Complete Works of Virgil

by Virgil

  Onto the gret Hercules on thar gyss,

  That fostyr son was till Amphitrion,

  And to the other goddis euery one,

  Befor the cite in a hallowit schaw.

  Pallas, hys son, was thydder alsso draw,

  Togiddir with the principalis of onkeris,

  The sobir senatouris, and puyr officeris,

  All sammyn kest ensens; and with a stew

  Besyde the altar blude sched and scalit new,

  Beand lew warm, thar full fast dyd reik.

  Bot it als swyth as thai persauyt eyk

  The gret bargis slydand thus on raw,

  And throw the dern woddis fast thydder draw,

  So stilly bendand vp thar ayris ilk wight;

  Thai worth affrayt of the suddand syght,

  And euery man thai left the burdis in hy,

  On fut gan starting from the mangeory.

  Quham hardy Pallas dyd forbyd and diffend

  Thar sacrifyss tobrek, quhill it war end:

  He hynt a wapyn, with a few mene

  Thame to recontyr onon furth haldis he,

  And it weill far from a hill or a know

  To thame he callys: “Standis, yng men, howe!

  Quhat causs hes movit ou apon sik way

  Thir strangis wentis onknawin to assay?

  Quhiddir ettill e, or quhat kynrent e be?

  Schaw quhens e com, and quhilk is our cuntre.

  Quhidder do e bryng onto our boundis heir

  Bodword of peax, or cumis in feir of wer?”

  Eneas tho, the fader of wirschip,

  Maid answer from the pulpyt of the schip,

  And in hys hand straucht furth, at he mycht se,

  In takyn of peax a branch of olyve tre:

  “My frend,” quod he, “thou seys pepill of Troy,

  To Latyn folkis ennemyss, man and boy;

  Quhilk, flemyt of our realm, newly agane

  Thai ilk Latynys hess socht with prowd bargane.

  Onto the kyng Evander all seik we,

  Hym to requir of succurss and supple.

  Bair hym this message, and declar hym plane,

  That chosyn men discend from Kyng Dardane

  Beyn hyddir cummyn, besekyng hys frendschip,

  To knyt vp band in armys and falloschip.”

  Pallas, estonyst of sa hie a name

  As Dardanus, abasyt worth for schame:

  “Cum furth,” quod he, “quhat evir thou be, bern bald,

  And say befor my fader quhat thou wald,

  And entyr in our lugyngis the to rest,

  Quhar thou salbe ressauyt welcum gest.”

  And furth onone he hynt hym by the hand,

  A weil lang quhile hys rycht arm embrasand;

  Syne furth togiddir rakyt thai on raw,

  The flud thai leif, and entris in the schaw.

  Eneas tho, with frendly commonyng,

  Spak curtasly, thus sayand to the kyng:

  “O thow maste curtass prynce, and best in neid

  That evir was byget of Grekis seyd,

  Quhamto fortoun wald I suld cummyn heir,

  The lawly to besekyng and requir,

  And wald alsso I suld furth reke to the

  Wippyt with bendis the branch of olyve tre,

  In takyn that of thy supple I neid;

  Forsuyth, I caucht na maner feir ne dreid,

  Thocht thou a capitane of the Grekis be,

  Yborn alsso of Arcad the cuntre,

  Of blude coniunct to the Atrides tway,

  I meyn onto Agamenon and Menelay:

  Bot myne awin vertu, and haly oracleis

  Of the goddis be devyn miracleis,

  And our forbearis all of a kynred,

  Thy fame dyuulgat into euery sted,

  Hess me fermly adionyt onto the;

  The fatis eik tharto inducis me,

  That wilfully I obey thar command.

  Schir Dardanus, the kyng first in our land

  That belt the cite Troy or Ilion,

  Our cheif fader, as Grekis grantis ilkone,

  Born of Electra, Atlas douchter yng,

  Careit be schip come first to Troys ryng;

  And this Electra gret Atlas begat,

  That on hys schuldyr baris the hevynnys plat.

  Mercur is fader of our clan alssua,

  Quham the schene madyn, the fair fresch Maya,

  Apon the frosty hillys top all bair,

  Quhilk Cillenus is hait, in Arcad bair;

  And this ilk Maya suythly, gif that we

  Ony credens to it we heir or se

  May geif, Atlas bygat, that sam Atlas

  That rollys the hevynly starrit speir cumpas;

  So baith our kynrentis, schortlie to conclud,

  Devidit ar furth of a stok and blude.

