gladly wald, with al my hartis desire,
The werdys tharto callit that rial syre.”
This beand sayd, the kyng Latyn but faill
Gart cheiss of al his stedis furth the waill.
Thre hundreth mylk quhite horss and far had he,
Seysit and fed in stalwart stallis hie:
For euery Troiane per ordour thar the kyng
With purpour howsouris bad a cursur bring;
Thar brusyt trappuris and patrellis reddy bovne,
With goldin bruchis hang from thar brestis dovne;
Thar harnessing of gold rycht deirly dicht;
Thai runge the goldin mollettis burnyst bright.
Ontil Eneas als, thar prynce absent,
A ryal chair richly arrayit he sent,
With twa stern stedis tharin ȝok infeir,
Cummyn of the kynd of hevinly horssis wer,
At thar neyss thirlys the fyre fast sneryng owt;
Of the ilke stok and stude sprungyn, but dowt,
Quhilk Circes, crafty and engenyus,
And mar subtell than evir was Dedalus,
Be a quent way fra hir awin fader staw,
Makand his stedis byleip meris onknaw,
That by hir sle consait and wily mynd
Sik maner horss engendrit of bastard kynd.
Wyth sik giftis Eneas messyngeris,
And of Kyng Latyn with ioyful answeris,
Returnys, montit hie on horss ilkane,
Of peax and concord bodword brocht agane.
Bot lo, the spouss of Iove, cruell Iuno,
The self tyme can return fro Arge tho
(The quhilk cuntre, of nobill brute and fame,
From Innachus the kyng has tak his name)
And has careit throu the ayr puyr,
Quhilk is hyr proper regioun. As scho fur
Down from the skyis, on far can do spy
Of the heland Pachynnus in Scycilly;
Beheld the Troiane navy stand on raw,
And Eneas blyth and glaid scho saw
Of the ioyus bodword onto him brocht,
That bissely, with all the haist he mocht,
Inforcis thar herbry and strenth to beld,
Than all assurit of this land and feld,
And thar schippis left desolate and waist.
In extasy scho stude, and mad almaist;
In suddand dolour smyttin wonder smert,
Can schak hir hed, with harmys at hir hart,
And of hir breist thir wordis warpis in hy:
“Och, kynd of pepill haitfull and onworthy!
For all the willis and the fatis Troiane
Bene to our mynd and destaneis euer agane.
Mycht thai nocht all haue bene slane in Troy feildis?
Mycht thai nocht all haue swelt thar vnder scheildis?
Ar thai nocht venquist and ourcum ilkane?
Quhat, may nocht thir presoneris agane betane?
Hess nocht Troy all infyrit ȝit thame brynt?
Na, all sic laubour is fornocht and tynt.
Haue thai nocht fund, forto eschape away,
Throw myd fyre and myd ostis, sovir way?
So trast I now at last my fors and mychtis
Lyis dolf and irkit be ȝon cative wightis:
Insaciate of haitrent, I rest in pess,
That was so bald afor, and nevir wald cess,
Quhen thai war chasyt of thar natyve land,
To sturt thame on the streme fra hand to hand,
And to persew tha flemyt vavengouris
Throw all seys, my self, ilk tyde and howris.
Agane Troianys consumyt ar be me
The strenth of all the hevynnys and the see.
Quhat proffittit me Syrtis, that sowkand sand,
Or ȝit Scilla, the swelch is ay rowtand?
Or quhat avalit Caribdis bisme huge?
Ar thai not stakit at rest, and weil luge
In the desirit sond of Tybris bay,
Assoverit of the sey, and hes na fray
Of me, ne of my malice and fant thocht?
The stern pepil Lapythos bryng to nocht,
And quyt distroy, mycht Mars for his offens.
Was it nocht eik grantit in recompens
To Dyan, by the fader of goddis ichone,
To wreke hir greif in ancyent Calidone?
Quhat falt maid the Lapythos or trespas,
Or Calidon, at sa sar punyst was?
Abuf myssour forsuyth thai chastyit war.
Bot I, the spouss of the gret Iupiter,
Quhilk sa onhappy al ways I mycht fynd
Thame til ennoy consait left nocht behynd,
Quhilk hes myself in propir person eik
Turnyt and writhit all wentis I couth seik,
Am now venquist be a man, this Ene.
Bot, gif my power nocht sufficient be
Or gret eneuch, quhy suld I dreid or spar
To purches help, forsuyth, atour alquhar?
Gif I may nocht the hevinly goddis inclyne
To my purposs, I sal seik forthir syne
To thame that far doun into Achiron dwell,
And sal commove that depast pyt of hell.
I put the cace, that I may nocht optene
From Latyn land thame to expel al clene,
Bot be the fatis immovabill destane,
Lavynya remanys spouss to Ene:
Ȝyt at lest may fall stop or delay
In sa gret materis for a ȝeir or twa,
And lefull is it eik of athir kyng
The retennew in batale down to dyng.
Lat the eldfar and mawch knyt vp frendschip
Be price of thar pepillis and falloschip.
With gret effusioun of the blude Troiane,
And sammyn of pepill Rutiliane,
Thou salbe saisyt, madyn, to dowry;
Bellona, goddes of batale, sal stand by,
Tobe convoyar of the mariage.
Nevir Heccuba, of Cisseus lynage,
Quhilk, bund with child, dremyt scho dyd furth bring
A gleid of fyre, or hait brand lycht byrnyng,
Was deliuer of sik flambis, but faill,
As thou salber, and fyris coniugale;
And forthir eik, this Venus proper birth,
And secund Paris, Ene, litill wirth,
Sal rayss and kyndill dedly flambe agane
Of hait fyre brondis amang the wallis Troiane.”
Fra this was said, with horribil mynd in haist
Doun to the erth scho socht, and the laith gaist
Furth of hir set and myrk dongeoun of hell
Scho dyd provoke, and callys with a ȝell
Ane of the sory furyus sisteris thre,
Alecto, quhilk causis all myschefe tobe,
And evir mar desiris of hir kynd
And hess full grene enprentit in hir mynd
The dedly batalis and the dolorus wer,
Stryfe and dissait, harm and discordis seir.
This fendlych hellys monstre Tartareane
Is hatit with hir other sisteris ilkane,
And Pluto eik, the fader of hellis see,
Reputtis that bysmyng belch haitfull to se:
Into samony grisly formys seir
Scho dois hir self translate, and of sik feir
Bene hir cruell schappis and vissage,
Sa fowle and laithly all hir personage,
That, for hir pilis, and in sted of hir hair,
Feil snakis springis our hir body alquhar.
