by Virgil
Vlcanus heir the beltles Numydanys,
And thai folkis that in Affrik remanys,
Had gravyn weill; and onder porturat was
The Leleganys, and the pepill Carras,
And Gelones, tha pepill of Sythia,
In archery the quhilk ar wonder thra.
The mekill flude Eufrates, fast by,
With streym now semyt flow mair sobirly;
The Moryn pepill eik, fast by the see,
Of men reput the last extremite,
The forkyt flude of Reyn eik pantit was,
And the ondantit Danys thar dyd pass,
The flude Arax of Armeny alsso,
Havand disdene a bryg our it suld go.
Eneas, of hys moderis gyft wondryng,
Our al Vlcanus scheild samony a syng
Wrocht on sic wyss, nocht knawand the mater,
To se the figouris of thir storeis seir
Reiosyt wolx, and syne deliuerly
Apon hys schulder hyntis vp in hy
The famus honour, and hie renownye,
Or gloryus iestis of hys postheryte. etc.
Explicit liber octauus Eneados Incipit prologus noni libri eiusdem Sequitur prologus
BUKE IX
[The Proloug of the Nynth Buke]
Thir lusty warkis of hie nobilyte
Agilyte dyd wryte of worthy clerkis,
And tharin merkis wysdome, vtilyte,
Na vilyte, nor sic onthryfty sperkis;
Scurilyte is bot for doggis at barkis,
Quha tharto harkis fallys in fragilyte.
Honeste is the way to worthyness,
Vertu, doutless, the perfyte gait to blyss;
Thou do na myss, and eschew idilness,
Persew prowes, hald na thing at is hys;
Be nocht rakless to say sone a, I wyss,
And syne of this the contrar wyrk express.
Do tyll ilk wight as thou done to waldbe;
Be nevir sle and doubill, nor it our lyght;
Oyss not thy mycht abufe thyne awin degre,
Clym nevir our hie, nor it to law thou lycht;
Wirk na malgre, thocht thou be nevir sa wyght,
Hald with the rycht, and press the nevir to le.
Eneuch of this, ws nedis prech na mor,
Bot, accordyng the purposs said tofor,
The ryall style, clepyt heroycall,
Full of wirschip and nobilnes our all,
Suldbe compilit but thewhes or voyd word,
Kepand honest wyss sportis quhar thai bourd,
All lowuss langage and lychtness lattand be,
Observand bewte, sentens and grauyte.
The sayar eik suld weil considir thys,
Hys mater, and quhamto it entitilit is:
Eftir myne authouris wordis, we aucht tak tent
That baith accord, and bene conuenient,
The man, the sentens, and the knychtlyke stile,
Sen we mon carp of vassalage a quhile.
“Gyf we discryve the woddis, the treis,” quod he,
“Suld conform to that manis dignyte
Quhamto our wark we direct and endyte.”
Quhat helpis it? Full litill it wald delyte
To write of scroggis, broym, haddir or rammale;
The lawrer, cedyr or the palm triumphale
Ar mar ganand for nobillis of estait:
The muse suld with the person aggre algait.
Stra forto spek of gayt to gentill wight;
A hund, a steid, mar langis for a knyght,
Quhamto efferis hant na rebald daill —
Thar suld na knycht reid bot a knychtly taill.
Quhat forsis hym the bussart on the brer,
Set weil hym semys the falcon heroner?
He comptis na mair the gled than the fewlume,
Thocht weil hym lykis the goshalk glaid of plume.
The cur, or mastys, he haldis at smal availl,
And culeis spanellis, to chace pertryk or quaill.
Ne byd I not into my stile for thy
To speke of trufis, nor nane harlotry;
Sen that myne author with sic eloquens
Hys buke illumnyt hes, and hie sentens,
Sa fresch endyte, and sang poeticall,
That it is clepyt the wark imperiall,
Endyt onto the gret Octauyane,
The emperour excellent and maste souerane;
By quham, the gospell makis mensioun,
The hail warld put was to discriptioun
To numbir all the pepill tharin suldbe,
So, but rebellioun, al quhar obeyit was he.