  Quharfor, havand confidens in thir thyngis,

  Nothir by ambassat, message nor writingis,

  Nor other craft, thy frendschip first socht I;

  Bot myne awin self in person com in hy,

  That onto the submittit has my hed,

  And the to pray socht lawly to this sted.

  For the ilk pepill vnder Dawnus kyng,

  That the Rutilianys has in governyng,

  Quhilk ledis weir aganys thi cuntre,

  With cruell batal now persewis me;

  And gif thai mycht expell ws of this land,

  Thai weyn tharby that nocht may thame ganestand,

  Bot at thai sall vnder thar seneory

  Subdew alhaill in thraldom Italy,

  And occupy thai boundis oriental

  Quhar as the ovir see flowys alhaill,

  And eik thai westir partis, trastis me,

  Quhilkis ar bedyit with the neddir see.

  Ressaue and knyt vp faith and ferm cunnand,

  Tak our promyt and geif ws treuth and band;

  Strang bodeis til abyde bargane haue we,

  With hardy myndis in batal or melle,

  Exercit in weir, and expert at sik nedis,

  In lusty outh likly to do our dedis.”

  Thus said Eneas, and Evander than,

  Fra tyme that he first forto speke began,

  Hys eyn, hys mowth, and all hys body rycht

  Gan to behald, espying with hys syght,

  Syne schortly maid hys ansuer thus agane:

  “O quhou glaidly the, mast forcy Troiane,

  I do ressaue as tendir frend and feir!

  Quhou blythly now I knaw and weil may heir

  The voce, the wordis and the speche, but less,

  Of thy fader, the gretast Anchises!

  And full perfytly now I draw to mynd

  The vissage of that worthy knycht maste kynd.

  For weill I do ramembir, lang tyme gone,

  Quhou Priamus, son of Laomedon,

  To vissy hys sisteris land Hesiona,

  Socht to the cite hait Salamyna,

  And at the sammyn rayss hys vayage maid

  Throu the cald frosty boundis of Arcaid.

  My grene outh that tyme with pilis yng

  First cled my chyn, or berd begouth to spryng;

  I ioyt to se the Troian dukis ilkone,

  And on the son of Kyng Laomedone,

  That is to say, this ilk ong Priamus,

  Forto behald was mervel gloryus;

  Bot thy fader Anchises, quhar he went,

  Was hyar far than all the remanent.

  My mynd brynt, of outhed throu desire,

  To speke and common with that lordly syre,

  Tobe acquentit, and ioyn hand intil hand,

  Cunnand to knyt, and bynd fordwert or band.

  To hym I went desyrus of frendschip,

  And sped that sammyn so in falloschip,

  Within the wallys of Pheness I hym led,

  And quhen he dyd depart, or thens hym sped,

  Ane courtly quavir full curyusly wrocht,

  With arowis, maid in Lycia, wantand nocht,

  Ane garmond he me gaue, or knychtly weid,

&nb
sp; Prynnyt and wovyn full of fyne gold threid,

  Twa goldyn bridillis eik, as he dyd pass,

  Quhilk now my son occupyis, ong Pallas.

  Quharfor our allyance, faith and richt hand,

  As e desire, ar ellys adionyt in band —

  We bene of ald confideratis, perfay:

  Quharfor to morn, alssone as the brycht day

  Begynnys allycht the landis and the sky,

  With succurss and suppovell blythly I

  Sal ou fra hyne hame to our army send,

  And with my gudis and my mobillis amend.

  And in the meyn tyme, sen, my frendis deir,

  Onto our sacrefyis e be cummyn heir,

  Quhilk eirly vsyng we as anniuersary,

  That bene onlefull to defer or tary:

  Tharfor with ws do hallow our hie fest,

  And with glaid semlant blythly maste and lest

  Accustom ou from thens, and now instant

  Our tabillis as our frendly burdis hant.”

  Quhen this was said, mesis and cowpis ilkane,

  Quhilk war away tak, bad he bring agane,

  And he hym self the Troiane men fut het

  On sonkis of gresy scheraldis hes doun set.

  Thar pryncipal capitane syne, Ene,

  Beside hym self on dess ressauys he;

  The benk, ybeldyt of the grene holyne,

  With lokkyrrit lyoun skyn ourspred was syne.

