Complete Works of Virgil

by Virgil

Quhilk sumtyme, with the boldynnand wallis quhite,

  Is by the iawpe of fludis coveryt quyte,

  Quhen the southt est wynd, in the wynter tyde,

  Gan with his stormy clowdis the starnys hyde;

  And, in the calm or lowyn weddir, is seyn

  Abufe the fludis hie, a fair plane greyn,

  A standing place, quhar skarthis with thar bekis,

  Forgane the son, glaidly thame prone and bekis.

  In this place stykkyt heth the prince Ene

  A mark or wyttir of a greyn aik tre,

  In term and takyn onto the maryneris,

  Quhar, forto turn agane, as thame efferis,

  And set about thar lang courss, thai mycht knaw.

  By kuttis than, per ordour, al on raw,

  Thar place thai cheysyt at the costis bay.

  The patronys in eftcastellis, fresch and gay,

  Stude, al in gold and purpour schynand brycht.

  The remanent of the rowaris, euery wight,

  In poppil tre branchis dyght at poynt,

  With spaldis makyt, schayn of oyl enoynt;

  Apon thar seyttis and thoftis all atanys

  Thar placis hynt, arrayit for the nanys,

  With armys reddy outour thar aris fald,

  Abydis lysnand the takyn to behald,

  Thar hartis onflocht, smytyn with schame sumdeill;

  Bot glaid and ioly, in hope forto do weill,

  Rasys in thar breistis desyre of hie renoun.

  Syne, but delay, at the first trumpys sown,

  From thar marchis atanys furth thai sprent.

  Vpsprang the clamour, and the rerd furth went

  Heich in the skyis, of mony maryner.

  The fomy stowr of sey rayss thar and heir,

  Throu ferss bak drauchtis of feil gardeys squair.

  Thai sewch the fludis that, swouchand quhar thai fair,

  In sondyr slydis; ourweltyt eyk with arys,

  From thar forstammys the bullyr brays and raris.

  Nevir sa fersly, in feild nor in barrer,

  The dowbill okkyt cartis in feir, of wer

  Or for triumphe, furth of thar stabillys gan rusch;

  Nor nevir sa thyk, with mony lasch and dusch,

  The cartaris smate thar horssis fast in teyn,

  With reneys slakkyt, and swete drepand bedeyn;

  For, throu the gild and rerd of men so eld,

  The egyrness of thar frendis thame beheld,

  Schowtand “Row fast”, all the woddis resoundis.

  Endlang the costis the vocis and the sowndis

  Rollys inclusyt, quhill the mekyll hyllys

  Bemys agane, hyt with the brute so schil is.

  Amyd the press, thus as the rerd vpwent,

  Befor the laif Gyas schyp furth sprent,

  Ourslydand wallys croppys byssely;

  Quhom Cloanthus followys nixt inhy,

  Mayr sle in rowth, thocht sum deil slaw was sche,

  For that hir holl was of sa hevy tre.

  And eftir thame, elyke, furth in evyn space,

  Pistris and Centawr straif for the fyrst place.

  And now hes Pistrys the fordell, and syne inhy

  The byg Centawr hyr warris and slyppis by;

  Now glyde tha bath togiddyr furth in front,

  Sewchquhand salt fame with thar lang kelis blont.

  yt quhou the schippys stryvys on the see,

  Of thar nyce rayss, and quha that won the gre.

  Wyth this thai gan towart the meyth approche,

  And war almaist cummyn onto the roch,

  Quhen that the patron Gyas, amyd the flude,

  Wenying hym self victour, thar as he stude,

  Callys on hys steris man, hayt Meneyt by name:

  “Quhiddyr goys thou so on steirburd? Fy forschame!

  Frawart me thou haldis; set thi courss innarmor;

  Seik hard on burd endlang fast by the schor

  And suffir that the palmys of our arys

  Hyrsyl on the crag almaist, ilk rowth, and waris —

  Lat the othirris hald furth the deip sey large.”

  Quod Gyas. Bot Menetes, for hys barge

  Of the hyd rolkis blynd sum deill afferyt,

  Towart the deip fludis hyr stevin ay steryt.

  “Quhar, dysmall, wilt thou now?” gan Gyas cry,

  “Hald to the crag agane, Meneyt, fast by.”

  And tharwith, lo, Cloanthus he dyd behald

  Hard at hys taill, that gan the nar way hald,

  For, rycht betwix the rolk and Gyas schyp,

  On bawbord fast the innar way he leyt slyp,

  And wan befor the formast schip inhy;

  Now is he passyt the wittir, and rollys by

  The roch, and haldis sovirly throu the see.

