Complete Works of Virgil

by Virgil

  Cerberus, the hydduus hund, that regioun

  Fordynnys, barkand with thre mowthis sown,

  Onmesurabill in hys cave quhar he lay

  Richt owr forgane thame in the hie way;

  Quhom till the prophete, behaldand quhou in hy

  Hys nekkis wolx of eddyrris all grysly,

  A sop, stepyt intil hunny alsfast,

  And of enchantit cornys maid, gan cast.

  For hungyr wod, he gapys with throtis thre,

  Swith swellyand that morsell raucht had sche,

  And tho hys terribyll body with a rerd

  He tumlys owr, liggyn on the erd;

  Of huge statur and fellon quantite,

  Our all the cave furth strekit him hess he.

  The circulyt ways in hell Eneas saw,

  And fand Queyn Dido in the myr tre schaw.

  Thus quhil the portar in sleip sowpit lyis,

  The entre tho Eneas occupyis,

  And owr the fludis bank ful swyftly sprent,

  Quhais passage is onreturnabill went.

  Onon thai hard seir vocis lamentabill,

  Gret walyng, quhympring, sprachis miserabill.

  In the first cyrkill, or the vtyr ward,

  ong babbys sawlys weping sor thai hard,

  Quhom the hasty and blak duylful day

  Sowkand thar moderis pap had reft away,

  From the swete lyfe twynnyt ontymusly,

  As cayrful corps plungit in grave gart ly.

  Nixt thame, the secund place tha folkis hess

  Wrangwysly put to ded for cryme sakless.

  Nor, sykkyrly, thir settis to ilke wight

  War nocht assignyt but iuge, doym and rycht,

  For Kyng Mynos, inquistour and iustice,

  The fatale vrne and ballance at device

  Rewlys equaly, and be discretioun steris

  To consale and to iugement as efferis;

  The silly gostis callys in that secret cage,

  Baith of thar life and crymys takkand knawlage.

  Syne eftir thir, al sory and full of cayr,

  The thryd place haldis, and sal evir mayr,

  Giltles folk, that for disdene, wo or fed,

  With thar awin handis wrocht thar self to ded,

  And irkit of the life at thai war in,

  Thar sweit sawlys maid fra the body twyn.

  O, quhat penuryte and hard distres infeir

  Wald thai now suffir tobe in this warld heir!

  Bot the fatis and goddis decrete gaynstandis

  That thai may nevir return onto thir landis:

  The woful puyl with watyr onlufly

  Withhaldis thame, so at thai may nocht go by,

  And Stix, the flude, bylappis thame abowt

  Nyne tymys, sa closs at thai sal nevir wyn owt.

  Nocht far from thens, wide quhar on euery syde,

  Thai mycht behald the large fieldis wyde

  And boundis of Complaynt, all voyd of lycht

  (Sa beyn thai clepit properly at rycht),

  Quharin war all by strang lufe in thar days

  With sik crewel infectioun wastit away is,

  The hydlys held thai and the roddis darn,

  A myr tre wod about thame lowkyt arn;

  Thar paynfull musyng and thar hevy thocht,

  Eftir thar ded alsso, foret thai nocht.

  Thar was Phedra, the spowss of Theseus,

  And Procrys eyk, the wyfe of Cephalus;

  In that ilke sted was trist Eryphyle —

  Hir crewell sonnys wondis schawys sche;

  Evadne he beheld, and Laodomya,

  And Pasyphe in falloschip with tha,

  And Ceneus, first a wench and syne a man,

  In hyr ald schap eftir ded changit than.

  Amang otheris the Phenyssyane Dido

  Within the gret wod walkis to and fro,

  The greyn wound gapand in hir breist all new,

  Quhom as the Troiane barroun nerrer drew,

  And throw the dyrk schaddowis first dyd knaw —

  Sikwyss as quha throw clowdy skyis saw,

  Or, at the leist, wenys he heth do se,

  The new moyn quhen first vpwalxis sche.

  The terys leyt he fall, and tendyrly

  With hartly lufe begrat hir thus in hy;

  “O fey Dido, sen I persave the heyr,

  A sovir warnyng, now I knaw ful cleir,

  Was schawin me, at thou with swerd was slaw,

  Byreft thi self the lyfe, and brocht of daw.

  Allace, I was the causar of thy ded!

  By al the starnys schynys abone our hed,

  And be the goddis abone, to the I swer,

  And be the faith and lawte, gif ony heir

  Trewth may be fund deip vndir erd,” quod he,

  “Malgre my wyl, Prynces, sa mot I the,

  From thy costis depart I was constrenyt.