Quhilk fury quent, of kynd sa peralus,
Iuno tystis to myscheif, sayand thus:
“Do to me, virgyn, dochtir of the dyrk nycht,
This a seruyce, thy proper wark be richt,
Do me this laubour, quhilk is thyne of det,
That our honouris and fame be nocht ourset,
Ne ȝit subdewit into sik a place
As with ȝone Troianys, standis voyd of grace:
Lat nevir Ene so prowdly to optene
The spousage of Latinus douchter schene,
And, by na way, lat nevir his feris weld
A fut braid of Italiane grond nor feld.
Thou can brethir of ane assent mony ȝeris
Aganyst other enarm in mortale weris;
Thou may ourturn with haitrent and with strife
The hail houshald, the man agane his wife;
Thou may skurgyng and strakis in lugyngis rayss,
And thou of frendis may mak mortale fays,
And dedly fyrbrondis kyndill in thak and rwys;
A thousand namys thou hass that na man luffis,
A thousand ways folkis to ennoy and schent.
Knok on thy brudy breist at myne entent;
Brek and cast doun thar concord maid of new;
Causys of stryfe and batale I wald thou sew;
Gar all the power, and euerilk stowt ȝongkeir,
First in thar myndis desire to move the weir,
Syne cry, and ask armys and batale all,
And rusch tharto forsely gret and small.”
This cruel monstre, Alecto, onane
Infect with feil vennom Gorgonyane,
Socht first to Latyum, and the chymmys hee
Of Lawrentyn, the kyngis cheif cite,
And prevely begouth awach and lowr
About his spouss Quene Amatais bour,
Quhilk, all inflambit in ire and wifely thochtis
Of this new come of Troianys, all on flocht is,
The bissy curis of Turnus mariage
Skaldyng hir breist and mynd half in a rage.
Thys wikkyt goddes towart hir alsfast
Ane of hir slymy serpent haris dyd cast,
Deip in hir bosum leyt inslip with slycht,
Amyd hir hart pipis or precordialis lycht,
That be this ilk monstris instigatioun
Wod wraith scho suld perturble al the toun.
Thys eddir, slyding owr slekit bodeis soft
Of thir ladeis, amang thar wedis oft
Went thrawin so that nane felt quhar scho glidis,
The furyus queyn dissauyng on athir sydis,
And in hir mynd can blaw and kyndill syne
Ane felloun greif or curage serpentyne.
The grysly serpent sum tyme semyt tobe
About hir halss a lynkit gold chenȝe;
And sum tyme of hir curche, lap with a waif,
Becum the selvage or bordour of hir quafe,
Sum tyme hir hed layss, forto knyt hir hair—
Ful slyde scho slippis hir membris our alquhar.
Sone as the first infectioun a litil we
Of slymy vennom inȝet quently had sche,
Than scho begouth hir wittis to assale,
And depe amyd hir banys forto skaill
And multiply the rage or byrnand fury;
For ȝit nocht all our hyr breist cruelly
The spreit hes felt the flambe frenettical.
Quharfor the mar sobirly furth with all,
Eftir the common custum and vsage
Of ald matronys in thar wyld dotage,
With huge complaynt for hir dochter and regrate,
And Troiane wedlok contrar hir consate,
Thus said scho weping, and that ful petuusly:
“O fader Kyng Latyn, quhy wilt thou, quhy?
Quhat, sal our child, Lavynya the may,
To banyst men be geif to leid away?
Nowdir hess thou of thy tendir get piete,
Ne ȝit compassioun of thy self, ne me
Hir moder, quham sa sone, ful dissolate,
Ȝone falss sey revar wil leif in sturt, God wayt,
And cary the maid our the deip fludis haw,
Alssone as evir the first north wynd dois blaw?
Was it nocht evin be sik a fenȝeit gyrd
Quhen Parys furth of Phryge, the Troiane hyrd,
Socht to the cite Laces in Sparta,
And thar the dochter of Lydea stal awa,
The fair Helyn, and to Troy tursyt raith?
Quhat sal avale ȝour faith and hallowit aith?
Quhat of ȝour ancyent purvyance, schire kyng,
That ȝe had of ȝour frendis and ofspring?
Quhat of ȝour richt hand, hald sa gloryus,
Sa feil syth gevin to our cousyng Turnus?
Gyf that thou sekis ane alienar onknaw
Tobe thy mawch or thy gud son in law,
And hes that thing determyt in thy hed,
Constrenyt tharto by the command and red
Of thy fader Fawnus, as to that gate
Heir a litil my fantasy and consate.
All cuntre onsubieckit vnder our wand,
It may be clepit ane oncouth strange land,
And al at thar indwellis alienaris bene;
Of sik strangeris the goddis spak, I weyn.
And gyf we list seik forthirmar, ȝit than
To compt the first begynnyng of Turnus clan,
Inachus and Achrysyus, but weir,
Twa kyngis of Grece, his forfaderis wer;
Thus is he Greik, to compt his greis a pece,
And cum of Myce the myddil realm of Grece.”
Eftir at the quene with sik wordis, all for nocht,
Assayt had Kyng Latyn, as scho nocht,
And fand at he resistit hyr entent,
The furyus poyson than of the serpent
Deip in hir breist and entralis swiftly ȝeid,
And dyd our all partis of hir body spreid,
So that, forsuyth, catchit onhappely
With hydduus monstreis, gan scho ryn and cry
Throw owt the large cite in wild dotage,
But resson, strikkin with the nymphis rage.
As sum tyme sclentys the round tap of tre,
Hyt with the twynyt quhip dois quhirl, we se,
Quham childyr dryvis bissy at thar play
Abowt the closs and voyd hallis all day,
Scho smyttyn with the tawys dois rebound,
And rynnys about, abowt, in cirkill round:
The wytless sort of forsaid babbys ȝyng
Studeis awondrit of sa nyce a thing,
This turnyt tre so all that berdless rowt
Ferleis to se swa sleip and quhirl abowt,
And all thar mynd settis it to cach and dryve—
Na slawar went Amata, the kyngis wife,
Throw owt the myd citeis of Latyn land,
And throu the ferss pepill, fra hand to hand.
And forthir eik, onto the woddis grene
With swyft fard catchys furth this quene,
Fenȝeand the rage of Bacchus, and gret mycht,
A mar myschefe forto controve and slycht,
And grettar fury swyth scho can begyn;
Hyr douchter hyd thir woddy hillys within,
Tharby the Troiane spousage to delay,
Stop and prolong thar fest and brydell day.
Scho schowtis, “Hey how! Bacchus, god of wyne,
Thow only art worthy to haue our virgyne,”
And this with lovd voce cryis and schowtis sche.
To the, Bacchus, scho rasyt eik on hie
Gret lang speris, as thai standartis wer,
With wyne tre branchis wippit on thar maner;
To the scho led ryng sangis in caralyng,
To the hir hair addressit leit down hyng.
