The Æneid of Virgil Translated Into Scottish Verse

CAP. VII

Quhou king Latinus metis with Eneas keyn,And frendly talking was thir twa betweyn.Be this the schynand secund days lyghtVprasit Phebus with goldyn bemys brycht:Than all the Troianys and Ausonyanys,Full blithly in a rowt assemblit attanys,Montit on hors, and held thar ways syneOnto the mastir cite Lawrentyne,With wallys hie and biggingis weirly maid.Befor thame all rewthfull Eneas raid;And nixt per ordour Drances, that to the kyngAs agit man carpis of mony thyng;Syne come hys only child Ascanyus,That otherwys was clepyt Julus;Nixt hym Alethes, with mynd full digest,Grave Ilyoneus, Mnestheus, and stern Serest;Syne followys thame the forcy Sergestus,Gyas alsso, and stalwart Cloanthus:Eftir quham, mydlit sammyn, went araynThe other Troianys and folk Italian.In the meyn quhile the Latyn citeȝanysWithout thar wallys ischit furth atanys,That with gret lawd, in mych solempnyteAnd triumphe ryall has ressauyt Enee.Be this thai cummyn war onto the town;Quham with blith front, to meyt thame reddy bown,The kyng Latyn with huge cumpanyThame welcumis and festis by and by.And fra that he beheld amyd the rowtEneas cumand, the Dardan capitan stowt,Hys verray figur dyd hym nocht dissaue;For, quhar he went, excellent all the laveAnd hyear far a gret deill semys he,That far on breid his ryall maiesteAnd pryncely schynand countenans dyd appeir.And quhen that he cummyn was so neirThat athir gudly to othir speke mycht,And heir the wordis carpyt apon hycht,And, lyke as thai desyrit, on the landTo lap in armys, and adion hand in hand;The kyng Latinus, as a curtas man,With glaid semblant thus first to speke began:Weill be ȝe cummyn finaly, Enee,And the ferm hope hes not dissavit meOf my desyrus mynd, now full of joy;O schynand gloryus light to folkis of Troy!Quham the command of the gret Goddis mycht,Throu sa feill chancis catchit and evill dycht,In Italy within our boundis planeHes destinat and ordanyt to remane:All thocht that manis wanton willfull offens,Be our malapert and ondantit licens,In thar fury with brag and mekill onrestTha haly lawis trublit and infest,Prouocand and commovand the Goddis greif;So that alsso, quhidder me war loith or leif,Full oft resistand and denyand the weir,Constrenyt I was, and warpit thar and heir,That, mawgre my hed, me behuffit susteynThe hard dangeris of Mars and mekill teyn.Now is it endit; bot, certis, na litill thyngHas it cost sum man sik undertakyng:The godly power, wilfull vengeans to tak,Havand disdeyn at sik deray was mak,Onto tha wikkyt sawlys for the nanysHes send condyng punytioun and just panys.Haue doyn, gret Troian prynce, now I the pray,Sen baith the crop and rutys ar awayOf all seditioun and discord, I wys,And wyrkaris of sa gret trespas and mys;Cum and ressaue thy spows and mariageTo the promyst; succeid to heritage.Realmys I haue, and citeys mony aneFull strangly beldit with hie wallis of stane,And sum alsso that I in weir conquest,And thar barmkynnys to grund bet and doun kest:Bot only the beleif and beld, quod he,Of my wery age and antiquyte,A douchtir haue I, quhilk suld be myn ayr:Quharfor in tyme cummyn for euermarI the ressaue, and haldis in dante,As son in law and successour to me.To quham the gentill Eneas reuerentlyThis ansuer maid agane, and said in hy:Maist ryall kyng, all tyme accustumateTo lyf in plesand peax, but all debait,Of this weirfar and sa gret stryfe, quod he,I trastit evir thar was no wyte in the:Tharfor, my derrest fader, I the pray,Do all sik dowtis of suspicioun away,Gyf ony sik thochtis restis in thy mynd,And trastis weill Enee afald and kynd.Now am I present, reddy as ȝe wald,That ȝou ressavis and fra thens sall haldAs fader in law, and in all chancis, per de,As verray fader that me bigat, but le:The figour of the gret Anchises dedI se heir present to me in this sted;And I agane in fervent hayt desyreȜow forto ples, my fader, lord, and syre,Sall byrn in lufe, as sum tyme wont was ITowartis hym me engendrit of his body.

