by Virgil
Quhat slycht dissait quently to flat and feyn! —
Syne in a thraw kan not hym selvyn hyde,
Nor at his first estait no quhile abyde!
Thou swelch, devourar of tyme onrecoverabill,
O lust, infernal furnyss, inextingwybill,
Thy self consumyng worthis insaciabill,
Quent fendis net, to God and man odibill!
Of thi tryggettis quhat tong may tell the tribbill?
With the to wrasyll, thou walxis euer moir wyght;
Eschew thyne hant, and mynnys sall thi mycht.
Se, quhou blynd luffis inordinate desyre
Degradis honour, and resson doith exile!
Dido, of Cartage flour and lamp of Tyre,
Quhais hie renoun na strenth nor gift mycht fyle,
In hir faynt lust sa mait, within schort quhile,
That honeste baith and gude fame war adew,
Syne for disdeyn, allace! hir selvyn slew.
O, quhat avalit thi brute and gloryus name,
Thi moblys, tresour and werkis infinyte,
Thi citeis beilding and thi ryal hame,
Thy realmys, conquest, weilfar and delyte?
To stynt al thing salue thine awyn appetite
So wes in lufe thi frawart destane —
Allace the quhile thou knew the strange Ene!
And sen I suld thy tragedy endyte,
Heir nedis nane othir invocatioun:
Be the command I lusty ladeis quhyte,
Be war with strangeris of onkouth natioun
Wyrk na syk woundris to thar dampnatioun;
Bot til attayin wild amouris at the thai leir:
Thy lusty pane begouth on this maneir.
Heir endis the preambill and begynnys the ferd buke
C marginal note De duplice amore vide Augustus de ciuitate de li. xv. c.xxii.
The thochtfull queyn, with mony amorus clawss
Till hir systir complenys in luffis cawss.
Be this the queyn, throw hevy thochtis onsound,
In euery vayn nurysys the greyn wound,
Smytyn so deip with the blynd fyre of lufe
Hir trublyt mynd gan fra all rest remufe.
Compasing the gret prowes of Ene,
The large wirschip feill syss remembris sche
Of his lynnage and folkis; for ay present
Deip in hir breist so was hys figur prent
And all hys wordis fixt, that, for bissy thocht,
Noyn eys hir membris nor quyet suffir mocht.
The nyxt day following, with hys lamp brycht
As Phebus dyd the grund or erth alycht,
Eftir the dawing heth the donk nychtis clowd
Chasyt from the sky and the ayr new schrowd,
Ful evil at eyss Queyn Dido on this kynd
Spak to hir systir, wes of the sammyn mynd:
“My sistir An, quhat swevynnys beyn thir”, quod sche,
“Quhilk me affrays in sik proplexite?
Quhat be he, this gret new gest or stranger,
Onto our realm laitly is drevyn heir?
Quhou wyss in speche and in his commonyng
He schawys hym self! O God, quhat wondir thing!
Quhou stout in curage, in weir quhou vaileand!
I trow, sistir, and, as I vndirstand,
Myne opinion is nane oncertane thing,
Thai beyn sum lynnage of verray goddis ofspring,
For dreid always and schaymful kowardyss
Degeneryt wightis and bowbartis notyfyss.
Allace, quhat wondir fatale aventuris
Hess hym bywaif! quhat travel, pane and curis,
How huge batellis, be hym eschewit, tald he!
Now certis, war it not determyt with me
And fixit in my mynd onmovabilly
That to no wyght in wedlok me list I
Cuppil nor knyt, sen my first luf is gane,
By deth dissoverit, and left me alane;
War not alsso to me is displesant
Genyvs chalmyr or matrymone to hant;
Perchans I mycht be venquist in this rage,
Throu this a cryme of secund mariage.
Annes, I grant to the, sen the decess
Of my sory husband Syche, but less,
Quhar that our howss with brodyrris ded wes sprent,
Only this man hess movit myne entent,
And heth my mynd inducyt to forvay:
I knaw and felis the wemmys and the way
Of the ald fyre and flambe of luffis heit.
Bot rather I desyre baith corss and spreit
Of me the erth swelly law adown,
Or than almychty Iove with thundris sovn
Me smyte ful deip onto the schaddoys dern,
Amang pail gastis of hellis holl cavern,
In the profond pot of deth and dyrk nycht,
Or I becum so schamful wrachit wyght
That I myne honeste fyle or womanhed,
Or brek our lawis — na, quhil I be ded!