Bot, sen that Virgill standis but compar,
Thocht in our leid hys sayngis to declar
I haue in ryme thus far furth tane the cur,
Now war me laith my lang laubour myssur:
All thocht my termys be nocht polist alway,
Hys sentence sall I hald, as that I may.
Gyf ocht be weill, thank Virgil and nocht me;
Quhar ocht is bad, gays myss, or owt of gre,
My lewytnes, I grant, hess all the wyte,
Kouth not ensew hys ornat fresch endyte,
Bot, with fuylhardy curage malapert,
Schupe to enterprit, and dyd perchance pervert,
Thys maist renownyt prynce of poetry —
Quhar I sa dyd, mea culpa I cry.
it, by my self, I fynd this proverb perfyte,
“The blak craw thinkis hyr awin byrdis quhite:”
Sa faris with me, bew schirris, wil e hark,
Can nocht persave a falt in all my wark,
Affectioun sa far my rayson blyndis.
Quhar I mysknaw myne errour, quha it fyndis
For cheryte amendis it, gentil wight,
Syne pardon me, sat sa far in my lycht,
And I sal help to smor our falt, leif broder;
Thus, vail que vail, ilk gude deid helpis other.
And for I haue my wark addressyt and dycht,
I dar sa, baith to gentil barroun and knycht,
Quhais name abufe I haue done notyfy,
And now of prowes and hie chevelry
Behuffis me to write and carp a quhile;
The mar glaidly I sal enfors my stile,
And for hys saik do scharp my pen all new,
My maste renownyt author to ensew,
That thar salbe, wyll God, litill offens,
Salvand owr bustuus wlgar differens.
Na mar as now in preambill me list expone,
The nynt buke thus begouth Eneadon. etc.
Explicit prologus Incipit liber nonus Eneados
Iuno to Turnus in message Iris sent,
To sege the Troianys, Eneas tho absent.
Quhyll on this wyss, as I haue said or this,
Sik materis and ordinancis wirkand is
In diuerss placis set full fer ytwyn,
Saturnus get, Iuno, that list not blyn
Of hir auld malyce and iniquyte,
Hir madyn Iris from hevin sendys sche
To the bald Turnus malapert and stowt,
Quhilk for the tyme was with all his rowt
Amyd ane valle wondyr lovn and law,
Sittand at eys within the hallowyt schaw
Of god Pilumnus, hys progenitor.
Thamantis douchtir knelys hym befor,
I meyn Iris, this ilk fornamyt maid,
And with hir rosy lippys thus hym said:
“Turnus, behald on cace reuoluyt the day,
And of hys fre will sendys the, perfay,
Sik avantage and oportunyte,
That set thou wald haue axit it,” quod sche,
“Thar was nevir ane of all the goddis dyng
Quhilk durst haue the promittit sic a thing.
Eneas, desolat levand hys cite,
Hys navy eik, hys ferys and hail mene,
Is till Evander socht, and Palatyne,
That burgh. But not eneuch, for farther syne
To the extreme citeis of Tuscany
> In mont Corythus haldys he in hy,
And doys assembill the wild lauboreris,
That quhilum com fra Lyd, till armys in weris.
Quhat dredis thou? Now tyme is to prik horss,
Now tyme fortill assay our cartis and forss.
Haue done, mak na mar tary nor delay,
Set on thar strenthis sone, gif thame affray.”
Quod sche, and tharwith, in hys presens evin,
With equale weyngis flaw vp in the hevin,
Vndre the clowdis schapand, quhar scho went,
A gret rane bowe of diuerss hewys ment.
The ong man knew hir weill, and hastely
Vp baith hys handis hevis to the sky,
With sic wordis followand, as scho dyd fle:
“Iris, thou bewte of the hevynnys hie,
Throw all the clowdis and thir skyis brovn,
Quha hess the send to me in erth a dovn?
Quhow is becummyn on this wyss,” quod he,
“Sa brycht weddir and cleir serenyte?
I se the hevynnys oppynnyt and devyde
And movand sternys in the lyftis syde:
So gret takynnys and reuelacions schaw
I sal persew, and fallow quhat befaw;
Quhat evir thou be that callys to the weris,
Thy command sal I obey, as efferis.”
