Complete Works of Virgil

by Virgil

  And with gud willis vissy, and assay

  Forto convoy the said Eneadanys

  With ioy within hys hie wallys attanys.

  In the myd quhile, hym self full bissy went,

  The cite, quhilk was disarayt and schent,

  To put to poynt and ordinans agane,

  And the onweldy common pepill ilkane

  To causs adress eftir thar faculte —

  Thar myndis mesys and estabillis he,

  And gan thame promyss rest in tyme cummyng,

  And quhou, within schort tyme, he suld thame bring

  Intyll eternall peax for evirmar.

  Syne chargit he the pepill our alquhar,

  In ioy, blithness, solace and deray,

  Tryumphe to mak, with myrth, gam and play,

  As was accordyng, and in lugyngis hie

  Thar kyngly honour and sport ryall tobe;

  And merely commandis man and page,

  With ane assent, blith wlt and glaid vissage,

  Hys gud son thai suld do welcum and meit

  And with hail hart ressaue apon the streit

  The Troian pepill, festand thame in hy

  With glaid semlant, ryot and melody,

  And to furthschaw seir takynnys of kyndnes,

  And of new peax so lang desirit soless.

  Be this the rowt, as thai instrukkit wer,

  In full gude rewle and ordinans infeir

  Ar entrit in the Troianys new cite,

  And on thar hed garlandis of olyve tre;

  Peax thai besocht as cheif of thar message.

  Quham gentill Eneas, euery man and page,

  Within hys palyss ryall to presens

  Chargit convoy, and gafe thame audiens,

  And of thar cummyng the causys and maner

  With vissage full debonar dyd inqueir.

  Than the agit Drances with curage hoyt

  Begowth the first hys tong forto noyt,

  As he that was baith glaid, ioyfull and gay

  For Turnus slauchter, that tho was doyn away;

  And thus he said: “O gentill duyk Troian,

  Ferm hope and glory of the pepill Phrigian,

  To quham of piete and dedis of armys fair

  In all the warld thar may be na compair:

  We venquyst folkis to witnessyng doith call,

  And by the goddis sweris and goddessis all,

  Contrar hys willis sair the kyng Latyn

  Beheld the gret assemly and convyn

  Of the Italyanys and folk of Latyn land;

  Agane his stomak eyk, I bair on hand,

  Owtragyusly the contract is ybrokkyn,

  Ne nevir he in deid nor word hess spokkyn

  That mycht the Troian honour trubbill ocht,

  Bot far rathar, baith in deid and thocht

  (Sen that the goddis responsis swa hess tald),

  The weddyng of hys douchter grant ou wald,

  And with full gret desyre, full weill I knaw,

  Oft covat ou tobe hys son in law.

  For all the brek and sterage that hess beyn

  In feir of weir and burnyst armour keyn,

  With sa gret rage of laubour and of payn,

  The wild fury of Turnus, now lyis slayn,

  Inflambit with the stang of wikkytnes,

  And infekkit with hie haitrent expres,

  Hess brocht on hand and movit sa to steir,

  Agane thar will to rayss batale and weir

  The Latyn pepill constrenyng by and by,

  Quhilk thai playnly refusyt and gan deny:

  Hym all the ost, turnand bakwart agane,

  Besocht to cess, and draw fra the bargan,

  And suffir the gret Anchises son of Troy

  Hys wedlok promyst enioys but ennoy.

  Syne the maist nobill kyng Latyn, full fayn

  Hym forto breke and to withdraw agane,

  Hys auld onweldy handis twa dyd hald,

  Hym to requir hys purposs stynt he wald

  (For weill he saw, in our ardent desyre

  Of the bargan he scaldit hait as fyre),

  Bot all our prayeris and requestis kynd

  Mycht nowder bow that dowr mannys mynd,

  Nor it the takynnys and the wondris seir

  From goddis send with dyvyne ansuer,

  Bot that evir mor and mor fersly he

  Furth spowtit fyre, prouocand the melle.

  And, for syk succudrus ondertakyng now,

  Hys awin myscheif, weill worthy to allow,

  He fundyn hess, quhilk finaly, on the land

  Thou beand victour with the ovirhand,

  Hym bet to grond hess maid do gnaw and byte

  The blak erd intill hys mortall syte.

