by Virgil
Quhen as ane Aruns, by hys mortal fait
Onto myschewos ded predestinate,
Circulis at the wait, and aspyis abowt
The swyft madyn Camyll, of all the rowt
In honest fait of armys maist expert,
And best betaucht to schute or cast a dart;
He sekis by quhat ways or fortoun
To fynd the fassoun and tyme oportune
Maist esely this lady to assaill;
And all the wentis and renkis, sans faill,
This furyus maid held mydwart the melle,
The sammyn gait and passage haldis he,
And prevely hir futsteppys dyd espy;
And quhar scho dyd return with victory,
With fut bakwart frawart hir aduersar,
This ilk Aruns was ful reddy thar,
And thyftuusly onon the sam way he
Withdrew hys payss, and held on hir hys e;
Lurkand at wayt, and spyand rownd about,
Now this tocome, now that onset, but dowt,
At euery part thys pevech man of weyr,
And schuke in hand hys oneschewabill speir.
Aruns the preist slays Camylla be slycht,
Syne cowartly onon takis the flycht.
Per chans that tyde Choreus, of gret estait,
Ane spiritual man blissyt and consecrat,
That to Cybele sum tyme preist had be,
A weill lang space ond in the melle
Abileit rychly and full gloryus schane
In pompus armour and array Phrygiane:
Furth dryvys he the fomy sterand steid,
With weirlyke bardis cled, and sovir weid
Of coyrbule or leddir with gilt nalys,
Cowchyt with plait of steill als thik as skalys;
And he hym self, in brovne sangwane weill dycht,
Abuf hys onkouth armour blomand brycht,
Schaftis he schot, and takillys wrocht in Creyt,
With Lycyane bow nokkyt with hornys meyt,
And clattryng by hys schuldyr for the weir
Hys gane cays and goldyn awblaster;
The helm of gold schane on the prestis hed;
Of safron hew, betwix allow and red,
Was hys rych mantill, of quham the forbreist lappys,
Ratlyng of brycht gold wyre, with gyltyn trappys
Or cordis fyne was buklyt with a knot;
Of nedill wark all brusyt was hys cote;
Hys hosyng schane of wark of barbary
In porturatour of subtell brusery.
Thys man only of all the mekyll rowt
The maid Camvlla followis fast about;
Quhyddir so it was that Troiane armour shce
Lyst hyng in tempill for memor of trophe,
Or than desyryt this wantoun hunteress
In goldyn attyre hir selwyn to address,
Quhilk scho in feild byreft hyr aduersar;
Throw owt the ost onwarly went alquhar,
Blynd in desyre this Troiane to assay,
In womanly appetyt ardent of this pray,
This precyus spule, and array sa prowd,
Quharwith, as said is, was this preist yschrowd.
Thys forsaid Aruns liggyng at the wait,
Seand this maid onflocht at sik estait,
Chosys hys tyme that was mast oportune,
And towart hir hys dart adressyt sone.
With voce express hys prayer thus maid he:
“O brycht Apollo, souerane god mast hie,
Of haly mont Soractis the wardane,
Quham pryncipaly we wirschip euery ane,
Quhamto the fyry smok of sens, we se,
Blesys in the kyndillit byngis of fyr tre;
As we that wirschippis the with obesans,
Be support of thy devoyt observans,
Oft with our futsteppys and our nakyt solys
Down thryngis feil hait syndris and fyry colys;
Grant me, fader almychty, now I pray,
With our wapynnys this schame to do away.
I ask na trophe, nor the pomposs weyd
Of this maid dovn bet or repulsyt in deid,
Nowder byd I therof spule nor renovn;
My other dedis syne mot mak me bovn
To report honour and lawd efter this;
Bot at this tyme I byd na mair, I wyss,
Salf that this wench, this vengeabill pest or trake,
Be bet dovn ded by my wond and smert strake,
And syne that I may to my kynd cite
Bot ony glor return alyve,” quod he.
