Complete Works of Virgil

by Virgil

  I sal thus mekill eik to my wark,” quod sche,

  “Fortill induce the citeis adiacent

  Onto the bargane, or that I hyne went.

  With schrewit rumouris, I can amang thame skaill,

  Thar myndis so I sall enflambe alhaill

  By wod ondantit fers desyre of Mart,

  Thai sall forgaddir to help from euery art,

  Quhil batale, armouris, swerdis, speris and scheldis

  I sall do saw and strow our all the feildis.”

  Than answerit Iuno: “At abundans thar is

  Of thi dissaitfull slycht and frawd, I wyss,

  And eik of feirfull terrour and deray.

  Weill ar perfurnyst causys of this weir perfay:

  Thai feght togidder mydlit on the land,

  Baith face for face, with drawin glavis in hand,

  And new sched blude littis thar armour cleyr,

  Quhilk thai by fortoun cawch haue first in weir.

  on worthy squyer of Venus blude and kyn,

  And King Latynus, now lat thame begyn

  Sik wedlok to contract and spousale feste.

  Bot the gret fader of hevin, at my request,

  Will suffir the at large no langar heir

  To walk, nor tary abufe the skyis cleir.

  Withdraw the of this place, forthy, weil sone.

  Gif ony chance restis mar tobedone,

  I sall my self that mater rewle and gy.”

  Thir wordis spak Iuno; and scho tharwith in hy

  Hir dowbill weyngis with edder sound dyd bete,

  Levand the hevynnys, socht to hir hellis sete.

  Amyddis Itall, vnder hillys law,

  Thar standis a famus sted weil beknaw,

  That for his bruyt is namyt in mony land,

  The vail Ansanctus hait, on athir hand

  Quham the sydis of a thik wod of tre

  Closis full dern with skowgy bewys hie.

  A rowtand burn amydwart tharof rynnys,

  Rumland and soundand on the craggy quhynnys,

  And eik forgane the brokkyn brow of the mont

  Ane horribill cave with braid and large front

  Thar may be sene, a thyrl or ayndyng sted

  Of terribill Pluto, fader of hell and ded;

  A ryft or swelch so grysly for to se,

  Till Acheron revin dovne, that hellis see,

  Gapand with his pestiferus gowle full wide;

  At quhais bysme the fury can down slyde,

  This hutit goddes, and by that discens

  Delyverit hevyn and erd of hyr presens.

  And netheless, duryng the meyn sesson,

  The queyn hir self, Saturnus get, onon

  Set to hyr hand, and ondyd the batell.

  Off hyrdmen all the rowtis with a ell

  Ruschit fra the feild to the cite but tary,

  The sclane bodeis away with thame dyd cary —

  Almon the child, and ded Galesus als,

  With blud bysparkyt vissage, hed and halss.

  Thai thyg vengeance at the goddis, and syne

  Thai raym and cry fast on the kyng Latyne.

  Turnus was by, and amyd this deray,

  Thys hait fury of slauchtir and fell affray,

  The terrour dowblis he and feirfull dreid,

  That sik forloppyn Troianys at this neid

  Suld thankfully be resset in that ryng,

  Or Phrigiane blude confiderat with the kyng,

  And he furth of tha boundis tobe expellit.

  The self tyme eyk, for the matronys at ellit

  And roundis sang so in thar wilde dotage,

  In the dern woddis, smyttyn with Bacchus rage,

  Gret rowtis dyd assembill thyddir in hy,

  And rowpyt eftir batale ernystfully;

  Thar the detestabill weris euer in ane,

  Agane the fatis all, thai cry and rane,

  Contrar answeris and dispositions all

  Of goddis, for the weir thai clepe and call.

  Led by the power and frawart godhed

  Of cruell Iuno with ald ramembrit fed.

  Full fast thai thryng about the kyngis palyce,

  Bot this ilk Latyn, knawand thar malyce,

  Rasistis onmovit as a rok of the see,

  Quham, with gret brute of watir smyt, we se

  Hym self sustenys by hys huge wecht

  Fra wallis feill, in all thar byr and swecht

  Iawpyng about hys skyrtis with mony a bray;

  Skelleis and famy craggis thai assay,

  Rowtand and rarand, and may not empar,

  Bot gif thai sched fra his sydis the wair.