  Now lat that ilk rahatour wend inhy

  The blak hellys byggyngis to vissy

  Vndir the drery deip flude Acheron —

  Lat hym go serss, sen he is thiddir gone,

  Other ostis or barganys in hys rage

  And als ane other maner of mariage.

  Thou, far bettir and gret deill worthiar

  To bair the riall ceptyr and tobe ayr,

  Succeid to realm and heritage sall

  Of Lawrent cuntre with the moblys all:

  In the alhaill the howss of Kyng Latyn

  And hys onweldy age, lyke to declyne —

  Hys hope and all beleif restis in the,

  And the only Italianys all,” said he,

  “Abufe the schynand sternys, as gold brycht,

  Full wylfull ar fortill vphie on hycht;

  As maste excelland worthy weryour

  Thai the extoll in batale and in stowr,

  Thy hevynly armour eik with lowd stevin

  And thy verray renoun syngis to the hevyn.

  The grave faderis of consale venerabill

  In thar digest decretis sage and stabill,

  The ancyent pepill onweldy for age,

  The glaid ong gallandis stalwart of curage,

  The lusty matronys newfangill of syk thyng,

  Wenschys onwed, and litill childryn yng,

  All, with a voce and haill assent at accord,

  Desyris the as for thar prynce and lord,

  And ioyus ar that into feild fut het

  Vndir thy wapynnys Turnus lyis doun bet:

  The all Itaill, clepit Ausonya,

  Besekis heirof, and forthirmor alssua

  Doith the extoll maste worthy, wyss and wight;

  In the only returnyt is thar syght:

  The kyng hym self Latinus, now full ald,

  Hys ancient onweldy lyfe to hald,

  Hess only this beleif and traste,” quod he,

  “That he hys douchter may do wed with the,

  Quhilk of kyn, successioun and lynnage,

  Be that ilk souerane band of mariage,

  Of Troian and Italian blude discend

  Sall childryng furth bryng, quhill the warldis end

  Perpetualy to ryng in hie impyre.

  Tharfor haue doyn, cum on, thou gudly syre,

  Thou gret ledar of the Troian rowt,

  Cum entyr in our weirly wallys stowt,

  Ressaue this worthy notabill fair proffyr

  And saisyn tak of honouris quhilkis we offir.”

  Thus endit he, and all the remanent

  Intill a voce sammyn gave thar consent,

  Quham the reuthfull Eneas with glaid cheir

  Ressauyt hess full tendyrly infeir,

  And, in few wordis and a frendly mynd

  Thame ansuerand, he carpys on this kynd:

  “Not ou, nor it the kyng Latyn, but less,

  That wont was forto ryng in plesand pess,

  Will I argew of this maner offens:

  For suyth I wait the wilfull violens

  Of Turnus all that gret wark brocht abowt,

  And I am sovir eik and owt of dowt

  Sa gret danger of batale it was he

  Provokit swa and movit to melle,

  For yng desyre of hie renown, perfay,


  And loyss of prowes mair than I byd say.

  And netheless, quhou evir it be, I wyss,

  This spowsage Italian at me promyst is

  Ne will I not refuyss on nakyn wyss,

  Nor forto knyttyng vp as he devyss

  This haly peax with frendly allyans,

  With etern concord but disseuerans.

  The sam Kyng Latyn, my gud fader ald,

  Sall hys impyre and venerall ceptour hald,

  And I Troian for me vp in this feild

  Ane new resset and wight wallys sall beld,

  Quhilk cite sall ressaue hys douchteris naym;

  And my goddis domesticall, that fra haym

  With me I brocht, I sall with ou conioyn;

  In concord and in vnyte all common

  In tyme tocum sammyn athir falloschip

  Vndir a law sall leif in gret frendschip.

  In the meyn tyme, go to and speid ws soyn

  Onto our wark that restis it ondoyn,

  And lat ws byrn the bodeis, and bery eft,

  Quham the hard wofull rage hess ws byreft,

  And into batale kyllyt lyis ded;

  Syne, tomorn ayrly, as the son worthis red,

  And with hys cleir days lyght doyth schyne,

  Blithly we seik to cyte Lawrentyne.”

  Thus said he, and the Latynys, quhill he spak,

  With vissage still beheld hym stupifak,

  Of hyss wyss gracius answeris wonderand all,

  And of sik wordis debonar in speciall;

  Mayr evidently gan mervell he and he

  Of hys gret warkis of reuth and sik piete.

