The Æneid of Virgil Translated Into Scottish Verse

P. 37 . l. 19.—Ilyria hes his naym fra Illyrus, son to Polyphemus, and, as sais Sextus Rufus, it contenys xvij provyncis. It extendis endlang all the gret flud Danubyum, callit Hister, on bayth the sydis, and in it is Vngary, Pannony, Sclauony, Bohem, Denmark, and Macydon: and this Lyburnya is bot a part therof, contenand certan ilis. Timauus is a flud in Lumbardy, in the Venytian landis, that cumis furth of the Duch Montanys at ix beginnyngis, quhilk all rynnys in a loch, quham the pepill adiacent callis a sey; and from this loch cumys the flud that rynnys to Padva, byggit be Anthenor, as heir ye may se. Bot it is to be notyt that Virgill sais abuf, in the first c., Eneas coim fyrst fra Troy to Italy; and heir it apperis Anthenor caym befor him. To that sais Seruyus, tha partis quhamto coym Anthenor beyn not haldyn of Italy, bot of Lumbardy, callit Gallia Cysalpina: or mayr evidently may we say that Ene was the fyrst coim to Italy by fait, and at the goddis command; Anthenor coym at his awin auentur, and nocht be destine.

P. 38 . l. 11.—Venus is clepit Cytherea fra the ile Cythera, besid Creyt, quhar scho was norysit; or fra the mont Cytheron, quhar scho was gretly wirscheppit.

P. 38 . l. 13.—The cyte of Rome, or than of new Troy.

P. 38 . l. 15.—The deyfication of Eneas is eftyr, in the last c. of the xiij. buyk.

P. 38 . l. 21.—Of the barganyng or batellis of this Eneas, her in dyuers bukis followand; and of the beldyng of this cyte, and how lang his ryng endurit, in the last and penult c. of the xiij. buyk.

P. 38 . l. 29.—Julus is thre sillabis, spellit wyth i per se and v per se.

P. 39 . l. 4.—The cite Alba, biggit by Ascanius son of Creusa, eftyr Virgill had his naim fra the quhite swyn, as ye may se in the first c. of the viij. buk; and was clepit Lang Alba, for it was set end lang the band or ryg of a law hill, as writis Tytus Lyuius, and was distroit by Tullus Hostilius, thrid king of Rom; and tharof in the xj. c. of the xiij. buke.

P. 39 . l. 6.—Pepill Hectorean, hardy as Hector, or of the kinrent and blude of Hector; for this Ascanyus was his fift son.

P. 39 . l. 11.—Of Romulus ye sall knaw, that Porcas, the xj kyng of Alba or Albanys, gat twa sonys, Numytor and Amulyus, betwyx quham he dividit his realm. Bot this Amulyus banyst his brother Numytor, and slew his son Lawsus, and his dochtir, callit Ilya or Rhea, consecrat a nun onto the goddes Vesta, to that effect scho suld haf na succession; for in tha dais sik nunis, gif thai brak ther virginite, war eyrdit qwyk. Bot this Ilia consauyt and brocht furth twa childyr mayll, quham thai fenze to haf beyn engendyrit of Mars, becaus thai war bellicos and chevalrus, and bygettin of sum dowchti man; and than this Amulyus gart put this Ilia to ded, and bad kast tha childyr in Tybyr. Bot the flud be an speyt was flowyn sa far our the brays thai mycht nocht wyn to the crocis of the water, and thus war thai left on the bra; and ane Fastulus, an hyrd, had thaim born to his hows, and maid Acca his wyf, other wys callyt Lupa, nuryce thaim: and, for that Lupa batakinnys a wolf, and scho was callit Lupa, therfor is it said a wolf fosterit Romulus and Remus. And becaus this said Acca or Lupa maid Romulus hir ayr, therfor sais Virgill he was cled in his motheris or nuryce tawbart. And eftyr, quhen thai worth men, thai becam for the nanys briggantis of the wod, and by a maner pollycy or practyk convenyt that the tayn of thaim suld tak his brother and all his complicis, and sa thai did, and brocht him befor ther vncle the kyng Amulyus, as thocht he wald accus him of a dedly cryme. And quhen thai war in presens cumin, thai bayth attanys rays apon Amulyus and slew him, and ther declaryt ther blud and genealogy; and therefter brocht haim thar grandsyr Numytor, and restoryt to him his realm: syn went ther way, and for thaim selvyn biggit Roym and wallyt fyrst. And, for thai war bayth of a byrth, thai beguyth debait for the naim of the cyte. Than was appunctyt that on the morn quha saw the mast nobyll syng, or takin Augurian, suld geif the cyte his naym: and Remus fyrst saw vj gripis, and Romulus eftyr hym xij gripis. Than said the tayn his takyn was mast nobyll, for that he saw thaim first; and the tother na, becaus he saw ma: bot quhiddir it was for that debait, or for the goyng our the wallis, as otheris will say, Remus was slayn be Fabyus, chyftan of weyr to Romulus, and the cyte clepit Roma eftyr Romulus. And quhou or quhy that he is callit Quyrites, and of his dowtsum end, and of the sonnis eclips the tym of his ded, and quhy he was repute a god, reid Titus Lyuius, John Bocas in the last c. of the Genealogie of Godis, in the ix. buke, and Augustyn in the Cyte of God, in the xv. c. of the iij. buke. And sum thing heireftir in the xiij. c. of the vj. buke and the x. c. of the viij. buyk.