The fame heirof wyde our all dyd spreid,
Quhill at the last the sammyn fury can spreid
In all the matronys brestis of the land:
Catchit with forss tha flok fra hand to hand,
Thar howsis thai forhow and levis waist,
And to the woddis socht as thai war chaist,
And leit thar nekkis and hayr blaw with the wynd;
Sum othiris went ȝelland vnder the lynd,
Quhill all the skyis of thar scryke fordynnys;
And sum, war cled in pylchis of fowne skynnys,
Into thar handis rasyt vp on hie
The lang stowris, wond with the sweit wyne tre.
Amyd thame all the queyn Amata gais,
And fersly dyd a byrnand fyrrtre rayss,
And of hir douchter eik and of Turnus ȝyng
The wedding sangis and ballettis dyd scho syng,
With bludy eyn rollyng full thrawynly.
Oft and rycht schrewitly wald scho clepe and cry:
“Owt harro! matronys, quharso evir ȝe be,
All Latyn wyfis harkis now to me:
Gif ony favouris or frendschip ȝit remanys
In ȝour devote brestis, amangis thir planys,
Of the onhappy mother Amata,
Gif ony thocht remordis ȝour myndis alssua
Of the effectuus piete maternall,
Lowss hed bandis, schake down ȝour haris all,
Walk in this wod heir caraland with me,
Syng Bacchus sangis, sen na bettir may be.”
Alecto thus, amang the woddis dern,
Mony wild bestis den and depe cavern,
Into sic rage this ilk Queyn Amata
With Bacchus fury catchis to and fra.
And efter that this wikkit fals goddes
Thocht scho had scharpit weill eneuch, I gess,
The first fury of sa dolorus rage,
Fortyll distrubbill the forsaid mariage,
And quyte pervert or turnyt top our taill
Latynus howshald, purposs and counsale,
But mar delay, with wallowit weyngis sche
Wiskis from thyne onto the wallis hie
Of the curageus Rutiliane Turnus,
Quhilk cite the douchter of Acrysyus,
Fair Danas, fundyt for hir men and hir,
Drevin to that cost with the south wyndis bir;
Quhilk sted was sumquhile clepit Ardea,
Fra Ardea, a fowle, ȝit namyt swa,
And, to this day, the forsaid riall hame
Be fortoun brukis of Ardea the name.
Within tha hyghty boundis Turnus rycht
Lay stil at rest amyddis the dirk nycht.
Alecto hir thrawin vissage dyd away,
Al furyus membris laid apart and array,
And hir in schap transformyt of a trat,
Hyr forret skorit with runclys and mony rat,
And with a vaill ourspred hir lyard hair,
A branch of olyve tharto knyttis ȝar;
Of Iunoys tempill semyt scho tobe
The nun and trattes, clepit Calybe.
Befor the visage of this stowt ȝong knycht
Present hir self, with thir wordis on hicht:
“Turnus, quhat, wylt thou suffir this ondocht,
Thy lang travale and laubour be for nocht,
And thy ceptre and crown delyuerit be
To ȝon banyst new cum Troiane menȝe?
The kyng Latyn the spousage of Lavyne,
And thy dowry, bocht with thy blude and pyne,
Denyis forto grant the, or ellis ocht,
And to succeid in his realm hess besocht
Ane alienar, born of ane oncouth land.
Pass now thy way, and set the to ganestand
Thir perellis, but all thankis or gaynȝeld!
Sen thou art mokkit, go down bet in feld
The ostis of Hethruria, and syne
Defend in peax and rest the folk Latyne.
Almychty Saturnus douchtir aluterly,
As thou be nycht thus doith at quiet ly,
Bad me schaw planely all thir thingis to the.
Haue done therfor, assembil this cuntre,
Addres thy fensabill men in thar array,
Enarmyt glaidly move and hald ȝour way
Towart the portis or havynnys of the see,
And set apon ȝon sam Troiane menȝe.
Dryve thar chiftanys of this land, but hone,
Thar pantit carvellis byrn. So to bedone
The gret power of hevynly goddis dyvyne
Commandit hes, decret and determyn.
Lat Kyng Latynus feil to his awyn harmys,
And haue experiens of the, Turnus, in armys,
Bot he the grant to wife his child Lavyne,
And kepe to the hys promyss and convyne.”
The ȝyng man mokkand at the prophetes,
Herand sic speche, answeris with mouth express:
“It standis not so as thou wenys, but weris:
The messynger is nocht gone by myne erys,
Full lang or now, quhou that a strange navy
Arryvit in this Tibris streme fast by.
Fenȝe na cawsis me fortill effray:
Weyn not me list my purposs leif na nay,
Nor ryall Iuno, quene of realmys all,
List our querrell forȝet, nor thoil we sall.
Bot, O ald dame, thy vile onweldy age,
Ourset with hasart hair and faynt dotage,
Quhilk voyd is of all treuth and verite,
In sic curys invane occupyis the,
And the dissavis, as prophet, be fals dreid,
That gevis thi mynd tharon thou has na heid,
As forto treyt of batalis betweix kyngis.
Thyne occupatioun standis on othir thingis,
Quhilk suld haue cure of nocht alanerly
Bot goddis tempillis and ymagis to spy:
Thoill men of pess and wer carp and rehers,
Quhamto pertenys the batalis to exers.”
At sic wordis Alecto, hait as fyre,
Brynt in hir fury rage and felloun ire,
So that, the ȝong man spekand, suddanly
The trymlyng hynt all membris of his body;
His eyn stud abasyt in his hed;
This hellis monstre, full of wreth and fed,
Hyssyt and quhislyt with sa feill eddir sondis,
And hir figour sa grysly gret abundis,
With glowrand eyn byrnand of flawmys blak.
Turnus awondryng styntis and drawis abak,
And, as he purposit mekill mar to say,
Insted of haris scho rasit vp serpentis tway,
And of hir scurge the sound scho made him heir;
With rageand mouth syne said and fellown beir:
“Behald, is this my vile onweldy age,
Ourset with hasart hair and faynt dotage,
Quham eild, void of al trewth and verite,
Be fals dreid dissavys so?” quod sche.
“As forto treyt of batale betwix kyngis,
Behald gif it so be, consider thir syngis!
Lo me present, ane of the sisteris thre,
Infernal fureis of feirfull hellis see!
Se, I bar in my handis and power
The ded of batalis and the mortale wer.”
And sayand thus, at this ilk fers ȝyng knycht
Ane hait fyre brand kest scho byrnand brycht,
And in hys breste this furyus lemand schide
With dedly smok fixit deyp can hyde.
The huge dreid with this dissoluyt his slepe,
Our all his body bristling furth dyd crepe
The warm swait throw euery lith and bane,
And all enragit can eftir harnes frane;
Armour all wytles in his bed sekis he,
Armour our all the lugyng law and hie.