CAP. VIII

Heir Eneas, that worthy nobill knycht,Was spowsyt with Lavinia the brycht.With sikkyn sermond athir othir grat,And sammyn to the cheif palys with thatThai held infeir: than mycht thou se with thisThe matronys and ȝong damysellis, I wys,That gret desyre hes sik thing to behald,Thryng to the stretis and hie wyndoys thik fald;The agit faderis, and the ȝyng gallandis,Per ordour eik assemlyt reddy standisIn gret rowtis, to vissy and to seThe gudly personys of the Troian menȝe.Bot specialy, and first of all the laif,The gret capitan Enee notyt thai haue,Attentfully behaldand euery wightHys stowt curage, hys byg statur and hycht,And in thar mynd comprasyt hys kyn maste hie,Hys plesand vissage, and knychtly large bonte;And, glaid and joyfull, extoll and loif thai canThe gret apperans of gud in sik a man,And sa fair gyftis and beleif, but les,As thai desyrit, of finale rest and pes.Lyke as, quhen the gret ithand weit or rayn,From the clowdis furth ȝet our all the playn,Haldis the husbandis ydill aganys thar will,Lang with hys crukyt beym the plewch lyis still:Syne, gif brycht Tytan list do schaw hys face,And with swyft curs far furth a large spaceDoith cach hys stedis and hys giltyn char,And kythis hys goldyn bemys in the ayr,Makand the hevynnys fair, cleir, and scheyn,The weddir smowt, and firmament sereyn;The landwart hynys than, baith man and boy,For the soft sessoun ourflowis full of joy,And athir otheris gan exhort in hyTo go to laubour of thar husbandry.Nane other wys the pepill AusonyanOf this glaid tyme in hart wolx wonder fayn.Be this the kyng Latyn, lord of that land,With maste nobill Eneas hand in hand,Within the cheif palys, baith he and he,Ar entryt in the saill ryall on hie;Quham followys nixt the ȝyng Ascanyus fair,That was hys faderis only child and ayr;Syne folk of Itaill, mydlit with Troianys,Ar entrit in that riall hall attanys:With pompos fest and joyus myrth our allResoundis tho baith palys, bowr, and hall,And all the chymmys riall rownd abowtWas fyllyt with thar tryne and mekill rowt.And tharwithall, of chalmyr by and by,With sa gudly a sort and cumpanyOf ladeis fair and damysellys onwed,Innumerabill almast, als furth was ledThe fair fresch Lavinia the may,Amyd thame schynand in hir ryall array;The crystall bemys of hir eyn twane,That as the brycht twynkland starnys schayn,Sum deill eschamyt, towart the erth doith hald.Quham as this Troian prynce first gan behald,Of bewte, schape, and all afferys, perfay,Sa excelland that wondir war to say,At the first blenk astonyst half wolx he,And musyng hovirris styll on hir to se;And in hys mynd gan rew the hard myschansOf Turnus, quham na litill apperansSa baldly movit to dereyn bargane,To rays the weir, and feght for sykkyn ane:For weill, he thocht, the hope of syk a wightTo dedys of armys aucht constreyn ony knycht.Syne, to abbryge our mater, hand in handThai war coniunct intill eternall bandOf matrimonye; and tho at all devysThar wedlok with honour, as was the gys,By menstralys and herraldis of gret fameWas playd and sung, and throw the cowrt proclame.Than joy and myrth, with dansyng and deray,Full mery noys, and sovndis of gam and play,Abuf the bryght starnys hie vpwent,That semyt forto pers the firmament,And joyus vocis ryngis furth alssoOur all the palys ryall to and fro.And syk ryot indurand amyd the pres,Ene thus carpys to traste Achates,And bad hym go belyve, but mair delay,Do fech the rych robbys and array,The fresch attyre, and all the precyus wedis,Wrocht craftely, and weif of goldyn thredis,Quhilum be fair Andromachais hand,By quham thai war hym gevyn in presand;And eyk the