P. 39 . l. 15.—Sanct Augustyn in his volum clepit De verbis Domini, in the xxix sermond, mokkis at this word, sayand, Yit is not the end, and the empyr is translat to the Almanys: bot Virgill was crafty, sais he, that wald not on his awyn byhalf rehers thir wordis, bot maid Jupiter pronunce thaim; and as he is a half fenzeit god, swa is his prophecy.

P. 39 . l. 26.—Pthyia was the cuntre of Achylles; Myce, or Mycene, the realm of Agamemnon; Arge the realm of kyng Adrastus, pertenyng eftir to Diomed be raison of his moder; and it is oft tane for all Grece, and the Grekis therfra bein oft clepit Argiui, or pepill of Arge.

P. 40 . l. 2.—Of Julius Cesar, quhen I behald his Commentareis, and the gret volum of Lucan, and quhat of hym writis Swytoneus, I thynk bettyr hald styll my pen than wryt lytill of sa large a mater, and sa excellent a prynce. Bot ye sall knaw that the principall entent of Virgill was to extoll the Romanys, and in specyal the famyllye or clan Julyan, that comin from this Ascanyus, son to Eneas and Crevsa, otherwais callyt Julus; becaus the empryour August Octauyan, quhamto he direkkit this wark, was of that hows and blud, and sistyr son to Cesar Julyus. And therfor, quhen Cesar was slayn by the Sanatouris, Octavyan had revengeit his deth, and rang passabilly at the byrth of our salviour, quhen the starn of Bethliam apperit. Than, to ples Octavian, said the Romanys, that was the sawll of Cesar quhilk was deifyit; and this opynion heir twichis Virgill, and als in his Bucolyqueys.

P. 40 . l. 13.—Off the stek and of closyng of the tempill of Janus in tym of weyr and of pace, ye haf in the vij. buyk, in the x. c. And this tempill of Janus was twys closit befor Octauian; anys be Numa Pompilius, and the secund tym be Tytus Manlyus; and thris be Octavyan: and this tym heyr markyt was the last tyme, at the cumyng of Cryst, quhen all the warld was in pace. In wytnes therof the angellis sang pace in erd, the tym of bryth; the ij. c. of Sanct Luke.

P. 40 . l. 22.—Off Mercury red in the v. c. of the iiij. buke: and that Mercur heir was send doun from Jupiter is nocht ellis bot the planet Mercur was at disces, and Jove ascendent; quhilk signifeit frendschip in hast to cum, bot not to lest lang.

P. 41 . c. VI.—In this cheptir ye haf that Eneas met his moder Venus in liknes of a virgyn, or a mayd; by the quhilk ye sall vndirstand that Venus is fenyeit to be modyr to Eneas, becaus that Venus was in the ascendent, and had domynation in the hevyn, the tym of his natyvite: and, for that the planet Venus was the signifiar of his byrth, and had domination and speciall influens towart hym, therfor is scho fenzeit to be his mother; and thus it that poetis fenzeis bein full of secreyt ondyrstandyng ondyr a hyd sentens or fygur. And weyn nocht for this, thocht poetis fenzeis Venus the planet, for the caus foirsaid, to be Eneas mother, at thai beleve nocht he was motherles, bot that he had a fayr lady to his moder, quhilk for hir bewte was clepit Venus: and that Venus metis Eneas in form and lyknes of a maid is to be onderstood that Venus the planete that tym was in the syng of the Virgyn, quhilk betakynnyt luf and fawouris of wemen. And of Venus and hir son Cupyd I sall say sum thyng in the x. c. of this sam buke.