Phebus hym hard and grantit to fulfyll
Of hys axin a party, at hys wyll;
Bot for the tother part, suyth to say,
He leit do waif with the swyft wynd away;
Consentand that he suld doun bet and sla
By hasty ded the awfull Camylla;
Bot, at hys cuntre hailscarth haymwart brocht
Suld se hym eftir that, he grantit nocht;
And in the clowdy blastis of the sky
That voce and wordis flaw away in hy.
So that, als fast as from hys hand, that stond,
Thirland the ayr this takill gaue a sound,
The rowtis can aduert and takis tent,
Turnand thar syghtis, ilk wight, with a blent
Towart the queyn, thar lady, this Camyll;
Bot scho nane heyd nor tent hess tane thartill,
Nowder of the hasty motioun of the ayr,
Nor it the byrrand sovnd this flycht maid thar,
No it persavyt this awfull schaft of tre
Discendand swyftly fra the hevyn on hie;
Quhill that the lance hir smate and hurt, perfay,
Quhar that hir pap was schorn and cut away,
And weggyt deip within hir cost stude,
Furth sowkis largely of this madynnys blude.
Hyr complicis alsammyn in this neyd
Start to thar lady in affray and dreid;
And sone thai claucht and lappyt in thar armys
This queyn, that funderand was for hir smart harmys.
Bot fyrst of all, for feyr and fell affray,
Thys Aruns fled full fast and brak away,
With blythnes mydlyt havand paynfull dreid:
For he na langar durst into this neyd
Assur forto debait hym with hys speir,
Na it abyd the virgynys wapyn, for feyr.
And lyke as that the wild wolf in hys rage
Knawand hys recent falt and gret owtrage,
Quhen that he hass sum gret ong oxin slane,
Or than weryit the nolt hyrd on the plane,
Tofor hys fays with wapynnys hym persew,
Onon is he to the heich mont adew,
And hyd hym self full far owt of the way;
Hys taill, that on hys ryg befor tymys lay,
Vnder hys waym lettis fall abasytly,
And to the wod can hast hym intill hy —
Nane other wyss Aruns, that fleyt wight,
Fled, and belyve withdrew hym owt of sycht;
Content only to gyf the bak and fle,
Amang the thikast press hym hyd hess he.
And this Camylla, stervand the ilk stound,
The schaft hass pullyt of hir dedly wound
With hir awyn hand; bot it amang the banys
The scharp steill hed fixt to the rybbys remanys
In a full deip wond and a grewos sayr.
All paill and bludles swarthis scho rycht thar,
And in the deth closys hir cald eyn;
The rudy cullour, vmquhile as purpour scheyn,
Blaknyt, and fadys quyte owt of hir face;
And, aldand vp the gost in the ilk place,
Onto ane of hir damysellis and ferys,
Clepyt Acca, that had beyn mony heris
Only maste trast, and hald in speciall
To Camylla abuf the otheris all,
That knew alhaill the secretis of hir hart,
With quham hir thochtful curys wald sch
o part,
That tyme scho spak, and said on this maner:
“Acca, Acca, my leif systyr deyr,
Onto this hour I haue done at I myght;
Bot now this dolorus wond so hess me dycht
That all thyng dymmys and myrknys me abowt.
Go fast thy way, and hy the of this rowt;
Schaw Turnus thir my last commandis,” quod sche,
“Byd hym entyr in fecht in sted of me,
And fra the cite thir Troianys dryve away.
Adew for evir! I haue na mar to say.”
Sammyn with that word the reneis slyp leyt sche,
And slayd to grond, nocht of fre volunte.
Than the cald deith and last stondis mortall
The spreit dissoluyt from the corps our all;
Hyr sowpil crag inclynand and nek bayn,
Bowyt dovn hyr hed that was with deth ourtane;
Furth sprent hyr armys in the ded thrawyng,
And fra hir kest hir wapynnys and armyng.
The spreit of lyfe fled murnand with a grone,
And with disdene dovn to the gostis is goyn.
Opis the nymphe with dartis of Dyane,
Camylla to revenge, hass Aruns slane.
Ane huge clamour than dyd ryss on hycht,
That semyt smyte the goldyn starnys brycht.
The bargane walxis mair cruell and het
Quhar that the stowt Camylla was down bet,
For all the rowtis of the bald Troianys,
The Tyrrheyn dukis semlyt all at anys,
And eik Evandrus wardys of Arcadys,
Sammyn in the press thar aduersaris invadis.