  Than ong men walit bissy heir and thar,

  And eik prestis of Hercules altar,

  The rostit bullys flesch set by and by,

  The bakyn breid of baskettis temys in hy,

  And wynys byrlys into gret plente.

  Eneas, sammyn with hys Troiane mene,

  Dyd of perpetual oxin fillettis eyt,

  And purgit entralis, clepit clengyng meit.

  Evander tellith till Eneas, but baid,

  The verray causs quhy this sacerfice was maid.

  Eftir that stanchit was the hungris rage,

  And appetit of meit begouth asswage,

  Said Kyng Evander: “Na superstitioun vayn,

  Nor mysknawlage of goddis ancyane,

  Thys hie fest and gret solempnyte,

  Nor this bankat and mesys, as e se,

  Hes institut to ws, and this alter

  Of sa excelland maieste standyng heir;

  Bot, my deir frend and nobill gest Troiane,

  We, preservit from cruel peralus pane,

  Hantis this seruys apon sik maner,

  As proper det and observans ilk er.

  First, do behald one schorand hewchis brow,

  Quhar all on craggy rochis hyngis now,

  Quhou the huge weghty brays bene dovn cast,

  The holkit fows in the mont syde left waste,

  Quhar as the craggy quhynnys, dovn declyne,

  Has drawyn of the hill a huge rewyne.

  on was a cavern or cove in ald days,

  With gousty entray far furth of all ways,

  A grisly den and ane forworthyn gap

  Of Cacus, that na mar had bot the schap

  Of mannys form, for skant half man was he

  Throw cruel dedis of iniquyte,

  That in one fendlich hole dwelt hym allane —

  A hellis byke, quhar sonnys beme nevir schane,

  Quhar the vile flur evir lew warm was spred

  With recent slauchter of blud newly sched.

  Befor that tyrrandis et of men that ded is

  Affixit stud mony dolorus hedis,

  With vissage blaknyt, blude byrun, and bla,

  The laithly ordur or filth stilland thar fra.

  Onto this hutyt monstre, this Cacus,

  The god of fyre was fader, Wlcanus;

  And at hys mouth, a wondir thing to se,

  Hys faderis reky flambe furth iskyt he.

  As to hys body, quhar so evir he passit,

  Of bustuus statur lyke nane other was it.

  Proces of tyme at last hess ws inspirit,

  And send ws help, as we full lang desyrit,

  Be cummyng of the mychtful goddis presens;

  For the danter of monstreis, our defens,

  The maste redoutit Hercules, com at hand

  Be aventour onto this ilke land,

  New from the slauchter into stern melle

  Of Geryon, the quhilk had bodeis thre.

  With prowd spule arryving triumphal,

  This conquerour maid thyddir dryve and call

  Hys bullys and hys oxin huge gret,

  And eik hys ky, to pastur and to eyt

  Endland one valle that is large and wyde,

  And tuk thar lugyng on this ryver syde.

  Bot the ondantit fury mynd of this theif,

  Schrewit Cacus, all way ful of myscheif,

  By his frawart engyne and sle consait

  So that no maner wikkytnes nor dissait

  Mycht be, that he ne durst nocht tak on hand,

  Ne onassayt leif, out from thar stand

  Four semly oxin of body gret and squar,

  Als mony tendir quyis excedand fair,

  Of all tha catal away with hym drave.

  And, that thar tred suld na way be persaue,

  Onto hys cave ay bakwartis by the talys

  To turn thar futsteppis he thame harlys and tralys;

  And thus his spreith he had ontil his in,

  And with a queym stane closyt hes the gyn.

  Sik way he wrocht that, quha thar tred list goif,

  Na takynnys suld convoy thame to his coif.

  In the meyn quhile, as all the bestis war

  Repatyrit weil efter thar nychtis layr,

  At morow ayrly first as thai removit,

  For Hercules depart from thens behuffit,

  The catal gan to rowtyng, cry and rar;

  The woddis rang of thar sound our alquhar,

  And with thar noys dynnyt hillis and knowys,

  Quhil in the caif as that a quyok lowis,

  With lowd voce squeland in that gousty hald,

  All Cacus trast reuelit scho and tald.

