The Æneid of Virgil Translated Into Scottish Verse

CAP. XII

Eneas mervellys of the storeys seirWrocht be Wlcanus in hys armour cleir.Amyd the seys mycht be persauyt weillThe weirly schippis with thar snowtis of steill,The Actiane batalys, semyng as quha dyd seThe mont Lewcata, standand by the seye,For ostis arrayt glowand as the gleyd;Of glitterand gold schane all the flude on breid.On that a party, thar myght thou behaldCesar August Octauyan the bald,Movand to batale the Italyanys;With hym senatouris and worthy pepill Romanys,And Goddis domestik, quhilk Penates hait,With all the gret Goddis of mair estait:Heich in the forstam stand he mycht be sene,From hys blyth browys brent and athir eynThe fyre twynklyng, and hys faderis starSchew from hys helmys top schynand on far.The byg and stowt Agrippa, hys frend deir,Hys navy led at hand weil by neir,As he that in hys help and succurs fyndisThe prosper favouris baith of goddis and wyndis:Quhais forhed schane of ane prowd syng of weris,A crown with stammys sic as schippis beris.Marcus Antonyus cummys thame aganysWith hail suppovel of barbaryanys,As nobill victour and cheif conquerour,Careand with hym of Orient the flour;Diuers armyis and pepillys for melle,From Pers, Egipt, and costis of the Red See,The power all assemblit in hys flote,Ane huge rowt and multitude, God wote,The ȝondermast pepill, clepit Bactranys,Quhilk neir the eist part of the warld remanys.Hym followys to the feild, ane schame to say,Hys spous Egiptiane, queyn Cleopatra.Thai semyt sammyn ruschand all togidder,Quhill all the sey vpstowris with a quhidder;Ourweltit with the bensell of the ayris,Fast fra forstammys the flude swowchis and raris,As thai togiddir matchyt on the depe.Thou suld haue wenyt, quha tharto tuke kepe,The gret ilandys, Ciclades, hail vprent,Apon the sey fletand quhar thai went,Or huge hie hillys, concurrand all atanys,Togiddir rusch and meyt with other montanys;On athir hand with sa gret fors and weghtThe men assalys in schip of towr to feght.Thai warp at other brycht blesys of fyre,The kyndillyt lynt, and hardis byrnand schire;The castyng dartis fra hand to hand dyd fle,Slang gaddis of irne, and stane cast gret plente:Neptunus feildis, all the large flude,For new slauchter wolx blandit red of blude.Amyd the ostis Cleopatra queynThe rowtis dyd assembill to feght bedene,With tympane sound, in gys of hir cuntre,Prouocand thame to move in the melle:Nor ȝit beheld scho not the edderis twaneBehynd hir bak, that eftir hes hir slane.The monstruus goddis figuris, of al kyndThat honorit ar in Egipt or in Inde,And eik the barkand statu, Anubis,Agane Neptune, agane Venus, I wys,And als agane Mynerva, porturat standisIn that bargane, with wapynnys in thar handis.Amyd the feld stude Mars, that felloun syre,In plait and mail, wod brym and ful of ire:The sorofull Fureys from the firmamentBy the Goddys to tak vengeans war sent:In went Discord, joyus of that journe,With mantill rent and schorn men mycht hir se;Quham followit Bellona of batell,With hir kynd cousyng, the scharp scurgis fell.Actyus Appollo, seand in the skyOf this melle the dowtsum victory,Hys bow abufe thar hedis hes he bent,Lyke forto schote hys dartis and down sent:For dreid of quham all the Egiptianys,All thai of Inde, and the Arabyanys,And thai of Sabey, turnyt bak to fle.Cleopatra the queyn thar mycht thou seWynd sayll about, and gang befor the wynd,Ay mar and mair dredand persute behynd,Sclakand schetis, and haldand rowme at large,With purpour saill abufe hir payntit barge.The mychty God of fyre hir wrocht and maidFul pail of hew, sorowfull and not glaid,In syng tocum of hir smert hasty ded,Amangis ded corpsis new of slauchter