by Virgil
Quhilkis ar als ryfe amangis clerkis in scuyll
As evir fowlis plungit in laik or puyll.
Logicianys knawys heirin myne entent,
Vndir quhais boundis lurkis mony strange went
Quharof the process as now we mon lat be.
Bot it twychyng our tungis penuryte,
I meyn into compar of fair Latyn
That knawyn is maste perfite langage fyne,
I mycht also percace cum lyddir speid
For “arbor” and “lignum” intill our leid
To fynd different proper termys twane
And tharto put circumlocutioun nane.
Richt so by aboutspech oftyn tymys
And semabill wordis we compile our rymys.
God wait in Virgill ar termys mony a hundir
Fortill expone maid me a felloun blundir.
To follow alanerly Virgilis wordis, I weyn,
Thar suld few vndirstand me quhat thai meyn.
The bewte of his ornate eloquens
May nocht al tyme be kepit with the sentens.
Sanct Gregor eik forbyddis ws to translait
Word eftir word bot sentence follow algait:
“Quha haldis,” quod he, “of wordis the properteis
Full oft the verite of the sentens fleys.”
And to the sammyn purpos we may apply
Horatius in hys Art of Poetry:
“Press nocht,” says he, “thou traste interpreter,
Word eftir word to translait thi mater.”
Lo, he reprevis and haldis myssemyng
Ay word by word to reduce ony thing.
I say nocht this of Chauser for offens,
Bot till excuss my lewyt insufficiens,
For as he standis beneth Virgill in gre,
Vndir hym alsfer I grant my self to be.
And netheless into sum place, quha kend it,
My mastir Chauser gretly Virgill offendit.
All thoch I be tobald hym to repreif,
He was fer baldar, certis, by hys leif,
Sayand he followit Virgillis lantern toforn,
Quhou Eneas to Dydo was forsworn.
Was he forsworn? Than Eneas was fals —
That he admittis and callys hym traytour als.
Thus, wenyng allane Ene to haue reprevit,
He hass gretly the prynce of poetis grevit,
For, as said is, Virgill dyd diligens
But spot of cryme, reproch or ony offens
Eneas for to loif and magnyfy,
And gif he grantis hym maynsworn fowlely,
Than all hys cuyr and crafty engyne gais quyte,
Hys twelf heris laubouris war nocht worth a myte.
Certis Virgill schawys Ene dyd na thing
From Dydo of Cartage at hys departyng
Bot quhilk the goddis commandit hym beforn,
And gif that thar command maid hym maynsworn,
That war repreif to thar diuinyte
And na reproch onto the said Enee.
Als in the first, quhar Ilioneus
Spekis to the queyn Dido, says he nocht thus,
That curss by fait was set tyll Italy?
Thus mycht scho not pretend na iust causs quhy
Thocht Troianys eftir departis of Cartage,
Sen thai befor declaryt hir thar vayage.
Reid the ferd buke quhar Queyn Dido is wraith,
Thar sal he fynd Ene maid nevir aith,
Promyt nor band with hir fortill abyde:
Thus hym tobe maynsworn may nevir betyde,
Nor nane onkyndnes schew forto depart
At the bydding of Iove with reuthfull hart,
Sen the command of God obey suld all
And vndir his charge na wrangwyss deid may fall.
Bot sikkyrly or resson me behufis
Excuss Chauser fra all maner repruffis
In lovyng of thir ladeis lylly quhite
He set on Virgill and Eneas this wyte,
For he was evir (God wait) all womanis frend.
I say na mair, but, gentil redaris heynd,
Lat all my faltis with this offens pass by.
Thou prynce of poetis, I the mercy cry,
I meyn thou Kyng of Kyngis, Lord Etern,
Thou be my muse, my gydar and laid stern,
Remittyng my trespass and euery myss
Throu prayer of thy Moder, Queyn of Blyss.
Afald godhed, ay lestyng but discrepans,
In personys thre, equale, of a substans,
On the I call, and Mary Virgyn myld —
Calliope nor payane goddis wild
May do to me na thing bot harm, I weyn:
In Criste is all my traste, and hevynnys queyn.
Thou, Virgyn Moder and Madyn, be my muse,
That nevir it na synfull lyst refuss
Quhilk the besocht deuotly for supple.