collar of the fyne gold brycht,With precyus stanys and with rubeys pight,Quham scho also abowt hir hals quhyteWas wont to weir in maste pompe and delyte,Quhill that the Troian weilfar stud abufe;The gret cowpe eyk, the quhilk in syng of lufeQuhilum kyng Priam to hys fader gave,Ald Anchises, of fyne gold weill engrave.Than, but delay, Achates at commandBrocht thir rych gyftis, a wonder fair presand:Syne to hys fader in law, the kyng Latyn,The precyus cowp gave he of brycht gold fyne,And to hys spows, Lavinia the may,The wedis ryall and the collar gay.Than athir dyd thar dewly obseruansWith breistis blyth and plesand dalyans,To festyng, entertenyr, and cherysThar ferys abowt on the maist gudly wys:With diuers sermond carpyng all the day,Thai schort the howris, and dryvis the tyme away.

CAP. IX

Gret myrth and solace was maid at the festis,Rehersand mony histories ald and gestis.Be this it walxis layt towart the nycht,And fast declynyng gan the days lycht,The tyme requiring, eftir the ald maner,To go to meyt and syt to the supper:Onon the bankat and the mangeoryFor fest ryall accordyng, by and by,With all habundans pertenyng to syk thyng,As weill efferit in the hows of a kyng,With alkyn maner ordinans was maidAmyd the hallys heich, lang, and braid,Apparalyt at all devys and array.Onto the bankat haill assemlyt thai,And on the carpettis spred of purpour fyneTo tablis set, quhar thai war servit syneWith alkyn danteys, and with metys seir,That all to rakkyn prolixit war to heir:As quhou the crystall eweris to thar handisThe watir gave, and quhou feill servandis standisTo mak thame ministratioun in all curys,And quhou thai trasyng on the large flurysWith blyth vissage intil euery sted,And quhou that first on burdis thai set bred:Sum with mesys gan the tabillys charge;Ane other sort doith set in all at largeThe cowpys gret and drynkyn tassis fyne,And gan do skynk and byrll the nobill wyne:That to behald thame walkyn to and froThrow the rowm hallys, and sa byssy go,And thame at tabillis makand sa glaid cheir,A paradys it was to se and heir.Bot with hys eyn onmovit Latyn kyngGan fast behald the child Ascanyus ȝyng,Wondrand on his afferis and vissage,And of the speche and wordis grave and sageOf sik a childis mowth syk wys suld fall,And of his digest and reddy wyt withall,Befor the ȝheris of maturyte;And of feill thingis hym demandis he,Athir to other renderand mony a saw:And syne wald he alsso, ane other thraw,Full tendirly do kyss hys lusty face,And lap hym in hys armys and embrace;And, wondirly reiosyt, declare wald heHappy and to the Goddis bedettit Ene,Quhilk hym had gevin syk a child as that.And quhillis thai thus at the supper sat,Eftir that with samony danteis seirThar appetit of metis assuagit were,With commonyng and carpyng euery wyghtThe lang declinand and ourslippand nyghtGan schape full fast to mak schort and ourdryve:Now the Troianys hard aventouris belyveRehersyng our, and all the Grekis slycht;Now the fers bargan and the awfull fightOf Lawrent pepill callyng to thar mynd:As quhou, and quhar, quham by, and be quhat kynd,The ostis first discumfist war in feild;And quhar that athir rowtis vndir scheild,With dartis castyng, dynt of swerd and mays,Constrenyt was to fle in syk a place,And leif the feild; and quha best dyd hys det,Quha bald in stowr eyk maid the first onset;And quha first, on ane startland cursour gude,Hys burnyst brand bedyit with red blude.Bot principaly Eneas Troian bald,And Latinus the kyng sage and ald,Of conquerouris and soueran pryncis dyngThe gestis can rehers fra kyng to kyng,Twichand the stait, quhilum be days gone,Of Latium that