Complete Works of Virgil

by Virgil

  In plane batale arrayt, to conclud,

  The Troiane barnage from Tibir the flude,

  With ordinance of Tuscan, that dyd spreid

  In forfront al the large feildis on breid.

  Onon the pepillis hartis effrayt wer,

  And commonys breistis proplexit all for feir;

  In sum, the greif and ire dyd fast habund,

  Rasyt with brethfull stangis full onsond,

  And with a felloun dreid all on steir

  Thai hynt to harnes, and cryis eftir thar ger:

  “Harness, harnes,” all the ong citeanys

  With fellon brute and noys schowtis atanys;

  The febill and agyt faderis wobegone

  Can pleyn and weip with mony a petuus grone.

  In euery part the gret clamour and cryis

  In diuerss opinionys rayss vp to the skyis —

  Nane other wyss than as sum tyme we knaw

  The flycht of byrdis fordynnys the thik schaw,

  Or than the rawk vocit swannys in a rabill,

  Sondand and swouchand with noys lamentabill

  Endlang the bemand stankis and stremys cleir

  Of Padusa, sa full of fyschis seir.

  Turnus, that fand hys tyme sa oportune,

  Now baldly says he: “Citeanys, haue doyn;

  Do call our consale, takis avysment,

  Sittand at eyss ilkane say his entent,

  Carpys of paix, and ruyss it now, lat se,

  Quhen that thai onder invadis our cuntre,

  our mortale fays enarmyt ou to assaill.”

  Na mar he said, but startis vp sans faill,

  And of the cheif palyce ischit furth in hy,

  Thus carpand to the noblys stud hym by:

  “Go tyte, Volusus, to the banereris

  Of the Volscanys, and thame that standartis beris;

  Charge thame thar enseneis forto rayss on hycht,

  And in thar armour adress thar men to fyght:

  And he, Mesapus, Coras, and our broder,

  The horsmen all enarmyt, ane and other,

  Convoys furth onto the feildis braid.

  A party of the citeanys,” he said,

  “Do stuf the entreis, and the portis defend;

  Sum to the towris and wall hedis ascend;

  The remanent of all our hail mene,

  Quhen I command, lat thame set on with me.”

  Onon our all the cite by and by

  Vp on the wallys ryn thai than in hy.

  The kyng Latyn hys consale, full onglaid,

  And gret materis quhilkis he begunnyn had,

  Left and differrit quhil ane other day,

  Trist in his mynd, and trublit of that delay;

  And mony ways hym self he accusyt,

  That he sa lang had slewthit and refusyt

  To ressaue glaidly the Troiane Ene;

  Repentyng sor, for weill of his cite,

  That he had not requirit hym and draw,

  Or than, tobe his mawch and son in law.

  Sum tho, thar cite entre forto kepe,

  Befor the portis delvis trynschis deip;

  Sum to the ettis weltis weghty stonys,

  And sum gret iestis and sillys for the nonys;

  The bass trumpet with a bludy sovn

  The syng of batell blew our all the tovn.

  The wallis than thai stuffit rownd abowt

  With diuerss sortis of mony syndry rowt,

  Baith wifis, barnys, childer, men and page

  (Na kynd of stait was sparit tho, nor age);

  The heyast poynt and lattir resistens

  Callit euery wight to laubour and defens.

  The queyn also, Amata, furth can hald

  Onto the tempill and Pallas souerane hald,

  Born in hir char, and walkyng hir abowt

  Of matronys and nobil wemen a rowt;

  Offerandis and gyftis brocht with hir scho had;

  Nixt hand hir went Lavynia the maid,

  The causs of all this harm and wofull teyn,

  That dovn for schame dyd cast hyr lusty eyn.

  The matronys entris in the goddis presens,

  And smokis the tempill with sweit vapour and sens,

  And reuthful vocis warpis lovd on hie.

  Alssone as thai attenyt the entre,

  “O thou,” said thai, “Pallas armipotent,

  Tritonia clepit, maid, and president

  Of batale and of weris eueryone,

  With thy virginal handis breke onon

  on Troiane revaris wapynnys and his speir;

  Hym self als tyte dovn to the grund thou ber,

  Vndre our portis and our wallis hie

  Down warp hym ded, that we that sycht may se.”

  Heir Turnus and Camylla gan devyss

  Practikis of weir, the Troianys to suppryss.

