Virgil

“ Maid hym full gret of blude, and full of pryde;
Hys fader was oncertane and onknaw.15
And vp he startis in this ilk thraw,
With thir wordis Turnus to ourcharge,
Aggregyng on hym wrath and malyce large:
O douchty kyng, thou axis consale, said he,
Of that mater quhilk, as semys me,20
Is nother dyrk nor dowtsum, bot full cleir,
That mysteris not our avicis beyn heir.
The pepill haill grantis that thai wait
Quhat forton schawys, and in quhat estait
Our materis standis; bot thai ar arch to schaw,25
Quhispirand amangis thame, thai stand sik aw. ”

“ Quhou schort quhile doith hys fals plesance remane!
Hys restles blys how sone takis the flicht!
Hys kyndnes alteris in wraith within a nycht:
Quhat is, bot turment, all hys langsum fayr,25
Begun with feir, and endyt in dispayr? [Pg 184]
Quhat sussy, cuyr, and strange ymagynyng,
Quhat ways onlefull, hys purpos to atteyn,
Hes this fals lust at his first begynnyng!
Quhou subtell wylis, and mony quyet meyn!
Quhat slycht dissait quently to flat and feyn;5
Syne in a thraw kan not hym selvyn hyde,
Nor at his first estait no quhile abyde! ”

“ Bot, O Evander, beys not with me wraith;20
Thou sall not se thy son was dryve abak
With schamefull wondis that he caucht in the bak:
Ne thou hys fader, war he alyve this day,
Suld nevir haue lak of hym, ne for hym pray
For hys desert he deit a schamefull deth;25
And now with honour hes he ȝald the breth.
Bot netheles, quhat harm, ful ways me!
Quhou large support, hey! quhat beld or supple
In hym hes tynt Ausonya the ryng,
And quhou gret deill hes lost Ascanyus ȝyng!30
[Pg 682]
CAP. II.
Ȝong Pallas corps is till Evander sent,
With all honour accordyny hys tyrment. ”

“ P. 15. l. 15.—As for animal and homo in our langage is nocht a propir term, and thai be bot bestis that exponys animal for a beste. Ane beste is callit in Latyn bestia and pecus, and animal betakynnys all corporall substans that has ane saull quhilk felis payn, joy, or ennoy: and vndyr animal beyn contenyt all mankynd, beist, byrd, fowll, fisch, serpent, and all other sik thingis at lyfis and steris, that has a body; for all sik, and euery ane of thame, may be properly callit animal. And thus animal is ane general name for al sik maner thingis quhatsumeuer. ”

“ And now to speyk of Jupiter the planete, quhilk is secund in ordour, and vnermaste nyxt Saturn; he is gentyll and meyk, and full of gud influens, and profitabill aspectis, in sa far that gif he conionys with a frawart planete, sik as Mars, or Saturn, he meysis ther wreth: gif he conjonys with a meyn planete, as the Sone, the Moyn, or Mercury, he drawis thaim and makis inclyn to his gudnes. ”

“ Hir nek schane lyke onto the roys in May,25
Hyr hevynly haris, glitterand brycht and gay,
Kest from hir forhed a smell gloryus and sweit,
Hir habyt fell down coveryng to hir feit,
And in hir passage a verray god dyd hir kyth.
And fra that he knew hys moder, alswith30 [Pg 47]
With sik wordis he followys as scho dyd fle;
Quhy art thou cruell to thy son, quod he,
Dissavand hym sa oft with fals sembland?
Quhy grantis thou nocht we mycht joyn hand in hand,
And fortill heir and rendir vocis trew?5
Thus he reprevys, bot sche is went adew;
Than to the Cyte he haldis furth the way. ”

“ Quhen he conjonys with Venus, or is participant with hir, as he stud in the ascendent at [Pg vi] this tym of Eneas landyng, quhilk is fenyeit the commonyng betwix hym and Venus, than, as heir apperis, batakynnys all gud; for Jove is clepit, Fortuna maior, and Venus, Fortuna minor. He completis his curs in xij yeris; and, by this constylation betwix him and Venus, Seruius ondirstandis felicite to cum be a woman; as followis be Dido: And that Venus was sorofull, that is to knaw, discendent, and nocht in hir strenth, signifeis the sorefull departyng and myschans of Dido. ”