myghty regioun:Quhou vmquhile Saturn, fleand hys sonnys brand,Lurkyt and dwelt in Italy the land,Be quhilk rayson he dyd it Latium call;That kynd of pepill, dwelt skatterit our allIn montanys wild, togyddir maid conveyn,And gaif thame lawys and statutis, and full beynTawcht thame to grub the wynys, and al the artTo eyr, and saw the cornys, and ȝok the cart:And quhou the gret Jupiter, God dyvyne,To this hys faderis resset socht hes syne;And quhou that he engendrit thar alssuaOn Atlas douchter, the fair wench Electra,Schir Dardanus, that eftir, as thai sayn,Hys awyn brother Jasyus hes slayn;Syne from the cyte Choryte in ItalyTo sey is went with a gret cumpany,And gan arryve eftir in Phrigia,And belt the cyte on the mont Ida:And quhou that he, in syng, for hys baner,From Jupiter ressauyt, hys fader deir,The fleand egill displayt fair and playn,Ane knawyn takyn to pepill Hectorian,As the first nobill armys and ensenȝeBaith of the Troian ancistre and menȝe,By hym erekkit and vprasyt stud,Was first begun, and cheif stok of that blude.Thus, with syk maner talkyn, euery wightGan dryvyn our and schortis the lang nycht.Tharwith the bruyt and noys rays in tha wanys,Quhill all the large hallys rang attanysOf mannys voce and sound of instrumentis,That to the ruyf on hie the dyn vp went is;The blesand torchys schayn and sergis brycht,That far on breid all lemys of thar lycht;The harpys and the githornys plays attanys:Vpstart Troianys, and syne Italianys,And gan do dowbill brangillys and gambatis,Dansys and rowndis traysyng mony gatis,Athir throu other reland, on thar gys:Thai fut it so that lang war to devysThar hasty fair, thar revellyng and deray,Thar morysis and syk ryot, quhil neir day.Bot for to tellyng quhou with torch lychtThai went to chalmer, and syne to bed at nycht,Myne author list na mensioun tharof draw;Na mair will I, for sik thingis beyn knaw;All ar expert, eftir new mariage,On the first nycht quhat suld be the subcharge.

CAP. X

Eneas foundis a wallit town and squair;Quhamto Venus can diuers thingis declare.And thus thai festyng days nyne at all,With large pompe, and kyngly apparall,Accordyng sych a spowsage as was this.And, quhen the tent morrow cummyn is,Than this ilk souerane and maste douchty man,Eneas, for to found hys town began:Fyrst gan he mark and cirkill with a pleuchQuhar the wallys suld stand, thar drew a sewch:Syne Troianys fundis tenementis for thame self,And gan the fowceis and the dichis delf.Bot lo, onon, a wonder thing to tell!Ane huge bleys of flambys braid doun fellFurth of the clowdis, at the left hand straucht,In maner of a lychtnyng or fyre flaucht,And dyd alicht rycht in the sammyn stedApon the crown of fair Lavinias hed;And fra thyne hie vp in the lyft aganeIt glaid away, and tharin dyd remane.The fader Eneas astonyst wolx sum deill,Desyrus this syng suld betakyn seill;Hys handis baith vphevis towartis hevin,And thus gan mak hys boyn with myld stevin:O Jupiter, gif euer ony tyme, said he,The Troian pepill, baith by land and see,Thyne admonitions, command, and impyre,Obeyt has, page, man, or syre;Or gif that I ȝour power and godhedDred, and adornyt intyll ony stedȜour altaris, or ony wirschip dyd tharto;And be that thyng ȝit restis for to do,Gif ony thyng behynd ȝit doith remane;With this ȝour happy takyn augurianȜeld ws ȝour plesand rest and ferm pes,Mak end of all our harmys, and caus thame ces.As he sik wordis warpys owt that tydeHys goldyn moder apperis hym besyde,Confessand hir tobe the fair Venus,And with hir blissyt mowth scho carpis thus:Son, do syk thocht and dreid furth of thy mynd,Ressaue thir godly syngis in bettir