by Virgil
As from the flude of Trace, hait Strymone,
Vndre the dyrk clowdis, oft we se,
Thai fle the weddris blast and rak of wynd,
Thar glaidsum soundis followand thame behynd.
Bot quhat mycht meyn this affeir and deray
A gret farly and wondyr was, perfay,
To Turnus, kyng of Rutuleis, that tyde,
And the Italiane dukis hym besyde,
Quhill thai at last beheld towart the cost,
And saw the navy cum and mekill ost,
Semand the sey of schippys all ourflet.
The creist or schynand tymbret that was set
Abufe Eneas helm and top on hyght
Kest byrnand flambys with a glytterand lycht,
And eyk the goldyn boyss of hys bukleir
Large fyry stremys on breid schew fair and cleir —
Lyke as the comete stern sanguynolent,
With hys red cullour tryst and violent,
Schynys sum tyme apon the donk nycht;
Or frawart Syrius, that fervent star brycht,
Quhilk with the scaldand heyt at hys rysyng
Byrnys the erth of drowth, and is the syng
Pretendand tyll all mortale folk, I gess,
Contagyus infirmyteis and seiknes,
That with hys schrewyt lyght canicular
Infekkyt all the hevynnys and the ayr.
Bot Turnus hardy stalwart hie curage,
For all this feir, demynyst nevir a stage,
Quhilk manfully schup thame to withstand
At the cost syde, and dyng thame of the land,
That on na wyss thar thai suld arryve;
And with glaid semlant gan his folk belyve
Exortyng forto rayss thar spretis on hie,
And with hys wordis forthirmar eik he
Gan thame repreif of thar sa hasty feir.
“Lo! now present,” says he, “is cummyn heir
The mater quhilk e lang desyrit haue;
The tyme is now to gryp in hand our glaif;
The tyme of batale reddy is at hand,
Quhar strenth beis schawyn in stalwart stowr to stand.
Now euery man ramembir on his spowss,
Thynk on thar natyve land and dwellyng howss;
Reduce e now onto our mynd, ilkane
The worthy actis of our eldris bygane,
Thar lovabyll fame, and our awyn renowne;
And lat ws formest haist ws to the see,
And thar recontyr our fays, or thai land,
Quhill as thai first set fut apon the sand,
With slyde tocummyn, half deil in effray,
Or thai thar fut steppis ferm, and tak array.
Hap helpis hardy men, be myne avyss,
That weil dar tak on hand stowt interpryss.”
Thus said he, and tharwith in hys thocht
Devisys quham maist ganandly he mocht
Led with hym, to resist and meit his fays,
Or quham he suld not from the sege vprays,
Bot styll remane to ferm and closs the town,
The wallys and the trynschis enveroun.
Eneas fra the schippis landit his ost,
And Turnus thame assalit at the sey cost.
In the meyn sesson, the Troiane Ene
Begouth hys folkis from thar schippis hie
On bryggis and on plankis set on land:
Mony abaid the ebbyng of the sand,
Quhill the swarf fard wallys abak dyd draw,
Than in the schaldis dyd thai leip on raw;
And sum with ayris into coggis small
Etlyt to land. But tho amang thame all
The prynce Tarchon can the schor behald,
Thar as hym thocht suldbe na sandis schald,
Nor it na land bryst lyppyrryng on the wallys,
Bot quhar the flude went styll, and calmyt all is
But stowr or bullyr, murmour or movyng;
Hys stevynnys thydder steryng gan the kyng,
And on this wyss hys ferys dyd exort:
“Now, O e walyt flour of weir, at schort,
Bend vp our ayris styth, and rayss our schippys.
Haist owr the flude, bair to the schoyr with skyppys,
And with our stelyt stevynnys, ane and all,
Thys ground onfrendly to ws and inimicall
Do scheir and cleif in sundyr lyke a stok,
Lat euery barge do prent hir self a dok:
Na forss I not in sik port by this meyn
To brek the schyp, sa we the land atteyn.”
Fra Tarchon had thir wordis said, but mair
Hys feris startis ilk man till ane ayr.
The stowrand famy bargis dyd rebound,
Inrowand fast towart the Latyn grond,
Quhyl that thar stammys tuke the bankis dry,
And thar kelys stak in the slyke fast by,
Bot ony harm or danger, euery one.