“ Jupiter omnipotent, kinq of kingis, and god, fader and moder of goddis, an god, and all the goddis. Of him largly spekis he alswa, reprevand the gentile opinyonys, in the sam volum, in the first buk and xj. c. therof; and in the xij. c. repreuys the opynion of Plato, that haldis God the sawl of the warld. ”

“ My vowys nor my prayeris gret and small
War not accept to nane of Goddis all.
O thou my blissyt spows, decessit or now,
Full happy of that ded in faith was thou,
That to thys sorow not preservyt was!15
Bot be the contrar I, allace, allace!
Ourlevit has my fatys profitabill,
And am alyve as fader miserabill:
Quham, wald God, in ȝon sammyn mortale weris
Rutilyanys had ourquhelmyt with thar speris,20
That, followand to the feild my feris of Troy,
I mycht haue ȝald this sawle full of ennoy,
So that this funeral pomp, quhilk heir is wrocht
My body, and nocht Pallas, hame had brocht! ”

“ Speid, tak ȝon schippis, on burd fast to the raid,
Haist sone, and kast on thame fyre blesis braid,
Schute dartis thik, and qwel thame with ȝour glavys.
Quhat said I? or quhar am I? now thou ravys;20
Quhat wodnes, fey Dydo, movis thi mynd?
Now art thou hyt with frawart werdis onkynd?
Sa til haue done than had bene mair ganand
Quhen thou hym gave the ceptour of thi land. [Pg 228]
Ha! now behald hys gret prowes, quod sche,
Hys reuthful piete, and faith! is not ȝon he,
Quham, as thai say, the goddis of hys land
In hys navy careis our sey and sand? ”

“ Bot the flud be an speyt was flowyn sa far our the brays thai mycht nocht wyn to the crocis of the water, and thus war thai left on the bra; and ane Fastulus, an hyrd, had thaim born to his hows, and maid Acca his wyf, other wys callyt Lupa, nuryce thaim: and, for that Lupa batakinnys a wolf, and scho was callit Lupa, therfor is it said a wolf fosterit Romulus and Remus. ”

“ Thocht, in verite, Juno was bot ane woman, dochter to Saturn, sistir and spows to Jupiter king of Crete, yit quhen poetis namys hir swa, thai ondirstand sum tyme by Juno the erth and the watir, and by Jupiter the ayr and the fyre: and for als mekyll as the ayr and the fyre is actyve, and the watyr and the erth patient, and that all corporall thyngis beyn engendrit therof, heirfoir bein thaj clepit spowsis. ”

“ Thar is sic haist in thi hed, I hop thou wald neys,
That brawlys thus with thi bost quhen bernys with the bourdis.
Quod I, Churle, ga chat the, and chyde with ane other.20
Move the nocht, said he than,
Gyf thou be a gentill man,
Or ony curtasy can,
Myne awyn leif brother.
I speik to the into sport; spell me this thyng,25
Quhat lykis ledis in land? quhat maste langis thou?
Quod I, Smake, lat me sleip; sym skynnar the hyng:
I weyn thou byddis na better bot I brek thi brow. [Pg 452]
To me is myrk myrrour ilk mannys menyng;
Sum wald be cowrt man, sum clerk, and sum a cachkow. ”

“ Lipara, Hiera, Strongile, Didyme, Eriphusa, Phenycusa, and Evomynos. And for alsmekyll as thir ilis bene full of cavernys, with bryntstan blawand and byrnand ondir the erd, that therby, throw the swouch of the fire, may be persauyt a day or twa befor fra quhat part or art the wynd is for to cum; and this Eolus kyng therof, as an naturall man, first be experiens persauit this, and wald schaw the pepill therby, weill twa or thre dais befor, the wynd was to blaw from syk an art: for the quhilk rayson, with the rude pepill, was he namyt kyng or god of windis. ”

