Complete Works of Virgil

by Virgil

  The gallyart groym grunschis at grammys hym grevis,

  The fillok hyr deformyt fax wald haue a fair face,

  To mak hir maikles of hir man at myster myscheif is;

  The gudwif grulyng befor God gretis efter grace,

  The lard langis efter land to leif to his ayr;

  The preist for a personage,

  The seruand efter his wage,

  The thral tobe of thrillage,

  Langis ful sair.

  “The myllar mythis the multyr with a met skant,

  For droucht had drunkyn vp his dam in the dry eir;

  The cadgyar callis furth his capill with crakkis wail cant,

  Calland the colar a knafe and culron ful qweir;

  Sum schippart slais the lardis scheip and says he is a sanct,

  Sum grenys quhil the gyrss grow for his gray meir,

  Sum sparis nowder spiritual, spousyt wife nor ant,

  Sum sellis folkis sustynance, as God sendis the feir,

  Sum glasteris and thai gang at, and all for gait woll,

  Sum spendis on the ald vse,

  Sum makkis a tvme ruyss,

  Sum grenys efter a guse

  To fars his wame full.

  “The wrach walis and wryngis for this warldis wrak,

  The mukkyrrar murnys in his muyd the meill gaue na pryce,

  The pyrat pressys to peill the peddar hys pak,

  The hasartouris haldis thame heryt hant he nocht the dyce,

  The burgess byngis in hys boith, the brovne and the blak

  Byand bessely, and bane, buge, bevir and byce,

  Sum ledys langis on the land, for love or for lak,

  To sembyll with thar schaftis and set apon syss,

  The schipman schrenkis the schour and settis to schor,

  The hyne crynys the corn,

  The broustar the beir schorn,

  A fest the fedlar to morn

  Covatis full or.

  “The ralear raknys na wordis, bot ratlis furth ranys,

  Full rude and royt ressons baith roundalis and ryme;

  Swengeouris and scurryvagis, swankeis and swanys,

  Gevis na cur to cun craft, nor comptis for na cryme,

  With berdis as beggaris, thocht byg be thar banys,

  Na laubour list thai luk till, thar luffis ar byrd lyme;

  Get ane bysmer a barn, than all hir blyss gane is,

  Scho will nocht wirk thocht scho want, bot wastis hir tyme

  In thiggyn, as it thrift war, and other vayn thewis,

  And slepis quhen scho suld spyn,

  With na will the warld to wyn;

  This cuntre is full of Caymis kyn,

  And sik schire schrewis.

  “Quhat wikkytnes, quhat wanthrift now in warld walkis!

  Baill hes banyst blythnes, bost gret brag blawys,

  Prattis ar reput polycy and peralus pawkis,

  Dignyte is laid dovn, darth to the dur drawis.

  Of tratlys and tragedyis the text of all talk is:

  Lordis ar left landles be onleill lawys,

  Burgessis bryngis hame the bothe to breid in thar bawkis,

  Knychtis ar kowhubeis and commonys plukkyt crawis,

  Clerkis for oncunnandnes mysknawis ilk wight,

  Wifis wald haue all thar will,

  Enewch is nocht halff fyll,

  Is nowder resson nor skill

  In erd haldin rycht.

  “Sum latyt latton, but lay, lepys in lawyd lyt,

  Sum penys furth a pan boddum to prent falss plakkis;

  Sum gowkis quhill the glass pyg grow full of gold it,

  Throu cury of the quynt essens, thocht clay muggis crakkis;

  Sum wernour for this warldis wrak wendis by hys wyt;

  Sum crachour crynys the cune, and kepys corn stakkis;

  Sum prygpenny, sum pyke thank with prevy promyt,

  Sum iarris with a ied staf to iag throu blak iakkis.

  Quhat feneit fair, quhat flattry and quhat fals talys!

  Quhat mysery is now in land!

  Quhou mony crakkyt cunnand!

  For nowther athis, nor band,

  Nor selis avalis.

  “Prestis, suldbe patterraris and for the pepill pray,

  Tobe papis of patermon and prelaceis pretendis;

  Ten tendis ar a trump, bot gif he tak ma

  Ane kynryk of parroch kyrkis cuppillit with commendis!

  Quha ar wyrkaris of this weir, quha walkynnaris of wa,

  Bot incompetabill clergy, that Cristyndome offendis?

  Quha revis, quha ar ryotus, quha rakles, bot tha?