red,And, with the west wynd and the wallys haw,Frawart the flude of Nyle our stremys blaw:Quhilk Nylus ryver, murnand for thar deseys,Hys large skyrt onbrede spred thame to ples,With all his habyt oppynnyt thame to call,As thocht hym list ressaue the venquyst allWithin hys watry bosum, large and rude,And hyde in secret cundyte of his flude.Within the wallis syne of Romys cite,Cesar, ressauyt with triumphis thre,Thou mycht behald, thar offerand on his gysTill Itale goddis immortal sacryfyce:Our all the cite, in maist singular joy,The blysfull fest thai makyng man and boy,So that thre hundreth ryall tempillys dyngOf ryot, ryppet, and of revellyng,Ryngis, and of the myrthful sportis seirThe stretis soundyng on solacius maner;At euery sanctuary, and altar vpstent,In caralyng the lusty ladeis went;Befor the altaris eik, in cirkyll round,The brytnyt bestis strowyt all the ground.Cesar hym self, seysit in sete ryall,Within the snaw quhite statly merbill wallOf God Phebus tempill, thar as he satVisseand the pepillis gyftis, this and that,And on the prowd pillaris, in takynnyngOf hys triumphe, maid thar be vp hyng:The pepill by hym venquyst mycht thou knaw,Befor hym passand per ordour, all on raw,In langsum tryne; and how feil kyndis seirOf tungis and of langage men mycht heir,Als mony diuers habyttys wor thai strange,Als feil sortis of armouris dyd thai change.Vlcanus heir the beltles Numydanys,And thai folkis that in Affrik remanys,Had gravyn weill; and ȝonder porturat wasThe Leleganys, and the pepill Carras,And Gelones, tha pepill of Sythia,In archery the quhilk ar wonder thra.The mekill flude Eufrates, fast by,With streym now semyt flow mair sobirly;The Moryn pepill eik, fast by the see,Of men reput the last extremite,The forkyt flude of Reyn eik pantit was,And the ondantit Danys thar dyd pas,The flude Arax of Armeny alsso,Havand disdene a bryg our it suld go.Eneas, of hys moderis gyft wondryng,Our al Vlcanus scheild samony a syngWrocht on sic wys, nocht knawand the mater,To se the figouris of thir storeis seirReiosyt wolx, and syne deliuerlyApon hys schulder hyntis vp in hyThe famus honour, and hie renownye,Or gloryus jestis of hys postheryte.

VOLUME II

THE PROLOUG OF THE NYNTH BUKE

Thir lusty warkis of hie nobilyteAgilyte dyd wryte of worthy clerkis,And tharin merkis wysdome, vtilyte,Na vilyte, nor sic onthryfty sperkis:Scurilyte is bot for doggis at barkis,Quha tharto harkis fallys in fragilyte.Honeste is the way to worthynes,Vertu, doutles, the perfyte gait to blys;Thou do na mys, and eschew idilnes,Persew prowes, hald na thing at is hys;Be nocht rakles to say sone ȝa, I wys,And syne of this the contrar wyrk expres.Do tyll ilk wight as thou done to waldbe;Be nevir sle and doubill, nor ȝit our lyght;Oys not thy mycht abufe thyne awin degre,Clym nevir our hie, nor ȝit to law thow lycht;Wirk na malgre, thocht thou be nevir sa wyght,Hald with the rycht, and pres the nevir to le.Eneuch of this, ws nedis prech na mor,Bot, accordyng the purpos said tofor,The ryall style, clepyt heroycall,Full of wirschip and nobilnes our all,Suldbe compilit but thewhes or voyd word,Kepand honest wys sportis quhar thai bourd,All lowus langage and lychtnes lattand be,Observand bewte, sentens, and grauyte.The sayar eik suld weil consider thys,Hys mater, and quhamto it entitilit is:Eftir myne authouris wordis, we aucht tak tentThat baith accord, and bene conuenient,The man, the sentens, and the knychtlyke stile,Sen we mon carp of vassalage a quhile.Gyf we descryve the woddis, the treis, quod he,Suld conform to that mannis dignyteQuhamto our wark we direct and endyte.Quhat helpis it? full litill it wald delyteTo write of scroggis, broym, haddir, or