“ Than said the tayn his takyn was mast nobyll, for that he saw thaim first; and the tother na, becaus he saw ma: bot quhiddir it was for that debait, or for the goyng our the wallis, as otheris will say, Remus was slayn be Fabyus, chyftan of weyr to Romulus, and the cyte clepit Roma eftyr Romulus. And quhou or quhy that he is callit Quyrites, and of his dowtsum end, and of the sonnis eclips the tym of his ded, and quhy he was repute a god, reid Titus Lyuius, John Bocas in the last c. of the Genealogie of Godis, in the ix. buke, and Augustyn in the Cyte of God, in the xv. c. of the iij. buke. ”

“ All is sovir, thou may se, [Pg 58]
Thyne navy and thy ferys recoverit beyn,
Wantand bot ane, amang the fludis greyn
Quham we saw droun; all other thingis, thou knawis,
Is now conform onto thy moderis sawys.
And scarsly haith he all thir wordis spokkyn,5
Quhen that the clowd abowt thame swith was brokkyn,
And vanyst tyte away amang the ayr.
Vp stude Enee, in cleir lycht schynyng fair,
Lyke till ane god in body and in face;
For his moder grantit hir son sik grace;10
Hys crysp harys war plesand on to se,
Hys favour gudly, full of fresch bewte,
Lyke till ane ȝongker with twa lauchand eyn ”

“ Hector, quham we desyrit mony a day?
From quhat cuntre this wys cummyn art thou?
That, eftir feil slauchter of thi frendis now,10
And of thi folkis and cite efter huge payn,
Quhen we beyn irkit, we se the heir agayn!
Quhat hard myschance fylyt so thi plesand face?
Or quhy se I tha feil woundis, allace!
Onto thir wordis he nane answer maid,15
Nor to my voyd demandis na thyng said,
Bot with ane hevy murmour, as it war draw
Furth of the boddum of his breste weil law,
Allace! allace! ”

“ Quhen thai be chargyt with the hevy rane.
Bot Nysus than ruschit amyd the rowt,
Amangis thame all sekand Volscens the stowt,30 [Pg 553]
And on Volscens alanerly arestis;
Thocht rownd about with ennemys he prest is,
Quhilk heir and thar onon at euery syde
Hym ombeset with warkand woundis wyde.
Bot netheles thame stowtly he assalit,5
Not amovit, as na thing him had alit:
And euer his schynand swerd about him swang,
Quhil at the last in Volscens mouth he thrang,
As he, forgane him standand, cryit and gapit.
Allace, quhat reuth was it he not eschapit!10
For he deand bereft his fa the life ”

“ A goddes art thou suythly to my sycht.
Quhidder thou be Dyane, Phebus systir brycht,
Or than sum goddes of thir nymphis kynd,25
Maistres of woddis, beis to ws happy and kynd,
Releve our lang travell quhat euer thou be,
And, vndir quhat art of this hevyn sa hie,
Or at quhat cost of the warld finaly
Sal we arrive, thou tech ws by and by:30 [Pg 43]
Of men and land onknaw we ar drive will
By wynd and storm of sey cachit hiddertill;
And mony fair sacrifice and offerand
Befor thyne altar sal de of my rycht hand. ”

“ And weyn nocht for this, thocht poetis fenzeis Venus the planet, for the caus foirsaid, to be Eneas mother, at thai beleve nocht he was motherles, bot that he had a fayr lady to his moder, quhilk for hir bewte was clepit Venus: and that Venus metis Eneas in form and lyknes of a maid is to be onderstood that Venus the planete that tym was in the syng of the Virgyn, quhilk betakynnyt luf and fawouris of wemen. And of Venus and hir son Cupyd I sall say sum thyng in the x. ”

“ Aganys hym than went a man of Arge,
Hait Lycyus, bodyn with speir and targe;10
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, expert15
To schut the fleand arrow or castyng dart,
Quhilk invadis a man or he be war,
Slew Salyus with schot, beand on far.
CAP. XIII.
Quhou Eneas the ȝong Lawsus has slane,
Quhilk fred his fader hurt in the bargane. ”