  Bot tho in greif this worthy Hercules,

  Alceus nevo, the douchty Alcides,

  That so oft syss was clepit commonly,

  Within hys skyn begouth to byrn and fry

  In brym fury of his bitter gall;

  Hys wapynnys and his armour hynt withall,

  Hys weghty burdon, or his knorry mayss,

  And to the hillys hycht held in a rayss.

  Than was the first tyme that ony in this erd

  Of our pepill persavyt Cacus efferd,

  Within his hed trublit his eyn tway.

  Swyft as the wynd he fled and gat away,

  And to his cave hym sped with ery spreit —

  The dreid adionyt weyngis to his feyt.

  And fra he had hym self sesyt tharin,

  A stane of huge weght for to closs the gyn

  He leyt do fall, and with sic haist doun thrang,

  The cheneis brak quharwith it festnyt hang,

  That forgit war by hys fadris engyne;

  With gret irne slottis schet the entre syne.

  Bot lo, in haist Hercules come at hand

  With furyus mynd careyng our the land,

  Passage and entre sekyng bissely,

  Now heir his eyn, now thar, rollyng in hy,

  Graslyng hys teith and byrnand full of ire.

  Of Aventynus hill thryss all the swyre

  He sersys our, and thryss assays he

  To brek and rent that craggy stone entre,

  Bot all for nocht, thocht he was nevir sa wight;

  So, thryss irkyt, doun from the hillys hyght

  To rest hym is he to the valle gone.

  Thar stude a pynnakill of quhyn or flynt stone,

  Apon the baksyde of this cavern cald,

  That rayss on end rycht hie fortobehald,

  For wild fowlys of reif a ganand sted,

  That rent raw flesch of bestis bonys ded;

 
The craggis all about this rolk war worn,

  With wedderis blast to holkyt and to torn:

  And as it stud on schor sweyand that tyde,

  Down with the bank towart the watir syde,

  Hercules it smytis with a mychty towk

  Apon the rycht half, forto mak it iowke,

  Inforsyng hym to welt it our the bra;

  And sa rudly it branglys to and fra,

  That from the rutis he it lowsyt and rent,

  And tumlyt dovn fra thyne, or he wald stent.

  The large ayr dyd reirding with the rusch,

  The brays dyndlit, and all dovn can dusch;

  The ryver wolx effrayt with the rak,

  And demmyt with the rokis, ran abak.

  Than this gret cove, of Cacus sail ryall,

  Was discoverit; hys inwart cavernys all,

  Wont tobe dyrk, worth patent now and knaw —

  Non otherwyss than quhen the erd ourthraw

  By fors of thundyr, or erdquake with a clap,

  Ryvys vp a terribill sewch or grisly gap,

  Oppynnand the hellis mansioun infernall,

  And onclosys that dyrk regioun paill

  Quhilk of the goddis al abufe is hayt;

  Or thocht the hellis bysme in sik estait

  War oppynnyt, that his bodum se men mycht,

  And dampnyt sawlys effrayt of new lycht.

  Quharfor this worthy stalwart Hercules,

  That on this wyss had Cacus set in press,

  And fund onwarnyst by this lycht suddane,

  Quhar he was closyt in a cave of stane,

  Fast rumesand apon a strange maner;

  This campyoun with dartis fell of weir

  Gan down tobet, and in his wod fury

  Eftir all kynd wapynnys can do cry,

  With branchis rent of treis, and querral stanys

  Of huge weght dovn warpand all at anys.

  Bot this ilk Cacus, quhen that he dyd se

  Fra this danger thar was na way to fle,

  Furth of his throt, a wondruss thing to tell,

  A laithly smok he iskis blak as hell,

  And all the houss involuyt with dyrk myst,

  That sone the syght vanyst, or ony wist,

  And reky nycht within a litill thraw

  Gan thikkyn our al the cavern and ourblaw,

  And with the myrknes mydlit sparkis of fyre.

  The hie curage of Hercules, lordly syre,

  Mycht this na langar suffir, bot in the gap

  With hasty stert amyd the fyre he lap,

  And thar as maist habundyt smokis dyrk,

  With huge sop of reyk and flambis myrk,

  So that the caif dyd glevyn of the heyt,

  Thar hass he hynt Cacus, that wikkyt spreit,

  That all invane hys hait kyndlyng furth gaspyt;

  For as a ball he hym in armys claspyt,

  And so streneis hys throt, furth chirt hys eyn,

  Hys hals worth dry of blud. Than mycht be seyn

  This mirk dungeoun and onsemly hald: