Complete Works of Virgil

by Virgil

  And schupe to say mekill, all was for nocht;

  Hys pallat in the dust bedowyn stude,

  And the body baithit in the hait blude

  Ene ourweltis, sayand thir wordis withall,

  With trublit breist and mynd inimicall:

  “Now ly thou thar, that wenyt the so wight

  That thou was feirfull ontill euery wight.

  Thy best belovit mother sall the not haue

  To erd, as custum is, nor delf in grave,

  Na do thy bonys honour with sik cuyr

  As thame to lay in fadyrris sepultur;

  Bot salbe left to the wild bestis fuyd,

  Or than the spait watir of this flude

  Sal bair the in the deip, and thar on raw

  With empty throtis sal thy banys gnaw

  Thir sey monstreys in thar wod rage,

  And lape thy blude thar hungir to asswage.”

  Syne, but delay, Antheus and Lycas,

  Quhilkis that of Turnus first ward ledaris was,

  Persewys he, and also Numa bold,

  And Camerthes, brycht schynand all of gold,

  Son of the manly Volscens capitan;

  In all the fertill grond Ausonyane

  The richast man, and kyng was this Volscens

  Of Amyclys the cite of silens.

  And lyke as Egeon, the kyng of gyandis,

  Quhilk had, thai say, ane hundreth armys and handis,

  And fyfty mowthys, of quham the fyre dyd schyne,

  As he into the batale gigantyne

  Incontrar Iovis thundir and fyre flaucht

  With alsmony scharp drawyn swerdis fawght,

  Clatterand in bargane with samony scheildis —

  The sammyn wyss, enragent throw the feildis

  Went Eneas, as victor with ourhand,

  Fra tyme that anys bedyit hys burnyst brand

  And wet he had in hait Rutiliane blude.

  So that alsso, in this ilk fury wod,

  He draif at Nypheus amyd the breste bane,

  Set in hys fourquhelit chariot allane;

  Bot fra the horss on far dyd hym aspy

  Sa grym of cheir stalkand sa bustuusly,

  For feir thai start abak, and furth can swak

  The duke Nypheus wyd oppyn on hys bak,

  And brak away with the cart to the schor,

  With stendis feill and mony bray and snor.

  The self stound, amyd the press fut hoyt

  Lucagus entyris in hys chariote,

  With quhyte horss drawyng wonder lustely,

  Hys brother Lyger sittand neir hym by;

  This Lyger led the reneis with hys hand,

  Bot bald Lucagus swakkis a burnyst brand.

  Eneas mycht nocht suffir nor sustene

  Of thame sic fervour in thar felloun teyn,

  Bot ruschit furth, and with a gret speir

  Forganyst thame can into feght appeir;

  Quhamto this Liger carpys upon hie:

  “Thou seys nocht Dyomedis stedis heir,” said he,

  “Nor it Achillis char persavis draw,

  Thocht athir venquyst the in feild, we knaw;

  Nor it the Troiane planys behaldis thou.

  The end of thyne age and of bargane now

  Salbe maid in thir landis on this grond.”

  Sic wordis vayn and omsemly of sovnd

  Furth warpys wyde this Lyger fulychly,

  Bot the Troian barroun onabasitly

  Na wordis pressis to rendir hym agane,

  Bot at hys fa leyt fle a dart or flayn,

  That hyt Lucagus, quhilk, fra he felt the dynt,

  The schaft hyngand into hys scheild, but stynt

  Bad dryf hys horss and char al fordwart strecht,

  As he that hym addressit to the fecht,

  And strekit furth hys left fut in hys char;

  Bot sone Eneas speir was reddy thar,

  Beneth hys schynand scheild reversyt law,

  So that the grondyn hed the ilk thraw

  At hys left flank or leisk persyt tyte,

  Quhill clar owt our the charyot is he smyte,

  And on the grond weltis in the ded thrawys;

  Quham on this wyss with sowr wordis and sawys

  The petuus Eneas begouth to chyd:

  “Lucagus,” said he, “forsuyth as at this tyde

  Na slaw curss of thy horssys onweldy

  Thy cart has rendryt to thyne ennemy,

  Nor it na vayn wrathys nor gaistis quent

  Thi char constrenyt bakwart forto went,

  And malgre thyne withdraw thi fays gryppys;

  Bot lo now, of thy fre will, as thou skyppys

  Owtour the quhelys of thy cart, God wait,

  Levand the renys and horss all desolat.”