rammale;The lawrer, cedyr, or the palm triumphale,Ar mar ganand for nobillis of estait:The muse suld with the person aggre algait.Stra for to spek of gayt to gentill wight;A hund, a steid, mar langis for a knyght,Quhamto efferis hant na rebald daill;Thar suld na knyght reid bot a knychtly taill.Quhat forsis hym the bussart on the brer,Set weil hym semys the falcon heroner?He comptis na mair the gled than the fewlume,Thocht weil hym lykis the goshalk glaid of plume.The cur, or mastys, he haldis at smal availl,And culȝeis spanȝellis, to chace pertryk or quaill.Ne byd I not into my stile for thyTo speke of trufis, nor nane harlotry;Sen that myne author with sic eloquensHys buke illumnyt hes, and hie sentens,Sa fresch endyte, and sang poeticall,That it is clepyt the wark imperiall,Endyt onto the gret Octauyane,The Emperour excellent and maste souerane:By quham, the gospell makis mensioun,The hail warld put was to discriptioun,To numbir all the pepill tharin suld be,So, but rebellioun, al quhar obeyt was he.Bot, sen that Virgill standis but compar,Thocht in our leid hys sayngis to declarI haue in ryme thus far furth tane the cur,Now war me laith my lang laubour mysfur:All thocht my termys be nocht polist alway,Hys sentence sall I hald, as that I may.Gyf ocht be weill, thank Virgil and nocht me;Quhar ocht is bad, gays mys, or owt of gre,My lewytnes, I grant, hes all the wyte,Kouth not ensew hys ornat fresch endyte,Bot, with fuylhardy curage malapert,Schupe to enterprit, and dyd perchance pervert,Thys maist renownyt prynce of poetry:Quhar I sa dyd, mea culpa, I cry.Ȝit, by my self, I fynd this proverb perfyte,The blak craw thinkis hyr awin byrdis quhite:Sa faris with me, bew schirris, wil ȝe hark,Can nocht persaue a falt in all my wark,Affectioun sa far my raysson blyndis.Quhar I mysknaw myne errour, quha it fyndisFor cheryte amendis it, gentil wight,Syne pardon me, sat sa far in my lycht,And I sal help to smore ȝour falt, leif broder;Thus, vail que vail, ilk gude deid helpis other.And for I haue my wark addressyt and dycht,I dar sa, baith to gentil barroun and knycht,Quhais name abufe I haue done notyfy,And now of prowes and hie chevelryBehuffis me to write and carp a quhile;The mair glaidly I sal enfors my stile,And for hys saik do scharp my pen all new,My maste renownyt author to ensew,That thar salbe, wyll God, litill offens,Salwand owr bustuus wlgar differens.Na mar as now in preambill me list expone,The nynt buke thus begouth Eneadon.

THE NYNTH BUKE OF ENEADOS

CAP. I

Juno to Turnus in message Iris sent,To sege the Troianys, Eneas tho absent.Quhyll on this wys, as I haue said or this,Sik materis and ordinancis wirkand isIn diuers placis, set full fer ytwyn,Saturnus get, Juno, that list not blynOf hir auld malyce and iniquyte,Hir madyn Iris from hevin sendys scheTo the bald Turnus malapert and stowt;Quhilk for the tyme was with all his rowtAmyd ane valle wondyr lovn and law,Sittand at eys within the hallowyt schawOf god Pilumnus, hys progenitor.Thamantis douchtir knelys hym befor,I meyn Iris, this ilk fornamyt maid,And with hir rosy lippys thus hym said:Turnus, behald on cace reuoluyt the day,And of hys fre will sendys the, perfay,Sik avantage and oportunyte,That set thou wald haue axit it, quod sche,Thar was nevir ane of all the goddis dyngQuhilk durst haue the promittit sic a thing.Eneas, desolat levand hys cite,Hys navy eik, hys ferys, and hail menȝe,Is till Evander socht, and Palatyne,That burgh. But not eneuch; for farther syneTo the extreme citeis of TuscanyIn mont Corythus haldys he in hy,And doys assembill the wild lauboreris,That quhilum com fra Lyd, till armys in weris.Quhat dredis thou? now tyme is to prik hors,Now