  Quha quellys the puyr commonys bot kyrkmen, weil kend is?

  Thar is na stait of thar stile that standis content,

  Knycht, clerk, nor common,

  Burgess, nor barroun —

  All wald haue vp that is dovn,

  Weltrit the went.”

  And as this leyd at the last lyggand me seys,

  With a luke onlufsum he lent me sic wordis:

  “Quhat bern be thou in bed, with hed full of beys,

  Grathit lyke sum gnappar, and, as thi greis gurdis,

  Lurkand lyke a longeour?” Quod I: “Lovn, thou leys.

  Ha, wald thou feght?” Quod the freik: “We haue bot few swordis.

  Thar is sic haist in thi hed, I hope thou wald neyss,

  That brawlys thus with thi bost quhen bernys with the bourdis.”

  Quod I: “Churle, ga chat the, and chyde with ane other.”

  “Move the nocht,” said he than,

  “Gyf thou be a gentill man,

  Or ony curtasy can,

  Myne awyn leif brother.

  “I spek to the into sport; spell me this thyng,

  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.

  To me is myrk myrrour ilk mannys menyng;

  Sum waldbe cowrt man, sum clerk and sum a cachkow,

  Sum knycht and sum capitane, sum Caser, sum kyng,

  Sum wald haue welth at thar will, and sum thar wame fow,

  Sum langis for the luffyr ill to lyk of a quart,

  Sum for thar bontay or boyn,

  Sum to se the new moyn —

  I lang to haue our buke done,

  I tell the my part.”

  “Thy buke is bot brybry,” said the bern than,

  “Bot I sal leir the lesson to lyss all thi pane.”

  With that he racht me a roll: to reid I began

  The roytast ane ragment with mony rat rane,

  Of all the mowys in this mold sen God merkyt man —

  The moving of the mapamond, and how the moyn schane,

  The Pleuch, and the polys, the planettis began,

  The son, the Sevyn Starnys, and the Charl Wayn,

  The Elwand, the elementis, and Arthurus Hufe,

  The Horn and the Hand Staf,

  Prater Iohne and Port Iaf,

  Quhy the corn hes the caf,

  And kow weris clufe.

  “Thys romans ar bot rydlys,” quod I to that ray,

  “Leyd, lern me ane other lesson, this I ne like.”

  “I persaue, schir parson, thi purposs perfay,”

  Quod he, and drew me doun dern in dolf by a dyke,

  Had me hard be the hand quhar a hurd lay,

  Than prevely the pennyss begouth vp to pike —

  Bot, quhen I walknyt, all that welth was wiskyt away,

  I fand nocht in all that feild, in faith, a be byke;

  For as I grunschit at this grome and glifnyt abowt,

  I grapyt graithly the gyll,

  Every modywarp hyll,

  Bot I mycht pyke thar my fyll

  Or penny come owt.

  Than wolx I teyn at I tuke to sic trufis tent,

  For swevynnys ar for swengeouris that slummyrris nocht weill;

  Mony mervellus mater nevir merkit nor ment

  Will seggis se in thar sle
ip, and sentens but seill:

  War all sic sawys suythfast, with schame we war schent.

  Thys was bot faynt fantasy, in faith, that I feill,

  Nevir word of verite, bot all in waist went,

  Throw roytnes and ravyng, that maid myne eyn reill,

  Thus lysnyt I, as losanger, syk lewydnes to luke;

  Bot, quhen I saw nane other bute,

  I sprent spedely on fute,

  And vndre a tre rute

  Begouth this aucht buke.

  Heir endis the proloug of the vii buke of Eneados and begynnys the aucht buke of the sammyn

  Quhou Tiberinus, god of the ryver,

  Till Eneas in visioun gan appeir.

  As thys convyne and ordinance was maid

  Of Latyum throw owt the boundis braid,

  Quhilk, euery poynt, this Troiane lord onon,

  Cummyn of the howss of Kyng Laomedon,

  In hevy curis flowand all on flocht,

  Avysys weill, how all this thing was wrocht,

  And hastely in mynd on euery sydis

  Now for this purposs, now for that, providis,

  Now heir, now thar, ryvest in syndry partis,

  And sersys, turnand to and fra all artis —

  Lyke as the radyus sonnys bemys brycht,

  Or than the glymerand monys schaddo lycht,

  Reflexit from the brasyn veschell, we se,

  Fillyt with watir to the cirkyll on hie,

  Our all the howss reboundis and doys spreid

  Schynand, and sersys euery sted on breid,

  Quhil in the ayr vpgoys the twynkland lycht,

  Glitterand on euery spar and ruf on hyght.

