Complete Works of Virgil

by Virgil

As spark of gleid wald in the sey remane.

  Bot Lycus, spedyar far on fut than he,

  Throw owt the ostis and armyt men can fle,

  And to the wallys wan, and vp on hyght

  Enforcis hym to clym with all hys mycht

  And forto grip sum of hys feris handis;

  Quham Turnus, lanssand lychtly our the landis,

  With speir in hand persewys forto spill,

  And quhen he hess ourtane him at his will,

  Thus dyd hym chyde: “O catyve wytless knaip,

  Quhat, wenyt thou our handis to eschaip?”

  And tharwith drew hym doun, quhar he dyd hyng,

  And of the wal a gret part with hym bryng —

  Lyke as the egill, Iovis squyer, straucht

  Within hys bowand clukis had vp clawcht

  A ong cygnet, or quhit swan, or a hair,

  Tharwith resursyng heich vp in the ayr;

  Or as a ravanus bludy wolf throu slycht

  Hyntis in hys gowl, furth of the fald be nycht,

  The litill tendyr kyd, or the ong lam,

  With feill bletingis socht by the gait, hir dame.

  Rutilianys for ioy than rasyt a schowt,

  And fast invadys the cite all abowt;

  With hepys of erd the fowsy do thai fyll;

  Sum otheris presyt with schydis and mony a syl

  The fyre blesys abowt the ruf to slyng.

  Bot Ilioneus that tyme dyd doun dyng

  With a gret quhyn, or roch of cragy stone,

  Ane Lucetyus, and brak hys nek bone,

  As that he dyd approche towartis the et,

  The hait flammys of fyre tharin to set.

  Liger a Troiane from the wall also

  Doun bet a Rutiliane hait Emathio.

  A Phrigiane eik, Asylas, stern and stowt,

  All tofruschit Choryneus withowt,

  Quhilk was in dartis castyng wonder sle;

  On far to schute scharp flanys and lat fle

  Nane mar expert than this Emathio.

  Ceneus ourquhelmyt Ortygius also;

  And this Ceneus, quhilk than gat the mastry,

  Belyve Turnus with a dart ded gart ly;

  And down dyngis alsso this ilk Turnus

  Ithis, Clonyus, and eik Dioxippus,

  Promulus als, and bustuus Sagaras,

  And syne the huge byg Troiane, hait Idas,

  Standand forto defend the towris hie.

  Capys, a Troiane, bet doun Pryverne,

  Quham Themyllas with a scharp casting dart

  Had newly hurt and wondyt in sum part;

  And he hys hand plat to the wound in hy,

  Hys scheild besyde hym swakkand fulychly,

  So that the fedderit arrow furth dyd glyde,

  And nalyt hys hand plat to the left syde;

  The schaft and hed remanyt in hys cost,

  Be dedly wound the lyfe thus hes he lost.

  Arcens, Arcentis son, stude on the wall,

  In brycht armour ful semly schynand all,

  Hys mantill of the purpour Iberyne,

  With nedill wark brusyt rych and fyne,

  Of vissage was he plesand forto se;

  Hys fader Arcens send him with Enee;

  Fostyrrit he was and vpbrocht tendirly

  Within hys moderis hallowyt schaw, fast by

  The flude Symethus into Sycill land,

  Quhar as the plentuus fat altar dyd stand

  Of the placabill goddis, Palycy hecht.

  Ane gret staf slung byrrand with felloun weght

  Hynt Meentius, hys scheild syne by hym lays,

  The stryngis thryss abowt hys hed assays,

  And this ilk Arcens standyng hym forgane

  Hes smertly with a ledyn pellok slane;

  Hys harn pan and forhed al to claif,

  Quhil at the led in sondir brak and raif,

  That he ourtumlys speldit on the sand.

  Thus gret slauchtir was maid fra hand to hand.

  Heir yng Ascanyus the strang Numanus slew,

  Quhill wordis owtragyus to the Troianys schew.

  Ascanyus this ilk tyme, as is said,

  That wont was with his schot bot to invaid

  The wild bestis, quhilkis cowth do not bot fle,

  First heir in bargane leyt swyft arrowys fle,

  And by hys handis slew strang Numanus,

  That was to surname clepit Remulus,

  Had laitly Turnus yngast systir wed,

  As for hys spowss, and brocht ontill hys bed.