  Thys beand said, the horss renys he hynt.

  The tother fey brother, or evyr he stynt,

  Lap fra the cart, and kneland petuusly,

  Vphevand hys bayr handis, thus dyd cry:

  “O Troiane prynce, I lawly the beseik,

  Be thyne awyn vertuus and thy thewys meyk,

  And be thy parentis maist of renowne,

  That sik a child engendryt hess as the,

  Thow spair this wofull sylly sawle at lest,

  Haue rewth of me, and admyt my request.”

  With wordis feill as he thus can requer,

  Ene at last on this wyss maid answer:

  “Syk sawys war langer furth of thy mynd.

  Sterve the behuffis, less than thou war onkynd

  As for toleif thy broder desolait

  All hym allane, na follow the sam gait.”

  And tharwithall the hyrnys of hys gost

  He rypyt with the swerd amyd hys cost,

  So tyll hys hart stoundis the pryk of deth;

  He weltis our, and aldis vp the breth.

  Thys Dardane prynce as victor thus in weir

  Samony douchty corpsis brocht on beir,

  Amyd the planys reddand large gait,

  As doys a rowtand ryver red on spait;

  That for hys dyntis wolx hys fays agast,

  As for the feirfull drumly thundris blast;

  Quhil fynaly Ascanyus the yng page,

  And the remanent of Troian barnage,

  Quhilk war, as said is, besegyt invane,

  Thar strenth hess left and takyn hess the plane.

  Iuno rycht quayntly causys Turnus to fle,

  Ane feneit figour persewand of Enee.

  The ilk stound, of hys awyn fre volunte,

  Iove callys Iuno, and thus carpys he:

  “O thow my syster german and my feir,

  My best beluffyt spowss, most leif and deir,

  Thyne opynyon hass not dissauyt the,

  As thou belevyt: now may thou not se

  Quhow Venus doys susteyn and fortyfy

  The Troiane rowtis and pyssans by and by?

  Nane actyve handis, nor stowt myndis, I weyn,

  Nor bodeys reddy all perrellys to sustene,

  Haue thai, thou may se be experiens.”

  Quhamto Iuno, with humyl reverens,

  Answeryt: “My sweit and mast gudly husband,

  Quharto lyst the renew my sorow at hand,

  As cayrfull wight, that lykis nocht sic bourdis?

  All efferd of thy fatal dreidfull wordis

  I am bestad; bot war I now, I weyn,

  Als strangly belovyt as I sum tyme haue bene —

  Thocht it, God wait, accordyt so tobe

  Baith to myne honour and thy dignyte —

  I say, war I beluffyt as I was ayr,

  Thou Iove almyghty ryngand euermar

  Suld not deny me sa sobyr a thyng,

  Bot at I mycht withdraw, at my lykyng,

  Furth of the feild Turnus, and hym save

  Onto hys fader Dawnus, that our the lave

  Belovyt hym, as rayson wald,” quod sche.

  “Now sall he perysch, and now sal he de,

  And sched hys gentyll blude sa pacient,

  In
grewss panys be Troianys tort and rent;

  And netheless hys kyn origynall

  Is renownyt of godly stok ryall,

  Discendit of our seid and hevynly clan,

  Fra god Pylumnus to rekkyn the ferd man;

  And eik thow wait, full oft with large hand,

  With mony oystis and ryght fair offerand,

  Thy templys and thyne altaris chargit hass he,

  In wirschyp of thy myghty maieste.”

  The souerane kyng of hevyn imperiall

  In few wordis maid answer thus at all:

  “Gif thow askis a resput or delay,

  Bot for a tyme or tyll a certane day,

  Of thys evident deth of Turnus yng,

  Desyrand I suld grant the sik a thyng,

  All thocht he mortale be rycht sone we knaw,

  I leif the to remove hym and withdraw,

  And from this instant perrellus hard fayt

  Steill hym away, and gyde hym by the gait,

  For so lang space yt restis at will of me

  To lenth hys lyfe, quhilk I the grant,” quod he.

  “Bot gif sa beys, that vndre thy request

  Mair hie pardon lurkis, I wald thow cest;

  For gif thou wenys that all the victory

  Of the batale, and chancis by and by,

  May be reducyt and alterat clar agane,

  A mysbyleve thou fosteris all invane.”

  To quham Iuno on this wyss said wepyng:

  “Quhat harm mycht fall, thocht be sum takyn or syng

  Thow schew thy mynd, and grantit that,” quod sche,

  “Quhilk be thy wordis of fatale destane

  Now grunschis thou to geif or to conceid?