The gret curage of irne wapynnys can waid
Cruell and wild, and all his wyt invaid
In wikkit wodnes batale to desire,
Quharon he byrnys hait in felloun ire—
Lyke as quhen that the ingill of stikkis dry
With blesand sownd is layd to by and by,
About the sydis of the pot playing,
The licour sparklis for the heyt bulyng;
Within, the fervent bullyr violent
Of watir makyng reky froith vpsprent;
So swellis vp the skum and bellis bedene,
The veschell may na mar the broth contene,
Bot furth it poplys in the fyre heir and thar,
Quhill vp fleys the blak stew in the air.
And for alsmekill as Turnus thus was stad,
The gretast of hys chiftanys go he bad
To Kyng Latyn, and him declar, but wer,
The paix was brokyn, and he wald move the were;
To graith thar armour fast commandis he,
To defend Ital, and of thar awin cuntre
Thar ennemyss expell and dryve; as ȝit
He was eneuch for baith, he leyt thame wyt,
Baith to recuntyr the Latynys and Troianys.
Quhen this was said, and, on sik wyss as ganys,
The goddis callit tobe in thar helping,
Than bissely Rutilianys, our all thing,
Can athir othir fast exhort and pray
On thar best wyss for werfar to purvay.
Sum the maste semly farrand personage
Tistys to the feild, to preif his grene curage,
Sum on his ȝouthed, and his thewes gude;
Sum is movit throw hys ryall blude,
For hys progenitouris noble kyngis wer;
And sum war eik inducit to the weir
For hie prowes knawin in ilke landis,
And dedis wrocht maste knychtly with his handis.
Quhill Turnus on this wyss, about all partis,
In the Rutilyanys rasys hardy hartis,
Alecto towart Troianys, but mair tary,
With hir infernall weyngis furth can cary.
By ane new slycht a place spyit hes sche,
Quhar, for the tyme, by the cost of the see,
The ȝyng semly Ascanyus at solace
Dyd hunt the wild deir, followyng the chace.
Thar suddanly this hellis wench infest
Ane hasty fury on his hundis kest;
Thar ness thirlys with a sover sent
Scho fillis so, that bissely thai went
Eftir the fute of a taym hart, quhilk thing
Was the first causs of weirfar and fechtyng,
And first sterit the wild fosteris fell
To move debait, or mak thame for batell.
This hart of body was baith gret and squar,
With large hed, and tyndis burnyst far,
Quham childir of ane Tyrrheus thame amang,
Reft from his moderis pap, had nurysit lang;
Tyrrheus thar fader was fee master and gyde
Of studis, flokkis, bowis and heirdis wide,
As storour to the kyng, dyd kepe and ȝym,
Of the large plane all trast was gevin to hym.
Full dantit and full taym at thar command
Was so becum this best, that, but demand,
Siluya thar sister with all diligens
Arrayt hym of flowris sweit as sens;
Oft plet scho garlandis for his tyndis hie;
The deir also full ofttyme kem wald sche,
And feil syss wesch intil a fontane cleir.
Full weil sufferit hir handis the tame deir,
And was accustomyt so quhen he list eyt,
At his awin masteris burd to seik his meyt.
Our all the woddis wald he raik ilk day,
And at evin tide return hame the strecht way
Till hys lugyng weilbekend, fute hait,
All by him self, war the nycht neuer so lait.
This hart, errand far from hys resset,
Ascanyus wod hundis ombeset,
As that, per cace, for the hait sonnys gleme,
He held doun swymmand the cleir ryver streme,
To cuyll hys heyt vnder a gresy bra.
Ascanyus the child hym self alssua,
Byrnyng in desire of sum notable renown,
With nokkyt bow ybent all reddy bown,
Wenand hym wilde, leyt sone ane arow glide;
The goddes was all reddy fast besyde,
That can hys hand address but waveryng;
The flane flaw fast with a spang fra the stryng;
Throw owt the wame and entrellis all, but stynt,
The scharp hedit schaft duschit with the dynt.
The deir, so dedly woundit and to laym,
Onto his kynd resset can fleyng hame,
And entrys in his stall, and that onon,
All blude besprent, with mony grank and gron,
And like a man besocht help and supple;
With hys plenyng all the howss fillis he.
Siluya, the eldast sister, with a schowt,
Hir handis clappyng fast hir schulderis abowt,
Cryis efter help, and can togidder call
The landwart folkis and dowr foresteris all.
Thai tho assemblit to the fray in hy
And flokkis furth rycht fast onwarnystly,
For the ilk fury pestilenciall that hour
Full prevely in the dern wod dyd lowr
To cast on thame slely hir feirfull rage,
That furth vpstartis bath wife, man and page,
He with a burdon of ane lang stif tre,
The poynt scharpit and brynt a litill we,
He with a knotty club and knorry hed;
Quhat ilk man fand first reddy in that sted,
Sekand a swerd, new rynnand fra the pleuch,
Thar greif maid that thing wapyn gud eneuch.
Tyrrheus, the master storour, in a rowt
The churlys all assemlyt hym abowt,
Quhar as, per cace, byssy with weggis he
Stude schidand a four squarit akyn tre,
With mony pant, with fellon hauchis and quakis,
Als oft the ax rebundit of the strakis.
This cruell goddes, feirful Alecto,
Fortill ennoy hir tyme espyit tho,
And spelis vp ful sone, as scho war wod,
Apon a heich stabill quhar that bestis stude.
Right bustuusly apon the rufe on hie
The hyrdys ensenȝe lowd vp trumpis sche,
And in a bowand horn, at hir awin will,
A feyndlich hellis voce scho liltis schill,
At quhais sovnd all trymlyt the forest,
The dern woddis resondit est and west,
The blast was hard thens mylis mony ane
At the deip lowch of Triuia or Dyane;
The dyn was hard eik ellis quhar ful far
At the sulphuryus quhite ryvar callit Nar,
And at the laik or fontane of Velyne.
Baith to and fro our all the cuntre syne
Wemen and moderis, effrayt of this cace,
Thar ȝyng childring fast to thar brestis dyd brace.
Than spedely, with haste and bissy far,
The laubouraris ondantit heir and thar
Hynt wapynnys, and assemlyt on euery side
Towart the sovnd, quhar as the trump that tyde
With dedly voce blew this feirfull syng:
The Troiane power alsso can furth thring
With haill rowtis, Ascanyus to reskew.
The batalis war adionyt now of new,
Nocht in maner of landwart folkis bargane
With hard blokkis raschand all ourane,
Nor blunt steyngis of the byrsillit tre,
Bot with scharp scherand wapynnys maid melle.
The grond blaknyt and feirfull wolx alssua:
Of drawyn swerdis sclentyng to and fra
The brycht mettale, and othir armouris seir,
Quharon the sonnys blenkis betis cleir,
Glitteris and schane, and vnder bemys brycht
Castis ane new twynklyng or a lemand lycht.