Bot Opis tho, the nymphe, that weill neirby
Be thrynfald Dyane send was to espy,
Sat a lang space apon ane hillys hight,
And onabasyt dyd behald the fyght.
Syn tharefter onfar scho can espy,
Amyd quhar as thir onkeris rasyt this scry,
With schaymfull deth ourtane, Camyll the maid;
Scho wepyt soir, and plenand thus scho said,
Sobband full deip law from hir breist within:
“Allace, virgyne, to mekill, and that is syn,
To mekill all owt, sa cruell punysyng
Hass thou sufferit, certis, for sik a thyng,
Becauss thou hest inforsyt with all thy mycht
Fortill ennoy the Troianys in this fight!
Quhat proffitis the in buskis thyne allane
To haue servyt so lang the blissyt Diane?
Or by thy syde, or than on schuldir hie,
So lang our quavyrris to haue born?” quod sche.
“And, netheless, but honour in this sted
Thy queyn hess not the left in poynt of ded;
Nor this thy slauchter but ramemberyng
Amang all pepill sall not be, nor menyng;
Ne salt thou not that schame suffir, trast me,
Forto betald thou suld onwrokyn be.
Quha evir with wond hess schent or violait
Thy fair body, to Dyane dedicate,
He sal repent the tyme that euer thou stervit,
And with his deth aby, as he hes servyt.”
Vnder the montane law thar stude fute hoit
A byng of erth, vphepit like a moyt,
Contenyng the cald assis and brynt banys
Of ald Dercennus, kyng of Lawrentanys,
Ourheld with akyn treis and bewys rank:
Thyddir this goddess, hastand dovn the bank,
Hyr self hess careyt, and thar huvys styll,
And from this knowys hycht, or lityll hyll,
Abydis this ilk Aruns till espy.
And fra scho hym persavys glydand by,
In rich armour schynand wonder brycht,
And all invayn, prowd, wantoun, gay and lycht:
“Quhy haldis thou awaywart so?” quod sche.
“Dress hyddermar thy futsteppis towart me;
Now cummys hyddir to peryss and to sterve,
And caucht dewly, as that thou hess deserve,
Thy reward for Camyllys ded, perde.
On Dyanys dartis, ha, suld syk ane de?”
And with that word, lyke a stowt wench of Trace,
The swyft gilt arow schuke owt of hir cace,
And, rycht amovit, hir hornyt bow hass bent,
Quharin onon the takill vp is stent;
Syne halys vp in ire and felloun haist,
Quhil that the bow and nokkis met almaist;
And now hir handis raxit hyt euery sted,
Hard on the left neyf was the scharp steill hed,
The stryng, vp pullit with the rycht hand in feir,
Went by hir pap almaste ontil hir eyr.
Aruns onon the motioun of the ayr
Sammyn with the quhislyng of the takill squar
Persavit hess, and eik the dynt atanys;
The dedly hed throu gyrd his body and banys.
Hys ferys all hess hym foret allane,
Quhar as he swelt with mony a wofull grane,
And in ane onkouth feld hess left hym ded,
Bedoif in dust and puldyr, will of red:
Syne Opys with hir weyngis swyft can fle
Abufe the skyis heich in the hevynnys hie.
Acca to Turnus schawys Camyllais chance,
Hir army fled, and left all ordinans.
The swyft army and active rowt wyth this
Of Camilla fled first the feld, I wyss,
For thai had lost thar lady and capitane:
The pissans haill and ostis Tyburtane
Affrayt all togydder gave the flycht;
The bak hess tane Atynas bald and wight;
The chiftanys brak array, and went thar gait,
The banneris left all blowt and desolait,
Socht to warrand on horsbak, he and he,
Frawart thar fays, and held to the cite.
For nane of thame, sa mayt and sa agast,
The ferss Troianys, quhilk thame assaleit fast,
Onto the ded and myscheif dyd invaid,
With wapynnys anys to styntyng maid a braid,
Nor thame sustene ne it resist thai mycht,
Bot all atanys sammyn tuke the flycht,
And on thar wery schuldris with gret schame
Thar byg bowys onbent hass tursyt hame;
And the stowt stedis with thar huvys sovnd
With swyft renkis dyndlyt the dusty grond.