And thar withall, with wordis augurall,
Eftir thar spayng cerymonys diuynal,
Onto the flude onon furth steppis he,
And of the stremys crop a litill we,
The watir lyftis vp intill his handis,
Full gretumly the goddys, quhar he standis,
Besekand till attend to hys prayer,
The hevynnys chargeyng with feil awowis seir.
With this the ostis all in the plane feild
Held furth arrayt, schynand vnder scheld.
Men mycht behald full mony riall stedis,
Full mony pantyt targe and weirlyke wedis;
Of giltyn geir dyd glytter bank and buss.
The formast batale ledis Mesapus;
The hyndmast ostis had in governyng
Of Tyrrhyus the sonnys or childer yng;
Turnus thar duke rewlys the myddill ost,
With glave in hand maid awful feir and bost,
Thame till array raid turnand to and fro,
And by the hed alhaill, quhar he dyd go,
Hyear than all the rowt men mycht hym se.
In sik ordour furth haldis his mene
Lyke as sum tyme Ganges, the flude Indane,
Sevyn swelland ryveris efter spayt of rayn
Ressauyt in hys large bosum inhy,
In hys deip trowch now flowys esely;
Or as vmquhile the fertill flude, Nylus,
Ourfletand all the feildis, bank and buss,
Syne, efter the gret fludis watry rage,
Returnys swagit to hys auld passage.
Turnus segis the Troianys in gret ire,
And all thar schippis and navy set in fyre.
Be this the Troianys in thar new cite
A dusty sop vprysand gan do se,
Full thik of stowr vp thryngand in the ayr,
And all the feildis myrknyt mair and mair.
Caycus first cryis, as he war wod,
Dovn from the hie garrat quhar he stude:
“O citesanys, how gret ane ost,” quod he,
“Is lappit in one dusty stew I se!
Swith hynt our armour, tak our wapynnys all,
Bryng hydder dartis, speil vp on the wall!
Our ennemys cummys at hand, but dowt!”
“Hay, hay, go to!” than cry thai with a schowt,
And with a huge bruyt Troianys at schort
Thar wallys stuffyt and closyt euery port,
For sa Eneas, maste expert in armys,
At hys departing, dredand for thir harmys,
Gaif thame command, gif thai assaleit wer
Or hys returnyng, be hard fortoun of weir,
That thai ne suld in batale thame array,
Nor in the plane thar ennemys assay,
Bot bad thai suld alanerly withhald
Thar strenth within thar fowseis, as he wald,
And kepe thar wallys forsely and weill,
With fowcy dichis and wapynnys styfe of steill.
Tharfor, all thocht baith schame and felloun ire
Thar breistis had enflambyt hait as fyre,
In the plane feild on thar famen to set,
it neuertheless thar portis haue thai schet
Fortill obey the command of Enee;
On boss turrettis and on towris hie
Enarmyt stude thar fays till abyde.
Turnus the chiftane on the tother syde
Come to the cite, or that ony wist,
Furth fleand swipperly, as that hym best list,
Befor the ost, quhilk went bot esy pass,
With hym a twenty chosyn men he hass;
Apon a sterand steid of Trace he sat,
Of cullour dapill gray and wail fat,
Full hie rysand abuse his knychtly hed
Hys goldin helm, with tymbrel al blude rede.
“Go to, yng gallandis, quha that list,” quod he,
“Thar ennemyss assaile first with me!”
And, with that word, threw a dart in the air,
As he to geif batale all redy war,
Syne in plane feild with browdyn baneris gay
Bargane to byde drew hym till array.
Hys feris all ressauyt the clamour hie,
And followand thar chiftane, he and he,
The bruyt rasyt with grisly sound attanys,
And gan to mervell the dolf hartit Troianys,
That durst nocht, as thame semyt, in plane feild
Thame self aventour, nor it with sper and scheld
Mach with thar fa men in patent bargane,
Bot hald thame in thar strenthis euery ane.
And all commovit, brym and full of ire,
Baith heir and thar Turnus the grevyt syre
Went on horsbak, seirsand abowt the wall
Every dern way and secret passagis all,
Gyf ony entre or tocome espy
He myght, fortill assail the cite by.