This stour sa bustuus begouth to ryss and grew,
Lyke as the sey changis first hys hew
In quhite lippiris by the wyndis blast;
Syne peiss and peys, the flude boldnys so fast,
Quhill finaly the wallis vprysis mar,
That fra the grund it warpis vp in the air.
At the first cuntre into this bargane
Almon, Tyrrheus eldast son, was slane,
A fair ȝyng springald, quhilk caucht dedis wond
Throw dynt of arrow schot with felloun sound,
That smate hym rycht evin in at the halss bone;
The loppirrit blude stoppyt hys aynd onone,
And closyt in of lyfe the tendir spreit.
Abowt hym fell down ded, and lost the sweit,
Mony of the hyrdmen, amangis quham was ane,
The eldar Galesus, as that he allane
Offerit hym self amyd the ostis tway,
To treit concord of pess and of the fray,
Quhilk was the iustast of a rurall man
And mychtyast in hys tyme levyng than;
Our all the boundis of Ausonya
Hys fyve flokkis pasturyt to and fra,
Fyve bowis of ky ontil his hame reparit,
And with ane hundreth plewis the land he aryt.
And as this bargane on this maner ȝeid
In plane feld and evinly batale sted,
This hellis goddes, ioysing at hir will
Hir promys, quhilk scho hecht forto fulfill,
Alssone as was this gret melly begun,
The erth littyt with blude and al ourrun,
And the first slauchter was commyt and done
In dedly weir; than Italy alssone
Scho levis, and with swift fard can do fle
Throw owt the skyis to the hevynnys hie,
Haiffand hir purpos, said with woce ful prowd,
Onto Iuno thus spak scho throw a clowd:
“Lo, now, discord perfornyst, as thou wald,
With schrewit batale and carys monyfald!
In tender frendschip lat thame now convene,
Knyt vp allyance and falloschip bedene,
Sen that I haue the Troianys all bysprent
With blude of the Italyanys, or I went,
And, gif thi mynd be ferm tharto with me,
I sal thus mekill eik to my wark,” quod sche,
“Fortill induce the citeis adiacent
Onto the bargane, or that I hyne went.
With schrewit rumouris, I can amang thame skaill,
Thar myndis so I sall enflambe alhaill
By wod ondantit fers desyre of Mart,
Thai sall forgaddir to help from euery art,
Quhil batale, armouris, swerdis, speris and scheldis
I sall do saw and strow our all the feildis.”
Than answerit Iuno: “At abundans thar is
Of thi dissaitfull slycht and frawd, I wyss,
And eik of feirfull terrour and deray.
Weill ar perfurnyst causys of this weir perfay:
Thai feght togidder mydlit on the land,
Baith face for face, with drawin glavis in hand,
And new sched blude littis thar armour cleyr,
Quhilk thai by fortoun cawch haue first in weir.
Ȝon worthy squyer of Venus blude and kyn,
And King Latynus, now lat thame begyn
Sik wedlok to contract and spousale feste.
Bot the gret fader of hevin, at my request,
Will suffir the at large no langar heir
To walk, nor tary abufe the skyis cleir.
Withdraw the of this place, forthy, weil sone.
Gif ony chance restis mar tobedone,
I sall my self that mater rewle and gy.”
Thir wordis spak Iuno; and scho tharwith in hy
Hir dowbill weyngis with edder sound dyd bete,
Levand the hevynnys, socht to hir hellis sete.
Amyddis Itall, vnder hillys law,
Thar standis a famus sted weil beknaw,
That for his bruyt is namyt in mony land,
The vail Ansanctus hait, on athir hand
Quham the sydis of a thik wod of tre
Closis full dern with skowgy bewys hie.
A rowtand burn amydwart tharof rynnys,
Rumland and soundand on the craggy quhynnys,
And eik forgane the brokkyn brow of the mont
Ane horribill cave with braid and large front
Thar may be sene, a thyrl or ayndyng sted
Of terribill Pluto, fader of hell and ded;
A ryft or swelch so grysly for to se,
Till Acheron revin dovne, that hellis see,
Gapand with his pestiferus gowle full wide;
At quhais bysme the fury can down slyde,
This hutit goddes, and by that discens
Delyverit hevyn and erd of hyr presens.
And netheless, duryng the meyn sesson,
The queyn hir self, Saturnus get, onon
Set to hyr hand, and ondyd the batell.
Off hyrdmen all the rowtis with a ȝell
Ruschit fra the feild to the cite but tary,
The sclane bodeis away with thame dyd cary—
Almon the child, and ded Galesus als,
With blud bysparkyt vissage, hed and halss.
Thai thyg vengeance at the goddis, and syne
Thai raym and cry fast on the kyng Latyne.
Turnus was by, and amyd this deray,
Thys hait fury of slauchtir and fell affray,
The terrour dowblis he and feirfull dreid,
That sik forloppyn Troianys at this neid
Suld thankfully be resset in that ryng,
Or Phrigiane blude confiderat with the kyng,
And he furth of tha boundis tobe expellit.
The self tyme eyk, for the matronys at ȝellit
And roundis sang so in thar wilde dotage,
In the dern woddis, smyttyn with Bacchus rage,
Gret rowtis dyd assembill thyddir in hy,
And rowpyt eftir batale ernystfully;
Thar the detestabill weris euer in ane,
Agane the fatis all, thai cry and rane,
Contrar answeris and dispositions all
Of goddis, for the weir thai clepe and call.
Led by the power and frawart godhed
Of cruell Iuno with ald ramembrit fed.
Full fast thai thryng about the kyngis palyce,
Bot this ilk Latyn, knawand thar malyce,
Rasistis onmovit as a rok of the see,
Quham, with gret brute of watir smyt, we se
Hym self sustenys by hys huge wecht
Fra wallis feill, in all thar byr and swecht
Iawpyng about hys skyrtis with mony a bray;
Skelleis and famy craggis thai assay,
Rowtand and rarand, and may not empar,
Bot gif thai sched fra his sydis the wair.
So, eftir that the kyng mycht nocht resist
Thar blynd purpos, for as evir Iuno list
The mater went, all set to cruelte;
Full mony goddis and the hevynnys hie
To wytnes drew he, all was by his will,
Bot all for nocht, na tent was take thartill.
“Allace,” he said, “we ar tobroke and ryve
By the fatis, by storm catchit and dryve.
O, O, ȝe wrachit pepill!” gan he cry,
“With cruell pane full deir ȝhe sall aby
This wilfull rage, and with ȝour blude express
The wrangis of sic sacrilege redress.
O Turnus, Turnus, full hard and hevy wraik
And sorofull vengeance ȝit sal the ourtake,
Quhen, al to lait, in thy helpyng thou sall
With prayeris on the goddis clepe and call.
