by Virgil
And Mynas syne he kyllys in the feild,
Quhilum to Parys companeoun and evin eild;
Quham on a nycht Theana, gude and fair,
To hys fader Amycus in Troy bair,
Quhen Heccuba, douchter of Cisseus,
Dremyt scho was gret, the story tellis thus,
With a fyre broynd, and the self samyn nycht
Was delyver of Parys, the fey knycht,
Quhilk in hys natyve cite maid hys end:
Bot thir feildis Lawrentan ombekend
Withhaldis now the body of Mynas.
So brym in stowr that stond Meentyus was,
Lyke to the strenthy sangler or the bor,
Quham hundis quest with mony quhryne and ror
Down dryvyng from the hightis maid discend,
Quhilk mony wyntyr tofor had hym defend
In Vesulus, the cauld montane hie,
That is ourheldyt with mony fyr tre;
Or than the bustuus swyne weil fed, that bredis
Amang the buskis rank of ryspe and redis,
Besyde the layk of Lawrens, mony heris,
Quham that he is betrappyt fra his feris
Amyd the huntyng ralys and the nettis,
Standis at the bay, and vp his byrsys settis,
Grasland hys tuskis with astern fyry eyn,
With spaldis hard and harsk, awfull and teyn,
That nane of all the huntmen thar present
Hym to engreif hass strenth or hardyment,
Nor dar approchyng within hys byt neir,
Bot standand far on dreich with dart and speir,
Assoverit of hys reik, the beste assays,
With felloun schowtis, bustuus cryis, and brays.
Nane other wyss stud all the Tuscane rowt
This stalwart knycht Meentius abowt,
And, thocht thai iust cawss had of wreth and feyd,
Thar was nane of thame durst hym put to ded,
Nor curage had with drawyn swerd in hand
Hym till assaill, nor mach apon the land;
Bot with takillis and castyn dartis on far
Thai warp at hym, bot durst not ane cum nar,
And with huge clamour hym infestis that tyde;
He, onabasyt, abowt on euery syde
Behaldis, gyrnand full of proper teyn,
And with hys scheild choppyt by schaftis bedene.
Furth of the ancyent boundis of Coryt tho
Was cum a Greik, quhilk clepyt was Acro,
That fugityve into his lusty heyt
Had left hys spowsal trewth plicht oncompleit;
Quham as Meentius saw amyd the rowt
Hym grevand soir, as weriour stern and stowt,
And saw the plesand plomys set on hycht
Of hys tymrell, and eik the purpour brycht,
Quhilk of his trewthplycht lufe he bair in syng;
Than lyke a hungry lyon rumysyng,
Constrenyt by hys rageand empty maw,
The beistis dennys circuland all on raw,
Gif he on cace aspyis a swyft ra,
Or the yng hart with spryngand tyndis twa,
Ioyful he bradis tharon dispytuusly,
With gapand gowle, and vprasys in hy
The lokkyrris lyand in his nek rowght,
And all the bestis bowellis thrymlys throwght,
Hurkylland thar on, quhar he remanyt and stude,
Hys gredy gammys bedyis with the red blude —
On the sammyn wyss, Meentyus rycht baldly
Mydwart hys fays rowt ruschit in hy;
Down smytis fey Acron amyd the ost,
That in the ded thraw, aldand vp the gost,
Smate with hys helys the grond in maltalent,
And brokkyn schaftis with hys blude bysprent.
This ilk Meentius eik dedeneit nocht
To sla Orodes, quhilk than was onflocht,
That is to knaw, quhill frawart hym he went,
And reput na wyss, as by hys entent,
Syk ane fleand to wond into the bak,
Onawarnyst, quhen he na defens mycht mak,
Bot ran abowt and met hym in hys rayss;
Than athir man assemblit face for face.
Orodes mair of prattik was all owt,
Bot the tother in dedis of armys mair stowt,
That to the erth ourthrawyn he hess his feir,
And possand at hym with hys stalwart speir,
Apon hym set hys fut, and thus he said:
“O now my feris, beys blyth and glaid;
Lo, a gret party of this weir, but less,
Heir lyis at erd, the douchty Orodes.”
