Complete Works of Virgil

by Virgil

  Quhen this was said, furth at the portis hee,

  Schakand in hand a gret speir, ischit he.

  With hym also to the feild ruschis owt

  Anteus, Mnestheus, and ane full thyk rowt:

  Alhaill the barnage flokkis furth atanys,

  Left voyd the tovn and strenth with wasty wanys.

  Than was the playn ourset, quha com behynd,

  With dusty stew of puldyr maid folk blynd,

  And, for stampyng and fell dynnyng of feyt,

  The erd movit and trymlyt euery streyt.

  Turnus, apon the party our rycht forgane,

  Persauyt thame thus sterand throw the plane,

  Thame saw also the pepill Ausonyanys,

  And the cald dreid for feir ran throw thar banys.

  First of the Latynys all, this ilke maid

  Iuturna thame knew, and was not glaid;

  Scho hard the soundis and the fell deray,

  And quakand fast for feir hess fled away.

  Bot this Eneas, full bald vndyr scheld,

  With all hys ost drave throw the plane feld,

  And with hym swyftly bryngis our the bent

  A rowt coill blak of the stew, quhar he went.

  Lyke as the bub or plaig of fell tempest,

  Quhen that the clowdis brekis est or west,

  Dryvys by fors throw the sey to the land,

  Doand the cayrfull husbandis vnderstand

  The gret myscheif tocum and felloun wraik;

  Quhilk, with sair hartis quakand, “Allake, allaik!”

  Says, “Lo, on bub sall stryke dovn growand treys,

  Doun bet our cornys, and by the ruyt vpheis,

  And far onbreid ourturn all doys vpstand:

  Hark, heir the swouch cumis brayand to the land” —

  On siclyke wyss this ilk chiftane Troian

  The corsy pasand Osyris hess slane.

  Mnestheus kyllyt Archet, and Achates

  Byhedit hass the wight Epulones;

  Gyas doun bet Vfens the gret captane;

  Dovn fell also the gret augurian,

  Tolumnyus him self, that the ilk day

  Threw the first dart hys fays till assay.

  Vprysis than the clamour, and a scry

  Quhilk semyt wend onto the starnyt sky.

  Thar curss abowt than the Rutilianys

  Hess tane the flyght, and gave the bak atanys,

  Skatterit throw owt the feildis heir and thar,

  Quhil stovr of puldir vpstrikis in the air.

  Bot the chiftane, this vaileant Ene,

  Dedeneit nane doun bet as thai dyd fle,

  Ne thame invaid that met hym face for face,

  All thocht thai fawght with wapyn, swerd or mace;

  Bot throw the thikast sop of dust in hy

  Only Turnus went to seik and aspy,

  And hym allane, accordyng the tretye,

  He askis and requiris into melle.

  With dreid heirof the mynd was smyttyn so

  Of Iuturna, the verray virago

  (Quhilk term to expone, be myne avyss,

  Is a woman exersand a mannys offyss);

  Amyd the lyamys and the thetis thar

  Doun swakkis scho Metiscus the cartar

  That Turnus char had forto rewle on hand,

  And left hym lygand far ond on the land,

  Fra the cart lymmowris warpit a gret way;

  And scho in sted hyss office dyd assay.

  And with hir handis abowt writhis sche

  The flexibill renys frawart the melle,

  Berand the lyknes in all maner thing

  Of Metiscus voce, person and armyng.

  Als feill wrynklis and turnys can scho mak

  As dois the swallow with hir plumys blak,

  Fleand and seirsand swiftly thar and heir

  Our the gret lugyngis of sum myghty heir,

  Apon hir weyngis scummand euery syde

  Thir heich hallys, bene full large and wyde,

  Gadderand the small morcellis est and west

  To bair hir byrdis chepand in thar nest;

  Now into gowsty porchis doith scho fle,

  Now by the donky stankis soundis sche:

  In siclike wyss this Iuturna belyfe

  Throw owt the ostis gan the horssis dryfe,

  Circuland abowt with swift fard of the cart

  The feildis our allquhar in euery art,

  And schew hir bruthir Turnus in his char,

  Now brawland in this place, now voustand thar;

  Na be na way wald scho suffir that he

  Assembill hand for hand suld with Enee;

  Bot fled hym far, and frawart hym held ay,

  Writhand hir cartis curss ane other way.