For I had fund my rest and eyss,” quod he,
“Now at the dur deth reddy bydis me,
Quhar now of happy pompis funeral
I spulȝeit am, and sik triumphe riall.”
Na mor sayng, with that ilk word fut het
Ful closs within his palice he him schet,
Of all sik thingis gaue our the cure and charge,
Sen na better mycht be, to go at large.
The maner than was, and the ald custum
Within the land of ancyent Latyum,
Quhilk blissit vsance efter mony a day
The citeis and faderis of Alba kepit ay,
Now the gret master souerane cite dyng
Of Rome kepis and hantis the self thing;
That is to knaw, quhen first thai move or steir
The marciall ensenȝeis for the wer,
Quhidder so thai list to set with ostis plane
On the Gethys, pepill Tartareane,
With dolorus and with ful lamentable wer
In Hyrcany or Araby to steir,
Or fortil ettill in to Inde furth eik,
Towart the dawyng and son rysyng to seik,
Or ȝit til ask and reduce hame agane
Thar standartis from the dowr pepill Persane.
Twa portis beyn of batale and debait,
So thai war clepit to thar name, and hait,
Haldyn in religioun of haly reuerence
Of Martys cruel dreid and his offence;
A hundreth brasyn hespis thame claspit queym,
And strenthy irne slottis, that dyd seym
Tobe eternal and inconsumptive;
Nor Ianus, kepar of this entre of strive,
Was no quhile furth of this ilk hallowit hald.
Bot quhen the ferm sentens of faderis ald
Was ony tyme determyt to move weir,
Than he that was cheif duke or consuler,
In rob ryall vestit, that hait Quyryne,
And rich purpour, eftir the gyss Gabyne,
Gyrd in a garmont semly and fut syde,
Thir ȝettis suld vp oppin and warp wyde;
Within that girgand hirst alsso suld he
Pronunce the new weir, batale and melle;
Quham all the fensabill men suld follow fast,
With plane assent and brasyn trumpis blast.
The kyng Latyn furthwith command thai than
On this maner, as prince and grettast man,
To proclame weir and decrete the melle
Agane Troianys, thidder cum with Ene,
And warp tha sorofull ȝettis vp on breid.
The prynce refusyt to do sa vile a deid,
Ne list not anys thame twich, nor brek his heist,
Sor agrevit planely ganestud thar requeste,
And in his secret closet hym withdrew.
Than from the hevin downe quhirland with a quhew
Come Queyn Iuno, and with hir awin handis
Dang vp the ȝettis, brak but delay the bandis:
This cruell douchter of the ald Saturn
The marbill hirst can weltir and ourturn,
And strang ȝet chekis of weirfar and batell
Strake down, and rent the gret irne postis fell.
Onsterit lang tyme, and onmovit, Ital
Now byrnys into fury bellicall.
Sum grathis thame on fut to go in feild;
Sum hie montit on horsbak vnder scheld
The dusty pulder vpdryvand with a stour,
And euery man socht wapynnys and armour;
Thar schynand scheildis sum dyd burnys weill,
And sum polist scharp speir hedis of steill,
To mak thame brycht with fat creisch or same,
And on quhitstanys thar axis scharpis at hame;
To beir pynsellis it gladis thame vp and dovne,
And ar reiosyt to heir the trumpettis sovne.
Fyve the grettast and maist cheif citeis,
Thar wapynnys to renew in al degreis,
Set vp forgis and steil styddeis fyne;
Rych Atyna, and the prowd Tyburyn,
Ardea the cite, and Crustumere,
And eik Antemne with strang towris he
And weirly wallis battellit about,
The sikkyr helmys penys and forgis owt;
Thar targettis bow thai of the lycht sauch tre,
And boss bukleris coverit with cuyrbulȝe;
Sum steil hawbrikis forgis furth of playt,
Burnyst flaukartis and leg harnes, fut hait,
With latit sowpill siluer weill annelit;
All instrumentis of pleuch graith, irnyt or stelit,
As cultyris, sokkis and the somys gret,
With sythis and al hukis at scheris quhet,
War thidder brocht and tholis temper new.
The lust of all sik wark lomys was adew:
Thai dyd thame forge in swerdis of mettel brycht,
Forto defend thar cuntre and thar rycht.
Be this, thar armour grathit and thar geir,
The draucht trumpet blawis the brag of weir;
The sloggorn ensenȝe, or the wach cry,
Went for the batale all suldbe reddy.
He pullis down his sellet quhar it hang,
Sum deill effrayt of the noys and thrang;
He dryvis furth the stampand horss on raw
Onto the ȝok, the chareottis to draw;
He clethis hym with his scheld, and semys bald;
He claspis hys gilt habirgyon and thrynfald;
He, in his breistplait strang and his byrne,
A sover swerd beltis law down by his the.
Ȝhe Musys now, sweit goddessis ichone,
Oppyn and onschet ȝour mont of Helycone,
Reveil the secretis lyand in ȝour myght,
Addres my stile, and steir my pen go rycht,
Entone my sang, and til endyte me leir
Quhat kyngis dyd remufe furth to this weir,
Quhat rowtis followit euery prynce in feild,
With ostis braid that dyd the plane ourheld,
With quhat maner of valȝeand men sik ways
The happy grund Ital flurist tha days,
With quhatkyn armys it enflambit schane:
Furthschaw thir ancyent secretis euery ane.
Ȝhe blissyt wightis forsuyth ramembris weill
All sic thingis, and, quhar ȝou list, may reveill,
Thocht scarsly, for the process of lang ȝeris,
Be smal rumour tharof cum tyl our erys.
First, from the land and costis hait Tyrreyn,
Onto the batale bownys stern and keyn
Meȝentius the kyng, that in hys day
Contempnar clepit was of the goddis ay.
The gydar of hys army and hys rowt
Was hys son Lawsus, valȝeant and stowt,
Abuf all other the maste semly wight,
Except the person of Turnus the gentil knycht,
Quhilk was the flour of all the Lawrenteis.
This Lawsus was weil taucht at all degreis
To dant gret horss, and as hym list arrest,
Hunt and doun bet the deir and ilk wild best.
A thousand men he led of hys convyne
From Corete the cite Agilyne.
Worthy he was to rewle a gret empyre,
And tobe cummyn of sum mar happy syre
Than of Meȝentyus, banyst and indyng,
Bot to haue beyn sum emperouris son or kyng.
The lusty Aventynus nixt in press
Hym followis, the son of worthy Hercules.
Throu gresy planys hys char with palm ryall
Was rollit furth by horss victoriall,
Quhilk, in hys musteris, schew he in the feild
Hys faderis takynnys merkit in his scheld,
Ane hundreth eddris and other snakis in sete
Lynkit abowt of Larn the serpent gret;
Quhom the nun Rhea and woman dyvyne
In the dern wod of the mont Aventyne
Bair and brocht furth onto this warldis lycht.