  Belyve, with all thar forcis, euery wyght

  Weltis doun treys grew full hie on hycht,

  And hastely togiddir gadderit hass

  In hepys gret, the funerall fyre to rayss,

  And thar abuf thar citianys hess laid,

  Vndir quham syne thai set in blesys braid:

  The flambe and reik vpglydis in the ayr,

  That of the laithly smokis heir and thar

  The hevyn dyrknyt and the firmament.

  Thai hynt from all the feildis adiacent

  Innumerabill rowch twyntir scheip syne,

  And of thir akcorn swellyaris, the fat swyne;

  And tydy yng oxin steik thai fast

  And in the funerall fyris dyd thame cast.

  The large planys schynys all of lycht,

  And, throw thir hait scaldand flambys brycht,

  Stude blowt of bestis and of treys bair:

  With huge clamour smyt, dyndillit the ayr.

  Quhou Kyng Latinus metis with Eneas keyn,

  And frendly talkyng was thir twa betweyn.

  Be this the schynand secund days lyght

  Vprasit Phebus with goldyn bemys brycht:

  Than all the Troianys and Ausonyanys

  Full blithly in a rowt assemblit attanys,

  Montit on horss and held thar ways syne

  Onto the mastir cite Lawrentyne,

  With wallys hie and biggyngis weirly maid.

  Befor thame all rewthfull Eneas raid;

  And nixt per ordour Drances, that to the kyng

  As agit man carpis of mony thyng;

  Syne come hys only child Ascanyus,

  That other wyss was clepyt Iulus;

  Nixt hym Alethes, with mynd full digest,

  Grave Ilyoneus, Mnestheus and stern Serest;

  Syne followys thame the forcy Sergestus,

  Gyas alsso, and stalwart Cloanthus,

  Eftir quham, mydlit sammyn, went arayn

  The other Troianys and folk Italian.

  In the meyn quhile the Latyn citeanys

  Withowt thar wallys ischit furth atanys,

  That with gret lawd, in mych solempnyte

  And triumphe ryall hass ressauyt Enee.

  Be this thai cummyn war onto the town,

  Quham with blith front, to meyt thame reddy bown,

  The kyng Latyn with huge cumpany

  Thame welcumis and festis by and by.

  And fra that he beheld amyd the rowt

  Eneas cumand, the Dardan capitan stowt,

  Hys verray figur dyd hym nocht dissaue,

  For, quhar he went, excellent all the lave

  And hyear far a gret deill semys he,

  That far on breid his ryall maieste

  And pryncely schynand contenans dyd appeir.

  And quhen that he cummyn was so neir

  That athir gudly to othir speke mycht

  And heir the wordis carpyt apon hycht

  And, lyke as thai desyrit, on the land

  To lap in armys and adion hand in hand,

  The kyng Latinus, as a curtas man,

  With glaid semblant thus first to speke began:

  “Weill be e cummyn finaly, Enee,

  And the ferm hope hess not dissavit me

  Of my desyrus mynd, now full of ioy;

  O schynand gloryus light to folkis of Troy!

  Quham the command of the gret goddis mycht,

  Throu sa feill chancis catchit and evill dycht,

  In Italy within our boundis plane

  Hess destinat and ordanyt to remane,

  All thocht that manis wanton willfull offens,

  Be our malapert and ondantit licens,

  In thar fury with brag and mekill onrest

  Tha haly lawis trublit and infest,

  Prouocand and commovand the goddis greif;

  So that alsso, quhidder me war loith or leif,

  Full oft resistand and denyand the weir,

  Constrenyt I was and warpit thar and heir,

  That, mawgre my hed, me behuffit susteyn

  The hard dangeris of Mars and mekill teyn.

  Now is it endit, bot, certis, na litill thyng

  Hass it cost sum man sik vndertakyng —

  The godly power, wilfull vengeans to tak,

  Havand disdeyn at sik deray was mak,

  Onto tha wikkyt sawlys for the nanys

  Hess send condyng punytioun and iust panys.

  Haue doyn, gret Troian prynce, now I the pray,

  Sen baith the crop and rutys ar away

  Of all seditioun and discord, I wyss,

  And wyrkaris of sa gret trespass and myss;

  Cum and ressaue thy spowss and mariage

  To the promyst; succeid to heritage.

