Complete Works of Virgil

by Virgil

Quhat god hess to hym grantyt sik frelage?

  Bot for thy saik, quhen fully thar vayage

  Thai haue compleyt, and at costis of Itale

  Arryvit ar, and in tha portis set sail,

  And thar duke Troiane careit our the see

  To boundis of Lawrentum, that cuntre,

  Alsmony of thame as than hess eschaipe

  The wally fludis sall I turn and schaip

  Furth of thar mortale formys corruptabill,

  And sall command thame fortobe mair habill

  From thens forthwart, as immortale,” quod he,

  “In nymphes turnyt and goddessys of see,

  Lyke as Nereus douchter, Clotho gay,

  And Galathea, throw fomy fludis gray

  Scheryng with braid brestis delytabill,”

  Quod Iupiter, and till hald ferm and stabill,

  Be Stix the flude, Pluto hys broderis see,

  Hys godly aith and promyss sworn hes he;

  Be that ilk pykky laik with brays blak,

  And laithly sworlys, till kepe at he spak

  He dyd afferm hys hecht, and in takynnyng

  The hevynnys all maid trymmyll at hys likyng.

  Tharfor the day that he by promys set

  Is now at hand, and the ful tyme of det

  By the werd sisteris schaip is now compleit,

  Quhen Turnus thus in hys iniuryus heit

  Admonyst hess hys pepill and commandis,

  With dry schydis and with hait fyre brandis,

  The moder of goddis by sik flambys fell

  Furth of hir hallowyt schippis to expell.

  At this tyme first apperis in hir syght

  A new takynnyng of gret plesand lycht,

  And a braid schynand clowd thai dyd aspy

  Cum from the est, rynnand our all the sky;

  The rowtis eik onone thai gan behald

  Of Ideanys, tha wightis that in the hald

  Ar of the moder of the goddis closs;

  Dovn throu the air eik come a feirful voce,

  And fillit all the ostis baith atanys

  Of Troiane pepill and Rutulianys,

  Sayand: “Troianys, dreid na thing, haist ou nocht

  Fortill defend my schippis, albeit e mocht,

  For that causs tak na wapynnys in our handis,

  For rather, now as that the mater standis,

  Sal it be lefull Turnus fyre the see,

  Or that he byrn my bargis maid of tre.

  O e my schippys, now to ou I say,

  Go fre at large quhar ou list away,

  Go furth and swym as goddessis of the see;

  The moder of goddis commandis so tobe.”

  And, wyth that word, als tyte furth from the bra

  Ilk barge bownys, cuttand hir cabyll in twa,

  Lyke delphyn fysch onon as thai tuke kepe,

  Thar snowtis dowkand held vnder the deip.

  Syne from the grond, a wonder thing to say,

  With als feill virgyne facis vpsprang thai,

  And throu the fludis, quhar thame list, dyd fair,

  Quhou mony steill stammyt bargis that ayr

  Stude by the costis syde, or thai war fyryt.

  Rutylianys wolx affrayit with myndis myryt;

  Mesapus musyng can withdraw on dreich,

  Seand hys stedis and the horssis skeich;

  And eik the ryver brayt with hayss sovnd,

  Quhill Tyberinus bakwartis dyd rebound,

  As thocht hyss curss dyd stop and step abak.

  Bot netheless, for all the feir thai mak,

  The hie curage and forcy hardyment

  Baid onamovyt in Turnus stowt entent,

  So that baldly with hardy wordis on hie

  Thar spretis rasyt, and rycht fersly he

  Can thame repreve, that tuk for nocht affray.

  “Thir monstruus takynnys at e se, perfay,

  Sekis myscheif to the Troianys,” said he,

  “And by this way gret Iupiter, as e se,

  Hess now byreft thar help and confidens,

  Quharby thai wont war to fle for defens.

  Now nowder Rutyliane fyre nor swerdis dynt

  May thai withstand, for all thar fors is tynt.

  Sen that thai may not eschape by the see,

  Nor hess na maner hope away to fle,

  The maist half of the Troiane help is lost;

  This land is in our power, feld and cost;

  So that thai sal na wyss eschape our brandis,

  Quhou mony thousand douchty men of handis

  Ar heir assemblyt, all Italyanys.

  I compt na thing all thocht on fant Troianys

  Rakkyn thar fatis that thame hydder brocht;

  All syk vayn ruyss I feir as thing of nocht,

  In cace thai prowd be of the goddis answeris,

  And thame avant tharof with felloun feris.