He that me first to hym in wedlok knyt
My first flowr of amouris tuke, and yt
For euermair with hym he sal thame haue,
And he most keip thame with hym in his grave.”
Thus sayand, the brycht teris onon owtbrist
And fillyt all hir bosum or scho wist.
Annes answerd: “O thou, sa mot I thryve,
To thi systir derrar than hir awyn lyve,
Quhiddir gif thou wilt alane, in wedowhed,
Evir murnand thus waist away thy owthed,
Nowthir yt the comfort of sweit childring thou knawis,
Nor the plesour felis of Venus lawys?
Quhat, wenys thou assys cald and gastis in grave
Of al syk walyng ony fest sal haue?
In cayss that in thi duyll afor thir days,
Thy lord new ded, the list inclyne na ways
Nowthir prynce nor duke to tak as for husband;
Supposs thou lychtlyit than, of Lyby land,
Hyarbas kyng, and othir heris all,
Quhilkis in the rich sule triumphall
Of Aufrik boundis dwelling wydequhar;
Quhat, wilt thou als debatyng euer mar
Agane this lykand lufe, cummys of plesance?
Consideris thou not, and hess in remembrance,
Amyddis quhays grond heir thou remanys?
On this hand, citeis of Getulyanys,
A kynd of pepill invincibill in batell;
Heir the ondantit folk of Numyda dwell,
And on that other part ombyset, I wyss,
We ar with bustuus onfrendly Syrtis;
And ondir the desert region alsswa,
Ay ful of thyrst, in barrand Libya;
And wydquhar thens the wild pepil of Barchay.
The weris moving from Tyre quhat sal I say,
And the gret brag and mannans of our brothir?
Be dispositioun of goddis, I weyn, nane othir,
And by the purvyans of Iuno, to our supple,
Thir Troiane schippis by prospir wynd our see
Heth hyddir set thar coursys fortunate.
O systir myne, considir in quhat estait
Thys cite, quhilk thou beildis, sal vpryss!
Persaue quhou that this realm may, on syk wyss,
Beyn vpheyt throu sa nobil a mariage!
Behald quhou mekill the glory of Cartage
Salbe extollyt, and encress in euery thyng,
Throu help in armys of the Troianys ofspryng!
Quharfor the nedis beseik goddis of thar grace,
With sacrifyce, tobe favorabil in this cace.
Do set alhaill thi cure and diligence
To causyng hym mak with the residence,
And fene causys to tary hym and wythhald,
So lang as thus, duryng the wyntir cald,
The sey ragis throu watry Orion,
And quhil the stormys be al our blawyn and gon;
And quhil hys schippis, with the tempest schaik,
Be bet,
byd spair nowthir fyr, elm nor aik.”
Dido enflambyt in the lusty heyt,
With amorus thochtis trublys al hir spreit.
Wyth thir wordys the spreit of Dido queyn,
The quhilk tofor in lufe wes kyndlyt grene,
Now al in fyre the flambe of lufe furth blesys;
Hir doutsum mynd with gude hope so scho esys
That al the schame and dreid wes blaw away;
And to the tempill furth held tha baith tway.
Eftir the serymonys of thar payane gyss,
Beneuolence and gude luk, syndry wyss,
Thai sekyng and thai serss at ilke altar;
And twyntris, walit for sacrifyce, heir and thar
Thai brytnyt; and sum in honour dyd address
Of the law ledar Ceres, the goddes,
To Phebus, and to Bachus part alsso,
Bot principaly onto the queyn Iuno,
Quhilk heth in cuyr the band of mariage.
Hir self, most gudly Queyn Dido of Cartage,
Held in hir richt hand a cowp full of wyne;
Betwix the hornys twa furthet it syne
Of ane ontamyt ong quy, quhite as snaw;
And othir quhilis wald scho raik on raw
Or payss tofor the altaris, wyth fat offerandis
Ay chargyt full, and oft with hir awyn handis
Renew and beyt the sacrifyce all day;
And rich gyftis geif Troianys; and wald ay
The beistis costis, as thai debowellit wer,
And thar entralis behald flekkyr and steir,
Accordyng the auld vsans to that effect,
Sum augury to persaue or gude aspect.