The blak stowr of puldir in a stew
Als dyrk as myst towart the wallys threw;
On the barmkyn abufe, and turettis hie,
The wemen bet thar breistis, was reuth to se,
Rasand atanys a wofull wyfly cry
Went to the starnys and thyrlyt throw the sky.
And quha mycht formest, with swyft curss hess thame set
To brek in at the oppyn patent et;
The rowtis of thar ennemyss myxt ourane
Apon thame ruschis, and ourthrawys mony ane;
Nor thar eschape thai nocht the wrachit deth,
Bot in the portis aldis vp the breth,
Stekit amyd thar native wallys hie,
And amang howsis quhar sovir semyt thame tobe.
A part closyt the entre and the portis,
Ne to thar ferys, nor it nane other sortis,
The ettis listyng oppyn, nor mak way,
Nor, thocht thai oft besekyng thame and pray,
Durst thame ressaue within thar wallys squar.
A duylfull slauchter onon vprisys thar
Of thame in armys stude the portis to defend,
And thame with glavys war kyllyt and maid end.
The son furthschet, that pety was to seyn,
Befor thar wepand wofull faderis eyn;
Sum in the holl fowcy war tumlyt dovn,
Sa thik thame cummyrris the press thrang to the tovn;
Sum hasty and onwarly at the flycht
Sclakis thar brydillys, spurrand in all thar mycht,
Can with a ramrayss to the portis
dusche,
Lyke with thar hedis the hard barris to frusch.
The moderis eik and wemen albedene,
Fra tyme Camylla kyllyt haue thai sene,
Knawand thar was extreme necessite,
With all debait stude on the wallys hee.
Sik thyng to do that tyme and tak on hand
The perfyte luf thame taucht of thar kynd land,
And all agast dartis and stanys doun threw:
The syllys squar and hedyt styngis enew,
And perkis gret with byrslyt endis and brunt,
Full hastely doun swakkis, dunt for dunt,
And, for defens of thar kynd wallys hie,
Offerit thame self with the formest to de.
In the meyn quhile, as Turnus at the wait
Lay in the wod, fast by the passage strait,
All the maist cruell tithingis fillys hys erys,
For Acca schawys to hym and all hys ferys
The huge affray, quhou the batale was gane,
The Volscane ostis distroyt, and Camyll slane,
Thar noysum fays encressyng furyus rage,
And by thar prosper Martis vassallage
Discumfyst all hys ostis, euery rowt,
That now the cite wallys stud in dowt.
He walxis brayn in furor bellicall,
So desyrus of dedis marciall,
For the hard fatys and strang mychtis he
Of the gret Iove wald that so suldbe:
The hyllys heich he left quhar at he lay,
And from the dern woddis went away.
And scarsly was he passyt owt of syght,
In the plane feild cummyn all at rycht,
Quhen that the prynce Ene with all his men
Hess entryt in and passyt throu the glen,
And our the swyre schawys vp at hys hand
Eschape the dern wod, and won the evyn land;
So that baith twa with thar haill rowtis at last
In all thar speid held to the cite fast.
And na lang space thar ostis war in sondir,
Bot that Ene the feildis reik lyke tundir
Of dusty stowr persauyt a far way,
And saw the Latyne rowtis ryde away;
And ferss Eneas, wyrkar of hys harmys,
Turnus persauyt also ryde in armys,
The dynnyng of thar horss feit eik hard he,
Thar stampyng sterage, and thar stedis ne.
Incontinent thai had to batale went,
And in the bargane previt thar hardyment,
Ne war, as than, the rosy Phebus red
Hys wery stedis had dowkyt our the hed
Vnder the stremys of the occeane see,
Reducyng the dyrk nycht, thai mycht not se;
Alhaill declynyt had the days lycht.
To tentis than befor the tovn ilk wight
Bownyng to rest, al thai that war with owt,
And delvys trynschis all the wallys abowt.
Explicit liber vndecimus Eneados Incipit prologus in duodecimum eiusdem