  Bot than, God wait, quhat payn in hart gan dre

  The ong Gyas — hym thocht al brynt hys banys!

  The watir bryst from baith hys eyn atanys;

  Foret was wirschip and hys honeste thar,

  Foret was of hys falloschip the weilfair,

  The ancyant treuth of Meneyt forettis he,

  And swakkyt hym our schipburd in the see.

  Hym self, as skyppar, hynt the steir in hand,

  Hym self, as mastir, gan maryneris command,

  And threw the ruddyr to the costis syde.

  Be than the auld Meneyt our schipburd slyde,

  Hevy, and al his weid sowpyt with seys,

  Skars from the watir grond vpboltyt he is,

  Syne swymmand held onto the craggis hycht,

  Sat on the dry rolk, and hym self gan dycht.

  The Troianys lauchys fast seand hym fall,

  And, hym behaldand swym, thai keklyt all,

  Bot mast, thai makyn gem and gret ryot,

  To se hym spowt salt watir of hys throte.

  Heir first gude hope arrayss to the twa last,

  That is to knaw, Mynestheus and Sergest,

  Gyas schyp thar by to ourcum wenyng,

  That tareys sum deill for lak of gude steryng.

  Tho Sergest gan the fyrst place occupy,

  With schip approchand towart the roche inhy;

  And, netheless, hail befor wan scho nocht,

  Bot thrang hir forschip formast, as scho mocht,

  So that Pistrys, hyr weryour, all the way,

  Hyr forstam by hir mydschip haldys ay.

  Than, rowmyng to and fra hys schyp our all,

  Mynestheus gan hys feris exhort and call:

  “Now, now, e vailliant feris of worthy Hector,

  Hail stoutly vp our arys; thynk on our glor;

  Thynk quhou, the lattir rewyne of Troy, ou I

  Haue walyt, and brocht with me in cumpany.

  Now schaw that strenth, now schaw that hie curage,

  Quhilk on the schaldis of Affryk, in stormys rage,

  he dyd excerss, and the ilk forss, I wyss,

  he schew betwix Scylla and Carybdys,

  Quhar that Ioneum clepyt is the see,

  And als forgane the styth stremys of Malee.

  As to the fyrst place, now byd I nocht craif it,

  Althocht I be Mynestheus, wont til haue it;

  Nor I byd not to stryve and wyn the gre,

  Howbeyt, wald God, that war a gloir to se!

  Do lat thame bruke the mastry and the pryce,

  Quhamto Neptune lyst grant at hys devyce.

  Bot gret lak war to return altharlast:

  Deir frendis, defend ou fra that kankyrryt kast,

  And do ourset sa schaymful hard myschance!”

  With al thar forss than at the vtyrance,

  Thai pynglyt arys vptobend and haill,

  With sa strang rowthis apon athir wail,

  The mychty karvell schuddryt at euery straik,

  Down swakand fludis vndir hyr brayd bilge of aik;

  So clappys the braith in breistis with mony pant,

  Quhil in thar dry throtis the aynd worth skant,

  And swait down triglys in stremys our alquhar.r />
  Betyd a chance that ilk tyme fell thame fair,

  And grantyt thame that honour tha desyryt;

  For as Serfest, with fers muyde half enfyryt,

  Turnyt hys stevyn towart the rolk our neir,

  Ontil a wykkyt place hys schip dyd steir,

  Quhil on the blynd craggis, myschewsly,

  Fast stykkis scho, choppand hard quhynnys inhy,

  And on the scharp skelleis, to hir wanhap,

  Smait with syk fard, the arys in flendris lap;

  Hir forschip hang, and sum deil scoryt throu owt.

  The maryneris start on fut with a schout,

  Cryand, “Byde, how”, and with lang bolmys of tre

  Pykyt with irne, and scharp roddis, he and he

  Inforcis of to schowyn the schyp to save,

  And brokkyn aris gadderyt on the streym thai haue.

  Now quha was blith bot Mynestheus, ful or,

  Quhilk, for this chance, mair egyrly than befor,

  With swyft fard of arys, and wynd at wyll,

  The reddy way held our the fludis chyll,

  And frakkis fast outthrow the oppyn see.