kynd,And joyusly enioys, myn awyn Enee,The gret weilfar fra thens sal betyd the:Now is thy rest and quiet fund and kend,Now of thy harmys is cummyn extreme end;Now at the last, as thou desyris, perfay,This warld with the sal knyt vp peax for ay.Abhor thou nocht the fyre and flambis brycht,From thy deir spowsys hed glaid to the hycht,Bot constantly thy mynd thou now addres;It salbe scho, I the declar expres,That sall with blude ryall thy douchty name,Thy successioun, renown, and nobill fame,And Troian pryncis, of thy seid discend,Abufe the clowdis hie and sternys send.Scho sall of thy lynnage, my son Enee,Bair childryng full of magnanymyte,Of quhais offspryng sik men sall succeid,That all this large warld far onbreidWith thar excelland wirschip sall fulfill,And by thar mychty power, at thar will,As conquerouris, vnder thar senȝeorySubdew and rewle this warldis monarchy;Of quham the schynand souerane glor sall wend,And far beȝond the occean see extend,Makand thame equale with the hevynnys hie:Quham, finaly, thar ardent gret bonteAnd soueran vertu, spred sa far onbred is,Eftir innumerabill sa feill douchty dedis,Sail mak thame Goddis, and thame deify,And thame vpheis full hie abufe the sky.This flambe of fyre the wirschip and renovnDoith signyfy of thy successioun;The God almychty from his starrit hevinHas schawin tharfor this syng of fyry levin:Tharfor, in recompens of sykkyn thyng,And samekill wirschip of hir sal spring,This cite, quhilk thou closys with a wall,Eftir thy spowsis name clepe thou sall.And forthir eyk, the Goddis quhom thou hyntOf Troy, that tyme quhen it in flambys brynt,Penates, or the Goddis domesticall,Thou set alsso within the sammyn wall:Tharin thou gar thame soyn be brocht in hy,In hie honour and tyme perpetualyThar to remane, eternally to dwell.I sall to the of thame a wonder tell;Thai sall sa strangly luf this new cyte,That, gyf thame happynys careit for tobeTyll ony other sted or place tharby,All be thame self agane full hastelyThai sall return to this ilk town of thyne,That thou beildis in boundis of kyng Latyn:Ȝa; quhou oft sys that thai away be tayn,Thai sal return haymwart agane ilkane.O happy cyte, and weil fortunat wall,With quham sa gret rellykis remane sall,Quharin thou sall in tyme tocum, but leys,Govern the Troian folk in plesand pes!Eftir this at last Latyn, thy fader in law,Wery of hys lyfe, and far in age ydraw,Doun to gostis in the campe ElyseSall wend, and end his dolly days, and de:Onto hys ceptre thou sall do succeid,And vnder thy senȝeory, far onbreid,Sall weld and led thir ilk Italianys,And common lawis for thame and the TroianysStatut thou sall; and syne thou sall ascend,And vp to hevyn glaidly thy self send:Thus standis the Goddis sentens and decreit.Na mair scho said; bot, as the gleym doith gleit,From thens scho went away in the schyre ayr,I wait nocht quhidder, for I com neuer thar.Enee astonyst, havand hys mynd smyteWith syk promys of renown and delyte,Hys blissyt moderis command gan fulfill:And now at plesand rest, at hys awyn will,The Troian pepill rewlit he in pes.With this the kyng Latynus can deces,And left the ceptre vacand to hys hand:Than the reuthfull Ene our all the landOf Italy succedis in hys sted,And gan full large bundis in lordschip led,That halely obeyt to hys wand,And at hys lykyng rewlit all the land.Now equaly of fre will euery ane,Baith pepill of Troy and folk Italian,All of a ryte, manerys, and vsans,Becummyn ar frendly but discrepans;Thar myndis and thar brestis in amyte,In ferm concord and gret tranquylite,Gan leif at eys, considerat in ally,As vnder a law sammyn coniunct evynly.