Hys feris sammyn rasyt vp a cry,
With ioyus sound in syng of victory,
And blew the pryss triumphall for his deth;
Bot this Orodes, aldand vp the breth,
Onto Meentyus carpys thus on hie:
“Me onrevengit, thou sal nocht victour be,
For weill I wait that sone I salbe wrokyn,
Na, for all thy prowd wordis thou hass spokkyn,
Thow sall nocht lang endur into sik ioy;
Bot siclyke chancis and semblant ennoy
Abydis the, thocht thou be nevir sa bald,
Thys sammyn feild sall thy ded corps withhald.”
To quham Meentyus smyland said in teyn:
“Thou sall de first, quhat evyr to me forseyn
Or previdyt hass myghty Iove,” quod he,
“Quham fader of goddis and kyng of men cleip we.”
And sayand thus, the schaft the ilk thraw
Furth of hys wond and body dyd he draw.
Tho Orodes the hard rest doith oppress,
The cauld and irny slepe of dethys stress,
And vp the breth he ald onon rycht
With eyn closyt in evir lestand nycht.
Cedicus altotrynschit Alcathous,
And Sacrator to grund laid Hydaspus;
Rapo, ane Arcaid, hass Parthenyus slane,
And Orses, wondir byg of blude and bane;
And Mesapus kyllyt the stowt Clonyvs,
And Erycates with Lychaonyus;
The formast lyggand at the erd he ourraucht,
That by hys hedstrang horss a fall had cawcht,
And Lychaonyus eik, a fut man, he
Lyghtit on fut and slew in the melle.
Aganys hym than went a man of Arge,
Hait Lycyus, bodyn with speir and targe;
Bot by the way Valerus, gude in nedis,
Nocht inexpert in douchty eldris dedis,
Recontryt hym, and put hym to the ded;
Salyus a Troiane in that sammyn sted
Atronyus slew; and Nealces, expert
To schut the fleand arrow or castyng dart,
Quhilk invadis a man or he be war,
Slew Salyus with schot, beand on far.
Quhou Eneas the ong Lawsus hass slane,
Quhilk fred his fader hurt in the bargane.
Thus awfull Mars equaly with hys brand
The sorow rasyt apon athir hand:
Huge slauchter mayd was and seir woundis wyd,
Thai kyll and ar bet down on euery syde,
That sammyn in the feild thai fall infeir,
Baith the victouris, and thai that venquyst weir,
And nother party wist, nother he nor he,
To salf hym self quhar away to fle:
So that the goddis in Iovys hevynly hald
Had compassioun and rewth for tobehald
The wroith and ire of athir in the fightis,
That sik distress rang amang mortal wightis.
Venus towart the Troiane syde tuke tent;
Aganyst quham, all full of maltalent,
Saturnus douchter Iuno, that full bald is,
Towart the party aduersar behaldis;
And the pail furour of Tysiphone
Walkis wod wroth amydwart the melle.
Bot pryncipaly Meentyus all engrevyt,
With a gret speir, quharwith he feill myschevit,
Went brangland throu the feild all hym allon;
Als bustuus as the hydduus Orion,
Quhen he on fut woyd throu the mekill see,
Scherand the streym with hys schuldris hie,
Abufe the wallys of the flude apperis;
Or lyke ane ancyent ayk tre, mony heris
That grew apon sum montane toppys hycht,
Semand so hie to euery manis sycht,
Quhilk, thocht hys rutis spred in the grond all sydis,
Hys crop vpstraucht amyd the clowdis hydis —
Syk lyke Meentius mustyrris in the feild,
With huge armour, baith speir, helm and scheild,
Aganyst quham Eneas fast hym hyis,
Fra tyme amyd the rowt he hym aspyis.
The tother, onabasyt, all reddy thar
The cummyng of hys douchty aduersar
Abydis stowtly, fermyt in hys forss,
And massely vpstude with bustuus corss:
And, mesurand with hys e als large spaiss
As he mycht thraw a castyng speir, thus says:
“My rycht hand, and this fleand dart mot be,
Quhilk now I tayss, as verray God to me!
Assistyng to my schot I ou beseik;
For I awow, and heir promittys eyk,
In syng of trophe or triumphall meith,
My lovit son Lawsus forto cleith
With spule and all harness rent,” quod he,
“Of ondir rubbaris body, falss Enee.”
