The Æneid of Virgil Translated Into Scottish Verse. Gawin Douglas

      O thou of Grekis maist forcy Diomed,

      Quhy mycht I not on feldis of Troy haue deit,

      And by thi rycht hand ȝaldin furth my sprete?

      Quhar that the valiant Hectour losit the swete

      On Achillis speir, and grisly Sarpedon,

      And ondyr the flude Symois mony one

      With schelde and helm stalwart bodeis lyis warpit.

      And al invane thus quhil Eneas carpit,

      A blastrand bub, out from the north brayng,

      Gan our the forschip in the bak saill dyng,

      And to the sternys vp the flude gan cast;

      The aris hechis, and the takillis brast;

      The schippis stevin frawart hyr went gan wryth,

      And turnyt hir braid syde to the wallis swyth.

      Heich as a hill the jaw of watir brak,

      And in ane hepe cam on thame with a swak.

      Sum hesit hoverand on the wallis hycht,

      And sum the swowchand sey so law gart lycht,

      Thame semyt the erd oppynnyt amyd the flude;

      The stour vp bullyrrit sand as it war wode.

      The sowth wynd Nothus thre schippis draif away

      Amang blynd cragis, quhilk huge rolkis, thai say,

      Amyd the sey, Italianys altaris callis;

      And othir thre Eurus from the deip wallis

      Cachit amang the schald bankis of sand:

      Dolorus to se thame chop on grond, and stand

      Lyke as a wall with sand warpit about!

      Ane othir, in quham salit the Lycianys stowt,

      Quhilum fallowis to kyng Pandor in weir,

      And Orontes Eneas’ fallow deir,

      Befor his eyn [hastelye] from the north wynd

      Ane hydduus sey schippit at hir stern behynd,

      Smate furth the skippar clepit Lewcaspis,

      His hed doune warpit; and the schip with this

      Thrys thar the flude quhirlit about round,

      The sowkand swelth sank vnder sey and drond.

      On the huge deip quhoyn salaris dyd appeir;

      The Troianys’ armour, tabillis, and othir geir

      Flet on the wallis: and the strang barge tho

      Bair Ilioneus, and scho that bair also

      Forcy Achates, and scho that bair Abas,

      And scho quharin ancyant Alethes was,

      The storm ourset, raif rovis and syde semys;

      They all lekkit, the salt watir stremys

      Fast bullerand in at euery ryft and boyr.

      In the meyn quhile, with mony rowt and royr

      The sey thus trublit, and this tempest furth sent

      Felt Neptune, and his watir movit and schent,

      The deip furthȝet in schaldis heir and thair;

      Gretly commovit, out of the sey gan stair,

      His plesand hede rasit on the hyast wall,

      Lukand about, behaldis, the sey our all,

      Eneas navy skatterit fer ysundir;

      With fludis ourset the Troianys, and at vnder

      By flaggis and rayn dyd from the hevyn discend:

      Junois dissate and ire full weill he kend.

      He callis till hym Eurus and Zephirus,

      Tha est and west wyndis, and said thame thus;

      Ar ȝe sa gretly assurit in ȝour hie kyn,

      Ȝe wyndis, quod he, but my leif durst begyn

      Baith erd and ayr to move on this maneir,

      And eik the sey with sa stowt stormys steir?

      I sal ȝou chastys: bot me behuffis first meys

      The motioune of fludis, and thame appes;

      Traist weill, onpunyst ȝe sal me not astart,

      On sik a wys gif ȝe falt efterwart.

      Withdraw ȝou hens, and to ȝour kyng say ȝe,

      He has na power nor autorite

      On seys, nor on the thre granyt ceptour wand

      Quhilk is by cut gevin me to beir in hand;

      Hald him on craggis and amang rochis hie,

      Thair is ȝour dwelling place, Eurus, quod he;

      Byd Eolus kepe him in that hald conding,

      Do cloys the presoun of wyndis, and tharon ryng.

      Thus said he, and with that word hastely

      The swelland seys has swagit, and fra the sky

      Gaderit the clowdis and chasit sone away,

      Brocht hame the son agane and the brycht day.

      Hys douchter Cymothoe, and hys son Tryton

      Enforsis thame the Troianys schippis anone

      To rays and lift of the scharp rolkis blynd:

      The god hym self gan hesyng thame behynd

      With his byg ceptour havand granys thre;

      Oppynnys schald sandis and temperis weill the see,

      Ourslidand lychtly the croppis of the wallis.

      And as ȝe se, as oft amangis commonys fallis

      Stryfe and debait in thar wod fulych ire,

      Now fleys the stanys, and now the broyndis of fyre,

      Thar greif and fury mynysteris wapynnys plente:

      Bot than percace, gif thai behald or se

      Sum man of gret autorite and efferis,

      Thai ces, and al stil standand gevis him eris;

      He wyth his wordis gan slaik thar mynd and swage.

      On the samyn wys fell all the seys rage.

      CAP. IV

      Quhou Eneas in Affrik dyd arryve,

      And thar with schote slew sevin hartis belyve.