tyme fortill assay ȝour cartis and fors.Haue done, mak na mar tary nor delay,Set on thar strenthis sone, gif thame affray.Quod sche; and tharwith, in hys presens evin,With equale weyngis flaw vp in the hevin,Vndre the clowdis schapand, quhar scho went,A gret rane bowe of diuers hewys ment.The ȝong man knew hir weill, and hastelyVp baith hys handis hevis to the sky,With sic wordis followand, as scho dyd fle:Iris, thou bewte of the hevynnys hie,Throw all the clowdis and thir skyis brovn,Quha hes the send to me in erth a dovn?Quhow is becummyn on this wys, quod he,Sa brycht weddir and cleir serenyte?I se the hevynnys oppynnyt and devyde,And movand sternys in the lyftis syde.So gret takynnys and reuelacions schawI sal persew, and fallow quhat befaw;Quhat evir thou be that callys to the weris,Thy command sal I obey, as efferis.And thar withall, with wordis augurall,Eftir thar spayng cerymonys diuynal,Onto the flude onon furth steppis he,And of the stremys crop a litill weThe watir lyftis vp intill his handis,Full gretumly the goddys, quhar he standis,Besekand till attend to hys prayer,The hevynnys chargeyng with feil awowis seir.With this the ostis all in the plane feildHeld furth arrayt, schynand vnder scheld.Men mycht behald full mony riall stedis,Full mony pantyt targe and weirlyke wedis:Of giltyn geir dyd glytter bank and bus.The formast batale ledis Mesapus;The hyndmast ostis had in governyngOf Tyrrhyus the sonnys or childer ȝyng:Turnus thar duke rewlys the myddill ost,With glave in hand maid awful feir and bost;Thame till array raid turnand to and fro,And by the hed alhaill, quhar he dyd go,Hyear than all the rowt men mycht hym se.In sik ordour furth haldis his menȝe,Lyke as sum tyme Ganges, the flude Indane,Sevyn swelland ryveris eftir spayt of raynRessauyt in hys large bosum in hy,In hys deip trowch now flowys esely:Or as vmquhile the fertill flude, Nylus,Ourfletand all the feildis, bank and bus,Syne, eftir the gret fludis watry rage,Returnys swagit to hys auld passage.

CAP. II

Turnus segis the Troianys in gret ire,And all thar schippis and navy set in fyre.Be this the Troianys in thar new citeA dusty sop vprysand gan do se,Full thik of stowr vp thryngand in the ayr,And all the feildis myrknyt mair and mair.Caycus first cryis, as he war wod,Dovn from the hie garrat quhar he stude;O citesanys, how gret ane ost, quod he,Is lappit in ȝone dusty stew I se!Swith hynt ȝour armour, tak ȝour wapynnys all,Bryng hydder dartis, speil vp on the wall,Our ennemys cummys at hand, but dowt.Hay, hay, go to! than cry thai with a schowt,And with a huge bruyt Troianys at schortThar wallys stuffyt, and closyt euery port.For sa Eneas, maste expert in armys,At hys departing, dredand for thir harmys,Gaif thame command, gif thai assalȝeit wer,Or hys returnyng, be hard fortoun of weir,That thai ne suld in batale thame array,Nor in the plane thar ennemys assay:Bot bad thai suld alanerly withhaldThar strenth within thar fowseis, as he wald,And kepe thar wallys forsely and weill,With fowcy dichis and wapynnys styfe of steill.Tharfor, all thocht baith schame and felloun ireThar breistis had enflambyt hait as fyre.In the plane feild on thar famen to set,Ȝit neuertheles thar portis haue thai schet,Fortill obey the command of Enee;On boss turrettis and on towris hieEnarmyt stude thar fays till abyde.Turnus the chiftane on the tother sydeCome to the cite, or that ony wist,Furth fleand swipperly, as that hym best list,Befor the ost, quhilk went bot esy pas:With hym a twenty chosyn men he has;Apon a sterand steid of Trace he sat,Of cullour dapill gray and wail fat,Full hie rysand abuf his knychtly hedHys goldin helm, with tymbrel al blude rede.Go