  This ilk Numanus Remulus in that sted

  Befor the frontis of the batell eyd,

  Furth schawand mony diuerss sawys seir,

  Baith ganand and onganand forto heir,

  Rycht prowd and hely in his breist and hart

  That newlyngis of the kynrik was a part

  To him befall. His gret estait this wyss

  Woustand he schew with clamour and lowd cryis:

  “Aschame e nocht, Phrigyanys that twyss taik is,

  Tobe inclosyt amyd a fald of stakis,

  And be assegit agane sa oft syss

  With akyn spilis and dikis on sik wyss?

  Schame e not to prolong our lyvis?” said he.

  “Thir venquyst cowart wightis behald and se,

  That dar our spousage into batale craif!

  Quhat wild dotage so maid our hedis raif?

  Or quhat onthrifty god in sic foly

  Hes ou bywavit heir till Italy?

  Heir ar not the slaw weirmen Atrydes,

  Nor the fenear of fair speche Vlixes.

  Bot we, that bene a pepill derf and dour

  Cumyn of kynd, as keyn men in a stour,

  Our oung childring, the first tyme born thai ar,

  Onto the nixt rynnand flude we bair

  To hardyn thar bodeis and to mak thame bald

  With the chil frostis and the watyr cald.

  Our childir yng exercis bissely

  Huntyng with hundis, hornys, schowt and cry,

  Wild deir throw owt the woddis chaiss and mait.

  To dant and reyn the horssis ayr and layt,

  That is thar game and sport thai hant on raw,

  Or with thar bowys schute, or dartis thraw.

  Our ong spryngaldis may all laubouris endur,

  Content of litill fuyde, I ou assur,

  Of outh thai be accustumat tobe skant,

  The erd with plewch and harrowys forto dant,

  Or than in batal bettis citeis down.

  In euery age with irne graith ar we bown,

  And passand by the plewys, for gad wandis,

  Broddis the oxin with speris in our handis;

  Nor it the slaw nor febill onweldy age

  May waik our spreit, nor mynyss our curage,

  Nor of our strenth to altyr ocht or pair.

  The steill helmys we thrist on hedis hair;

  Best likis ws all tyme to rug and reif,

  To dryve away the spreth, and thar on leif.

  our pantit habittis dois of purpour schyne;

  our hartis lykis best, so I dyvyne,

  In idilness to rest abuf al thing,

  To tak our lust, and go in karellyng;

  our cotys hess traland slevys our our handis,

  our foly hattis trappouris and brasyng bandis.

  O verray Phrygiane wifis, dasyt wightis!

  To call ou men of Troy that on rycht is;

  e be onworthy to sa hie style to clame.

  On Dyndyma top go, and walk at hame,

  Quhar as the quhissill rendris soundis seir,

  With tympanys, tawbronys, e war wont to heir,

  And boss schawmys of turnyt buschboun tre

  That grew in Berecyntia montane hie,

  Onto the moder of Ida dedicat,

  Callys efter ou to danss, and nocht debait:

  eld ou to men, and leif al our armyng,

  Rendir our swerdis, and all wapynnys resyng.”

  Ascanyus yng, byrnand for proper teyn,

  Sa
gret owtrage of wordis mycht not sustene,

  Herand sa hie avant of pompus pryde,

  And sik dispyt blawyn owt apon hys syde.

  Hys bow with horss sennonys bend hes he,

  Tharin a takill set of sovir tre,

  And tasand vp his armys far in twyn,

  Thus onto Iove lawly dyd begyn

  To mak hys first petitioun and prayer:

  “Omnipotent hie Iupiter, me heir

  Assist to this hardy commancement.

  My self onto thy templis sal present

  Solempnyt gyftis, maste gudly may be get,

  And eik befor thyne altar sall I set

  A oung bullok of cullour quhite as snaw,

  With goldin schakaris hys forhed arrait on raw;

  The best salbe full tydy, tryg and wight,

  With hed equale till hys moder on hycht,

  Can all reddy with hornys fuyn and put,

  And scrape or skattyr the soft sand with his fut.”

  The fader of hevin exceppit hys prayer,

  And, on that part quhar the lift was maist cler,

  Towart the left hand maid a thundyrryng;

  All sammyn soundyt the dedly bowys stryng.

  Quhyrrand smertly furth flaw the takill tyte,

  Quyte throw the hed the Remulus dyd smyte;

  The grundyn steill outthrowch hys tympillys glaid.