  Als swyftly as the dow affrayit doith fle

  Furth of hir hoyll, and richt darn wynnyng wayn,

  Quhar hir sweit nest is holkyt in the stayn,

  So fersly in the feildis furth scho spryngis,

  Quhil of hir fard the howsys ryggyng ryngis;

  And sone eftir, scherand the lownyt ayr,

  Down from the hycht discendis soft and fair,

  Not byssy weyngyt, bot planand esyly —

  So slaid Mynestheus throu the sey in hy,

  So followys Pistrys, was langeyr alltharlast,

  With fellon fard furth swepand alsso fast.

  And fyrst Sergest behynd sone left hess he,

  Wreland on skelleys and ondepys of the see,

  With brokkyn aris lerand to haist agane,

  And cryand, “Help!” bot that was al invane.

  Syne Gyas schyp, the fellon Chimera,

  Persewys he fast, quhilk gave hym place allswa,

  For scho was spuleyt of hir sterisman.

  Thar restis na ma bot Cloanthus than,

  Quham fynaly to persew he addrest,

  And pynglys hir onto the vtyrmest.

  The noyss and brute tho dowblys lowd on hycht,

  For, on the costis syde, fast euery wight

  Spurris the persewaris to roll bissely:

  “Set on hym now! Haue at hym thar,” thai cry,

  That huge clamour fordynnyt al the ayr.

  The formast thocht thar awyn wirschip so fair,

  And had disdeyn bot thai thar honour save,

  To bruke it quhilk so hard wonnyn thai have,

  Or thai thar lawd suld loyss or vassyllage,

  Thai had far levir lay thar lyfe in wage.

  The favorabill forton, and thar happy chance,

  So gan the breistis of the otheris avance,

  Thame thocht thai mocht thame wyn witht laubour lycht,

  Becauss it semyt to thame at so thai mycht.

  And peraventur, with equale stevynnys atanys,

  The pryce thai suld haue baith caucht for the nanys,

  War not Cloanthus in the fludis cauld

  With devote prayeris baith his handis gan hald,

  And on the goddis callys, and maid hys vow:

  “O he goddis, quhays fludis I ryn throw,

  Vndir our empyre rewlyng the large see,

  I sal glaidly on this cost syde,” quod he,

  “A quhite bull offir in our sacryfyce,

  So I my vow may bruke, and wyn the pryce;

  The entralis eyk, far in the fludis brak,

  In our reuerens, sal I slyng and swak,

  And et tharin the sweit liquor of wyne.”

  And, be hys wordis warryn brocht to fyne,

  Law fra the boddum of the seys deip

  Hys prayeris war except — tharto tuke keip

  The nymphis all, clepyt Nereydes,

  And thai that followis Phorcus, all the press,

  The maid alsso quhilk Panopea hait;

  The fader of havynnys, Portunus, al the gait

  With his byg hand schot the schip furth hir went,

  That swyftar than the southt wynd on scho sprent,

  Or as a fleand arrow to land glaid,

  And in the deip port enterit but abaid.

  Quhou Eneas onto the maryneris

  Gaif euery man thar reward, as efferis.

  Anchises son Eneas than, ful wyss,

  Callys thame forrowth hym al, as wes the gyss,

  And, with ane harraldis lowd voce, gan declare

  Cloanthus victour was, and on hys hair

  Gart set a crown, was of the lawrer greyn,

  And bad onto thar schippis bair bedeyn

  Thre ong oxin onto euery barge,

  Presandis of wyne, and of siluer a charge.

  Bot principaly to the capitanys he gave

  Honorabill rewardis, as thame efferit to haue:

  To the victour, a mantil brusyt with gold,

  With purpour selvage writhyn mony fold,

  And al byrunnyn and lowpyt lustely,

  As rynnys the flude Meander in Thessaly;

  Quharon was weyf, in suttel goldyn thredis,

  Kyng Troyus son, the fair Ganymedys,

  Vnder the thyk wod bewys of Ida

  The swyft hartis chasand to and fra,

  And with hys dartis baldly thame gan beyt —

  He semyt porturyt pantand for the hete;

  Quham, witht a surss, swyftly Iovys squyar

  Caucht in hys clewis, and bair vp in the air;

  The eldar huntaris, and hys keparis than,

  Clappand thar lufis and thar handis, ilk man,

  Sayr awondryt gan the starnys behald;

  For hundis queste it semyt the lyft ryfe wald.

  Onto hym, syne, Eneas gevyn hass,

  That by hys vertew wan the secund place,

  A habirgyon of byrnyst maileis brycht,

  With gold ourgilt clowit thrynfald ful tycht,

  Quhilk he sum tyme, with his strang handis two,

  Tyrvyt and rent of bald Demoleo,

  Quham vndir Troys wallys venquyst he,

  Quhar Symois rynnys swyftly in the see;

  This wirschipful gift to Mynestheus he gave,

  That was hys beild in armys hym to save;

  Sa paysand was this cote that scarsly mycht

  Phegeus and Sagaris, twa seruandis wight,

  Bair it on thar nek chargyt mony fald,

  Bot, tharwith cled, Demoleo ryn fast wald,

  Chasand the Troianys skatterit far on breid.