CAP. XI

Quhou Jupiter, for Venus cause and lufe,Has set Eneas as God in hevyn abufe.Venus with this, all glaid and full of joy,Amyd the hevynly hald, rycht myld and moy,Befor Jupiter down hir self set,And baith hir armys abowt hys feyt plet,Enbrasand thame and kyssand reuerently;Syne thus with voce expres scho said in hy:Fader almychty, that from thy hevynly ryngAt thy plesour rewlys and sterys al thyng,That manis dedys, thochtis, and aventuris,Reknys and knawys, and therof hes the curis;Weill I ramember, quhen that the pepill TroianWith hard onfrendly fortoun was ourtane,Thou promyst of thar laubouris and distresHelp and support, and eftir dyseys soles.Nowder thy promys, fader, nor sentensHes me dissauyt: for lo, with reuerensAll the faderis of Italy hes se,But discrepans, fully thir ȝheris thre,In blyssyt peax my son enioys that land:Bot certis, fader, as I vndirstand,Onto the starnyt hevynly hald on hieThou promyst rays the maste douchty Enee,And, for hys meryt, abufe thy schynand skyHym forto place in hevyn, and deify.Quhat thochtis now doith rollyng in thy mynd?Sen, ellys, doith the vertuus thewys kyndOf this reuthfull Eneas the requyrAbuf the polys brycht to rays that syre.The fader tho of men and Goddis allGan kys Venus hys child, and tharwithallThir profund wordis from hys breist furth braid:My deir douchtir Citherea, he said,Thow knawys quhou strangly the mychty Ene,And the Eneadanys all of hys menȝe,Ithandly and onyrkyt luffyt haue I,On se and landis cachit by and byIn perrellis seir, and quhou that oft tyme eik,Havand piete of the my douchtir meik,For lufe of the, for thar dyseys was wo;And now I haue, lo, finaly alssoAll thar harmys and ennoy brocht till end,And maid Juno, as that full weill is kend,Forto becum frendly and favorabill:Now lykis me, forsuyth, all ferm and stabillMy sentens promyst to compleit, quod he,Quhen that the riall Troian duke EneAmang the hevynnys institut I sall,And hym to numbyr of the Goddis call:All this I grant with gud willis perfay.Tharfor, se that thou clenge and do away,Gif thar be in hym ony mortall thyng,And syne abuf the starnys thou him bryng:I sall alsso heich ony of hys kyn,Quhilk of thar proper vertu lyst do wynPerpetuall lovyngis by dedis honorabill,And doith contempn the wrachit warld onstabill;Thame in lykewys abufe the hevynnys hieI sal do place and deify, quod he.The Goddis abufe alhaill gave thar consent,Nor ryall Juno, at that tyme present,Lyst not contrary, bot gan perswaid full evynTo bryng the gret Ene vp to the hevyn,And frendly wordis of hym carpys thar.Than Venus slaid discendand throw the ayr,And socht onto the feildis Lawrentane,Neir by quhar that Numycus throu the playn,That fresch ryver, flowys to the see,Dekkyt abowt with redis growand hie;Quharin the body of hir son sa deirScho maid do wesch, and vnder the stremys cleirAll that was mortale or corruptibill thyngGart do away; and syne, at hir lykyng,The recent happy sawl with hyr hynt sche,And bair it vp abuf the ayr full hieOnto the hevyn, quhar reuthfull EneasAmyd the starnys chosyn has his place:Quham the famyll and kynrent JulianDoith clepe and call amangis thame euery aneIndigites; quhilk is alsmekill to say,As God induellar, at thar sudiornys ay;And, in remembrans of this ilk turn,Thai gan hys templis wirschip and adorn.