Thus said he, and fra hys hand the ilk tyde
The castyng dart fast byrrand lattis glyde,
That fleand sclentis on Eneas scheild,
Syne, standand far onrovm ond in the feild,
Smate worthy Anthores the ilk thraw,
Betwix the bowellys and the rybbys law:
Anthores, ane of gret Hercules ferys,
That com from Arge into hys lusty heris,
Inherdand to Evander the Arcaid,
And had hys dwellyng and hys residens maid
In Palentyn, cite Italian,
Onhappely now lyggis thus down slane,
All of a wound and dynt quhilk in the fycht
Addressit was towart ane other knycht.
it, deand, he beheld the hevynnys large,
And can ramembir hys sweit cuntre of Arge.
Than the reuthfull Eneas kest hys sper,
Quhilk throu Meentius armour all dyd scher;
Throw gyrd hys targe platyt thryss with steill,
And throw the cowchit lynnyn euery deill,
And thrynfald plyis of the bullys hydis,
That law down in hys flank the dynt abydis;
Bot it byreft hym nowder lyfe ne mycht.
Eneas tho, quhilk was expert in fyght,
Ioyfull quhen that Meentius blude saw he,
Furth hynt hys swerd at hang law by hys thee,
And fervently towart hys fa can pass,
Quhilk, for the dynt, sum deill astonyst was.
Quhen Lawsus saw this aventour of weir,
He wepyt wail sair for hys fader deir;
Sa wobegone becam this lusty man
That salt teris fast our hys chekis ran.
Forsuyth, I sall not ourslyp in this sted
Thy hard myschance, Lawsus, and fatale ded,
And thy maist dowchty actis bellycall:
O fresch ongker, maist dyng memoriall
I sall reherss, gyf ony faith may be
Gevyn to sa gret dedis of antiquyte.
With this Meentyus meneit drew abak,
Harland hys leg quharin the schaft stak,
That quhar he went he baris our the feild
Hys ennemyss lance fixit in hys scheild.
Betwix thame ruschys in the ong Lawsus,
Amyd thar wapynnys, stern and curagus,
Hym self hass set forto sustene the fyght;
Vnder Eneas rycht hand rasyt on hycht,
That reddy was to smyte a dedly wond,
In steppis he, and baldly the ilk stound
The bytand brand vphevyt keppyt he,
And can resist and stynt the gret Enee.
Hys feris followys with a felloun schowt;
Quhill that Meentius of the feild wan owt,
Diffend and coverit with hys sonnys scheild,
Thai cast dartis thikfald thar lord to held,
With schaftis schot, and flanys gret plente,
Perturband thar stern aduersar Ene,
That all enragyt hys sovir targe erekkit,
And thar vndre hym haldis closly dekkyt.
And lyke as sum tyme clowdis brystis attanys,
The schowr furthettand of hoppand hailstanys,
That all the plewmen and thar hynys inhy
Fleis of the croftis and feildis by and by;
And eik the travellour ond vnder the wald
Lurkand withdrawys to sum sovir hald,
Owdir vnder watyr brays and bankis dern,
Or in sum craggis clyft, or deip cavarn,
So lang as that the schour lestis on the plane,
That he may, when the son schynys agane,
Exers hys iourne, or hys wark alsfast —
Syk wyss Ene with schoit and dartis cast
Was all ourheld, and ombeset ilk syde,
Quhil he the press of batale styntis that tyde,
And all thar forss sustenyt and deray;
Reprevand Lawsus, thus begouth to say,
And mannansyt hym with brand of blude all red:
“Quhidder hastis thou sa fast apon thy ded?
Or quhou dar thou ondertak into fyght
Syk interpryss, quhilk is abuf thy mycht?
Thou art nocht wyss; thy tendir hart,” quod he,
“And rewthfull mynd all owt dissavis the.”
Bot for all thys ong Lawsus, vail que vaill,
Wald no wyss cess Eneas till assaill.