Albeit my sang to thy hie maieste
Accordis nocht, it condiscend to my write,
For the sweit liqour of thy pappis quhite
Fosterit that Prynce, that hevynly Orpheus,
Grond of all gude, our Saluyour Ihesus.
Bot forthirmor, and lawar to discend
Forgeif me, Virgill, gif I the offend.
Pardon thy scolar, suffir hym to ryme
Sen thou was bot ane mortal man sum tyme.
In cace I faill, haue me not at disdene,
Thocht I be lewit, my leill hart can nocht fene,
I sall the follow; suld I tharfor haue blame,
Quha can do bettir, sa furth in Goddis name.
I schrynk nocht anys correkkit for tobe
With ony wight grundit on cherite,
And glaidly wald I baith inquire and leir
And till ilke cunnand wight la to myne eyr.
But laith me war but owther offens or cryme
Ane brimell body suld intertrike my ryme.
Thocht sum wald swer that I the text haue vareit,
Or that I haue this volume quyte myscareit,
Or threpe playnly that I come nevir neir hand it,
Or at the wark is wers than evir I fand it,
Or it argue Virgill stude weill befor,
As now war tyme to schift the werst our scor;
Ellis haue I said thar may be na compar
Betwix his versis and my stile wlgar.
All thocht he stant in Latyn maist perfyte,
it stude he nevir weill in our tung endyte
Less than it be by me now at this tyme.
Gyf I haue faleit, baldly reprufe my ryme.
Bot first, I pray ou, grape the mater cleyn,
Reproche me nocht quhill the wark be ourseyn.
Beis not ourstudyus to spy a moyt in myne e,
That in our awyn a ferry boyt can nocht se,
And do to me as he wald be done to.
Now hark, schirris, thar is na mair ado;
Quha list attend, gevis audiens and draw neir,
Me thocht Virgill begouth on this maner:
I the ilk vmquhile that in the small ait reid
Tonyt my sang, syne fra the woddis eid
And feildis about taucht tobe obesand
(Thocht he war gredy) to the bissy husband,
Ane thankfull wark maid for the plewchmanis art,
Bot now the horribill stern dedys of Mart,
The batalys and the man I will discryve. &c
Innatyve is alsmekil to say as inborn, or that quhilk cumis till ony person be thar natural inclinatioun of kynd throw thar forbearis.
Ptholome kyng of Egipt, the famous gret clerk, astronomer and discryvar of the warld, that causit lxxii interpretouris to translait the Bibill, had sa gret plesour and delyte of bukis that he gadderit togidder in ane librar xxxvi thousand volummys.
Caxton faltes.
Vnder derk poetrye is hid gret wisdome and lerning.
Thistory of Saul and the spreit of Samuel rasyt by the Phitones is in the first Buk of Kyngis, in the xxviii c.
Exhortatione to the Re
der.
Admonitione vnto vnlerned peopill, quhase rudnes can nocht onderstand Vyrgill.
Oppetere is alsmekil to say as ore terram petere, lyke as Seruius exponys the sammyn term, quhilk to translate in our tung is with mowth to seik or byte the erd. And lo, that is ane hail sentens for ane of Virgillis wordis.
As for animal and homo in our langage is nocht a propir term, and thai be bot bestis that exponys animal for a beste. Ane beste is callit in Latyn bestia and pecus, and animal betakynnys all corporall substans that hass ane saull quhilk felis payn, ioy or ennoy. And vndyr animal beyn contenyt all mankynd, beist, byrd, fowll, fisch, serpent, and all other sik thingis at lyfis and steris, that hass a body, for al sik and euery ane of thame may be properly callit animal. And thus animal is ane general name for al sik maner thingis quhatsumeuer. Homo betakynnys baith a man and a woman, and we haue na term correspondent tharto, nor it that signifyis baith twa in a term alanerly.
Genus is that thing quhilk is common and may be verefyt of mony other thingis different in kynd or of diuerss kyndis; as this word, a beste, may be verefeit and is common till al and syndry kynd of bestis, for a horss is a beste, ane ox a beste, a scheip a beste, a dog a beste, and swa of otheris. Species is that thing or word that is common and may be verefeit of mony thingis different in numbir, as this word, a man, may be verefeit and is common till al maner of man particular, for Iohne is a man, Thomas a man, Wilam a man, and furth of otheris. Syk lyke, this word, a horss, is common to this horss, and that horss — the gray is a horss, the blak a horss, the quhite a horss. Sexus is the discretioun, diuersitie or differens in schap, betwix the mail and the female in al maner corporal creatouris, for thocht a man and a woman beyn baith of a kynd and natur, it ar thai different and diuerss in thar schap. Rycht swa is ane horss fra a mair, quhilk ar bath of a kynd; siklyke a cok from a hen, a kow from a bull, and swa is of all kyndis quhar the mail is distinct fra the femell.