  So, eftir that the kyng mycht nocht resist

  Thar blynd purpos, for as evir Iuno list

  The mater went, all set to cruelte;

  Full mony goddis and the hevynnys hie

  To wytnes drew he, all was by his will,

  Bot all for nocht, na tent was take thartill.

  “Allace,” he said, “we ar tobroke and ryve

  By the fatis, by storm catchit and dryve.

  O, O, e wrachit pepill!” gan he cry,

  “With cruell pane full deir he sall aby

  This wilfull rage, and with our blude express

  The wrangis of sic sacrilege redress.

  O Turnus, Turnus, full hard and hevy wraik

  And sorofull vengeance it sal the ourtake,

  Quhen, al to lait, in thy helpyng thou sall

  With prayeris on the goddis clepe and call.

  For I had fund my rest and eyss,” quod he,

  “Now at the dur deth reddy bydis me,

  Quhar now of happy pompis funeral

  I spuleit am, and sik triumphe riall.”

  Na mor sayng, with that ilk word fut het

  Ful closs within his palice he him schet,

  Of all sik thingis gaue our the cure and charge,

  Sen na better mycht be, to go at large.

  The portis of weir to twich the prynce refusis,

  Quhilkis Iuno brekis, syne al for batal musis.

  The maner than was, and the ald custum

  Within the land of ancyent Latyum,

  Quhilk blissit vsance efter mony a day

  The citeis and faderis of Alba kepit ay,

  Now the gret master souerane cite dyng

  Of Rome kepis and hantis the self thing;

  That is to knaw, quhen first thai move or steir

  The marciall enseneis for the wer,

  Quhidder so thai list to set with ostis plane

  On the Gethys, pepill Tartareane,

  With dolorus and with ful lamentable wer

  In Hyrcany or Araby to steir,

  Or fortil ettill in to Inde furth eik,

  Towart the dawyng and son rysyng to seik,

  Or it til ask and reduce hame agane

  Thar standartis from the dowr pepill Persane.

  Twa portis beyn of batale and debait,

  So thai war clepit to thar name, and hait,

  Haldyn in religioun of haly reuerence

  Of Martys cruel dreid and his offence;

  A hundreth brasyn hespis thame claspit queym,

  And strenthy irne slottis, that dyd seym

  Tobe eternal and inconsumptive;

  Nor Ianus, kepar of this entre of strive,

  Was no quhile furth of this ilk hallowit hald.

  Bot quhen the ferm sentens of faderis ald

  Was ony tyme determyt to move weir,

  Than he that was cheif duke or consuler,

  In rob ryall vestit, that hait Quyryne,

  And rich purpour, eftir the gyss Gabyne,

  Gyrd in a garmont semly and fut syde,

  Thir ettis suld vp oppin and warp wyde;

  Within that girgand hirst alsso suld he

  Pronunce the new weir, batale and melle;

  Quham all the fensabill men suld follow fast,

  With plane assent and brasyn trumpis blast.

  The kyng Latyn furthwith command thai than

  On
this maner, as prince and grettast man,

  To proclame weir and decrete the melle

  Agane Troianys, thidder cum with Ene,

  And warp tha sorofull ettis vp on breid.

  The prynce refusyt to do sa vile a deid,

  Ne list not anys thame twich, nor brek his heist,

  Sor agrevit planely ganestud thar requeste,

  And in his secret closet hym withdrew.

  Than from the hevin downe quhirland with a quhew

  Come Queyn Iuno, and with hir awin handis

  Dang vp the ettis, brak but delay the bandis:

  This cruell douchter of the ald Saturn

  The marbill hirst can weltir and ourturn,

  And strang et chekis of weirfar and batell

  Strake down, and rent the gret irne postis fell.

  Onsterit lang tyme, and onmovit, Ital

  Now byrnys into fury bellicall.

  Sum grathis thame on fut to go in feild;

  Sum hie montit on horsbak vnder scheld

  The dusty pulder vpdryvand with a stour,

  And euery man socht wapynnys and armour;

  Thar schynand scheildis sum dyd burnys weill,

  And sum polist scharp speir hedis of steill,

  To mak thame brycht with fat creisch or same,

  And on quhitstanys thar axis scharpis at hame;

  To beir pynsellis it gladis thame vp and dovne,

  And ar reiosyt to heir the trumpettis sovne.