  In na less haist Eneas on the bent

  Hys quhelys turnys and writhis mony a went;

  The man he seirsis throw the effrait rowtis,

  And on hym callis with lowd cry and hie schowtis.

  And als feill syss as he his eyn kest

  Apon his fa, al tymys he hym adrest

  To chass hym with swyft curss throu the melle,

  On horssis that semyt ryn as fowle dois fle;

  Bot evir als oft Iuturna ane other art

  Awaywart turnys and writhis hyr broderis cart.

  And thus Eneas remanys all on flocht

  In syndry motioun of ire, bot all for nocht.

  Allace, ne knawis he not now quhat to do:

  Diuerss thochtis and seir consatis, lo,

  Hys mynd in mony contrar purposs sent.

  And as he thus was trublit in entent,

  Mesapus, that on cace was neirhand by,

  And in hys left neif haldis all reddy

  Twa sowpill castyng speris hedit with steill,

  Of quham that ane full sovirly and weill

  Towart Ene addressit leit he glyde.

  Eneas hovit still the schote to abyde,

  Hym schrowdand vndir his armour and his scheild,

  Bowand hys howch, and stude a litill onheld;

  And, netheless, this speir, that scharply schar,

  Of hys basnet the tymbrell quyte doun bair,

  And smait away the creistit toppis hie.

  Than mair in greif and ire vpgrowis he,

  Seand hym catchit with dissait and slycht,

  Quhen that he hess persauyt in his sycht

  Turnus horssis furth drevyn ane other art,

  Awaywart turnyng sa feill syss his cart:

  Tho mony tymys lowd did he testify

  Gret Iupiter, quhou that sa wrangwisly

  He was iniurit, and constrenyt to fight;

  To witness drew he als with gret onrycht

  The altaris of confiderans violate;

  And now at last, full furyus and hait,

  The mydwart of his ennemyss dyd invaid.

  With prospir chance of batale, sa onglaid

  And terribill to his fays walxis he,

  That hail, but ony differans of degre,

  All goith to wraik, for na man list he spair:

  A cruell slauchter he hess rasit thar.

  All kynd of wreth and breithfull ire now he

  Leyt slyp at large, but brydill, with reneis fre.

  Heir followys of the slauchter monyfald

  Maid by Turnus and be Eneas bald.

  Quhat god sall now me techyng to endite

  Samony wondis and this cairfull syte,

  Or quha me lern in metyr to declar

  Sa feill and diuerss slauchteris as was thar,

  And gret decess of dukis in that sted,

  Our all the feildis strowyn lyggis ded,

  Quham euery ane sammyn hys curss abowt

  Now down bet Turnus, now Eneas stowt?

  O Iupiter, was it plesand to the,

  With sa gret motioun of crudelyte

  Athir pepill suld rusch on other in press,

  Quhilkis eftir suldbe ane in etern pess?

  Eneas first, that tareit not to lang,

  Smate ane Sucron, a Ru
tilian strang;

  A grevouss wond he hyt hym in the syde,

  Throw owt hys rybbys can the stif swerd glide,

  Persyt hys cost and breistis cundyt inhy,

  Thar as the fatale deth is maste hasty:

  This bargane first fermyt Troianys to stand,

  That langeir fled Turnus fra hand to hand.

  Tho Turnus hass rencontyrit in the press

  Amycus, and hys brother Diores,

  Quham, fra thar horssis on the grond doun bet,

  On fut in feild strangly he ombeset;

  And the formast with a lang stif speir

  Smate ded, and with a swerd the tother in feir,

  Syne baith thar hedis hakkit of in hy,

  And at his cart thame hyngis by and by,

  The blude tharfra dreipand, tursys away.

  The self stound Eneas at ane assay,

  Or ane onset, hess kyllit Tanaus,

  Talon also, and the stowt Cethegus;

  Syne, eftyr thame, he kyllyt in the press

  The sad and ay sorofull Onytes,

  Renownyt of Thebes blude, and the ofspryng

  Discendyng down from Echion the kyng,

  And of hys moder born, Peridia.