  Bot the commandment of the goddis onfenyt,

  Quhais gret mychtis hess me hyddir dryve,

  To pass throwout thir dirk schaddowis belyve,

  By gowsty placis, welch savorit, must and hair,

  Quhar profund nycht perpetual doith repar,

  Compellit me from the forto dissevir;

  Nor in my mynde ymagyn mycht I nevir,

  For my departing or absens, I wyss,

  Thou suldist kaucht sa gret dyseyss as this.

  Do stynt thy payss! Abide, thou gentil wight,

  Withdraw the not sa sone furth of my sight!

  Quham fleist thou? This is the lattir day,

  By werdis schape, that with the speke I may.”

  With sik wordis Eneas, full of wo,

  Set him to meyss the sprete of Queyn Dido,

  Quhilk, all inflambit, ful of wreth and ire,

  With acquart luke glowand hait as fyre,

  Maid him to weip and sched furth teris wak.

  All fremmytly frawart hym, as he spak,

  Hir eyn fixit apon the grond held sche,

  Moving na mair hir curage, face nor bre,

  Than scho had bene a statu of marbil stane,

  Or a ferm rolk of Mont Marpesyane.

  Bot finaly, full swyft scho wiskis away,

  Aggrevit fled in the darn woddis gray,

  Quhar as Sycheus, hir first spowss, ful suyr

  Corespondis to hir desyre and cuyr,

  Rendring in lufe amouris equiualent.

  And, netheless, fast eftir hir furth sprent

  Ene, perplexit of hir sory cace,

  And weping gan hir follow a weil lang space,

  Regratand in his mynd, and had piete

  Of the distress that movit hir so to fle.

  The ward of worthy weyrmen now Ene

  Beheld, and heir with Deiphobus spak he.

  Wyth al his speid fra thens he tuk the gayt

  That was ontil him grantit by hys fayt.

  And sone thai warin cummyn to the plane

  And lattir wardys, quharin dois remane

  Valyant folkis in feild and chevalry,

  Tha secret stedis hantand by and by.

  Heir him recontrit Parthenopeus,

  And intil armys valyant Tedeus,

  The pail gost eik of Adrastus the king.

  Thar saw he als, with huge greyt and murnyng

  In mydlerd oft menyt, thir Troianys

  Duryng the sege that into batale slane is,

  Quhom as he gan behald wydequhar on raw,

  Ful tendirly complenyng, thar he saw

  Glawcus, Medontus and Thersylocus,

  Anthenoris thre sonnys, and Polybetus

  Onto the goddess Ceres consecrate;

  Ideus saw he in his ald estate,

  Baith rewland it his cart, and wapynnys weildand.

  Onto Eneas left side and rycht hand

  The sawlys flokkis, circulyt in a rowt.

  Not sufficyt thame to spy him anys abowt,

  Bot, desiring he tareit evir mair,

  Furth with him forto walkin and repar

  Weil lykis
thame, towart him fast to thring,

  And to inquire the causs of his cummyng.

  The nobillis eik of Grekis, one by one,

  With the gret rowtis of Agamenon,

  Alssone as thai the stalwart Troiane saw

  In brycht armour amyd the schaddowis law,

  Gretly afferd war smyte with fellon dreid.

  Sum gave the bak, takand the flycht gude speid,

  As quhilum thai onto thar schippis socht;

  Sum rasyt a cry with waik voce, as thai mocht;

  Bot al for nocht, thar clamour was ful skant,

  The sovndis brak with gasping or a gant.

  Syne Deiphobus, quhilum armypotent,

  Kyng Pryamis son, with body tor and rent,

  Thar he behald, and crewel maglit face,

  Vissage meneit, and baith hys handis, allace!

  Halfhedis spuleit, of stowyt his erys tway,

  By schaymful wound hys ness cuttit away.

  With gret difficulte he him skarsly knew,

  Trymlyng for lak, eschamyt red of hew,

  As that he mycht, hydand hys fellon woundis.

  Ondemandit, with frendly wordis and sovndis

  Ene hym grat, sayand: “Of gret renown,

  Deiphobus, armypotent champyoun,

  Quha hess, allace! the marthyrit swa and slane

  By sa crewel tormentis and hydduus pane?

  Quhou euer was ony sufferit the sa to dight?

