by Virgil
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 allo reky lyght,
And furth our al the place and rufe on hie
The fyre blesys, thame semyt, skattirris sche.
Certis, this was reput with yng 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 assoleit 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 on 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.”
Efter Eneas com to Itale land,
Maid sacryfice to the goddis with offerand.
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 onkeris 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 e, O trast Penates,” said Enee,
“Alhail our natyve goddis, weil e 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 ou 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 our 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 it 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,
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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.
Quhou Eneas ambassatouris dyd send
To Kyng Latyn with rewardis and commend.
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 ong 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 mene 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 enseneis 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 e 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 ettis, 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.
Kyng Latyn speris the causs of thar cummyng,
And Ilioneus maid gudly ansueryng.
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 e desire,” quod he,
“For weil we knaw our lynage and cite,
And it is alsso cummyn to our erys
e set our courss our se thir mony eris;
Schaw for quhat causis, or quhat necessite,
our schippis our sa feill haw stremys of see
Beyn hiddir to this cost of Italy
Careit or dryve, or quhidder our navy
Has errit by thar courss, and far gone will,
Or it by forss of storm catchyt hiddertill,
As oft wil happin by the frawart tyde
To marynaris on fludys deip and wyde.
Gyf e sik wyss within our ryver bankis
Be entyrt, or remanys with our thankis
In to our port and havynnys fast heir by,
Withdraw ou 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 our discens and ofspryng,
Weil I ramembir that I haue hard sum thing;
Bot that is passyt, or now, sa mony heris,
The fame almaste foret 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 our realm, and tharat maid arryve,
Nor it 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 ona, 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 our realm sall we be,
Nor na repreif tharby to our renowne
Be ws, nor nane other, sal nevir spreid;
Nor it 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 valeand 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 seneory;
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;