to, ȝyng gallandis, quha that list, quod he,Thar ennemys assailȝe first with me:And, with that word, threw a dart in the air,As he to geif batale all redy war,Syne in plane feild with browdyn baneris gayBargane to byde drew hym till array.Hys feris all ressauyt the clamour hie,And followand thar chiftane, he and he,The bruyt rasyt with grisly sound attanys,And gan to mervell the dolf hartit Troianys,That durst nocht, as thame semyt, in plane feildThame self aventour, nor ȝit with sper and scheldMach with thar famen in patent bargane,Bot hald thame in thar strenthis euery ane.And all commovit, brym, and full of ire,Baith heir and thar Turnus the grevyt syreWent on horsbak, seirsand abowt the wallEvery dern way and secret passagis all,Gyf ony entre or tocome espyHe myght, fortill assail the cite by.Lyke as we se, wachand the full scheip fald,The wild wolf ourset with schowris caldOf wynd and rane, at myddis of the nycht,Abowt the bowght plet all of wandis tyghtBrays and gyrnys; tharin bletand the lammysFull sovirly liggis vnder thar dammys:He brym and felloun his rage and furourAganys the absentis, reddy to devour,Rasys in ire, for the wod hungris lyst;Hys wysnyt throt, havand of blude sic thrist,Gendris of lang fast sic ane appetyteThat he constrenyt is in extreme syt.Nane other wys, the feirfull fervent ireIn Turnus breist vpkyndillis hait as fyre,Seand thir wallys and fortressis attanys;The huge ennoy byrnys hym throu the banys,Imagynand by quhat resson or wayHys ennemys he mycht wyn till assay,And on quhat wys the Troianys fra thar strenthHe mycht expell, and in plane feild on lenthMak thame to ische in patent batale place.And as he musand was heiron, per cace,The navy of thar schippys he dyd invaid,That fast by jonyt to the wall was layd,With dychys and with fowseis dern abowt,In the flude watir, as neir owt of dowt:Quham fra he had espyit, but abaidAt hys feris, quhilkis wilfull war and glaid,Eftir the fyre and kyndillyng dyd he cry,And in hys awin handis hyntis vp in hyA blesand fyrebrand of the fyrryn tre.Than byssely Rutilyanys, he and he;So the presens of Turnus dyd thame steir,That euery man the rekand schydis in feirRent fra the fyris, and on the schippis slang:The semys crakkis, the watir byssyt and sang,The tallownyt burdis kest a pikky low,Vpblesis ourloft, hechis, wrangis, and how;Quhill myxt with reik the fell sparkis of fyreHeich in the air vpglydis byrnand schire.

CAP. III

Quhou the fyre was expellit fra the navye,The schippis translait in nymphis or goddessis of see.Say me, O Musys, reherses and declare,Quhilk of the Goddis sa cruel flammys sayrHeld from Troianys? quha sa vehement fyreDrave from thar schippis, thus wys byrnand schire?The deid is auld forto beleif or wry,Bot the memor remanys perpetualy.The first tyme quhen the Troiane EneasBy sey to tak hys vayage schup to pas,And gan do beld his schippis vp ilkaneIn Ida forest, that mont Phrygiane;The moder of Goddis, Berecyntia,Spak to hir son gret Jupiter, thai sa,With sikkynd wordis, sayand; My child deir,Grant this ane axin quhilk I the requeir,Grant thy belovit moder bot a thing,Thou at art master of the hevynly ryng.Apon the top of Gargarus, quod sche,Thar grew a fyr wod, the quhilk into danteFull mony ȝeris held I, as is knaw;Thys was my cuthill and my hallowit schaw,Quhar that the Phrygianys maid me sacrifice;Ful weill me lykyt thar to walk oft sys,With pikky treis blak skuggit abowt,And abundans of hattyr gestis stowt;Quhilk glaidly I haue gevin a ȝong Troiane,Strang Eneas, discend from kyng Dardane,Fortill support the mysteris of hys navy.And now the dowtsum dreid, for the ilk quhy,Full pensyve haldis me and doith constrene:Deliuer me of