  This othir chiftane, Turnus, killit twa,

  That brethir war, and owt of Lycia send,

  Appollois cuntre, Troianys to defend;

  And efter thame ane Meneit hess he slane,

  A ong man that was born ane Archadane,

  That all his days evir hatit the melle,

  Bot all for nocht, for he most neid thus de —

  About the laik of Lern and fludis gray

  Hys craft was forto fysching euery day;

  A puyr cote houss he held, and buyr hym law;

  Rewardis of rich folkis war to hym onknaw;

  Hys fader eyrit and sew ane peyss of feld

  That he in hyregang held tobe his beild.

  And lyke as that the fyre war new vpbet,

  And in sum dry wydderit wod vpset,

  Baith heir and thar, at diuerss partis seir,

  Amyd the sovndand buskis of lawrer;

  Or quhar the fomy ryveris, red on spait,

  Hurlys doun from the month a large gait,

  With hydduus bruyt and felloun fard atanys,

  Thar as thai ryn ourflowand all the planys;

  Ilkane distroys, wastis and dryvis away

  All that thai fynd befor thame in the way —

  Na slawar baith this Turnus and Ene

  Hurlys and ruschis ferss throw the melle.

  Now, now, the brethfull ire and felloun thocht

  Within thar myndis boldynnys all on flocht,

  And tha breistis, can na wyss venquyst be,

  Now bristis full of greif and cruelte;

  Now lasch thai at with bludy swerdis brycht,

  Fortill mak wondis wyd in all thar mycht.

  The tane of thame, that is to know, Enee,

  Kyng Murranus, of anchestry mast hie,

  Sovndand the name of his forfaderis ald,

  Our all the clan of Latyn kyngis bald

  Observyt man by man onto his day,

  Furth of hys cart hess smyttyn quyt away,

  And bet hym doun onto the erd wyndflaucht,

  With a gret roik or quhirrand stane ourraucht;

  That this Murranus the renys and the thetis,

  Quharwith hys stedis okkit war in thretis,

  Vndyr the quhelis hess do weltit doun,

  Quhar, as he lyggis in hys mortall swoun,

  Of hys awyn stedis abuf hym rap for rap

  The sterand hufis, stampand with mony clap,

  Ourtreddis and doun thryngis thar master law,

  And gan thar lordis his estait mysknaw.

  And Turnus hess recontryt ane Hilo,

  That ruschand hurlit throw the melle tho,

  Full ferss of muyd and austern of curage;

  Bot this Turnus, for all hys vassalage,

  At hys gilt halffettis a grundyn dart dyd thraw,

  That fixit throu hys helm the schaft flaw,

  Persand hys brane, quhill owt bruschit the blude.

  Nor thy rycht hand, Creteus, sa gude,

  Thou forcyast Greik, cumyn from Archad land,

  Mycht the deliuer from this ilk Turnus brand.

  Nor all hys goddis Cupencus in the plane

  Myght defend from Ene, com hym agane,

  Bot at hys breist with the steill poynt is met,

  That thirlyt hes throu all, and hym doun bet,

  That nother scheild nor obstant plait of steill

  This catyvis breist hes helpit neuer a deill.

  O Eolyn, the feildis Lawrentan

  Hess the behald tharon dovn bet and slane,

  And with thy braid bak in thy rich weid

  The grund thou hess byspred rycht far onbreid:

  Thar lyis thou ded, quham Gregioun ostis in fycht

  Nother venquyss nor to the erth smyte mycht,

  Nor ferss Achilles to the grund couth bryng,

  That was ourquhelmar of Kyng Pryamus ryng:

  Heir war thy methis and thy term of ded:

  The houss and famyll or the nobill sted

  Of thy kynrent stant vndir mont Ida,

  In the gret cyte of Lyrnessia,

  Bot in the feildis of Lawrentane sule

  Thy sepultur is maid for ay tobe.

  Apon this wyss the ostis and wardis haill

  On athir part returnyt in bataill,

  Aganyst othir to feght sammyn attanys,

  All the Latynys and alhaill the Troianys;

  Duke Mnestheus, and the stern Serestus,

  And, on the tother half, Prynce Mesapus,

  That of gret horss the dantar clepit was,

  And with hym eik the stalwart Asylas,

  The Tyrreyn rowtis semblit all atanys,

  And Kyng Evandrus army Archadianys:

  Euery man for hym self, as he best mycht,

  At the vtyrrans of all hys forss gan fyght.

  No rest nor tary was, thai so contend,

  Sum to confundyng all, sum to diffend.

  Quhou Eneas segit the tovn agane,

  And Queyn Amata hir self for wo hass slayn.