  That is to say, quhat forss, thocht thou in deid

  Waldyst appreif and ratyfy agane

  That Turnus lyfe a lang tyme suld remane?

  Bot now approchis to that innocent knycht

  A feirfull end — he sal to ded be dicht,

  Or than my sawys ar voyd of veryte.

  And O, wald God at rathar sa suldbe

  That I dissauyt war bot with fals dreid,

  And at thou list, as thou has mycht in deid,

  Thy fatale promyss and thy statutis strange

  In bettir purposs to translait and change!”

  Fra scho thir wordis had said, the ilk tyde

  Dovn from the hevyn scho leyt hir selvyn slyde,

  Befor hyr dryvand a tempestuus wynd,

  And all abowt, befor and eik behynd,

  Within a clowd of myst circulyt cleyn:

  So throw the air bownyt furth this queyn

  Towart the Troiane hostis in the planys,

  And to the tentis socht of Lawrentanys.

  Thys goddes than furth of ane boyss clowd

  In lyknes of Ene dyd schaip and schrowd

  A voyd figur, but strenth or curage bald,

  The quhilk wondyrus monstre tobehald

  With Troiane wapynnys and armour grathis sche,

  With scheild and helm and tymbret set on hie,

  Be semlant lyke Eneas godlyhed;

  And tharto ekis scho in euery sted

  Quent feneit wordis, fant and contyrfait,

  With voce, but mynd, or ony other consait;

  And feneis eik hys concernans and pacis

  (Syklyke as that, thai say, in diuerss placis

  The wraithis walkis of goistis that ar ded,

  Or as the slepy dremys, fra sted to sted

  Fleand in swevyn, makis illusionys,

  Quhen mennys myndis oft in dravillyng gronys);

  And all befor the forfront of the feild

  Richt haltandly, as curageus vnder scheild,

  Musturis this ymage, that with dartis keyn

  Aggrevyt Turnus, and dyd hym chyde in teyn,

  Prouocand hym to bargane and tyl ire.

  And Turnus tho als hoyt as any fyre

  Thys figur dyd invaid, and tharat he

  In gret dispyte a quhirrand dart leyt fle;

  Bot this ilk schaddo, as sum deill addred,

  Turnyt abowt, and gaif the bak and fled.

  Than Turnus, wenand Ene had tane the flycht,

  And al awondryt of that selcouth syght,

  Within hys mynd a vayn comfort kawch he,

  And cryis lowd: “Quhydder fleys thou now, Ene?

  Leif nevir, for schame, thus dissolait and waist

  Thy new allyans promyst the in haist,

  Of Lavynya the spousyng chalmyr at hand,

  And all this ilk regioun and this land,

  Quhilk thou sa far hass socht owt our the se:

  My rycht hand sal the saysyng geif,” quod he.

  With sik wordis he schowtand dyd persew,

  And ay the glymmyrand brand baith schuke and schew,

  Nathyng persavand quhou this myrth and blyss

  Away quyte with the wynd bewavit is.

  On cace thar stude a mekill schip that tyde,

  Hyr wail ionyt til a schor rokis syde,

  With plankis and with bryggis layd on land,

  The entre reddy grathit weill thai fand;

  In the quhilk schyp Osynyus kyng, I wyss,

  Come laitly from the cite of Clusys.

  Thydder went this wrath or schaddo of Ene,

  That semyt, all abasyt, fast to fle,

  And hyd hyr dern vndre hychis tharin.

  Na slawar Turnus hastis hym to ryn,

  That but delay he spedis to this schyp,

  Ran owr the bryg, and inwith burd can skyp;

  And scars was entrit in the forcastell,

  Quhen Saturnys douchter saw hir tyme befell;

  Than soyn the cabyll in sondir smytis sche,

  And fra the schor draif the schip throu the see.

  Bot Turnus absent thus that sammyn howr

  Eneas seyrssys throw amyd the stowr,

  And in hys renk quham euer be met lay ded;

  Full mony a man he kyllit in that sted.

  And tharwithall hys lycht and feneit gost,

  Fra tyme the schip was chargyt fra the cost,

  No langar sekis hyrnys hir to hyde,

  Bot flaw vp in the ayr the sammyn tyde,

  And al dissoluyt into a dyrk clowd.