CONCLUSIO

Now is my wark all fynyst and compleit,Quham Jovis ire, nor fyris byrnand heit,Nor trynschand swerd sal defas, ne doun thryng,Nor lang proces of age, consumys al thyng.Quhen that onknawyn day sall hym addres,Quhilk not bot on this body power hes,And endis the dait of myn oncertan eld,The bettir part of me salbe vpheldAbufe the starnys perpetualy to ryng,And heir my naym remane, but enparyng;Throw owt the Ile yclepit AlbyonRed sall I be, and sung with mony one.Thus vp my pen and instrumentis full ȝoreOn Virgillis post I fix for evirmore,Nevir, from thens, syk materis to discryve:My muse sal now be cleyn contemplatyve,And solitar, as doith the byrd in cage,Sen fer byworn is all my childis age,And of my days neir passyt the half daitThat natur suld me grantyn, weil I wait.Thus sen I feill down sweyand the ballans,Heir I resyng vp ȝyngkeris observans:Adew, gallandis, I geif ȝou all gud nycht,And God salf euery gentill curtas wight! Amen.

HEIR THE TRANSLATAR DIREKKIS HYS BUK AND EXCUSIS HYM SELF

My Lord, to ȝour nobilyte in effect,To quham this wark I haue abufe direct,Gawyn, ȝour cousyng, provest of Sanct Geill,Gretyng in God ay lestyng, and gud heill.Ressave gude will, quhar that my cunnyng falys,And gyf within this volume ocht avalys,Or is onto ȝour plesour aggreabill,Than is my laubour sum thyng profytabill:Quhar I offendit, or mysteris correctioun,Vndir ȝour salfgard and protectiounI me submyt; ȝhe be my scheld and defensAganys corruppit tungis violens,Can nocht amend, and ȝit a falt wald spy:Quhen thai bakbyte, quhen evir thai clepe and cry,Gyf neyd beys, for ȝour kynysman and clerkThan I protest ȝe ansuer, and for ȝour wark.Gyf thai speir quhy I dyd this buke translait,Ȝhe war the caus tharof, full weill ȝe wait;Ȝhe cawsyt me this volume to endyte,Quharthrow I haue wrocht myself syk dispyte,Perpetualy be chydit with ilk knak,Full weill I knaw, and mokkyt behynd my bak.Say thai nocht, I myne honeste haue degraid,And at my self to schute a but hes maid?Nane othir thyng, thai threpe, heir wrocht haue IBot fenȝeit fabillys of idolatry,With sik myscheif as aucht not namyt be,Oppynand the gravis of smert iniquyte,And on the bak half wrytis wyddyr synnysPlente of lesyngis, and ald perversyt synnys.Quhar that I haue my tyme superexpendyt,Mea culpa, God grant I may amend it,With grace and space to vpset this tynsell;Thocht not be far sa largely as thai tell,As that me semys, ȝit offendit haue I:For weill I wait, our wark to mony a wySall baith be plesand and eyk profitabill,For tharin beyn seir doctrynys full notabill;It sal eik do sum folk solace, I ges,To pas the tyme, and eschew idylnes.Ane othir proffit of our buke I mark,That it salbe reput a neidfull warkTo thame wald Virgill to childryn expone;For quha lyst note my versys, one by one,Sall fynd tharin hys sentens euery deill,And almaste word by word, that wait I weill:Thank me tharfor, masteris of grammar sculys,Quhar ȝe syt techand on ȝour benkis and stulys.Thus haue I not my tyme swa occupyThat all suld hald my laubour onthryfty:For I haue not interpryt ne translateEvery bural ruyd poet dywlgait,Na meyn endyte, nor empty wordis vayn,Common engyn, nor stile barbarian;Bot in that art of eloquens the fludeMaste cheif, profund and copyus plenitude,Surs capitall in veyn poeticall,Soverane fontane, and flum imperiall:Quham gif I haue offendit, as thai meyn,Deym as ȝe lyst, quhen the wark is ourseyn:Be as be may, ȝour frendschip, weill I wait,Wrocht mair at me than