thys feir be sum meyn,My deir son, suffir at thy moderis requestBe admittit this a time, be the leste,So that tha schippis be nevir mair oursetWith contrar curs, nor ȝit with storm dovn bet;Quharby thai may haue sum avale, quod sche,At thai vmquhill grew in our hillys hie.Hyr son, the quhilk rewlys at hys lykyngThe hevyn, the starris, and all erdly thyng,Ansuerd and said: O moder best belovyt,Quhou art thou thus agane the fatis amovyt?Or quharto axis thou to thir, quod he,With mortale handis wrocht of stokkis and tre,That is to say, thir schippis so habill to faill,That lesum war thai suld be immortale?And that Enee, in dedly corps onsure,Assoverit fermly throw all dangeris fuyr?Quhat God hes to hym grantyt sik frelage?Bot for thy saik, quhen fully thar vayageThai haue compleyt, and at costis of ItaleArryvit ar, and in tha portis set sail,And thar duke Troiane careit our the seeTo boundis of Lawrentum, that cuntre,Alsmony of thame as than hes eschaipeThe wally fludis sall I turn and schaipFurth of thar mortale formys corruptabill,And sall command thame forto be mair habillFrom thens forthwart, as immortale, quod he,In Nymphes turnyt and Goddessys of see;Lyke as Nereus douchter, Clotho gay,And Galathea, throw fomy fludis grayScheryng with braid brestis delytabill.Quod Jupiter: and till hald ferm and stabill,Be Stix the flude, Pluto hys broderis see,Hys godly aith and promys sworn hes he;Be that ilk pykky laik with brays blak,And laithly sworlys, till kepe at he spakHe dyd afferm hys hecht, and in takynnyngThe hevynnys all maid trymmyll at hys likyng.Tharfor the day that he by promys setIs now at hand, and the ful tyme of det,By the werd sisteris schaip, is now compleit;Quhen Turnus thus in hys iniuryus heitAdmonyst hes hys pepill, and commandis,With dry schydis and with hait fyre brandis,The moder of Goddis by sik flambys fellFurth of hir hallowyt schippis to expell.At this tyme first apperis in thar syghtA new takynnyng of gret plesand lycht,And a braid schynand clowd thai dyd aspyCum from the est, rynnand our all the sky;The rowtis eik onone thai gan behaldOf Ideanys, tha wightis that in the haldAr of the moder of the Goddis clos;Dovn throu the air eik come a feirful voce,And fillit all the ostis baith atanysOf Troiane pepill and Rutilianys,Sayand; Troianys, dreid na thing, haist ȝou nochtFortill defend my schippis, albeit ȝe mocht,For that caus tak na wapynnys in ȝour handis:For rather, now as that the mater standis,Sal it be lefull Turnus fyre the see,Or that he byrn my bargis maid of tre.O ȝe my schippys, now to ȝou I say,Go fre at large quhar ȝou list away,Go furth and swym as Goddessis of the see;The moder of Goddis commandis so tobe.And, wyth that word, als tyte furth from the braIlk barge bownys, cuttyand hir cabyll in twa;Lyke delphyn fysch onon as thai tuke kepe,Thar snowtis dowkand held vnder the deip.Syne from the grond, a wonder thing to say,With als feill virgyne facis vpsprang thai,And throu the fludis, quhar thame list, dyd fair,Quhou mony steill stammyt bargis that ayrStude by the costis syde, or thai war fyryt.Rutylianys wolx affrayit with myndis myryt;Mesapus musyng can withdraw on dreich,Seand hys stedis and the horssis skeich;And eik the ryver brayt with hays sovnd,Quhill Tyberinus bakwartis dyd rebound,As thocht hys curs dyd stop and step abak.Bot netheles, for all the feir thai mak,The hie curage and forcy hardymentBaid onamovyt in Turnus stowt entent,So that baldly with hardy wordis on hieThar spretis rasyt, and rycht fersly heGan thame repreve, that tuk for nocht affray.Thir monstruus takynnys at ȝe se, perfay,Sekis mischeif to the Troianys, said he;And by this way gret Jupiter, as ȝe se,Hes now