  Turnus hym self, als fers as ony gleid,

  Ful bissely addressyt on his weid,

  Desyrus of the batale and bargane.

  Intil a closs curass Rutilyane

  Be than his body weill embrasyt had he,

  Hys burnyst armour, awfull for to se,

  With lymmys claspit in platis gilt with gold

  And hed all bair; it, as hym selvyn wold,

  Hys dedly brand he beltis by his syde;

  And, schynand all of brycht gold, fast can glide

  Throw owt the palyce ryall heir and thar,

  Reiosyt in his mynd, as thocht he war

  In ferm beleif fortill ourset his fo;

  And on sik wyss gan walkyng to and fro,

  With hart hyngand on the ioly pyn.

  As sum tyme dois the curser start and ryn,

  That brokkyn hes his band, furth of his stall,

  Now gois at large out our the feldis all,

  And haldis towart the studis in a rage,

  Quhar merys rakis in thar pasturage,

  Or than onto the deip rynnand ryver,

  Quhar he was wont to drynk the watir cleir;

  He sprentis furth, and full provd walxis he,

  Heich strekand vp his hed with mony a ne,

  Out our his spaldis and nek lang by and by

  His lokkyrrit mayn schakand wantonly —

  Siklyke this Turnus semys, quhar he went.

  And, as he bradis furth apon the bent,

  The maid Camylla cumis hym agane,

  Accumpaneit with hir ostis Volscane.

  Befor the portis dovn lyghtis the queyn,

  Quham all the rowt hess followyt bedeyn,

  Discendand from thar horssis esely;

  Syne on sic wyss this lady spak in hy:

  “Turnus,” says sche, “gif ony hardy wight

  May traste or assur in thar awyn mycht,

  I vndertak, and dar promyss, allane

  To mach in feild the ostis Eneadane,

  And baldly dar recuntir in melle

  All the horsmen of the Tuscane mene.

  I the requyr, suffir me to assay

  With my retenew and thir handis tway

  The first danger in batale, or I stent:

  Byde thou behynd on fut in enbuschment,

  And kepe the wallis of this tovn,” scho said.

  Turnus his eyn hes fixit on this maid,

  That weirlike was and awfull onto se,

  Syne on this maner to hir ansueris he:

  “O thou virgyn, glory of Italy,

  Quhat thankis eld or rendir the may I,

  Or quhat may I refer of thy renovn?

  Bot, sen thou art to all thyng reddy bovn,

  Surmontyng all in curage souerane,

  Now at this tyme of sic laubour and payn

  Grant me my part, so that on athir syde

  Betwix ws twa the bargane be dyvyde.

  Hark, I sall schaw ou myne avyss,” quod he,

  “on detestabill and myschews Enee,

  As that the rumour surly hess maid kend,

  And als my spyis schawis was thidder send,

  A certane horsmen, lycht armyt for the
nanys,

  Hes send befor forto forray the planys;

  Hym self ascendis the hie band of the hyll

  By wentis strait and passage scharp and wyll,

  Schaip on our cite fortocum prevely.

  Tharfor a prattik of weir devyss will I,

  And ly at wait in quyet enbuschment

  At athir pethis hed or secrete went;

  In the how slak, be onder woddis syde,

  Full dern I sall my men of armys hyde.

  Set thou apon the Tuscan horsyt rowt,

  With pynsellis semlyt sammyn with a schowt.

  The stalwart Mesapus with the sall go,

  The Latyn barnage, and the brethir two,

  That capitanys come fra Tyburtyn cite,

  With all thar ordinance and hail mene:

  Tak thou the cuyr with thame to rewle and steir

  Alhaill that ryall army into weir.”

  Thus said he, and with sic wordis at schort

  Mesapus to the fyght he dyd exhort,

  And all his feris, syne euery capitane;

  And syne towart his aduersaris is gane.

  Thar lay a valle in a crukyt glen,

  Ganand for slycht till enbusch armyt men,

  Quham, wonder narrow, apon athir syde

  The bewys thik hampirrit and doith hyde

  With skowgis darn and full obscur, perfay,

  Quharthrow thar strekit a rod or a strait way,

  Ane narrow peth, baith outgang and entre,

  Full scharp and schrowit passage wonder sle;

  Abufe the quhilk, apon the hill on hycht,

  Quhar men may spy about a weil far sycht,

  Thar lyis a playn to the Troianys onknaw;

  Bot, quha so list towart that sted to draw,

  It is a stellyng place and sovir harbry,

  Quhar ost in stail or enbuschment may ly,

  Quhidder men list the bargane to abyde

  Owder on the rycht hand or on the left syde,

  Or on the hycht debait thame for the nanys,

  And on thar fays welt dovn weghty stanys.