  The meyn sesson, can forss of wyndis lowd

  Turnus far furth amyd the deip sey dryve;

  He dyd behald abowt hym tho belyve,

  All ignorant quhat wyss this chance was wrocht,

  And of hys lyfe salvyng na thyng he rocht;

  With handis iunct vphevit towart hevyn,

  Syk wordis he furth braid with drery stevyn:

  “Almychty fader of the hevynnys hie,

  Hass thou me reput on sic wyss tobe

  Confusyt in this schame for myn offens?

  And will I suffyr syk torment and pennans?

  Quhidder am I dryve, and from quhens am I cumyn?

  Quhat maner eschewyng or fleyng haue I nummyn?

  In quhat estait sall I return agane?

  Sall I evir se the wallys Lawrentane,

  Or evir eft my tentis sall I se?

  Quhat may on ost of men now say of me,

  Quhilkis my querrell and me followit to feild,

  Quham now, allace, lo, feghtand vnder scheild

  ondir (schame to say the harm) sa wikkytly

  Reddy to myschews deth beleft haue I?

  Lo, I behald thame fleand paill and wan,

  And heris the granyng of mony douchty man

  In my defalt falland fey to grond.

  Quhat sal I do, allace the wofull stond,

  Or quhilk land (thocht a thousand tymys I stervit)

  May swelly me sa deip as I haue servyt?

  Bot, O e wyndis, rathar haue mercy,

  On rowkis and on craggis by and by

  Do swak this schyp, sen heir na erth I se,

  And haue of wrachit Turnus sum pyete,

  Quhilk of hys fre will, stad in this maner,

  Besekis ow with all hartly prayer;

  Do warp
my body on the schaldis onkend,

  Far furth on Syrtys at the warldis end,

  Quhar Rutilyanys me nevir fynd agane,

  Sa that na fame nor rumour may remane

  Eftir my deth of this schaymfull trespass.”

  And, sayand thus, in mynd dyd he cumpass

  Full mony chancis rolland to and fro,

  Quhiddir gif he suld, for proper lak and wo,

  Into this fury smyte hym with hys brand,

  And thryst the bludy blaid in with hys hand

  Throw owt hys rybbys and sched his hart blude,

  Or than to swak hym self amyd the flude,

  Swymmand to seik the nerrest costis bay,

  In feild agane the Troianys to assay.

  Athir way till assay thryss presyt hes he,

  And thryss hym styntis Iuno, queyn mast hie,

  Havand compassioun of this ong man bald,

  And can asswage hys mynd, and hand withhald.

  Furth held the schip, slydand owt our the fludis,

  With prosper wynd and followand tyde sa gude is,

  Quhill he is careit suyrly throw the see

  Tyll Ardea, hys faderis auld cite.

  In Turnus sted Meentius dyd succeid,

  Killyt doun his fays, and spuleit of thar weid.

  Durand this quhile, in fatis marciall,

  Meentyus movyt with ardour bellycall,

  Be instigatioun of Iove in that neid,

  Can to the batale in hys place succeid,

  And the Troianys to invaid na thing sparis,

  That semyt prowd as all the feild war tharis.

  Than sammyn to recontyr hym atanys

  Semlyt haill ostis of Hethrurianys,

  And all assaileit Meentyus allon;

  Aganyst a man thai rowtys euery one,

  Inflambyt all in malyce, maid persutys,

  And thik as haill schour at hym schaftis schutis.

  Bot he, lyke to a ferm rowk, quhilk we se

  Strekyt on lenth amyd the large see,

  Sytuat aganys the rageand wyndis blast,

  And brym wallys boldynnand wondyr fast,

  From all that violens doys hym self defend,

  And haill the forss sustenys to the end

  Baith of the hevynnys and byr of seys rage,

  Remanand onremovyt ferm in hys stage:

  Als stern standis Meentyus in that stound.

  And first he hes fellit and laid to the grond

  Hebrus, the son of ane Dolycaon,

  And hym besyde Latagus slew onon,

  And Palmus eik, accustumat to fle:

  Bot with a stane Latagus brytnyt he

  Quhilk of a montane semyt a gret nuke,

  With quham hym on the vissage he ourtuke;

  And Palmus howgh sennonys smait in tway

  Maid hym sa slaw he mycht nocht fle away;

  Thar armour syne to Lawsus gevyn hess he

  To weir on hys schuldris, and crovn on hie

  Thar creistis set, the quhilk sa rychly schane.

  He slew also Evantus a Troiane,