Ful prevely, onknaw of ony wight,
The woman mydlit with the god went bond,
Eftir this ilk Hercules had brocht to grond
And venquyst Gereon with prowd bodeis thre,
Syne in the feild besyde Lawrent cite
Was entrit as hym lyst to tak his rest,
Hys Spanȝe oxin, quhom hym likit best,
Dyd bathing and refresch, to mak thame clene,
In Ital strandis at the cost Tyrrhene.
This Aventinus followis in thir werys,
Bair in his handis lans stafis and burrel speris
And dangerus facheonys into staffis of tre;
With round stok swerdis faucht thai in melle,
With poyntalis, or with stokis Sabellyne.
Thar capitane, this ilke strang Aventyne,
Walkis on fut, hys body wymplit in
A felloun bustuus and gret lyon skyn,
Terribill and roucht, with taty lokkyrrand haris;
The quhite tuskis, the hed and clowis thar is:
And on sik wyss, grym and awfull to se,
Within the kingis gret palyce entris he,
Our his schuldris hyngand, as said is plane,
His faderis talbart cote Herculeane.
Twa brederyng to this batale bownys syne,
Furth of the wallit cite Tiburtyne,
Ledyng thai pepill namyt, ane and other,
Fra Tiburtus, that was thar eldar brother;
And thai war clepit, the tane Catillus,
And tother Coras, strang and curageus,
Stowt ȝyng men, Grekis born of Arge bath twane.
Befor the formast ostis in the plane
Amyd a buss of speris in raid thai,
Generit of the clowd lyke to Centaures tway,
Quhen, fra the montane top of Homolane,
Or snawy Otryn hill, downe to the plane,
With felloun fard and swift curss he and he
Can do discend, levand the holtis hie;
The large wod makis placis to thar went,
Buskis withdrawys, and branchis al to rent
Gan rattillyng and resound of thar deray,
To red thar renk, and romys thame the way.
Nor Ceculus was not absent, trast me,
The foundar of the cite Preneste,
Quham all eyldis reputis and schawis ws
Engendrit was by the god Vlcanus,
And by the fyre syd fund, a ȝyng fundlyng,
Our landwart bestis syne wolx lord and kyng.
A hail legioun in a rowt followis hym
Of wild wod men, quhilk doys thir catel ȝym;
All thai pepill on breid, baith he and he,
That inhabitis the heich tovn Preneste,
And thai that occupyit the feildis alsso
Of Gabyne, quhilkis ar dedicat to Iuno;
And thai that duellis langis the chil ryver
Of Anyene, and thai alsso infeir
Amang the dewy strandis and craggis remanys
Of Hernyca, in the Sabyne montanys;
And thai alsso that bred and fosterit be
In boundis of rich Anagnya cite;
And eik thai pepill dwelling fair and bene
In Champanȝe, on the flude Amasene.
Amangis al thir pepill na brycht armyng
Mycht thou heir sovnd, nor scheild our schulder hyng,
Or cartis clattir, bot of thame the maste part
To schut or cast war perfite in the art,
With leyd pellokis from engynys or staf slyng
By dyntis bla thar famen doun to dyng;
Sum dowbill dartis castyng in handis buyr,
And for defens, to keip thar hedis suyr,
A ȝallow hat woir of a wolfis skyn,
For thai waldbe lyght bodyn ay to ryn.
Thar left fut and all that leg was bair;
Ane rowch ryllyng of raw hide and of hair
The tother fut coverit weil and knyt.
Neptunus son list tho na langar syt,
Hait Mesapus, bot bownys furth to gang;
Dantar he was of stedis wild and strang,
Quham na man with steil wapyn forgit brycht,
Nor byrnand fyre, onto his ded mycht dycht.
Now hastely in armys callys he
The rowtis of hys pepill and menȝe,
Quhilkis lang tofor dysvsit had the weir
With curage dolf that idill lay thar geir;
Thar swerdis now and burnyst glavys gray
He maid thame furth bedraw and oft assay.
With hym thai folk in falloschip led he
That inhabitis Fascenyum the cite;
And the iust pepill, clepit Falyscy;
And thame that duellis in Saracte fast by,
A strang cite, and hie situat,
Onto the god Appollo dedicat;
And thai that in Flavynya feildis dwell,
Or that wonnys besyde the layk or well
Of Cymynyk, vndre the montane bra,
Or ȝit amang the schawys of Capua—
In gudly ordour went thai and array,
And of thar kyng sang bellettis by the way.
Syk wyss as sum tyme in the skyis hie
Throw the moste ayr doys snaw quhite swannys fle,
Quhen thai fra pastur or fedyng dois resort
To seik thar solace, and on thar gyss to sport;
Weill soundyng wriblys throw thar throtis lang
Swouchyng makis in maner of a sang,
That of thar bruyt resoundis the ryveir,
And all the laik of Asya fer and neir—
So, in like wyss, on far was nane mycht ken
That rowt had bene ane ost of armyt men,
Bot of the swouchand swannys suld he wene
A sop fleand in the ayr thai had bene,
Quhilk chasyt, or affrayt, iolely
Socht crowpyng to the costis syde fast by.
Lo, Clausus eik, that douchty was and gude,
Discendit of the ancyent Sabinis blude,
A mekil rowt furth ledis to the weir,
As gret man worthy syk ane ost to steir;
Fra quham the clan and pepill Claudyane
Is cummyn our all the boundis Italiane,
Eftir that Rowme was gevin and maid fre
To the Sabynys, as thar proper cite.
Togiddir can assembill a huge rowt
That fra the cite Amatern flokkis owt;
The ancyent Sabynys hait Quyrites then,
And of Erety all the fensabill men,
Of Mystisca, quhilk now heicht Tribule,
Quhar growys of olyve treys gret plente;
All thai that dwellis in cite Momentyne,
Or rosy feildis besyde the laik Velyne,
Or on the scharp craggy rochis hie,
Quhilk for harsknes ar clepit Tetryce,
With hyngand hewys and mony a skowland bra;
Thidder held the cite of Casperia,
Thai that inhabittis Forolas that towne,
Or on the flude Hymella vp and downe;
All thai that drynkis of Tibir the ryver,
Or Fabarus that rynnys fresch and cleir;
And thai that wynnys in Nursya so cald,
And of Ortyne the navy gret and bald;
The Latyne pepill alsso, and all tha
Quhar the onhappy flude of Allya
Flowis throw the boundis and bedyis thar land.
Alss thik thai gadder, and flokkis fra hand to hand,
As evir the fomy bullerand wallis hie
Is seyn weltyr on the large Lybyane see,
Quhen the stormy Orion hys hed schrowdis
In wyntir vnder the blake watry clowdis;
Or how feil eichyrris of corn thik growyng,
With the new sonnys heit byrsillit, doys hyng
On Hermy feildis in the symmyr tyde,
Or in the ȝallow corn flattis of Lyde—
Alsmony scheildis clattris and targatis,
That for dynnyng of thar feyt all the gatis,
For stamping stedis, and for trumpys blast,
The grond wolx all affrayt and agast.