byreft thar help and confidens,Quharby thai wont war to fle for defens:Now nowder Rutyliane fyre nor swerdis dyntMay thai withstand, for all thar fors is tynt.Sen that thai may not eschape by the see,Nor hes na maner hope away to fle,The maist half of the Troiane help is lost;This land is in our power, feld and cost;So that thai sal na wys eschape our brandis,Quhou mony thousand douchty men of handisAr heir assemblyt, all Italyanys.I compt na thing all thocht ȝon fant TroianysRakkyn thar fatis that thame hydder brocht;All syk vayn ruys I feir as thing of nocht,In cace thai prowd be of the goddis answeris,And thame avant tharof with felloun feris.It may weill suffys, and eneuch, I wys,Baith to thar fatis and Venus grantit is,That evir thir Troianys in this cost fast byHes anys twichit the boundis of Italy.My werdis eik and fatale destaneBe the contrar is grantit onto me,Thys cursyt pepill tobet down with my glave,For my deir spous, quham byreft me thai have:Nor this ennoy alanerly twichis nochtThe twa Atrydes, that Troy to rewyne brocht;I meyn the principal chiftanys, breder twa,That is to knaw, Agamemnon and Menelay;Ne ȝit allane this caus to armys sterisThe pepill of Myce to move batale and weris;Bot principaly this querrell myne I knaw.Gif it had bene eneuch, as that thai schaw,At thai bot anys distroyit aucht tobe,It war eneuch and mycht suffys, think me,That thai haue faltit anys lang tyme befor;Quhy dowbill thai thar trespas mor and mor?All thocht that women brocht thame to foly,Ȝyt hait thai not wemen aluterly.Quhat meyn thai be this myddill mantill wall?This litill stop of dykis and fowseis all?Weyn thai this be a strenth that may thame save?Thar lyfe is now in juperte, thai raif,Full neir thar ded thai stand: all men may knawQuhidder gif the wight wallys of Troy thai saw,Belt by the hand of Neptunus, that syre,Rent and bet down, and all the town in fyre.Bot O ȝe walyt knychtis of renown,Quham I behald with pykkis brekand dovnȜon forteres, and now present with meAssalȝeand this affrayt strenth we se;Ws nedis not Wlcanus armour heirAganys thir maste fant Troianys in our weir,Nor ȝit we mystir not a thousand schippis.All thocht hail Tuscany into falloschippisWith thame adione, and cum on euery syde,Lat thame nocht dreid that we, be nyghtis tyde,Sall thyftuusly Palladium steill away,Nor sla thar wachis slepand; na, perfay,Dern in ane horssis belly large and wyde,Thame to dissave, we sall ws neuer hyde:For we determyt haue by fors in fyght,In plane batale, and on days lyght,With fyre and swerd ȝon wallys ombeset.So dowchtely we schape to do our det,That thai sall not beleif weir vndertaneAgane Grekis, nor pepill Pelasgane,Quhilkis in thar weris previt sa spreitles menThat Hector thame delayt ȝeris ten.Now, chosyn men, and walyt weriouris,Sen the maist part of this days howrisIs gane, said he, I hald it for the bestEftir this gud journay ȝe tak ȝou rest;Do eys ȝour bodeis and ȝour hors quhil day,Bot hald ȝou reddy for the batale ay.In the meyn tyme, of the nycht wach the cureWe geif Mesapus, the ȝettis to discure,And forto beit brycht fyris abowt the wallys.Twys sevin Rutilianys for al chance befallysWas chosyn with knychtis forto wach the town;Ilkane ane hundreth fallowys reddy bownOf ȝoung gallandis, with purpour crestis red;Thar giltyn geir maid glitteryng euery sted,Quhar so thai walk, and rowmys still and soft.Thai stalk about, and wardis changis oft,And sum tyme, on the greyn herbys down set,Thai byrll the wyne, and ilk man dyd hys detFortil ourturn goblettis of mettell bryght.The schynand fyris our al the land kest lycht;And all the forenycht thir wachis sikkyn way,But sleip, dyd spend in revale, gam, and play.