  “Hald on thy ways in haist,” Ascanyus said,

  “Thy self to loif, knak now scornfully

  With prowd wordis all at standis by.

  Sik boydword heir the twyss takyn Troianys

  Sendis for hansell to Rutylianys.”

  Thus far spekis Ascanyus, and na mair.

  Bot the Troianys rasyt a scry in the ayr

  With rerd and clamour of blithnes, man and boy,

  That to the starnys thar curage sprang for ioy,

  Ascanyus extolland abuf the skyis.

  And, as thai mak this ryot on sik wyss,

  Down from the regioun of the hevin tho

  The brycht curland haryt Appollo,

  Apon a clowd sittand quhar he wald,

  The ostis of Italianys can behald,

  And eik new Troys cite, with cheir glaid

  Till Iulus the victor thus he said:

  “Eik and continew thy new vaileand dedis,

  Thou ong child, for that is the way the ledis

  Vp to the starnys and the hevynnys hie,

  O thou verray goddis ofspring,” quod he,

  “That sall engendir goddis of thy seyd.

  In the, be verray resson and of neid,

  All batalys, quhilkis by werd ar destinate

  Agane Assaracus howss to move debait,

  Salbe appasit, and to quyet brocht.

  This litill town of Troy, that heir is wrocht,

  May nocht withhald the in sik boundis lyte.”

  And sayand thus, from the heich hevin als tyte

  Discendis he, movand the hailsum ayr,

  And to the child Ascanyus socht rycht thar;

  Hys figur changit that tyme as he wald

  In lykness of ane Butes, hayr and ald,

  That pursevant tofor and squyer had be

  To Troiane Anchyss, fader of Enee,

  And trasty kepar of hys chalmyr dur;

  Now had Ene committ to hym the cur

  For tyll attend apon Ascanyus yng.

  Lyke to this ancyent Butes in al thyng

  Furth steppys Phebus, baith in voce and hew,

  With lokkis quhite and armour na thing new,

  Rowsty, and with a felloun sound clattring,

  And sic wordis spak to Iulus yng,

  That otherwyss is hayt Ascanyus,

  With ardent mynd of bargane desyrus:

  “Eneas verray douchty son and ayr,

  It may suffice, the nedis do na mair,

  Sen, thou onhurt, with thy schote in this sted

  The strang Numanus thou hess dung to ded.

  This first loving and eik hie renownee

  The souerane Apollo grantys the,

  Nor na disdene at the sal haue, suthly,

  Tobe hys peregall intill archery.

  Leif of, my child, and of sic batale cess;

  Na mair at this tyme; draw the owt of press.”

  On this wyss carpys the brycht Appollo,

  And in the myddis of hys sermond tho

  He vanyst far away, I wait neuer quhar,

  Furth of this mortal sycht in the schire ayr.

  The nobillys, and the Troiane capitanys trew,

  Be thir takynnys the god Appollo knew,

  And hard hys arrowys clatterand in hys cace.

  Tharfor thai haue withdraw furth of that place

  Ascanyus, at brycht Phebus mychty charge,

  And wald no langar thoill hym go at large;

  All thocht to feght he had desyre and ioy,

  Hame to hys innys dyd thai hym convoy;

  Syne to the bargane hess thame sped agane,

  In oppyn perrellys, dangeris and all pane

  Thar personys and thar lyvys for thar town

  Offerand, and for defens maid thame bown.

  Quhou Pandarus and Bitias, brethir twane,

  Kest vp the ettis, and thar was Bytias slane.

  Endlang the wallys kyrnellys euerystand,

  The bruyt and clamour rayss fra hand to hand;

  Thar bustuus bowys keynly do thai bend,

  Scharp querrellis and castyng dartis furth send,

  Quhilk thai with lyamys and thwangis lang owt threw;

  Sa thik the ganeis and the flanys flew,

  That of schaftis and takillys all the feildis

  War strowit, and the large planys ourheldis.

  In boss helmys and scheldis the weirly schote

  Maid rap for rap, reboundand with ilk stot.

  Scharp and awfull incressis the bargane,

  Als violent as euer the et doun rane

  Furth of the west doith smyte apon the wald

  In October, quhen the twa sternys cald,

  That clepyt beyn the Kyddis, first vpspryngis;

  And als thik as the hail schour hoppys and dyngis

  In furdys schald, and brays heir and thar,

  Quhen trublit beyn the hevynnys and the ayr

  With stormy tempest and the northyn blastis,

  Quhill clowdis clattris, and all the lyft ourcastis.