  At this tyme, the bargane induryng thus,

  Eneas moder, the farest dame Venus,

  Into hys mynd scho hass put this entent,

  To hald onto the wallys incontinent,

  And steir hys ost the cyte till assay

  With hasty onset and suddane affray,

  At gret myscheif the Latynys to effeir,

  Quhilk of hys cummyng tho onwarnyt wer.

  And as at he held movyng to aspy

  Turnus throu syndry rowtis by and by,

  On euery syde he hass castyn hys e,

  And at the last behaldis the cite,

  Saikless of batale, fre of all syk stryfe,

  But payn or travale, at quyet man and wyfe.

  Than of a grettar bargane in hys entent

  All suddanly the figour dyd imprent:

  He callys Mnestheus and eik Sergestus,

  Chiftanys of hys ost, and strang Serestus,

  And on a lytill mote ascendit inhy,

  Quhar sone forgadderit all the Troian army,

  And thik abowt hym flokkyng can, but baid;

  Bot nother scheld nor wapynnys doun thai laid.

  And he amyddis on the knollis hight

  Onto thame spak thus, herand euery wight:

  “Heir I command no tary nor delay

  Be maid of my preceptis, quhat I sal say,

  Nor se that na man be sweir nor slaw to ryn;

  Till our hasty onset we wil begyn,

  Sen Iupiter assistis onto our syde.

  Now harkis quhat I purposs do this tyde:

  This day I sal distroy and cleyn bet doun

  Of Lawrent haill the cite and the tovn,

  Quhilk is the causs of all our werying,

  And quyte confund the kyng Latinus ryng,

  Less
than thai wil ressaue the bridill at hand,

  Be at obeysans, and grant my command;

  And on hie turrettis, and tha toppis hie

  Of rekand chymnais ondir, as we se,

  I sal mak plane and equale with the grond.

  Quhat suld I tary or delay a stond,

  Abydand heir into sik plyte,” quod he,

  “Quhil Turnus lyst feght with ws in melle;

  Or quhil that he, ane other tyme agane

  Ourcum and venquyst into batale plane,

  May haue refuge to this tovn to releif,

  Syne efter in feild vs recontyr and greif?

  O citeanys, the hed is this cite

  Of our weirfair, and cheif of iniquyte:

  Turss thiddir inhy the hait byrnand fyre brandis,

  And with the blesand flawmys in our handis

  Renewys and requir agane,” said he,

  “The trety sworn and promyst ou and me.”

  Quhen this was said, thai put thame in array,

  Togiddir all the cite tyll assay:

  Thai pyngill thraly quha mycht formest be

  With dowr myndys onto the wallys hie:

  Knyt in a sop, with gret pissans thai thrist

  The leddyrris to the wallys, or ony wist,

  And hasty fyre blesis dyd appeir.

  Sum otheris of the Troianys ruschit infeir

  Onto the portis, and the first thame met

  Hes kyllyt at the entre and doun bet:

  Sum otheris schotis dartis, takillis and flanys

  At thame quhilkis on the barmkyn hed remanys,

  That with the flycht of schaftis heir and thar

  Thai dyrknyt all the skyis and the air.

  Ene hym self with the formast can stand

  Vndyr the wallys, puttand to hys hand

  To the assalt, and with lowd voce on hie

  The kyng Latinus fast accusys he,

  Drawand the goddys to wytnes, quhou agane

  He is constrenyt on forss to move bargane,

  And quhou at the Italianys thus twyss

  At syndry tymys schew thame hys ennemyss,

  And how falsly that day thai brokyn had

  The secund confideratioun sworn and maid.

  Amang the citeanys, into gret affray,

  Vpraiss discord in mony syndry way:

  Sum bad oncloss the cite, and als fast

  Warp vp the portis, and wyde the ettis cast

  To the Troianys, and thar gret prynce Ene

  Ressaue as for thar kyng in the cite;

  Otheris start to thar wapynnys and thar geir,

  Forto defend thar tovn in feir of weir.

  As we may geif a symylitude, wail lyke

  Quhen that the herd hess fund the beys byke,

  Closit vnder a dern cavern of stanys,

  And fillit hess full sone that litill wanys

  With smoik of sowr and byttir rekis stew;

  The beys within, affrayt all of new,

  Ourthwort thar hyvis and walxy tentis rynnys,