This argument excusis nocht the tratory of Eneas na his maynsweryng, considering quhat is said heir afoir in the ii c. of this prolog, that is,
Iuno nor Venus goddes neuer war,
Mercur, Neptun, Mars nor Iupiter,
Of Forton eik, nor his necessite,
Sic thingis nocht attentik ar, wait we.
It followis than that Eneas vroucht nocht be command of ony goddis, bot of his awyn fre wyl, be the permission of God, quhilk sufferis al thing, and stoppis nocht, na puttis nocht necessite to fre wyll. He falit than gretly to the sueit Dydo, quhilk falt reprefit nocht the goddess diuinite, for thai had na diuinite, as said is befoir.
CONTENTIS
Heir he argouis better than befoir.
The Contentis of Euery Buke Followyng
The first contenys quhou the prynce Ene
And Troianys war dryve onto Cartage cite.
The secund buke schawis the finale ennoy,
The gret myscheif and subuersioun of Troy.
The thryd tellith quhou fra Troys cite
The Troianys careit war throu owt the see.
The ferd rehersis of fair Queyn Dido
The dowbill woundis and the mortale wo.
The fyft contenys funerale gemys glaid
And how the fyre the navy dyd invaid.
Into the saxt buke syne doith Virgill tell
Quhou that Eneas went and visseit hell.
The sevynt Ene bryngis to hys grond fatale,
And how Italianys Troianys schup to assale.
Ontill Eneas gevis the auchten buke
Baith falloschip and armour, quha list luke.
Dawnus son Turnus in the nynte, tak tent,
Segis New Troy, Eneas tho absent.
The tent declaris by the cost atanys
The batale betwix Tuscanys and Rutulanys.
In the ellevynt Rutulyanys beyn ourset
By the decess of Camylla downebet.
The twelft makis end of all the weir, but dowt,
Throu the slauchtir of Turnus, stern and stowt.
The last, ekit to Virgillis nowmyr evyn
By Mapheus, convoys Ene to hevyn.
BUKE I
The Rubric in the Formast Cheptour of the First Buke
The poet first proponyng his entent
Declaris Iunois wreth and mailtalent.
The batalis and the man I wil discrive
Fra Troyis boundis first that fugitive
By fait to Ytail come and cost Lavyne,
Our land and sey katchit with mekil pyne
By forss of goddis abufe, from euery steid,
Of cruell Iuno throu ald remembrit fede.
Gret pane in batail sufferit he alsso
Or he his goddis brocht in Latio
And belt the cite fra quham, of nobill fame,
The Latyne pepill takyn heth thar name,
And eik the faderis, princis of Alba,
Cam, and the wallaris of gret Rome alswa.
O thou my muse, declare the causis quhy,
Quhat maieste offendit schaw quham by,
Or it quharfor of goddis the drery queyn
Sa feil dangeris, sik travell maid susteyn
A worthy man fulfillit of piete:
Is thare sik greif in hevynly myndis on hie?
Thare was ane ancyant cite hecht Cartage,
Quham hynys of Tyre held intill heritage,
Ennymy to Itail, standand fair and plane
The mouth of lang Tibir our forgane,
Myghty of moblys, full of sculys seyr,
And maist expert in crafty fait of weir,
Of quhilk a land Iuno, as it is said,
As to hir special abuf al otheris maid;
Hir native land for it postponyt sche
Callit Same — in Cartage sett hir see;
Thar war hir armys and here stude eik hir chair.
This goddes ettillit, gif werdis war nocht contrar,
This realme tobe superior and mastress
To all landis, bot certis netheless
The fatale sisteris reuolue and schaw, scho kend,
Of Troiane blude a pepill suld discend,
Wailliant in weir, to ryng wydquhar, and syne
Cartage suld bryng ontill finale rewyne,
And clene distroy the realme of Lybia.