The ennemy to Troiane name onon,
The bastard son of Kyng Agamenon,
Hait Halesus, can with ferss mud acwart
Adioyn hys horss forto draw his cart,
And, in the aid of Turnus and supple,
A thousand ferss folkis assemlyt he:
Thay quhilkis with rakis ourturnys euery bra
Fertyll of wynys in the mont Massica;
And thame alsso dwelland in hillys he,
Send from the ald faderis of Arunca cite;
And thai that dwellis hard on the sey bray
Besyde the cite of Sydycina,
Or come fra Cales into Champany,
With all tha pepillis into cumpany
Inhabitant the schauld flude Wlturnus,
And frawart folkis, hait Saticulus,
Togiddir eik with the haill multitude
Of Oscores, that pepill stern and rude.
Thyr bair in feild, of wapynnys in the stedis,
Round casting dartis, or macis with pikit hedis,
Quhilk in thar leid is clepit ane “aclyd”;
And, so it mycht the mair suyrly abyde,
Onto thar armis is knyt with a tewch stryng,
Quharwith thai do it at thar fays slyng.
A ballen pavys coverys thar left sydis,
Maid of hart skynnys and thik oxin hydis;
And crukyt swerdis, bowand as a syth,
Thai bair at hand reddy to draw ful swith.
Nor thow, Oebalus, onreknyt sal nocht wend
By our metyr, but lovyng and commend,
Quham Kyng Telon engendrit, as thai say,
On Sabetrydes, the lusty nymphe or may,
That tyme quhen he ryngnyt as lord and kyng
Our Capreas ilys, and in governyng
Led the pepill hait Theleboes bald;
Or than, far step in age was he and ald.
Bot hys son, this Oebalus, in his entent
Of his faderis boundis stud nocht content,
That lang afor to his obeysans he
Subdewit had the pepill Sarraste,
And all the large feildis, bonk and buss,
Quhilk ar bedyit with the ryver Sarnus;
Thai that occupyit Rufa and Batulane,
In Champany rich and strang townys twane;
The planys eik and sulȝe of Celene,
Quhilk dedicat ar onto Iuno quene;
And thai behaldis the weirly wallit cite
Of Nola, witht his stalwart towris he,
Quhar gret plente of apillis orrange growis;
Quhilk pepill in thar weirfar had na bowis,
Bot war accustumit forto thraw oft syss
The castyng speris on the Duchmenis gyss;
Quhais hed ger war of ful sobir extent,
Maid of the cork or bark fra treis rent;
Bukclaris thai bair, with boyss or plait of steill,
And schynand swerdis of mettal burnyst weill.
Thai pepill eik that clepit beyn Nursanys,
Quhilkis in the strait and hie montanys remanys,
Send to the feld ane chiftane of defens,
Of worthy fame, the renownyt Vfens;
Happy in armys and redowtit was he,
Bustuus abuf al otheris his menȝe,
The folkis clepit of Equicola,
That hard furrys had telit mony a da,
And all enarmyt laubour thai thar land;
Thai hant ful oft huntyng in woddis at hand;
Evir lykis thame to cach and dryve away
The recent spreith and fresch and callour pray,
And on spulȝe to leif and on rapyne.
Onto this batale bownys the preste dyvyne,
Vmbro to name, the strenthyast a man
Of all the pepill in Marrubya clan,
Send fra the kyng Archippus with his feris,
As thar chiftane and rewlar in the weris,
Hys helm arrayt with a garland schene
Plet of the happy olyve branschis grene.
All kynd of eddir and hissand serpent fell
With incantatioun he couth gar ryfe and swell,
Or cast apon thame sleping with his sang,
And, with his charmys and his herbis strang,
Thar wraith and wenom couth he dant and mess,
And heill thar stangyng, and sik hurtis eyss.
Bot he couth fynd no curis nor remede
To salf hym from the Troiane speris hed:
Hys slepy charmys had no forss nor mycht,
Ne herbis gadderit on Marsys montis hycht,
To help thai hurtis he caucht in the melle.
O soverane preist, quhat reuth was it of the!
For the the woddis wepyt of Angytus,
The cristal strandis murnyt of Fuscynus,
The bewalit cleir lakis and spryng wellis,
Nymphis, virgynys, matronys and damysellis.
Furth to the batale eik held Virbyus,
The son mast semly of Hippolitus;
Hys cheif maternal cite, ful of mycht,
Aricya, furth sent this worthy knycht;
In schawis schene, endlang the watir bra
Of flud Hymetes, by Agerya
That nymphe he fosterit was ful tenderly,
Quhar as of manswete Diane fast tharby
The altar, eith fortyl apless, vpstandis,
Oft ful of sacrifice and fat offerandis.
For mony haldis opinion, sayand thus
Be common voce and fame, Hippolitus,
Efter that he slane was and to ded dycht
By falss dissait of his stepmoderis slycht,
And had eik sufferit by his blude and breth
The cruel panys of his faderis wreth,
As tobe harlit with horss that caucht affray
And skeichit at a merswyne by thir way;
Ȝit nevir the less, for the luf of Dian,
He was restorit to this ilk lyfe agane,
And come to dwell vndir our hevin and ayr,
That heir abuf contenys thir starnys fair;
Quhilk cuyr was done by Asculapyus sle,
Throw the mychtis of the royss Pyone.
Than Iupiter almychty fader hie,
Havand disdene ony mortal suld be
Rasyt to lyfe, or over warldis lyght,
From the dyrknes of neddir hellis nycht,
The fyndar of this crafty medycyne,
Quhilk was byget be the god Appollyne,
That is to knaw, this Asculapyus,
With thunderis dynt bath fell and dangerus
Vnder the erth smate dovn, forto remane
In hellis ground and watir Stigiane.
Bot than the thrynfald Diane ful of blyss
In secret place Hippolitus with this
Hyd, and betaucht Agerya the may
Tobe kepit in the ilk forest gay,
Quhar, him allane, in woddis of Italy
Hys lyfe he led onknaw of ony wy,
And quhar he, first was hait Hippollitus,
Changit his name, yclepit Vyrbyus.
And, be this self resson ȝit alsso,
From the tempill of Dian euermo
Thir horny hovit horsis bene debarrit,
For sa mekil as thai at the sey monstreis skarrit,
And brak the cart throw thar ondantit mycht,
And furth swakkit Hippolitus, gentil knycht.
Ȝit netheless, hys son, this Virbyus,
The ardent stedis fers and chevalrus
Throw owt the plane feild dryvis al in feir,
And furth hurlis his chariot to the weir.