  Pandarus and Bytias, twa brethir germane,

  By Alcanor engendryt, that Troiane,

  Quham Hybera, the wild foresteress knaw,

  Bred and vpbrocht in Iovys haly schaw,

  Sa byg ong men thai war, sa gret and wight,

  That equale semyt thame tobe of hight

  With fyr treis of thar landis or hillys;

  And tharto eik sa egyr of thar willis

  At thai the port, quhilk be Eneas charge

  Was commandyt to kepe stekit, all at large

  Has warpyt oppyn onbreid to the wall,

  And baldly dyd thar fays clepe and call

  To entyr, gyf thai durst, and thame assay,

  Sa gret confidens in thar forss had thai.

  And thai within stude by the et, that tyde,

  Quhilk oppin was on the rycht and left syde,

  As thai had towris beyn baith gret and squar,

  Enarmyt with thar wapynnys brycht and bar,

  The hie tymbrettis of thar helmys schane —

  Lyke tobehald as bustuus akis twane

  Besyde the beyn ryver Athesys grow,

  Or flowand fludis bankis of the Pow,

  Vpstrekand thar byg croppys to the ayr,

  And onsned branschis wavand heir and thar.

  Alsswith as the Rutylianys dyd se

  The et oppyn, thai rusch to the entre,

  Quercens formast, and Equycoly,

  A lusty knycht in armys rycht semly,

  Wight Tynarus, ferss myndyt to assaill,

  And bald Hemon, with curage marcyall.

  Bot thai with all thar complicis in
fyght

  War dung abak, and constrenyt tak flycht,

  By Troiane rowtis, or than in that stryfe

  Quha that abaid lost in the port thar lyfe.

  The brymmar grew thar ferss mudis within,

  So that the Troianys can flok and sammyn ryn

  Towart that place, and maid felloun debait;

  So bald thai wolx that in the plane gait,

  Ischand without the portis on the land,

  Thai durst recontyr thar fays hand for hand.

  A messynger to Turnus come that tyde,

  That wondir fersly at ane othir syde

  The town assaleis; and thar he til hym schew

  Quhat hait slauchter hys fays maid of new,

  And sik a port had all wyde oppyn set.

  Hys first purposs he left, and to that et,

  With felloun ire movit, furth sprent he tho,

  Towart the Troianys and prowd brethir two;

  And fyrst hes slane byg Antyphates,

  That him on cace met formest in the press,

  Son to the bustuus nobill Sarpedon,

  In purchess get a Thebane wench apon.

  Hym smate he down with the cast of a dart;

  The fleand schaft Italian to his hart

  Glydand, throw owt the schire ayr duschit sone,

  The stomok persyt, and in the cost is done.

  The how cavern of his wond a flude

  Furth bruschit of the blaknyt dedly blude;

  So deip the grundyn steill hed owt of sycht is,

  Ful hait and warm it festnyt in his lychtis.

  Syne Meropes and Erymanthus he

  And Aphydnus slew with his hand al thre;

  And efter that, with a stern mynd full teyn,

  Slew Bytias, for al his glowrand eyn,

  Bot that was nother with dart, swerd nor knyf

  (For na sik wapyn mycht him haue reft the lyfe),

  Bot with ane hydduus byssand fyry speir,

  That clepit is “phalarica” in weir,

  Quhilk with sa vehement fors this Turnus threw

  That as the thundris dynt at him it flew,

  Quham nowder scheld of twa bull hydis thik,

  Nor it the dowbill malyt traste hawbrik,

  All gilt with gold, mycht it resist nor stynt.

  The bustuus body down duschit of the dynt,

  Quhil all the erd to granyt with a rattill;

  The hydduus scheild abufe him maid a brattill —

  Lyke as the hie pillar of marbill stone

  Standand apon the cost Euboycon,

  Vmquhile besyde Bais, the rych cite,

  With grysly swecht down duschit in the see;

  Quhilk was of ald of massy stanys a byng,

  And by the fludis sik wyss doun was dyng,

  Hys fall drew down the cite quhar it stude,

  And ruschit in a fer way in the flude;

  The seys mixt ourran, and all ourhed

  Blak slyke and sand vp poplit in the sted;

  Quhill of the feirfull sovnd the ilandis twa