“ Thocht, God by hys awin creaturis to preif,
War mar onliknes than liknes to discern.15
Frend, farly nocht, na caus is to complene
Albeit thy wyt gret God may nocht attene;
For, mycht thou comprehend be thyne engyne
The maist excellent maieste dyvyne,
He mycht be reput a pretty God and meyn.20
Consider thy raison is so febill and lyte,
And hys knawlage profund and infynyte;
Consider quhou he is onmensurabill:
Hym, as he is, to knaw thou art not habill;
It sufficis the beleif thy creid perfyte.25 [Pg 587]
God is, I grant, in all thing nocht includyt ”

“ He said na mair bot this, half deil in bourd.
Thame thocht thai hard a fatale voce or word,
Quhilk was as finale end of thar vayage.15
Hys fader first of all, with glaid curage,
The word reft from his mouth as that he spak,
And followis on the answer stupefac:
All hail thou grond and land, quod he, in hy,
By the fatis onto me desteny,20
And ȝe, O trast Penates, said Enee,
Al hail our natyve goddis, weil ȝe be!
Heir is our dwelling place, quhar we sall leynd,
Forto remane heir is our cuntre heynd. ”

“ VI.—In this cheptir ye haf that Eneas met his moder Venus in liknes of a virgyn, or a mayd; by the quhilk ye sall vndirstand that Venus is fenyeit to be modyr to Eneas, becaus that Venus was in the ascendent, and had domynation in the hevyn, the tym of his natyvite: and, for that the planet Venus was the signifiar of his byrth, and had domination and speciall influens towart hym, therfor is scho fenzeit to be his mother; and thus it that poetis fenzeis bein full of secreyt ondyrstandyng ondyr a hyd sentens or fygur. ”

“ O fader kyng Latyn, quhy wilt thou, quhy?
Quhat! sal our child, Lavynya the may,
To banyst men be geif to leid away?
Nowdir hes thou of thy tendir get piete,
Ne ȝit compassioun of thy self, ne me30 [Pg 409]
Hir moder, quham sa sone, full dissolate,
Ȝone fals sey revar wil leif in sturt, God wayt,
And cary the maid our the deip fludis haw,
Alssone as evir the first north wynd dois blaw?
Was it nocht evin be sik a fenȝeit gyrd5
Quhen Parys furth of Phryge, the Troiane hyrd,
Socht to the cite Laces in Sparta,
And thar the dochter of Lydea stal awa,
The fair Helyn, and to Troy tursyt raith? ”

“ P. 45. l. 17.—That Eneas heyr commendis his self, it is not to be tayn that he said this for arrogans, bot for to schaw his scyll; as a kyng or prince onknawin in an onkowth land, may, but repreif, rehers his estate and dygnite, to mak him be tretyt as afferis. And als, becaus he trastyt he spak with a goddes, that scho suld nocht aschaym to remayn and talk with hym therfor: and becaus scho was a woman, he schew that he was a man of autorite, with quham thai nedis nocht ascham to speyk; for he was that man quhilk, by the common voce, was clepit Eneas full of pyete. ”

“ 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,15
That the Rutilianys has in governyng,
Quhilk ledis weir aganys thi cuntre,
With cruell batal now persewis me;
And gif thai mycht expel ws of this land,
Thai weyn tharby that nocht may thame ganestand,20
Bot at thai sall vnder thar senȝeory
Subdew alhaill in thraldom Italy,
And occupy thai boundis oriental
Quhar as the ovir see flowys alhaill,
And eik thai westir partis, trastis me,25
Quhilkis ar bedyit with the neddir see. ”

“ Sall entyr myddill and remane thame amang:15
The fassonys and the ritis, that nocht ga wrang,
Of sacrifice to thame statute I sall,
And Latyn pepill of a tung mak thame all.
The kynd of men discend from thir Troianys,
Mydlit with kyn of the Italianys,20
Thou sall behald in piete and gentilnes
To go abufe baith men and Goddis expres;
Nor neuer clan or other nation by
Lyke thame sall hallow, ne ȝit sanctify
Thy wirschip, eik and honour, as thai sall do.25
Juno anerdit, and gaue consent heirto,
Ful blith and joyus of this grant, perfay,
Fra hir ald wraith hes writhit hir mynd away ”