Bot sa tyd not onto thy schyp, Tarchon,
For in the schald scho stoppys, and dyd stand
Apon a dry chyngill or bed of sand,
A lang tyme all to schakyng with the flude,
Quhill fynaly, thar rokkand as scho stude,
To brystis scho, and ryvys all in sondyr,
Warpyt the men amyd the faym thar vndir;
The plankis, hechis and mony brokyn ayr,
That on the streym went flotand heir and thar,
Maid to thar landing gret impediment,
And slyddry glar so from wallys went
That oft thar feyt was smyttyn vp on loft;
Bot finaly, all drowkyt and forwrocht,
Thai salwyt war, and warpyt to the cost.
Than na delay of sleuth nor feir ne bost
With held Turnus, bot with hys haill armee
Aganyst Troianys by the cost of the see
He dyd array all sammyn in that stound.
The trumpettis blew thar bludy weirlyke sownd.
And fyrst, in syng of gud luk in the weris,
Ene the rowtis of the lauboreris,
Or rurall husbandis, invadis and ourset,
And hess the Latyn commonys haill doun bet,
By slauchter fyrst of thar chiftane, Theron,
Amang all otheris the biggast man of one,
Quhilk set apon Eneas or he wyst;
Bot he throw owt hys syde hys swerd hes thryst,
Persyt the stalwart platit scheild of steill,
And throw the schynand hawbrek euery deill;
The giltyn maileis makis hym na sted,
For in the cost he tholys dynt of ded.
Syne smate he Lychas, and hym hess al to torn,
That of hys ded moderis waym was furth schorn,
And onto Phebus god was consecrait,
And was sa chancy in hys ong estait
That he the swerd eschapit by hys hap;
Bot not at this tyme so the dedis clap.
And not far thens this douchty Eneas
Kyllyt the dowr and stalwart Cysseas,
And put to deth the bustuus Gyas strang,
That with hys burdoun down haill rowtis dang:
Thar strenthy handis helpyt thame na thyng,
Nowder Hercules wapynnys nor armyng
Mycht thame defend, nor it thar syre, that heght
Melampus, and companeon was in feght
To Hercules in hys sair iourneis feill,
Quhil he in erth was levand and in heill.
And lo, as Pharon cryis and dois rowst
With haltand wordis and with mekill woust,
Eneas threw a dart at hym that tyde,
Quhilk, as he gapyt, in hys mowth dyd glyde.
And thou also, the fey Greyk, Cydon,
Quhilk strangly luffyt thir ong childer ichone,
As thou the yng Clytius dyd persew,
Quhais allow berd begouth to spryng of new,
And was alhaill thy new lust and desyre,
Be the rycht hand of this ilk Troiane syre
Thar had bene maid end
of thy amouris greyn,
And wrachitly had lyin ded, I weyn,
War not the brethir of the clan Phorcanys
Apon Eneas assemblit all atanys;
In numbyr sevyn thai war, and dartis sevin
Alsammyn thai kest, forcy as fyry levin,
Of quham sum dyd but harm or other deir
Stot from hys scheild, his hewmet or hed geir,
And sum, that wald haue hyt hys corpss in hy,
Venus hys haly moder choppyt by.
Than to the traist Achates said Ene:
“Reik me dartis and castyng speris,” quod he,
“That in the Grekis bodeis fixit stude,
Quhylum in Troys planys bedyit with blude,
And my rycht hand sall thraw thame so ilkane
On Rutulanys, that nane sal fle invane.”
A bustuus schaft with that he grippyt hass,
And incontrar hys aduersaris gan tayss
Quhilk flaw towartis Meonyus fast by;
Owt throw the scheild platit with steill in hy
Duschyt the dynt, and throw the corslettis glydis,
Gyrd throw the cost persyng baith the sydis.
Onto hym startis Alcanor, hys brothir,
To beir hym vp, quhen that he saw hym schuddir,
With hys rycht arm, bot throw hys gardy sone
The grundyn hed and bludy schaft ar done,
Furth haldand the self randoun as it went;
The ryght arm, from the schulder al to rent,
Apon the mankyt sennonys hyngis by,
As impotent, quyte lamyt, and dedly.