  The thryd gyft syne, Eneas gaif in deyd

  Twa gret caldronys of brass forgyt hoyt;

  Twa syluer coppis schapyn lyke a boyt,

  Punsyt ful weil, and with fyguris ingrave:

  And thus thar gyftis gottyn al thai haue.

  Apon syk wyss, ful prowd of thar reward,

  Ilkane of thame, furth pransand lyke a lard,

  Arrayt weil the tymplis of thar hed

  With purpour garlandis of the rosys red;

  Quhen from the scharp rolk, scarsly, with gret slycht,

  Sergestus gan vpwreil hys schyp evill dycht;

  Of brokyn arys febilly with a raw,

  Mokkyt and schent, scho cummys hame ful slaw.

  Lyke as oft happynnys the eddyr amyd the way

  Lurkand or glydand, in the hait symmyrris day,

  Quham the hevy schod cart quheil doith ourtak,

  Pressyng hir down, and ryvand hir tewch bak,

  Or, with smart dynt or stane kast, half ded neir,

  And kut in tway, leifis the travelleir;

  Sche pressand fle, al for nocht, byssely,

  Lang wrynklys makis oft with hir body;

  The ta part ferss and fell, with byrnand eyn

  Strekand hyr nek with hyssis lowd in teyn;

  The tother part, lamyt, clynsc
his and makis hir byd,

  In lowpis thrawyn and lynkis of hir hyde —

  With syklyke routhe this schip slawly furth went,

  Syne maid sail at the last, and tharwith bent,

  Entyrris in the havyn. And Sergest Eneas

  Rewardis weil, as that his promys was,

  For glaid he was the schip was salue onlost,

  And brocht hys ferys hailskarth to the cost.

  To hym a servand woman, hayt Pholoa,

  Was geyf, and, sowkand hyr, hir twynnys twa;

  Of Creyt, as to hyr kynrent, born was sche,

  And in the craft of Mynerve wondyr sle.

  C marginal note weffyng; L B marginal note or mynerva.

  Into this nixt cheptour followys heir

  The fut mennys rynkis and rewardis seir.

  Gentyll Ene, this sport endyt and done,

  Ontyl a fayr plane greyn passyt sone,

  Quhilk was enveronyt al with hyllys hie,

  Schaddowyt with woddys rank, and mony a tre.

  Amyd the vale, in maner of cyrkyl rownd,

  A playng place was markyt on the grond,

  Syk as that clepyt beyn a theatry.

  Thiddir the heir with mony thousand gan hy,

  And evyn amydwart in hys troyn grete,

  For hym arayt, takyn hes hyss sete,

  Quhar, with rewardis seir, he dyd provoke

  The curage and myndis of ong foke,

  Syk as lykyt swyftly on fute to ryn,

  Cum bayr the pryce away, and wageour wyn.

  On athir half than gadderis hym about

  Of Troianys sammyn and Sycilyanys a rowt;

  And first come Nysus and the fresch Evrille,

  Ewrillyus in grene outh and luf sylle,

  Maist eligant of person, for quhays frendschip

  And tendyrnes come Nisus in falloschip;

  Quham followis nixt nobyl Dyores the gude,

  Cummyn of the stok of myghty Priamus blude;

  And eftir hym thar followys sone onon

  Twa othirris sammyn, Salyus and Patron,

  Of quham the tane born of Epyria,

  And the tother was of Archadya,

  Cummyn of the blude of Tegea that cite;

  Twa othir ong men syne of Sycille,

  Helymus and Panopes, baith feris

  Onto the kyng Acestes ald of eris,

  Hantyt to ryn in woddis and in schawis;

  Seir othir come eik quhais namys onknaw is,

  For that thai war of law stait and degre.

  Amyddis of thame all, thus sayd Ene:

  “Tak tent, frendis, remembir quhat I say,

  Mark this in myndis glaidly, and bair away:

  Neuer ane of al this falloschip,” quod he,

  “Sal onrewardyt hyne depart fra me.

  I sal ou geiffyn ilk man as efferis,

  With brycht hedis, wrocht in Creyt, twa schort speris,

  A syluerit ax alsso, to bair in hand;

  For ou al equale salbe syk presand.