  It was me tald, of Troy the lattir nyght,

  Thou, wery and forfochtin in that sted

  For sa feil Grekis be thi dyntis ded,

  Abuf the hepe of ded corpsis ourane

  Fell down for bled, thar standing thyne allane.

  Than I my self, fra this was to me schaw,

  Down at the ness Rethe, by the costis law,

  A voyd tumbe rasyt, and with lowd voce thryss

  Apon the wrethis and wandrand gaistis cryis.

  Thy armys and thy name that place doith hald.

  My frend, thy body kouth I nocht behald

  Nor fynd, thocht I wald it haue gravit eft,

  The tyme quhen I our natyve cuntre left.”

  Kyng Pryamis son maid answer: “Suyth is it,

  Na thing, my deir frend, dyd thou pretermyt;

  All that thou aucht to Deiphobus, ilk deill

  Thou hest perfurnyst worthely and weil,

  As to my berial and sprete appertenyt.

  Bot my hard fatis war wers than thou wenyt,

  For the detestabil cursyt wikkytnes

  Of Helyn born in Lacena, I gess,

  Hass me involuyt in thir harmys e se —

  Thir ar hir last luf drowreis left with me.

  Ful weil thou wait quhou that the lattir nycht

  In fals myrthis we spendyt, euery wight

  (Allace the quhile, our gret mater of cayr

  Behuffis ws hald in memor euermar),

  Quhen that the fatale horss, to our ennoy,

  Com speland owr the hie wallys of Troy,

  With belly chargit ful of armyt men.

  That strang lurdane than, quham weil e ken,

  The Troiane matronys hedis in a ryng,

  Feneand to Bachus feste and karellyng;

  Amyddis al the laif a gret fyre brand,

  Byrnand ful cleir, scho haldis in hir hand,

  Quharwith, out from the master streyt of Troy,

  The Grekis dyd scho bekyn and convoy.

  This ilk tyme me, with hevy curis lang

  Of irksum weir and sad, slumrys strang

  Oppressyt, for my walkyn mony fald,

  My fey chalmer gan my body hald.

  Fordoverit as I lay in to that sted,

  In swete profound rest of sleip lyke soft ded,

  That notabil spowss furth of hir lugyng place,

  This meyn sesson, al armour dyd arrace;

  My trasty sword fra vnder my hed away

  Stall scho, and in the place brocht Menelay;

  The chalmer durris oppynnyt scho in hy

  Wenyng to wyrk a hie plesour tharby

  To hir first luffar, and hir ald schame

  Tharthrou to quynche, and recovyr gud name.

  Quhat suld I tary, or ou langar hald?

  The Grekis ruschit in the chalmyr thikfald;

  Amang al otheris sammyn thiddir spedis

  That schrew prouocar of all wikkyt dedis,

  Eolus nevo, cursyt Vlixes sle.

  On siklyke wyss as thar thai dyd with me,

  Gret goddis mot the Grekis recompens,

  Gif I may thyg avengeans but offens!

  Bot say me this agane, frend, altogidder,

  Quhat aventur hess brocht the levand hydder?

  Quhidder wavyt wilsum by storm of the see,

  Or at command of goddis, cum thou?” quod he,

  “Or quhat fortoun doith the cach and steyr,

  That to this sory hald thou cummys heir,

  To vissy this trublyt dym regioun,

  Quhar evir is nycht, and nevir son it schon?”

  Sibilla carpand tyl Ene gan tell

  The tormentis of deip drery paynful hell.

  The quhile as thai thus carpyt to and fra,

  Hir rosy charyot the fresch Aurora

  Amydwart of the hevynnys assiltre

  Begouth fortil vproll and rayss onhie.

  The myd declynyng of hir cowrss was went,

  And thai, percace, on sik wyss mycht haue spent

  The tyme compleyt was for thar iourne grant;

  Bot sone hym warnys Scibilla the sant,

  His trew marrow gan schortlie to him say:

  “The nycht, Eneas, slydis fast away;

  Weping the howris we consume and waist;

  Heir is the place quhar owr passage inhaist

  Departit is, and sched in stretis twane.

  This way, towart the rycht hand, strekis plane

  To the hie wallys of Schir Ditis kyng;

  It is our reddy went, quhilk sall ws bring

  Onto the plesand playn of Elyse.

  This other gait, on the left hand e se,

  Convoys onto the sted of fell torment,

  Quhar dampnyt schrewis in Tartarus ar sent

  In woful pyt perpetual to remane.”