O wallaway! of spamen and dyvynys
The blynd myndis, quhilkis na way diffynys
The forss ne strenth of luf with hys hard bandis!
Quhat avalyt thir sacrifice and offerandis?
Quhat helpis to vyssy tempillis in luffis rage?
Behald onhappy Dido of Cartage
In this meyn sesson byrnyng hait as gleyd:
The secrete wound deip in hir mynd gan spreyd,
And of hoyt amouris the subtell quent fyre
Waistis and consumys merch, banys and lyre.
Our all the cite enragyt scho heir and thar
Wandris, as ane strykkyn hynd, quhom the stalkar,
Or scho persave, from far betis with hys flane
Amyd the woddis of Creyt, and lattis remane
The braid hed, onknaw the beste wass hyt;
Scho skypping furth, as to eschew the byt,
Gan throu the forest fast and gravys glyde,
Bot evir the dedly schaft stykkis in hir syde.
Sum tyme the queyn Ene with hir dyd leid
Throu owt the wallys onto euery steid,
The tresour al and richess of Sydony
Schawyng to hym, and offerit al reddy
The cite of Cartage at hys commandment:
Begyn scho wald to tell furth hir entent,
And in the myd word stop and hald hir styll.
And quhen the evyn come, it wes hir will
To seik ways hym to feste, as scho dyd ayr;
And, half myndles, agane scho langis sayr
For tyll enquyre and heir the sege of Troy,
And in a stair behaldis hym for ioy.
Eftir all wes voydyt, and the licht of day
Ay mair and mair the moyn quynchit away,
And the declynyng of the starris brycht
To sleip and rest persuadis euery wight,
Within hir chalmyr alane scho langis sayr,
And thocht al waist for lak of hir luffar.
Amyd a voyd bed scho hir laid adoun,
And of hym absent thinkis scho heris the sown;
Hys voce scho heris, and hym behaldis sche,
Thocht he, God wait, far from hir presens be:
And sum tyme wald scho Ascanyus, the page,
Caucht in the figur of hys faderis ymage,
And in hir bosum brace, gif scho tharby
The lufe ontellabill mycht swik or satisfy.
The wark and wallys begun ar not vpbrocht,
The onkeris dedis of armys excersis nocht,
Nothir fortress nor turettis suyr of weir
Now graith tha mair, for al the wark, but weir,
Cessis and is stoppyt, baith of pynnakillis hie,
And byg towris, semyt to ryss in the skie.
Tyl Venus carpys Iuno the goddess,
And of thar spech and sermond, mar and less.
Alsswyth as Iuno, with syk maleyss ourtane,
Persauyt hir deir frend that remeid was nane,
Nothir fame ne honour the rage resyst mycht,
Saturnus douchtir with syk wordis on hyght
Begouth to carp onto Venus, I wyss:
“A huge honour and lawd e sal of this
Raport, and richt large spule beir away,
Thou and thi child forsuyth”, quod scho, “bath tway:
O Lord, quhou gret power and notabil mycht,
Gif that, of twa hie goddis throu the slycht,
A sylly woman sal ourcummyn be!
Not so, I wyss, hes thou dissavyt me,
Bot that I knaw thou had in feir and dreid
Our cite, and held the lugyng suspek in deid
Of our renownyt hie burgh of Cartage.
Bot on quhat wyss sall sesyng al this rage?
Or now quhat nedis sa gret stryfe and contak?
Far rather perpetuell pess lat ws mak,
And knyt vp band of mariage thartill,
Sen thou hess gottin al thyne hartis will;
For Dido byrnys in hait lufe al atanys,
The brym fury glydis throu owt hir banys.
Lat ws thir pepill to ws common, for thy,
Be frendly favouris govern equaly;
So that it lesum be Dido remane
In spousage bund, and serve a lord Troiane,
And suffir Tirreanys, and al Lyby land,
Be geif in dowry to thi son in hand.”