  Thyddir ong Turnus held and dyd ascend,

  As he that all the passage weil bekend;

  The place he tuke, and ful prevy, onknaw,

  Lyggis at wait vnder the darn wod schaw.

  Quhou that Opis was doun from Dyane send,

  And of quhat kyn Camylla was discend.

  The meyn sesson, Latoneis douchter Dyan,

  Within hir set of hevynnys souerane,

  The swyft Opys, a nymphe ane of hir feris,

  Ane haly virgyne of hir sort mony heris,

  To hir callis, rycht dolorus and onglaid,

  And, sychand sair, to hyr syk wordis said:

  “O virgyn deyr, lo now, Camylla gays

  To cruell batall aganyst hyr mortal fays,

  And, al invayn, with hir into syk werys

  Our wapynnys and our armour with hyr berys.

  I the declar and certifeis,” quod sche,

  “Abuf all other full deyr is sche to me;

  Ne this luf, suythly, is nocht cummyn of new,

  Nor it of lait in Dyanys brest vpgrew,

  And with a hasty sweitness movyt my spreit,

  Bot of ald kyndnes lang tyme onforleit.

  For quhen hir fader, Metabus the kyng,

  Was throw invy expellit hys ancyent ryng

  Of Pryvernum, and for the cruelte

  Of his pepill fled from that cite,

  With hym he bair this ong infant sa deir,

  Tobe his fallow in exill, and play feir,

  And efter hir moderis name, hait Casmylla,

  Camylla hes clepit, a lettir tane awa.

  Befor hym in hys bosum he hir bair

  And socht onto the wilsum holtis hair.

  Hys cruel fays with thar wapynnys keyn

  Hym ombeset on all partis in teyn.

  With armyt men and wageouris the Volscanys

  So neir almost bylappyt hym at anys,

  Thar was na passage quhar away to fle;

  For lo, amyd the went quhar etlyt he,

  Amasenus, that ryver and fresch flude,

  Abuf the brays bulryt as it war wod;

  From the clowdis war bryst sik spait of rayn

  The ryver flowis our the large plane.

  He, dressand hym to swym, at the bank syde

  For luf of the ong bab most neid abyde,

  And, for his deir byrdyng dredand soir,

  Ilk chance in haist dyd roll in his memor;

  And scars this sentens prent into hys mynd,

  Hys douchtir forto closs within the rynd

  And stalwart sapplyn or bark of cork tre

  (For in hys hand the self tyme had he

  A bustuus speir, per cace, baith styth and stuyr,

  As he that was a worthy weriour;

  The schaft was sad and sound, and weill ybaik);

  Ywympillit in this bark tho dyd he take

  Hys ong douchter, and with hys awyn hand

  Amyddis of this lans full suyrly band;

  Quhilk tasand with hys rycht hand, sone on hye

  Onto the hevyn abuf thus carpys he:

  ‘O blissyt maid Latonya, our alquhar

  Of wild forestis the inhabitar,

  I, fader, heir professys servand to the

  Thys tendir onglyng, bund onto this tre;

  Fleand hys fays throw the skyis, llo,

  Knyt to thy schaft, lawly besekis scho.

  Ressaue hir, lady, and testify, God wait,

  As thyne alhail, onto the dedicate,

  Quhilk now thou seis standis in danger,

  Commyttit to the wyndis and the ayr.’

  Thus said he, and onon with a swak

  Hys gardy vp hass bendit far abak,

  And threw the speir with all hys fors and mycht;

  The stremys soundyt of the schaftis flycht.

  Owr this ferss ryver to the farthyr bra

  This fey onsilly bab, ong Camylla,

  Flaw knyt onto this quhirrand schaft of tre.

  Bot this Metabus, quhen that he dyd se

  The gret press of hys fays cum sa neir,

  Na langar duelt, bot swam throu the ryver;

  And cummyn to hys purposs blyth and glaid,

  The speir onon, sa buklyt with the maid,

  In presand onto the thrynfald Dyane,

  Furth of the gresy sward he has vp tane.