This dredand Iuno, and forthirmor alswa
Remembring on the ancyant mortell weir
That for the Grekis, to hir leif and deir,
At Troy lang tyme scho led befor that day
(For it the causys of wreth war nocht away
Nor cruell harm foret ne out of mynd —
Ful deip engravyn in hir breist onkynd
The iugement of Parys, quhou that he
Preferrit Venus, dispisyng hir bewte;
Als Troiane blude till hir was odyus,
For Iupiter engenderit Dardanus
Fra quham the Troianys cam in adultry,
And Ganymedes revist abuf the sky,
Maid him his butler, quhilk was hir douchteris office),
Iuno inflambit, musyng on thir casis nyce
The quhile our sey that salit the Troianys
Quhilkis had the ded eschapit and remanys
Onslane of Grekis or of the ferss Achill,
Scho thame fordryvis and causys oft ga will
Frawart Latium, quhilk now is Italy,
By fremmyt werd ful mony eris tharby
Catchit and blaw wydquhar all seys about.
Lo quhou gret cure, quhat travell, pane and dowt
Was to begyn the worthy Romanys blude!
And as the Troianys frakkis our the flude,
Skarss from the sycht of Sysilly the land,
With bent sail full, rycht merely saland,
Thar stevynnys scowrand fast throu the salt fame,
Quhen that Iuno, till hir euerlestand schame,
The etern wound hyd in hir breist ay greyn,
Ontill hir self thus spak in propir teyn:
“Is this ganand that I my purposs faill
As clene ourcum, and may nocht
from Itaill
Withhald this kyng of Troy and hys navy?
Am I abandonyt with sa hard destany
Sen Pallas mocht on Grekis tak sik wraik
To byrn thar schippis and all for anys saik
Drowne in the sey, for Aiax Oilus wrang?
From Iupiter the wild fyre down scho slang
Furth of the clowdis, distroyt thar schippis all,
Ourquhelmyt the sey with mony wyndy wall,
Aiax breist persit, gaspand furth flawmand smoke,
Sche with a thud stikkit on a scharp roke.
Bot I, the quhilk am clepit of goddis queyn
And onto Iove baith spouss and sistir scheyn,
With a pepill sa feill heris weir sall lede,
Quha sal from thens adorn in ony stede
The power of Iuno, or altaris sacryfy,
Gif I ourcummyn be thus schamefully?”
Virgille reherssis not Eneas naim, bot callis him “the man” be excellens, as thocht he said “the mast soueran man.”
Lavyn, Lavinium, Lawrentum stud viii mylis fra the mowth of Tibyr, and was cyte of the king Latynus, of quham eftyr in the vii buyk, quhill the end of this volume.
Quhat is Latium, or Latio, luyk eftyr in the vi c. of the viii buyk. The cite of quham heir is mention was New Troy, quham Eneas biggit at the mouth of Tibir; and fra Ene bein namyt the Latynis, and nowdir fra the cyte nor the land.
Of Alba cyte luyk eftyr in the fyfte c. of this buyk and in the fyrst c. of the viij buyk.
Musa in Grew signifeis an inuentryce or inuention in our langgage, and of the ix Musis sum thing in my Palyce of Honour and be Mastir Robert Hendirson in New Orpheus.
The poet inqueris quhat maieste or power offendyt of Iuno, quhilk is fenyeit to haf many poweris. She is clepit queyn of goddis, mastres and lady of realmys, precident of byrthis, spouss and sistir to Iupiter &c.
Samo is an ile in Trace quhar Iuno was weddit and born, as sais Seruius, and ther, as vitnessyth Sanct Ierom, stud the farest tempil of Grece, dedicat to Iuno.
C L marginal note hir see, hir seit; B marginal note or hir sett.
Lybia or Liby is the thrid part of the warld, callit Affryk, quham now we call the land or cost of Barbary.
The iugement of Paris is common to all knawis the sege of Troy.
Hebe, douchter of Iuno and goddes of outh, seruyit Iupiter of his covp; quhilk at a fest amang the goddis makand hir seruice, slaid and schew hir schame in al thar presens, for the quhilk lak Iupiter gaif to this Ganymedes, son to Kyng Troyus, hir office. Of the ravisyng of this Ganymede, e haf benayth, in the v c. of the v buyk, and of this Hebe sum thyng in the prolog of the vij buyk.