  Realmys I haue, and citeys mony ane

  Full strangly beldit with hie wallis of stane,

  And sum alsso that I in weir conquest

  And thar barmkynnys to grund bet and doun kest;

  Bot only the beleif and beld,” quod he,

  “Of my wery age and antiquyte,

  A douchtir haue I, quhilk suldbe myn ayr,

  Quharfor in tyme cummyn for euermar

  I the ressaue and haldis in dante

  As son in law and successour to me.”

  To quham the gentill Eneas reuerently

  This ansuer maid agane, and said in hy:

  “Maist riall kyng, all tyme accustumate

  To lyf in plesand peax, but all debait,

  Of this weirfar and sa gret stryfe,” quod he,

  “I trastit evir thar was no wyte in the:

  Tharfor, my derrest fader, I the pray,

  Do all sik dowtis of suspicioun away,

  Gyf ony sik thochtis restis in thy mynd,

  And trastis weill Enee afald and kynd.

  Now am I present, reddy as e wald,

  That ou ressavis and fra thens sall hald

  As fader in law, and in all chancis, per de,

  As verray fader that me bigat, but le:

  The figour of the gret Anchises ded

  I se heir present to me in this sted,

  And I agane in fervent hayt desyre

  ow forto pless, my fader, lord and syre,

  Sall byrn in lufe, as sum tyme wont was I

  Towartis hym me engendrit of his body.”

  Heir Eneas, that worthy nobill knycht,

  Was spowsyt with
Lavinia the brycht.

  Wyth sikkyn sermond athir othir grat,

  And sammyn to the cheif palyss with that

  Thai held infeir: than mycht thou se with this

  The matronys and ong damysellis, I wyss,

  That gret desyre hess sik thing tobehald,

  Thryng to the stretis and hie wyndoys thik fald;

  The agit faderis and the yng gallandis

  Per ordour eik assemlyt reddy standis

  In gret rowtis, to vissy and to se

  The gudly personys of the Troian mene.

  Bot specialy and first of all the laif

  The gret capitan Enee notyt thai haue,

  Attentfully behaldand euery wight

  Hys stowt curage, hys byg statur and hycht,

  And in thar mynd comprasyt hys kyn maste hie,

  Hys plesand vissage and knychtly large bonte;

  And, glaid and ioyfull, extoll and loif thai can

  The gret apperans of gud in sik a man,

  And sa fair gyftis and beleif, but less,

  As thai desyrit, of finale rest and pess.

  Lyke as quhen the gret ithand weit or rayn,

  From the clowdis furth et our all the playn,

  Haldis the husbandis ydill aganys thar will

  (Lang with hys crukyt beym the plewch lyis still);

  Syne, gif brycht Tytan list do schaw hys face,

  And with swyft curss far furth a large space

  Doith cach hys stedis and hys giltyn char,

  And kythis hys goldyn bemys in the ayr,

  Makand the hevynnys fair, cleir and scheyn,

  The weddir smowt, and firmament sereyn;

  The landwart hynys than, baith man and boy,

  For the soft sesson ourflowis full of ioy,

  And athir otheris gan exhort inhy

  To go to laubour of thar husbandry —

  Nane other wyss the pepill Ausonyan

  Of this glaid tyme in hart wolx wonder fayn.

  Be this the kyng Latyn, lord of that land,

  With maste nobill Eneas hand in hand,

  Within the cheif palyss, baith he and he,

  Ar entryt in the saill ryall on hie;

  Quham followys nixt the yng Ascanyus fair,

  That was hys faderis only child and ayr;

  Syne folk of Itaill, mydlit with Troianys,

  Ar entrit in that riall hald attanys:

  With pomposs fest and ioyus myrth our all

  Resoundis tho baith palys, bowr and hall,

  And all the chymmys riall rownd abowt

  Was fyllyt with thar tryne and mekill rowt.

  And tharwithall, of chalmyr by and by,

  With sa gudly a sort and cumpany

  Of ladeis fair and damysellys onwed,

  Innumerabill almast, als furth was led

  The fair fresch Lavinia the may,

  Amyd thame schynand in hir ryall array;

  The crystall bemys of hir eyn twane,

  That as the brycht twynkland starnys schayn,

  Sum deill eschamyt, towart the erth doith hald.