  Fyve the grettast and maist cheif citeis,

  Thar wapynnys to renew in al degreis,

  Set vp forgis and steil styddeis fyne;

  Rych Atyna, and the prowd Tyburyn,

  Ardea the cite, and Crustumere,

  And eik Antemne with strang towris he

  And weirly wallis battellit about,

  The sikkyr helmys penys and forgis owt;

  Thar targettis bow thai of the lycht sauch tre,

  And boss bukleris coverit with cuyrbule;

  Sum steil hawbrikis forgis furth of playt,

  Burnyst flaukartis and leg harnes, fut hait,

  With latit sowpill siluer weill annelit;

  All instrumentis of pleuch graith, irnyt or stelit,

  As cultyris, sokkis and the somys gret,

  With sythis and al hukis at scheris quhet,

  War thidder brocht and tholis temper new.

  The lust of all sik wark lomys was adew:

  Thai dyd thame forge in swerdis of mettel brycht,

  Forto defend thar cuntre and thar rycht.

  Be this, thar armour grathit and thar geir,

  The draucht trumpet blawis the brag of weir;

  The sloggorn ensene, or the wach cry,

  Went for the batale all suldbe reddy.

  He pullis down his sellet quhar it hang,

  Sum deill effrayt of the noys and thrang;

  He dryvis furth the stampand horss on raw

  Onto the ok, the chareottis to draw;

  He clethis hym with his scheld, and semys bald;

  He claspis hys gilt habirgyon and thrynfald;

  He, in his breistplait strang and his byrne,

  A sover swerd beltis law down by his the.

  The poet makis to goddis his prayer,

  Dewly to compt the folkis grathis for this weir.

  he Musys now, sweit goddessis ichone,

  Oppyn and onschet our mont of Helycone,

  Reveil the secretis lyand in our myght,

  Addres my stile, and steir my pen go rycht,

  Entone my sang, and til endyte me leir

  Quhat kyngis dyd remufe furth to this weir,

  Quhat rowtis followit euery prynce in feild,

  With ostis braid that dyd the plane ourheld,

  With quhat maner of valeand men sik ways

  The happy grund Ital flurist tha days,

  With quhatkyn armys it enflambit schane:

  Furthschaw thir ancyent secretis euery ane.

  he blissyt wightis forsuyth ramembris weill

  All sic thingis, and, quhar ou list, may reveill,

  Thocht scarsly, for the process of lang eris,

  Be smal rumour tharof cum tyl our erys.

  First, from the land and costis hait Tyrreyn,

  Onto the batale bownys stern and keyn

  Meentius the kyng, that in hys day

  Contempnar clepit was of the goddis ay.

  The gydar of hys army and hys rowt

  Was hys son Lawsus, valeant and stowt,

  Abuf all other the maste semly wight,

  Except the person of Turnus the gentil knycht,

  Quhilk was the flour of all the Lawrenteis.

  This Lawsus was weil taucht at all degreis

  To dant gret horss, and as hym list arrest,

  Hunt and doun bet the deir and ilk wild best.

  A thousand men he led of hys convyne

  From Corete the cite Agilyne.

  Worthy he was to rewle a gret empyre,

  And tobe cummyn of sum mar happy syre

  Than of Meentyus, banyst and indyng,

  Bot to haue beyn sum emperouris son or kyng.

  The lusty Aventynus nixt in press

  Hym followis, the son of worthy Hercules.

  Throu gresy planys hys char with palm ryall

  Was rollit furth by horss victoriall,

  Quhilk, in hys musteris, schew he in the feild

  Hys faderis takynnys merkit in his scheld,

  Ane hundreth eddris and other snakis in sete

  Lynkit abowt of Larn the serpent gret;

  Quhom the nun Rhea and woman dyvyne

  In the dern wod of the mont Aventyne

  Bair and brocht furth onto this warldis lycht.

  Ful prevely, onknaw of ony wight,

  The woman mydlit with the god went bond,

  Eftir this ilk Hercules had brocht to grond

  And venquyst Gereon with prowd bodeis thre,

  Syne in the feild besyde Lawrent cite

  Was entrit as hym lyst to tak his rest,

  Hys Spane oxin, quhom hym likit best,

  Dyd bathing and refresch, to mak thame clene,

  In Ital strandis at the cost Tyrrhene.