Than hyear rayss the wraith and felloun ire
Of the ilk manfull Troiane lordly syre,
And eyk the fatale sisteris tho in deid
Had wymplyt vp this Lawsus lattyr threid:
For so Eneas stokis hys styf brand
Throw owt this ongker, hard vp to hys hand,
That swerd, befor maid mannansyng and bost,
Throw gyrd that gentill body and hys cost,
Hys target persand and hys armour lycht,
And eik hys cote of goldyn thredis brycht
Quhilk hys moder hym span; and, to conclude,
Hys bosum all is fillyt of hait blude;
Sone efter is the spreit of lyfe furth went
Down to the goistis law with sad entent,
And left the body ded, and hyne dyd pass.
Bot quhen Anchises son, ferss Eneas,
Beheld hys wlt and contenans in deyng,
Hys sweit vissage sa in the ded thrawyng
Becummyn wan and paill on diuerss wyss,
He sychit profundly owder twyss or thryss,
And drew abak hys hand, and rewth hass hynt;
For sa into hys mynd, eftir the dynt,
The ymage of hys faderly piete
Imprentit wass, that on this wyss said he:
“O douchty ynglyng, worthy tobe menyt,
Worthy tobe bewalyt and complenyt,
Quhat sall the reuthfull compacient Ene
For sa gret lovabill dedis rendir the?
Or quhat may he the eld sufficient
For sik natural and inborn hardyment?
Thyne armour, quharof sumtyme thou reiosyt,
With the I leif, for ay tobeyn eniosyt;
Onto thy parentis handis and sepulcre
I the belief tobe entyrit,” quod he,
“Gyf that sic maner of triumphe and cost
May do thame plesour, or eyss onto thy gost.
Bot thou, onsilly child, sa will of red,
Do comfort heirwith thy lamentabill ded,
That thou ourmatchit art and thus lyis slane
By the gretast Eneas handis twane.”
Syne he hys feris can repreif and chyde
That thai sa lang delayt hym besyde,
Makand na haist to bair hys corps away;
And he hym self betwix hys armys tway
The ded body vplyftis fra the grond,
That with red blude of his new grene wond
Besparklyt had hys allow lokis brycht,
That ayr war kemmyt and addressyt rycht.
Fra Meentius knew ong Lawsus decess,
Hym to revenge his lyfe lost in the press.
The meyn sesson, hys fader with his feris,
Down at the fludis syde of Tyberis,
Stanschit his wondis with watyr by and by,
Weschand the blude and swait from hys body.
Hys helm of steil besyde hym hang weil ne
Apon a grayn or branch of a grene tre;
Hys other weghty harness, gud in neid,
Lay on the gyrss besyde hym in the meid;
Hys trasty chosyn verlettis hym abowt;
And he ful sor wondyt, all in dowt,
Stude lenand with hys wery nek and bonys,
Owt our a bowand tre, with sair gronys;
Hys weil kemmyt berd, hyngand ful straucht
Apon his breist, onto hys gyrdill raucht;
And feill tymys on Lawsus menys he,
Prayand full oft he mycht hym salfly se,
And mony messyngeris onto hym hess send,
To withdraw hym the feild, and to defend
That he abyde na langar in bargane
And schaw quhat sorow for hym hys fader had tane.
Bot than Lawsus ded owt of the feild
Hys wofull feris careit apon a scheild,
Wepand sa gret a man was brocht to grond,
And discumfyt with sa grysly a wond.
Meentius mynd and consait, the ilk tyde,
Suspekand the harmys quhilkis war betyde,
Onfar considerit the causs of thar murnyng,
And on hys canos hair the dust gan slyng,
With mekill powdir fyland hys hasart hed;
And baith hys handis in that sammyn sted
Towart the hevin vphevis in a fary,
And he the goddis and starnys fast dyd wary;
Syne, lenand on hys sonnys corps, thus cryis:
“O my deir child and tendir get heir lyis!
Had I sa gret appetit and delyte
Onto this wrachit lyfe, sa ful of syte,
That I the sufferit to entyr in my sted
Vndre our fays hand, and with thy ded
My lyfe is salfit? Ha, I thy fader heir,
Quhilk the begat, my only son sa deir,
Suld I be salf and lyfand eftir the,
Throu tha sa grisly wondis that I se?
Allace, onto me, wrachit catyve thing,
Myne exill now at last and banysyng
Becummyn is hard and insufferabill!
The stound of deth, the panys lamentabill,
Is deip engravyn in my hart onsound;
Now am I smyttyn with the mortal wond!