  It may weill suffyss, and eneuch, I wyss,

  Baith to thar fatis and Venus grantit is,

  That evir thir Troianys in this cost fast by

  Hes anys twichit the bowndis of Italy.

  My werdis eik and fatale destane

  Be the contrar is grantit onto me,

  Thys cursyt pepill tobet down with my glave,

  For my deir spouss, quham byreft me thai have:

  Nor this ennoy alanerly twichis nocht

  The twa Atrydes, that Troy to rewyne brocht

  (I meyn the principal chiftanys, breder twa,

  That is to knaw, Agamennon and Menelay);

  Nor it allane this causs to armys steris

  The pepill of Myce to move batale and weris;

  Bot principaly this querrell myne I knaw.

  Gif it had bene eneuch, as that thai schaw,

  At thai bot anys distroyit aucht tobe,

  It war enewch and mycht suffyss, think me,

  That thai haue faltit anys lang tyme befor.

  Quhy dowbill thai thar trespass mor and mor?

  All thocht that wemen brocht thame to foly,

  yt hait thai not wemen aluterly.

  Quhat meyn thai be this myddill mantill wall,

  This litill stop of dykis and fowseis all?

  Weyn thai this be a strenth that may thame save?

  Thar lyfe is now in iuperte, thai raif,

  Full neir thar ded thai stand: all man may knaw

  Quhidder gif the wight wallys of Troy thai saw,

  Belt by the hand of Neptunus, that syre,

  Rent and bet down, and all the town in fyre.

  Bot O e walyt knychtis of renown,

  Quham I behald with pykkis brekand dovn

  on forteress, and now present with me

  Assaleand this affrayt strenth we se;

  Ws nedis not Wlcanus armour heir

  Aganys thir maste fant Troianys in our weir,

  Nor it we mystir not a thousand schippis.

  All thocht hail Tuscany in to falloschippis

  With thame adione, and cum on euery syde,

  Lat thame nocht dreid that we, be nyghtis tyde,

  Sall thyftuusly Palladium steill away,

  Nor sla thar wachis slepand; na perfay,

  Dern in ane horssis belly large or wyde,

  Thame to dissave, we sall ws neuer hyde,

  For we determyt haue by forss in fyght,

  In plane batale, and on days lyght,

  With fyre and swerd on wallys ombeset.

  So dowchtely we schape to do our det,

  That thai sall not beleif weir vndertane

  Agane Grekis, nor pepill Pelasgane,

  Quhilkis in thar weris previt sa spreitless men

  That Hector thame delayt eris ten.

  Now, chosyn men and walyt weriouris,

  Sen the maist part of this days howris

  Is gane,” said he, “I hald it for the best

  Eftir this gud iournay e tak ou rest;

  Do eyss our bodeis and our horss quhil day,

  Bot hald ou reddy for the batale ay.

  In the meyn tyme, of the
nycht wach the cur

  We geif Mesapus, the ettis to discur

  And forto beit brycht fyris abowt the wallys.”

  Twyss sevin Rutilianys for al chance befallys

  Was chosyn with knychtis forto wach the town;

  Ilkane ane hundreth fallowys reddy bown

  Of oung gallandis, with purpour crestis red;

  Thar giltyn geir maid glitteryng euery sted

  Quhar so thai walk and romys still and soft.

  Thai stalk about, and wardis changis oft,

  And sum tyme, on the greyn herbys down set,

  Thai byrll the wyne, and ilk man dyd hys det

  Fortil ourturn goblettis of mettell bryght.

  The schynand fyris our al the land kest lycht;

  And all the fornycht thir wachis sikkyn way,

  But sleip, dyd spend in revale, gam and play.

  Heir Nysus carpis to his frend Eurilly

  Till vndyrtak ane aventur onsilly.

  The Troianys, from thar forttress quhar thai stude

  All thar deray beheld and vnderstude,

  And baith with armour and with wapynnys brycht

  The towr hedys thai stuffyt all that nyght,

  And feill tymys in hasty effeir for dreid

  The portis vissy thai, gyf ocht war neid,

  And draw briggis befor the ettis vprasyt,

  Iunct to the wallys, at thai suld nocht be trasyt;

  And euery man stud reddy in hys geir

  Enarmyt weill, and in his hand a speir.