P. 41 . l. 20.—Mony expondis Achates for thochtfull cuyr or solicitud, quhilk all tymys is feyr and companyeon to princis and gret men.

P. 42 . l. 1.—The madynnis of Sparta bene the Amasonys.

P. 42 . l. 2.—Harpalica douchter to Ligurgus kyng of Trace, hir fader beand tane be the pepil of Getya, assemblit hir power, and with sa gret haist persewit thame, that scho semyt in swiftnes to forryn the swiftast flude of Trace, callit Hebrun; and, with mair agilite and hardyment than is almaste to be belevit, reskewit hir fader and ourcome hir aduersaris.

P. 43 . l. 5.—Thus said scho for to dissimyll hyr self, or than becaus that in Cypir was scho wirscheppit only wyth insens and flouris, and nayn other sacrifyce, sa that it was onlefull ony blud war sched in hir tempyll.

P. 43 . l. 12.—Of Agenor ye sal knaw that Jupiter engendrit Ephaphus, quhilk gat Belus the first, that engendrit this Agenor, and he begat Phenix, fra quham the realm of Tyre was namyt Phenycia, and the pepil bath of Tyre and Cartage Phenycianys, or Punycianys. This Phenix begat Belus the secund, otherwys callit Methres, and he was fader to this Pygmaleon, and queyn Dido, otherwys nemmyt Elissa. This ilk Phenix also engendrit Philistenes, quhilk begat this Sycheus, otherwys callit Sicarbas, spous to this ilk Dido, and gret preste to Hercules.

P. 44 . l. 30.—Sum sais scho gave als mekyll gold as wald gang in a bul hid for this grund; sum haldis opynyon that in thai dais the monye was mad of cuyrbulye or leddyr, and this castell hes his naym therfra, for, in the langage of Affrik, byrsa betakynnys leddyr, or a hyd: bot Seruyus is of Virgillis opynion, sayand, Dido maid carve the bull hid in sa small twhangis that it cumpassyt abowt the spas of xxij stageis, that is thre myllis quarter les.

P. 45 . l. 17.—That Eneas heyr commendis his self, it is not to be tayn that he said this for arrogans, bot for to schaw his scyll; as a kyng or prince onknawin in an onkowth land, may, but repreif, rehers his estate and dygnite, to mak him be tretyt as afferis. And als, becaus he trastyt he spak with a goddes, that scho suld nocht aschaym to remayn and talk with hym therfor: and becaus scho was a woman, he schew that he was a man of autorite, with quham thai nedis nocht ascham to speyk; for he was that man quhilk, by the common voce, was clepit Eneas full of pyete. And for that Virgill clepis hym swa all thro this buyk, and I interpret that term, quhylys, for rewth, quhils, for devotion, and quhilis, for pyete and compassion; tharfor ye sall knaw that pyete is a vertu, or gud deid, be the quhilk we geif our dylligent and detfull lawbour to our natyve cuntre, and onto thaim beyn conionyt to vs in neyr degre: and this vertu, pyete, is a part of justyce, and hes ondyr hym twa other vertws; amyte, callyt frendschip, and liberalyte.

P. 45 . l. 24.—Varo sais that Eneas, fra his departing of Troy quhil he coym in the feldis of Lawrentum, all the day saw the starn of Venus; and quhen he was thiddir cummyn he saw it na mair, quharby he ondirstud that was his grund fatayll.

P. 46 . l. 10.—Parentis betakynnys the childis fader and moder baith.

P. 46 . l. 13.—The Egill be poetis is fenyeit to be Jovis fowle, and that he maid ministration to him of the thunder and wapynnys the tyme of the battale betwix the god Dis and the gyantis. Bot, war it lefull to compar prophane fabillis to haly Scriptour, Sanct John the ewangelist is verray Jovis egill, and clepit son of thundir.

P. 50 . l. 6.—

Attrides beyn in Latyn clepit thusThir nevois reput of kyng Attryus,That in our langage are the broder tway,Kyng Agamemnon, and Duke Menalay.

P. 63 . l. 8. Of Typhon, or Typheus, in the xi. c. of the ix. buke.

CÆTERA DESUNT