Lyke as we se, wachand the full scheip fald,
The wild wolf ourset with schowris cald
Of wynd and rane, at myddis of the nycht,
Abowt the bowght plet all of wandis tyght
Brays and gyrnys; tharin bletand the lammys
Full sovirly liggis vnder thar dammys;
He brym and felloun his rageand furour
Aganys the absentis, reddy to devour,
Rasys in ire, for the wod hungris lyst;
Hys wysnyt throt, havand of blude sic thrist,
Gendris of lang fast sic ane appetyte
That he constrenyt is in extreme syt —
Nane other wyss, the feirfull fervent ire
In Turnus breist vpkyndillis hait as fyre,
Seand thir wallys and fortressis attanys;
The huge ennoy byrnys hym throu the banys,
Imagynand by quhat resson or way
Hys ennemyss he mycht wyn till assay,
And on quhat wyss the Troianys fra thar strenth
He mycht expell, and in plane feild on lenth
Mak thame to ische in patent batale place.
And as he musand was heiron, percace,
The navy of thar schippys he dyd invaid,
That fastby ionyt to the wall was layd,
With dychys and with fowseis dern abowt,
In the flude watir, as neir owt of dowt;
Quham fra he had espyit, but abaid
At hys feris, quhilkis wilfull war and glaid,
Eftir the fyre and kyndillyng dyd he cry,
And in hys awin handis hyntis vp in hy
A blesand fyre brand of the fyrryn tre.
Than byssely Rutilyanys, he and he —
So the presens of Turnus dyd thame steir,
That euery man the rekand schydis in feir
Rent fra the fyris and on the schippis slang;
The semys crakkis, the watir byssyt and sang,
The tallowynt burdis kest a pikky low,
Vpblesis owrloft, hechis, wrangis and how,
Quhill myxt with reik the fell sparkis of fyre
Heich in the air vpglydis byrnand schire.
Quhou the fyre was expellit fra he navye,
The schippis translait in nymphis or goddessis of see.
Say me, O Musys, reherses and declare,
Quhilk of the goddis sa cruel flammys sayr
Held from Troianys? quha sa vehement fyre
Drave from thar schippis, thus wyss byrnand schire?
The deid is auld forto beleif or wry,
Bot the memor remanys perpetualy.
The first tyme quhen the Troiane Eneas
By sey to tak hys vayage schap to pass,
And gan do beld his schippis vp ilkane
In Ida forest, that mont Phrygiane,
The moder of goddis, Berecyntia,
Spak to hir son gret Iupiter, thai sa,
With sikkynd wordis, sayand: “My child deir,
Grant this ane axin quhilk I the requeir,
Grant thy belovit moder bot a thing,
Thou at art master of the hevynly ryng.
Apon the top of Gargarus,” quod sche,
“Thar grew a fyr wod, the quhilk into dante
Full mony eris held I, as is knaw.
Thys was my cuchill and my hallowit schaw,
Quhar that the Phrygianys maid me sacrifice;
Ful weill me lykyt thar to walk oftsyss,
With pikky treis blak skuggit abowt,
And abundans of hattyr gestis stowt,
Quhilk glaidly I haue gevin a ong Troiane,
Strang Eneas, discend from Kyng Dardane,
Fortill support the mysteris of hys navy.
And now the dowtsum dreid, for the ilk quhy,
Full pensyve haldis me and doith constrene:
Deliuer me of thys feir be sum meyn,
My deir son, suffir at thy moderis request
Be admittit this a tyme, be the leste,
So that tha schippis be nevir mair ourset
With contrar curss, nor it with storm dovn bet;
Quharby thai may haue sum avale,” quod sche,
“At thai vmquhile grew in our hillys hie.”
Hyr son, the quhilk rewlys at hys lykyng
The hevyn, the starris, and all erdly thyng,
Ansuerd and said: “O moder best belovyt,
Quhou art thou thus agane the fatis amovyt?
Or quharto axis thou to thir,” quod he,
“With mortale handis wrocht of stokkis and tre,
That is to say, thir schippis so habill to faill,
That lesum war thai suldbe immortale?
And that Enee, in dedly corps onsure,
Assoverit fermly throw all dangeris fuyr?