The Æneid of Virgil Translated Into Scottish Verse. Gawin Douglas

      Wyth thir wordys the spreit of Dido queyn,

      The quhilk tofor in lufe wes kyndlyt grene,

      Now al in fyre the flambe of lufe furth blesys;

      Hir doutsum mynd with gude hope so scho esys

      That al the schame and dreid wes blaw away;

      And to the tempill furth held tha baith tway.

      Eftir the serymonys of thar payane gys,

      Beneuolence and gude luk, syndry wys,

      Thai sekyng and thai sers at ilke altar;

      And twyntris, walit for sacrifyce, heir and thar

      Thai brytnyt; and sum in honour dyd addres

      Of the law ledar Ceres, the goddes;

      To Phebus, and to Bachus part alsso;

      Bot principaly onto the queyn Juno,

      Quhilk heth in cuyr the band of mariage.

      Hir self, most gudly queyn Dido of Cartage,

      Held in hir richt hand a cowp full of wyne;

      Betwix the hornys twa furthȝet it syne

      Of ane ontamyt ȝong quy, quhite as snaw:

      And, othir quhilis, wald scho raik on raw,

      Or pays tofor the altaris, wyth fat offerandis

      Ay chargyt full; and oft, with hir awyn handis,

      Renew and beyt the sacrifyce all day;

      And rich gyftis geif Troianys; and wald ay

      The beistis costis, as thai debowellit wer,

      And thar entralis behald flekkyr and steir,

      Accordyng the auld vsans to that effect,

      Sum augury to persaue or gude aspect.

      O wallaway! of spamen and dyvynys

      The blynd myndis, quhilkis na way diffynys

      The fors ne strenth of Luf with hys hard bandis!

      Quhat avalyt thir sacrifice and offerandis?

      Quhat helpis to vyssy tempillis in luffis rage?

      Behald onhappy Dido of Cartage

      In this meyn sesson byrnyng hait as gleyd:

      The secrete wound deip in hir mynd gan spreyd,

      And of hoyt amouris the subtell quent fyre

      Waistis and consumys merth, banys, and lyre.

      Our all the cite enragyt scho heir and thar

      Wandris, as ane strykkyn hynd, quhom the stalkar,

      Or scho persave, from far betis with hys flane

      Amyd the woddis of Creyt, and lattis remane

      The braid hed, onknaw the beste was hyt:

      Scho skypping furth, as to eschew the byt,

      Gan throu the forest fast and gravys glyde;

      Bot evir the dedly schaft stykkis in hir syde.

      Sum tyme the queyn Ene with hir dyd leid

      Throu owt the wallys onto euery steid,

      The tresour al and riches of Sydony

      Schawyng to hym; and offerit al reddy

      The cite of Cartage at hys commandment:

      Begyn scho wald to tell furth hir entent,

      And in the myd word stop, and hald hir styll.

      And quhen the evyn come, it wes hir will

      To seik ways hym to feste, as scho dyd ayr;

      And, half myndles, agane scho langis sayr

      For tyll enquyre and heir the sege of Troy,

      And in a stair behaldis hym for joy.

      Eftir all wes voydyt, and the licht of day

      Ay mair and mair the moyn quynchit away,

      And the declynyng of the starris brycht

      To sleip and rest persuadis euery wight,

      Within hir chalmyr alane scho langis sayr,

      And thocht al waist for lak of hir luffar.

      Amyd a voyd bed scho hir laid adoun,

      And of hym absent thinkis scho heris the sown;

      Hys voce scho heris, and hym behaldis sche,

      Thocht he, God wait, far from hir presens be:

      And sum tyme wald scho Ascanyus, the page,

      Caucht in the figur of hys faderis ymage,

      And in hir bosum brace, gif scho tharby

      The lufe ontellabill mycht swik or satisfy.

      The wark and wallys begun ar not vpbrocht;

      The ȝounkeris dedis of armys excersis nocht;

      Nothir fortres nor turettis suyr of weir

      Now graith tha mair; for al the wark, but weir,

      Cessis and is stoppyt, baith of pynnakillis hie,

      And byg towris, semyt to rys in the skie.

      Alsswyth as Juno, with syk maleys ourtane,

      Persauyt hir deir frend that remeid was nane,

      Nothir fame ne honour the rage resyst mycht,

      Saturnus douchtir with syk wordis on hyght

      Begouth to carp onto Venus, I wys;

      A huge