  Mnestheus stern and eik Serestus stowt

  Ful bissy war to walk and go abowt,

  Tyll ordinance forto put every thing,

  For thame Eneas at his departyng

  Had deput rewlaris to hys ong son deir,

  And master capitanys of hys ost in weir,

  Gyf so betyd ony aduersyte

  Or aventour befor hys returne.

  Ane haill legioun about the wallis large

  Stude wachyng, bodyn with bow, speir and targe;

  The danger was by cuttys sone decyde,

  At euery corner quha, or quha, suld byde,

  And euery man his curss abowt dyd sleip,

  Quhill that his fallow had his ward to keip.

  Nisus, Hirtacus son, that tyme was set,

  As for hys stand, to byde and kepe the et,

  As he that was in armys bald and stowt,

  Ane the maist valeant intill all that rowt,

  Quham Ida hys moder, ane huntryce,

  In falloschip send with Ene ful wyss;

  To cast dartis nane sa expert as he,

  Nor forto schoyt swyft arrowys half sa sle.

  Euryalus, hys fallow, stude hym by,

  Of all Eneas ost nane mair gudly,

  Nor it mar semly cled in Troiane armys,

  Stowt, of hie curage, dredand for na harmys;

  Hys florist outh ravest hys vissage yng,

  it nevir schavyn, with pilis newly spryng.

  To thir twa was a will in vnyte,

  A lust, and mynd in vniformyte;

  Sammyn thai eid to mete, to rest or play,

  And baith togidder in batale ruschit thai;

  Now sammyn eik thai war in statioun set,

  As baith in feir to kepe the common et.

  Nisus thus spekis: “O brothir myne Ewrylly,

  Quhiddir gif the goddis, or sum spretis sylly,

  Movys in our myndis this ardent thochtfull fyre,

  Or gif that euery manis schrewit desyre

  Be as his god and genyus in that place,

  I wait nevir how it standis; bot this lang space

  My mynd movys to me, heir as I stand,

  Batale or sum gret thyng to tak on hand.

  I knaw not to quhat purposs is it drest,

  Bot be na way may I tak eyss nor rest.

  Behaldis thou not so surly, but affray,

  on Rutylianys thame haldis glaid and gay?

  Thar fyris now begynnys schyne full schire,

  Sowpyt in wyne and sleip baith man and syre

  At quyet lugyng ondyr at thar will;

  Queym silens haldis the large feildis still.

  Considir this profundly, I the pray,

  Quhat suld I dreid, quhat thynkis thou, now say.

  Baith common pepill and the heris bald

  To bryng agane Eneas ful fane thai wald;

  Langyng ful sair efter hys hame cummyng,

  And of hys mynd to haue sur wrytyng,

  Thai all desyre sum attentik men be send.

  Gyf, as I wald, thou had licens to wend,

  Sen weill I knaw thy famus nobill dedis,

  In sik a cace, me think, na ma thar nedis,

  Vndre on moyte the way fund weill I se

  To hald onto the wallys of Pallante.”

  Ewrialus, smyte with hie fervent desyre

  Of new renown, quhilk brynt hym hait as fyre,

  And half eschamyt of this bodword glaid,

  Thus til hys best belovyt fallow said:

  “Nisus broder, in souerane actis hie,

  For ony causs, quhou may thou refuss me

  With the to go in falloschip as feir?

  Suld I the send allane in sik danger?

  My fader, Opheltes, the quhilk all hys days

  The weris hantit, nevir apon that ways

  Instrukkit me, nor tawcht sik cowardy.

  Was I not lernyt to hant chevalry

  Amyd the Grekis brag, and Troiane weris?

  Haue I me born with the, at thou afferis

  Off my curage? The maist douchty Enee,

  And of fortoun to the last extremyte,

  Haue I not followyt, refusand na pyne?

  Heir is, heir is, within this corps of myne,

  A forcy spreit that doith this life dispyss,

  Quhilk reputtis fair to wissyll, apon sik wyss,

  With this honour thou thus pretendis to wyn,

  This mortale stait and life that we bene in.”

  Nisus ansueris: “Forsuyth, my broder dyng,

  Of the, God wait, it dred I nevir sic thing,

  For so to think in faith onlefull wer.

  So hail and feir mot salf me Iupiter,

  And bryng me sowund agane with victory,

  As euer it sic consait of the had I.