Than Numytor furth of hys brotheris corps
Ruggis the trunschon, and with all hys forss
It swakkis at Ene, bot he na mycht
Had till attane ne wond the nobill knycht;
yt with the dynt the gret Achates thee
He hurt and streneit hass a litill wee.
With this come Clawsus, full of vassalage,
Confidand in hys outh and florist age,
The Curytanys with hym brocht in the press,
And with a lang styf speir ane Dryopes
Smate in the halss, vnder the chyn, sa sair
That hym byreft was in the place rycht thar
Baith voce and spreit of lyfe, and that na wonder,
For hys nek bayn and throte war carf in sondir,
That doun he duschys with a felloun rerd,
Quhil that hys forret raschit on the erd,
And of hys mouth, a petuus thing to se,
The lopprit blude in ded thraw voydis he.
Thre otheris syne this ilk Clawsus hass slane,
Born into Trace of the clan Boryane;
And thre com fra the cite of Idas,
And other thre of cite Ismaras,
By diuerss chancis put he al to ded.
Alesus hym recontris in that sted,
And all the barnage com from Aurunca,
That auld cite; and thame followys alssua
To that melle the son of Neptunus,
That is to knaw, the worthy Mesapus,
Quhilk into horsman craft was maist expert.
Now presys this syde, and now onderwart,
To reill abak and to expell in fyght
Thar aduersaris, and mak thame tak the flycht.
Thus by the cost Ausonya that tyde
Hard wolx the batale apon athir syde.
As thocht sum tyme amyd the large ayr
The contrar wyndys stryvys heir and thar,
With brethfull blastis in thar equale nychtis,
Nane lyst obey tyll other, all sa wight is,
Nowder thai amang thame self, nor it the clowdis,
Ne it the rageand seys, quhilkis sa lowd is;
So that the bargane lang standis in dowt,
Quha salbe victor, and quha vnderlowt,
Sa forcyly remanys the elementis
Contrary otheris to thar awin ententis —
Nane other wyss the Troiane hostis in feild,
And Latyn rowtis okkit vnder scheild,
Metys in the melle: ionyt sammyn than
Thai fewtyr fut to fut, and man to man.
Quhou Pallas confortis his ost of Archadye,
Quhilkis gave the bak and tuke purposs to fle.
Bot quhen that Pallas at ane owtyr syde
Persavyt hys Arcad army that tyde
In sic a place had takyn land attanys,
Quhar as a burn had warpyt rowand stanys,
And buskis with the brays down had bet,
That thai war in sa hard myscheif ourset,
As men nocht vsyt forto go feght on fute,
And than, constrenyt, knew nane other buyt,
For scharpness of that sted, bot leif thar horss;
That weil persauyt he how that on forss
Thai gave the bak, and schupe to tak the flycht,
The Latynys followand thame in all thar mycht:
Than, quhile with prayer, now with wordis sowr,
Thar curage he enflambis to the stowr,
Quhilk maner havyngis, suyth as is the creid,
As vtir poynt remedy at sik a neid.
“My ferys,” say he, “quhidder do e fle?
I ou beseik, be our gret renowne,
And be our forcy dedis done of ald,
And by our pryncis fame, Evander bald,
And be the ostis and mony victoryss
That e in weir and batale wan feill syss,
And be my gude beleif and hoyp, that now
With haill confidens restis fixt in ow,
As to atteyn onto my faderis glor,
To ondertak sik dedis done befor;
Do nevir, for schame, onto our self that lak,
To lyppyn in speid of fute and gyf the bak.
With swerdys dynt behuffis ws, perfay,
Throw amyddis our ennemys red owr way.
Quhar ondir sop of men thikkis in a rowt,
ondir is the passage quhar we moste wyn owt;
ondir our nobill cuntre wyl e pass;
on way to wend exhortis our duke Pallas.
Heir is na power of dyvynyte,
Nor goddis myght gaynstandyng ws,” quod he,
“Nane other bargane haue we in thir fyghtis
Bot agane dedly and with mortale wightis:
Alsmony mortale bodeis heir haue we,
And als feill handis to debait the melle.