  Than Deiphobus maid this answer agane:

  “Beis nocht agrevit, souerane nun, I pray,

  I sal no langar dwel, bot go my way:

  I sal compleyt my numbir furth,” quod he,

  “And to dym schaddowis rendrit sall I be.

  Pass on, pass on, our wirschip and renown,

  Mair prosper chance to hant go mak the bown!”

  Thus fer spak Deiphobus, and, with that saw,

  About turnyt hys payss, and gan withdraw.

  Eneas blent him by, and suddanly

  Vndir a rolk at the left syde dyd spy

  A wondir large castell, strang and stowt,

  With wallys thrynfald lappit rownd about,

  Quham the grysly Tartareane Flagiton,

  That ravenus flude, closys enveron,

  With watir blesand brym in fyry low,

  And rolland stanys rumland deip and how.

  The port in foirfront was ful huge gret;

  Of ferm adamant war the pillaris bet,

  Sa that na forss of men mycht thame down myne,

  Nor it the strenth of goddis with strang ingyne;

  Ane irne towr stude beildit wondir hie,

  Quhilk semyt forto reke vp in the skye.

  Tysiphone, that furyus monstre wild,

  In bludy caip revestit and oursild,

  Sittys kepand, but sleip, baith nycht and day,

  That sory entre and this porch alway.

  Tho begouth thai first in this sted to heyr

  Murnyng, granyng, gowlyng and duylfull beir;

  Feil crewell strakis smytyn hard thai sovnd,

  Frasyng of irne fettris and chanys rovnd.

  Ene gan him arrest, in mynd within

  Al abasit, herknand this feirfull dyn. />
  “O haly virgyn, say furth now,” quod he,

  “Quhat kynd of grysly turment may this be?

  In quhat punytioun, panys and distress

  Beyn sawlis ondir streneit, prophetess?

  Quhat menys this bruyt, weping and woful cryis,

  With sik walyng semys fordyn the skyis?”

  Scibilla thus begouth answer agane:

  “O wirschipfull and gentil duke Troiane,

  It is nocht lesum to nane innocent wight

  Within boundis of wikkytnes or onrycht

  Til entir, nor attayn to neir that et,

  Bot the first tyme Proserpyn maid and set

  Me mastress of Avern, hir hallowit schaw,

  The goddys turmentis gan scho to me schaw

  And me convoyit thar throw euery sted.

  This maist dolorus realm to steir and led

  Hess Radamanthus, vmquhile of Creyt kyng,

  Haldand maste scharp and sayr lawys in hys ryng;

  Chastiand folkis, speris thar offence express;

  By turment thame compellis thar cryme confess,

  Synnys committit abufe in the erd,

  Quham ony, ioyand to thar awin wanwerd,

  But proffyt doith conseil, hyde or delay,

  Onamendit quhil dedis lattyr day.

  Syk wikkyt and condampnyt wightis, als tyte

  As thai cum in that dolly pyte of syte,

  Tysyphone, the wrekar of mysdedis,

  With quhip in hand al reddy fast hir spedis

  Thame to assail, to tor, skurge and bete,

  And with hir left hand terribil eddyrris gret

  Thik at thame swakkis; syne to pyne thame, doith call

  Of fel torment the rowt of systyrris all.

  And tho at last with horribil sovndis trist

  Tha wareit portis, iargand on the hirst,

  Warpit vp braid. Lo, ondir may thou se

  Quhat kynd wardane syttis in the porch,” quod sche,

  “And quhou terribill of contenans and cheir

  Thou hir behaldis kepis the entre heir;

  Ane mair feirful monstre and mair fell,

  Ane vgly serpent, syttis within on hell,

  With fyfty hydduus blak throtis gapand.

  And forthir eik on Tartarus ay trymland,

  Quhilk is of hell the dirk dungeon and pyt,

  Dippis twyss als holl down, I lat the wyt,

  Semyng so law vnder the erth reke,

  As that our sight may vp to hevynnys streke.

  Tharin the ancyant lynage of the erd,

  Thir gyantis hait Tytanas, be wanwerd

  With thundris blast dovn smytyn and ourthraw,

  Ar warpyt in on pottis boddum law.

  Thar saw I eyk Aloes twynnys twane,

  Othus and Ephialtes, bredir germane,

  With huge bodeis, that pressyt dovn to rent

  With thar handis the large firmament,

  And by thar forss begouth expell the kyng,

  Hie Iupiter, furth of his hevynly ryng.