  To wytnes draw I that ilk god,” quod he,

  “With frendly eyn quhilk dois ws heir and se,

  And in my mynd first movit this consait.

  Bot gif that so betyde, as weill e wait

  In sic aventouris thar bene dangeris seir,

  Be hard fortoun or aventour of weir,

  Or goddys dispositioun happin it fall,

  My will was the to salue fra perrellis all:

  Thy florist outh is mair worthy to leif

  Than forto put in danger of myscheif.

  I wald alsso at hame sum frend haue had

  That gif at I war takyn and hard stad,

  Or fra me reft the lyfe, and sa with hald,

  Quhilk my body or banys ranson wald,

  And lay in grave eftir our Troiane gyss;

  Or, gyf fortoun wald suffir on na wyss

  My body mycht be brocht to beriall,

  Than to hys frend the seruyce funeral

  With obsequeis to do for corps absent,

  And in my memor vp a tumbe to stent.

  Ne wald I not alsso that I suld be

  Causs or occasioun of sic duyll,” quod he,

  “To thy maist reuthfull mother, trast and kynd,

  Quhilk anerly of hir maist tender mynd,

  From all the other matronys of our rowt,

  Hess followyt the, hir luffyt child, abowt,

  Ne for thy saik refusyt not the see

  And gave na forss of Acestes cite.”

  The tother tho hym ansuerit sone agane:

  “My frend, for nocht thou says sik wordis vane,

  Ingirand cacis ar of nane effek;

  My first entent I list not change nor brek.

  Haist w
s,” quod he, and tharwithall baith twa

  The nixt wach thai walknyt quhar thai lay,

  Quhilk gat on fut and to thar rowmys went.

  Eurialus, to fulfill hys entent,

  With Nysus furth can hald hys way onon,

  And to the prynce Ascanyus ar gone.

  Quhou at the consal the fornamyt two

  Ontill Eneas purchest leif to go.

  Apon the erth the othir bestis all,

  Thar bissy thochtis sessyng, gret and small,

  Ful sownd on sleip dyd cawcht thar rest be kynd,

  All irksum laubour foret owt of mynd;

  Bot the cheif ledaris of the Troiane rowt,

  And flowr of fensabill yng men stern and stowt,

  In the meyn tyme sat at wyss consell

  For common weill and materis hie befell,

  Consideryng wisly quhat ado thar was,

  Or quha suld message beir to Eneas;

  Amyddis thar tentis, in feild quhar thai stand,

  With scheildis schrowd, apon thar speris lenand.

  Tho Nysus and Eurialus, baith twane

  Glaid of this cast, seand thair tyme maste gane,

  Besocht thai mycht be admittit to say

  A gret mater of weght, quhais delay

  Mycht harm gret deill, and eik be thar avyss

  Thar erand was worth audiens and of price.

  Ascanyus first, seand thar hasty way,

  Admittit thar desire, and bad thame say.

  Than this Nisus, Hirtacus son, thus said:

  “Gentill Troianys, with equal myndis glaid

  Ressaue my wordis, for this thing,” quod he,

  “Quhilk I ow tell may nocht considerit be

  With sik as ws, nor men sa ong of heris,

  Bot to our wisdomys till avyss efferis.

  The Rutilianys, ourset with sleip and wyne,

  Lyggis sowpit, fordoverit, drunk as swyne:

  To set apon thame, and await with skaith,

  The place surly we haue espyit baith,

  Quhilk reddy may ful esely be get

  In ondir forkyt way, strekis fra the et

  Down to the seys cost the nerrest went,

  Quhar the fyris fast faleis, neir owt brynt,

  So that the blak reik dyrknyss all the air.

  Gif that e suffir wald, as I said ayr,

  That we mycht vse this oportunyte

  Quhilk fortoun hass ws grant, sone suld e se

  Eneas socht by ws at Pallantyne,

  And hyddir brocht in schort quhile efter syne,

  With ryche spule, and mekill slauchter maid.

  We knaw the way thidder full weill,” he said,

  “And all the watyr of Tibyr vp and down;

  In dyrk valeys oft we saw the town,

  As we by custum oft the huntyng hantit.”

  Agit Alethes, that na wisdome wantit,

  Bot baith was rype in consale and in heris,

  Onto thir wordis digestly maid ansueris:

  “O kyndly goddis of our natyve landis,