  Na rurall byggyngis, nor it na strang cite,

  Wald hym ressaue within thar wallys he,

  Nor, thocht thai wald hym to harbry haue tane,

  Hys fers mynd couth not subdew to nane;

  So that, in maner of hyrdis in pasturage,

  On wild montanys he wonnyt all his age;

  Quhar that his dochtyr, amang buskis ronk,

  In dern sladis and mony scroggy slonk,

  With mylk he nurist of the beistis wild,

  And with the pappys fosterit he his child

  Of savage stude meris in that forest;

  Oft tymys he thar pappys mylkit and prest

  Within the tendir lippys of his get.

  And, fra the child myght fut to erd set,

  And with hir solis first dyd mark the grond,

  With dartis keyn and hedis scharply grund

  Hir fystis and hir handis chargyt he;

  And at hir schuldir buklyt hess on hie

  Ane propir bow and litil arow cace;

  And for hir goldyn garland or hed lace

  In sted eik of hir syde garmont or pall,

  Our the schuldris fro hir nek down with all

  The grisly tygrys skyn of rent dyd hyng.

  The self tyme it sche bot tendir onglyng

  Thir dartis and the takillis swyft leit glyde;

  And oft abowt hir hed the ilk tyde

  Wald warp the stryngis of the stowt staf slyng,

  Quhar with feill syss to grund ded wald scho dyng

  The cran of Trace, or than the quhite swan.

  For nocht scho
was desirit with mony a man,

  And moderis feill throu the townys Tuscane

  Desirit hir thar gud douchter, invane;

  For scho only, full ferm in hir entent,

  Of Diane, goddes of chastyte, stud content,

  And list to hant evyr in woddis with me

  The dartis schutyng, and love virginyte,

  Remanand incorrupt and a cleyn maid.

  I wald, forsuyth, at this tyme scho abaid,

  And had not hastit to sic chevalry,

  Forto molest the Troianys stowt army;

  Bot that ane of my ferys scho suld be,

  As scho that is at all tyme deir to me.

  Haue done onon, thou nymphe Opys,” scho said,

  “With wikkyt fatis sen bestad is on maid,

  Thou slyde down from the hevyn, and that inhy;

  The Latyn feildis thou vissy and aspy,

  Quhar, in the wofull batale and melle,

  To ane onhappy chance betaucht is sche.

  Tak thir dartis, and sone owt of my cayss

  That ilke revengeabill arow thou owt rayss:

  Quha evir with wond doys hurt or violat

  Hyr haly body onto me dedicat,

  Quhiddir he be Troiane or Italiane,

  All is in like, that he onon be slane,

  And with hys blude myn offens deir aby.

  My self thar eftir the reuthfull corps in hy

  Amyd a boyss clowd sall cary away,

  Onspuleit of hir armour or array,

  And hir bygrave, reducit to hir cuntre,

  In sepultur full gloryus,” said sche.

  Than Opys lyghtly of the hevynnys glad,

  Throw owt the skyis sowchand fast doun slaid,

  Persand the ayr with body all ourschrowd

  And dekkyt in a watry sabill clowd.

  Quhou that Eneas with hys haill power

  Towart the cyte wallys drawis neir.

  Dvryng this quhile, the Troiane power all

  Approchys fast towart the cite wall,

  The Tuscane dukis and horsmen rowtis alhaill

  Arrayt in batale, euery ward and staill,

  Our all the planys brays the stampand stedis,

  Full galart in thar bardis and weyrly wedis,

  Apon thar strait born brydillis brankand fast,

  Now thrympand heir, now thar, thar hedis can cast:

  The large grond worth grysly onto se

  Of steill wapynnys and scharp speir hedis hie;

  And as the fyre all byrnand schayn the feildis

  Of brycht armour, heich helmys, and braid scheildis.

  Aganyst thame alsso onon apperys

  The bald Mesapus, valeant in werys;

  The agill Latyn pepill with hym was,

  And duke Catyllus, with his brother Coras,

  And eik the weyng of Wolscane pepill in feild

  With the stowt wench Camylla vnder scheild;

  And furth thai streik thar lang speris weill far,

  Drew in thar armys with schaftis chargit on far,