dyd myne awyn estait;For kyndnes so myne eyn almaist maid blynd,That, ȝow to pleys, I set all schame behynd,Offeryng me to my weriouris wilfully,Quhilk in myne E fast staris a mote to spy.Bot quha sa lawchis heirat, or hedis noddis,Go reid Bochas in the genology of Goddis;Hys twa last bukis sall swage thar fantasy,Les than na resson may thame satysfy.I rak nocht quhidder fulys hald me devill or sanct,For ȝou maid I this buke, my Lord, I grant,Nowder for pryce, det, reward, nor supple,Bot for ȝour tendir request and amyte,Kyndnes of blude grundyt in natural law.I am na cayk fydlar, full weill ȝe knaw:No thing is myne quhilk sall not ȝouris be,Gyf it afferis for ȝour nobilyte;And of ȝour moblys and all other geirȜhe will me serve siklyke, I haue na weir.Bot as twychyng this our wark now in hand,Quhilk oft is said was maid at ȝour command,To quhat effect, gyf ony wald inqueir;Ȝe may answer, thocht I neid not ȝow leir,That Virgill mycht intill our langage beRed lowd and playn be ȝour lordschip and me,And othir gentill companȝeonys quha sa lyst;Nane ar compellit drynk not bot thai haue thryst:And quha sa lykis may tastyng of the tunOnforlatyt, new from the berry run,Reid Virgill baldly, but mekill offensExcept our wlgar toungis differens,Kepand na facund rethoryk castis fair,Bot haymly playn termys famyliar,Na thing alterit in substans the sentens,Thocht scant perfyte observyt beyn eloquens;I will weill otheris can say mair curyusly,Bot I haue said eftir my fantasy.I covait nocht to prefer ony wight,It may suffice I said na thing bot rycht;And, set that empty be my brayn and dull,I haue translait a volum wondirfull:So profund was this wark at I haue said,Me semyt oft throw the deip sey to waid;And sa mysty vmquhile this poetry,My spreit was reft half deill in extasy,To pyke the sentens as I couth als playn,And bryng it to my purpos, was full fayn;And thus, becaus the mater was onkowth,Not as I suld, I wrait, bot as I couth.Quha wenys I say thir wordis bot in vane,Lat thame assay als lang laubour agane,And translait Ovid, as I haue Virgill;Perchans that wark sall occupy thame a quhile:Ȝit haue I hard oft said be men na clerkis,Tyll idyll folk full lycht beyn lukand warkis.To ȝou, my Lord, quhat is thar mair to say?Ressaue ȝour wark desyrit mony a day;Quharin also now am I fully quyt,As twichand Venus, of myn ald promytQuhilk I hir maid weil twelf ȝheris tofor,As wytnessith my Palyce of Honour:In the quhilk wark, ȝhe reid, on hand I tukeForto translait at hir instance a buke:Sa haue I doyn abufe, as ȝe may se,Virgillis volum of hir son Enee,Reducit, as I cowth, intill our tong.Be glaid, Ene, thy bell is hiely rong,Thy fame is blaw, thy prowes and renownDywlgat ar, and sung fra town to town,So hardy from thens, that other man or boyThe ony mair reput traytour of Troy,Bot as a worthy conquerour and kyngThe honour and extoll, as thou art dyng.My Lord, all thocht I dyd this wark compyle,At ȝour command, intill owr wlgar style,Suffir me borrow this a word at the leist,Tharwith to quyte my promys and beheste,And lat dame Venus have gud nycht adew,Quhamto sum tyme ȝhe war a servand trew.I haue alsso a schort comment compyldTo expon strange historeis and termys wild;And gif ocht lakis mar, quhen that is doyn,At ȝour desyre it salbe writtyn soyn.And forthir, so that I be nocht prolixt,The etern Lord, that on the ruyd was fixt,Grant ȝow and ws all in this lyfe weilfair,With euerlestand blys quhen we hyne fair! Amen.Quod Gawinus Dowglas.