  This Aventinus followis in thir werys,

  Bair in his handis lans stafis and burrel speris

  And dangerus facheonys into staffis of tre;

  With round stok swerdis faucht thai in melle,

  With poyntalis, or with stokis Sabellyne.

  Thar capitane, this ilke strang Aventyne,

  Walkis on fut, hys body wymplit in

  A felloun bustuus and gret lyon skyn,

  Terribill and roucht, with taty lokkyrrand haris;

  The quhite tuskis, the hed and clowis thar is:

  And on sik wyss, grym and awfull to se,

  Within the kingis gret palyce entris he,

  Our his schuldris hyngand, as said is plane,

  His faderis talbart cote Herculeane.

  Twa brederyng to this batale bownys syne,

  Furth of the wallit cite Tiburtyne,

  Ledyng thai pepill namyt, ane and other,

  Fra Tiburtus, that was thar eldar brother;

  And thai war clepit, the tane Catillus,

  And tother Coras, strang and curageus,

  Stowt yng men, Grekis born of Arge bath twane.

  Befor the formast ostis in the plane

  Amyd a buss of speris in raid thai,

  Generit of the clowd lyke to Centaures tway,

  Quhen, fra the montane top of Homolane,

  Or snawy Otryn hill, downe to the plane,

  With felloun fard and swift curss he and he

  Can do discend, levand the holtis hie;

  The large wod makis placis to thar went,

  Buskis withdrawys, and branchis al to rent

  Gan rattillyng and resound of thar deray,

  To red thar renk, and romys thame the way.

  Nor Ceculus was not absent, trast me,

  The foundar of the cite Prene
ste,

  Quham all eyldis reputis and schawis ws

  Engendrit was by the god Vlcanus,

  And by the fyre syd fund, a yng fundlyng,

  Our landwart bestis syne wolx lord and kyng.

  A hail legioun in a rowt followis hym

  Of wild wod men, quhilk doys thir catel ym;

  All thai pepill on breid, baith he and he,

  That inhabitis the heich tovn Preneste,

  And thai that occupyit the feildis alsso

  Of Gabyne, quhilkis ar dedicat to Iuno;

  And thai that duellis langis the chil ryver

  Of Anyene, and thai alsso infeir

  Amang the dewy strandis and craggis remanys

  Of Hernyca, in the Sabyne montanys;

  And thai alsso that bred and fosterit be

  In boundis of rich Anagnya cite;

  And eik thai pepill dwelling fair and bene

  In Champane, on the flude Amasene.

  Amangis al thir pepill na brycht armyng

  Mycht thou heir sovnd, nor scheild our schulder hyng,

  Or cartis clattir, bot of thame the maste part

  To schut or cast war perfite in the art,

  With leyd pellokis from engynys or staf slyng

  By dyntis bla thar famen doun to dyng;

  Sum dowbill dartis castyng in handis buyr,

  And for defens, to keip thar hedis suyr,

  A allow hat woir of a wolfis skyn,

  For thai waldbe lyght bodyn ay to ryn.

  Thar left fut and all that leg was bair;

  Ane rowch ryllyng of raw hide and of hair

  The tother fut coverit weil and knyt.

  Neptunus son list tho na langar syt,

  Hait Mesapus, bot bownys furth to gang;

  Dantar he was of stedis wild and strang,

  Quham na man with steil wapyn forgit brycht,

  Nor byrnand fyre, onto his ded mycht dycht.

  Now hastely in armys callys he

  The rowtis of hys pepill and mene,

  Quhilkis lang tofor dysvsit had the weir

  With curage dolf that idill lay thar geir;

  Thar swerdis now and burnyst glavys gray

  He maid thame furth bedraw and oft assay.

  With hym thai folk in falloschip led he

  That inhabitis Fascenyum the cite;

  And the iust pepill, clepit Falyscy;

  And thame that duellis in Saracte fast by,

  A strang cite, and hie situat,

  Onto the god Appollo dedicat;

  And thai that in Flavynya feildis dwell,

  Or that wonnys besyde the layk or well

  Of Cymynyk, vndre the montane bra,

  Or it amang the schawys of Capua —

  In gudly ordour went thai and array,

  And of thar kyng sang bellettis by the way.

  Syk wyss as sum tyme in the skyis hie

  Throw the moste ayr doys snaw quhite swannys fle,

  Quhen thai fra pastur or fedyng dois resort