  The nycht come, and al thing levand sessit;

  Wery of wark baith byrd and brutal best

  Our all the landis war at rest ilkane,

  The profund swouch of sleip had thame ourtane;

  Quhen this ilk prince, Eneas, all on flocht,

  With mynd sowpyt in cuyr and hevy thocht,

  And for this sorofull batale richt onglaid,

  Apon the ryver bank hym self dovn laid

  Vndre the cald firmament for the nanys,

  And gave schort rest onto his wery banys.

  Quham to the god of that sted dyd appeir,

  Tyberynus, furth of the still ryver,

  Amyd the branchis of the popill treys,

  As agyt man semyng hym self vpheis;

  A lene watry garmond dyd hym vaill,

  Of cullour fawch, schaip lyke a hempyn saill,

  And leiffy redis dekkis weill hys haris.

  To meyss Eneas thochtis and hys sarys,

  Thus he begouth to speke, and sayd, but dyn:

  “O gentill get, cummyn of hie goddis kyn,

  Quhilk from thy fays to ws with mekill ioy

  Hes hyddir brocht the gret cite of Troy,

  And Pergama, the Troiane wallys wight,

  Eternaly conservis throu thy myght;

  Desyrit maist of lang tyme, now welcum

  Onto the grond and soill of Lawrentum,

  And all the feildis eik of Latyn land.

  Heir is thy sikkir duellyng place at hand,

  Ane sovir ferm habitatioun for ay;

  Withdraw the not fra hyne, pass nocht away,

  Nor dreid na thing the bost of this batell.

  The rancour all of goddis, I the tell,

  And boldynnand wreth, appesyt ar almaste.

  And so thow weyn not at my wordis be waist,

  Nor feneit dremys do to the appeir,

  Vndyr sawch treis by thir bankis neir

  Onon thou sall do fynd a mekill swyne,

  With thretty hed ferreyt of grysys fyne,

  Of cullour quhite, thar lugyng on the grond,

  Hyr quhite brodmell abowt hyr pappis wond.

  That is the place to set vp thy cite,

  Quhilk of our laubour sovir rest salbe;

  Quhar that, as thretty heris byrun and gane is,

  Ascanyus sal do beld of lyme and stanys

  The cite hait fair Alba of delyte,

  Berand hys name fra the fair cullour quhite.

  Thus I declar the nane oncertane thing,

  But verray suythfast takynnys and warnyng.

  Now harkis bot a litill, I the pray,

  I sall the lern in quhat wordis, quhat way

  Thow may cum speid, and haue the haill ourhand

  Twichand this instant mater now at hand.

  Thar bene pepill of Arcad from the ryng

  Cummyn in this land, discend of Pallas kyng,

  Quhilk, with Evandir kyng in cumpany,

  Followand the syngnys schaw, hess fast heir by

  Chosyn a sted and beldit a cite

  Amang the knollis round or motis hie,

  Efter thar forfader of nobill fame,

  Pallas, clepyt Pallanteum to name.

  Contynualy thir folkis euery eir

  Agane the Latyn pepyll ledis weir;

  Adione to thir thyne ost in falloschip,

  Do mak with thame a lyge, and bynd frendschip.

  I sall my self convoy the the rycht way

  Betwix thir brays vp the fludis gray,

  So that agane the streme, throu help of me,

  By ayris rowth thydder careit sall thou be.

  Haue done, get vp, thou son of the goddess;

  First as the starris declynys, the address,

  I meyn into the dawyng rycht ayrly,

  Dewly to Iuno se thou sacryfy,

  Hyr wreth and all sik mannans to ourset

  With devoyt supplications maid of det:

  And, quhen thou has optenyt victory,

  To me thou sall do wirschip by and by.

  I am God Tybris, watry hewyt and haw,

  Quhilk, as thou seys, with mony iawp and iaw

  Bettis thir brays, schawyng the bankis dovn,

  And with full flude flowand fra tovn to tovn,

  Throw fertill feildis scheryng thar and heir,

  Vnder the lift the maste gentill ryver.

  Heir is myne habitatioun huge grete,

  Of mychty citeis cheif and souerane sete.”