Behaldis, quhou the sey with obstakill gret
Inclusys ws, and at our bak can bet;
On land is left ws heir na place to fle.
Quhat, wald he ryn to Troy owt throw the see?”
Thus said he, and furthwith, or he wald cess,
Amyd hys fays ruschit in the press,
Quhar as the rowtis thikast war in stowr.
And first of other, to hys fatale howr,
Hym metys Lagus, a Rutilyane,
Quham fyrst ourrollyt with a mekill stane,
Throw gyrd hys cost syne with a castyng dart,
Persyng hys rybbys throuch, at the ilk part
Quhar beyn the cupplyng of the ryg bone,
And the ilk schaft stak in hys corss onone.
Pallas it ioggillit, and furth drew in hy;
Quham ane Hysbon, standand neir tharby,
Wenyt to have kawcht, bot the gryp he falyt;
For as onwar he stowpyt, and devalyt
Wod wroth for wo of this myschewss ded
Of hys deir fallow, in the ilk sted
Pallas hym keppyt syk wyss on hys brand
That all the blaid, vp to the hylt and hand,
Amyd hys flaffand longis hyd hass he,
On sik maner that na man mycht it se.
Syne Pallas set apon Anchemolus
And Sthenelus, that of the kyng Rhetus
Prynce of Marrubyanys, ancyent pepill, beyn;
The quhilk Anchemolus was that ilk, I weyn,
Defowlyt hys faderis bed incestuusly,
And had forlayn hys awyn stepmoder by.
&nbs
p; And e alsso, stowt gemel brether twa,
Childir and sonnys onto hym Dawcya,
Tymber, I meyn, and thy brother Laryde,
Amyd the feild Rutiliane dyd abyde;
e war sa lyke in form and symylitude
Nane mycht decern betwix ou quhar e stude
(Quhilk maner errour, or sik mysknawyng,
To fader and mother is oft plesand thyng.
Seand thar childer resembill ane lykness);
Bot at this tyme hass Pallas, as I gess,
Markyt ou swa with sic rud differens,
That by hys keill e may be knaw fra thens.
For swa stud with the, Tymber, thou art ded,
Evandrus swerd hess swepyt of thy hed;
And thy rycht arm of smyttyn, O Laryd,
Amyd the feild lyis the besyde,
And half lyfless thi fyngyrris war sterand,
Within thy neif doys gryp and faik the brand.
Than schame and dolour, mydlit baith ourane,
Baldis the pepill Arcad eueryane
To the bargane aganyst thar ennemyss,
For Pallas wordis maid thar curage ryss,
And eik, for thai beheld befor thar eyn
Hys dowchty dedis, thai hym love and meyn.
For Pallas than throw gyrd Rhethus the kyng,
As he on cace glaid by on char fleyng:
Na mair space was of tary ne delay
That Ilus deth prolongit the ilk day;
For as agane the, Ilo, with fell feir
Pallas addressyt had a stalwart speir,
Rhetheus start in betwix, and cawch the dynt,
As he on cace was fleand ferss as flynt
From thy handis, the maist forcy Teutras,
And thy brother Tyres, that by the was:
Ourweltis Rethus in ded thrawys atanys,
And with hys helys smayt the Rutilian planys,
Tumlyt from hys hie cart chargit quhar he sat,
And on the grund rebundis with a sqwat.
And lyke as sum tyme in the symmyris drowth,
Quhen wyndis rysys of the north or sowth,
In seir placis the hyrd, at hys desire,
Amang the scroggy rammell settis the fyre;
Wlcanus hostis of brym flambys red
Spredand on breid, vpblesys euery sted;
Than he that set the kyndillyng glaid and gay
Behaldis quhou that the low doys mak deray,
Blesand and crakand with a nyce reuery —
Non other wyss, the Archadanys in hy
All sammyn socht in feild with all thar mycht,
And maid debait to help Pallas in fyght.
Bot tho Alesus, keyn into batale,
Thame to recontyr etlys, and assaill,
And gan hym self weil schrowd vnder his scheild,
Syn manfully ruschit amyd the feild,
Quhar that he slew ane Lacon, and Pheres,
And Demodocus eftir in the press
As hym Strymonyus by the gorget grippyt,