Than Venus (knawing hir spech of feneit mynd,
To that effect scho mycht the Troiane kynd,
And werys tocum furth of Itail alsswa,
With hald and kepe from boundis of Lybia)
Answerd and sayd: “Quhat wikkyt wyght wald euer
Refuyss syk proffyr, or yt with the had levir
Contend in bataill or stand at debait,
Gif that, as thou rehersis, the deid algait
Als sovirly mycht follow fortunabill?
Bot I affeir me less the fatis onstabill
Nor Iupiter consent not ne aggre
That bot a cite to Tyryanys suld be
And eik to folkis from Troy in vayage cummyn,
Or list appreif thai pepillis all and summyn
Togiddir myddill, or ioyn in lyge or band.
Thou art hys spowss; til the to tak on hand
Is lefull with request hys mynd to assay.
Pass on befor, I follow the perfay.”
Than Iuno queyn syk answer maid agane:
“This laubour I tak on hand, al myne alane.
Bot on quhat wyss, sen tyme is convenabill,
The fasson quhou this stant to do maist habill,
Hark, at schort wordys that poynt I sal ou say.
Eneas and onsilly Dido, baith tway,
To forest grathis in huntyng furth to wend,
To morow, als fast as Titan doith ascend
And our the warld gan hys bemys spreid.
Quhen that the rangis and the faid on breid
Dynnys throu the gravys, sersyng the woddis wyde,
And setis set the glen on euery syde,
I sal apon thame a myrk schour down skaill
Of weit and wynd, mydlit with fellon haill,
And al the hevyn with thundyrris blast sa steir
That all thar falloschip sall withdraw for feir
Enclosyt with a myst als dyrk as nycht.
Dido and eik the Troiane duke full rycht,
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Alanerly, bot be thame selvyn twane,
Togiddir sal entir in a cave of stane:
Thar sal I be reddy, and, but delay,
Gif thi mynd be ferm tharto the ilk day,
In sovir wedlok I sal conioyn hir thar,
Tobe his propir spouss for euermair:
Apon this wyss thar wedding salbe wrocht.”
Affermys all hir wil, contrarying nocht,
Of Cetheron Venus the goddes brycht,
Lauchyng scho fund had so controvit a slycht.
Quhou that the queyn to huntyng raid at morow,
And of the first day of hir ioy and sorow.
Furth of the sey, with this, the dawyng spryngis.
As Phebus rayss, fast to the ettis thringis
The choss gallandis, and huntmen thame besyde,
With ralys and with nettys strang and wyde,
And huntyng sperys styf with hedis braid;
From Massilyne horsmen thik thiddir raid,
With rynnyng hundis, a full huge sort.
Nobillys of Cartage, hovand at the port,
The queyn awatys that lang in chawmyr dwellys;
Hyr ferss steyd stude stampyng, reddy ellys,
Rungeand the fomy goldyn byt gynglyng;
Of gold and pal wrocht hys rych harnasyng.
And scho at last of palyce yschit owt,
With huge mene walking hir abowt,
Lappyt in a brusyt mantill of Sydony,
With gold and perle the bordour al bewry,
Hyngand by hir syde the cayss with arowis grund;
Hir bricht tressis envolupyt war and wond
Intil a quayf of fyne gold wyrin threid;
The goldyn button claspyt hir purpour weid —
And furth scho passyt with all hir cumpany.
The Troiane pepill forgaderit by and by,
Ioly and glaid the fresch Ascanyus yng,
Bot first of all, maist gudly, hym self thar kyng
Enee gan entir in falloschip, but dout,
And onto thame adionyt hys large rowt.
Lyke quhen Apollo list depart or ga
Furth of hys wyntring realm of Lysya,
And leif the flude Exanthus for a quhile,
To vissy Delos, his moderis land and ile,
Renewand ryngis and dansys, mony a rowt;
Mixt togiddir, hys altaris standing about,
The pepil of Creit, and thame of Driopes,
And eik the payntit folkis Agathirces,
Schowtand on thar gyss with clamour and vocis hie:
Apon thi top, mont Cynthus, walkis he,
Hys wavand haris, sum tyme, doyng doun thryng
With a soft garland of lawrer sweit smellyng,
And vmquhile thame gan balmyng and enoynt
And into gold address at full gude poynt,
Hys grundyn dartis clattering by hys syde —
Als fresch, als lusty dyd Eneas ryde,
With als gret bewte in hys lordly face.
And eftyr thai ar cummyn to the chace,