  This beand sayd, this ilk god of the flude

  Vnder the deip can dowk dovn quhar he stude,

  And socht onto the watir grond onone,

  So darnly hyd nane wist quhar he was gone.

  The sow with grysis, as Tiberinus said,

  Eneas fand, and sacrifice hass maid.

  The nycht fled, and the sleip left Ene.

  On fut he startis, and onon can he se

  Furth of the orient in the brycht mornyng

  The sonnys hevynly bemys newly spryng,

  And in the holl lufis of his hand quhar he stude

  Dewly the water hynt he fra the flude,

  Syne to the hevyn thus wyss his prayeris maid:

  “O nymphys all of fludis blith and glaid,

  And O e haly nymphys of Lawrentum land,

  Quham fra this fresch ryveris, and euery strand

  That flowys rynnyng as we se sa cleir,

  Hess thar begynnyng furth of sowrssys seir;

  And O thou haly fader Tiberyne,

  With Tybris eyk, thy blissyt flude dyvyne,

  Ressaue Eneas to ow onbekend,

  And now at last from all perrellys defend.

  And, gif thou takis rewth of our gret skathis,

  Heir I awow and promittis with aithys,

  Quhar evir thy lowch or fontane may be fund,

  Quhar evyr so thy spryng is, in quhat grund,

  O flud mast plesand, the sall I our all quhar

  Hallow with honorabill offerandis euermar.

  Hornyt ryver, ryngand as lord and kyng

  Our all the fludis in to Itall ryng,

  Be in our help, now at last, I requer;

  Eftyr sa feill dangeris and perellis seir,

  Conferm thy promys and orakill in hy.”

  Quhen this was said, furth of all his navy

  Twa galeis dyd he cheiss the ilk tyd,r />
  With dowbill raw of ayris on athir syde,

  And for the rowyng weil grathit thaim hess he,

  Syne for the weir instrukkit his mene.

  Bot lo, in haist befor hys eyn he saw

  A mervalus and wondrus thyng to knaw —

  A mylk quhite sow within the woddis lay

  Apon the grene watris bank in hys way,

  With hir lyttar new ferreit in that sted,

  All of a cullour, grysys thretty hed,

  Quham the devoyt Eneas on hys gyss

  Onto the, gretast Iuno, in sacryfyss

  Brytnys, and, with hyr flok and followaris,

  Hes set and offerit vp on thy altaris.

  Tybyr his swelland fludis all that nycht,

  Quhow lang at evir it was quhil days lycht,

  Stabillys and cawmys at hys awin will;

  The streme bakwartis vpflowys soft and still;

  On syk wyss mesand his watir, that he

  Ane standand stank semyt for tobe,

  Or than a smoith puyl, or dub lovn and fair,

  So that the ayris mycht fyndyn na contrar.

  Tharfor Eneas can hys tyme aspy,

  And hastis on hys vayage bissely;

  With prosper curss and sobyr quhisperyng

  The pikkyt bargis of fyr fast can thryng,

  And slydis throw the schaldis stil and cleir;

  The watir ferleys of thar fard and beir;

  The forest, nocht accustummyt to se

  Sik thingis, wondris quhat at this mycht be,

  As to behald schynand scheldis on far

  On mennys schuldris ay cummand nar and nar,

  The pantit carvellis fletyng throu the flude.

  Baith nycht and day ilk man, as thai war wod,

  Can spend in rowth with irksum lauboryng,

  The lang stremys and welys rovnd sworlyng

  Our slydyng fast vpwartis the ryver,

  Hyd and ourheldit with mony treys seir;

  Endlang the still fludis calm and beyn

  Thai seik and schar throu owt the woddis greyn.

  Quhou Eneas with Kyng Evander met,

  And bandis of kyndnes hass betwix thame knet.

  The fyry son be this ascendit evin

  The myddill ward and regioun of the hevyn;

  That is to knaw, be than it was myd day,

  Quhen that on far the cite wallis se thai,

  With towris and the howss hedis on raw

  Skatterit disperss, and bot a few to knaw;

  Quhilk now the mychty power of Rome tovn

  Hes onto hevyn maid equal of renovn.

  The kyng Evander, of moblys nocht mychty,

  Held for that tyme bot sobyr seneory.

  In haist thyddir thar stevynnys can do steir

  Eneas sort, and to the tovn drew neyr.

  Thys Kyng Evander, born was of Arcad,

  Percace the self day a gret honour mayd,

  Solempnyt fest, and full hie sacryfyss,