The Æneid of Virgil Translated Into Scottish Verse. Volumes 1 & 2. Virgil
to schent,
Or to pronunce the deth of ony wyght:
Skars at the last, throu gret clamour and slyght
Of Vlixes constrenyt, but mair abaid,
As was devisit, the laith word furth braid,20
And me adiudgit to send to the altare.
Tharto alhail the Grekis assentit are,
And sufferit glaidly so the mater pas;
Quhar as tofor eueryane tobasyt was
For hym selwyn, tho blyth was page and knycht25
The chance returnyt on a catyfe wyght.
Cummyn was the duylful day that doith me grys,
Quhen that of me suld be maid sacryfyce,
With salt meldir, as weil the gyis is kend,
Abowt my heide a garland or a bend.30
I grant that from the deth my self I fred,
The bandis I brast, and fast away syne fled
Ontil a muddy marras, quhar, the dyrk nycht,
Amang the rysp and redis out of sycht
Full law I lurkit, quhil vp salys drew thai,5
Gif thai perchance be ȝit passit away.
Now restis thar na hope; allace, fell me!
My natyve cuntre sal I neuer se,
Nor deir childryng, nor fader weil belovit,
Quham, as I traist, the Grekis, all ammovit10
For myne eschaping, turment sal with pane;
Thai, saykles wyghtis, sal for my gilt be slane.
Quharfor, Schir king, be the hie goddis abufe,
And thar mychtis that trewth best knawis and lufe,
And by the faith onfylit, and leil lawte,15
Gyf it with mortale folkis may fundyn be,
Haue rewth and piete on sa feil harmys smart,
And tak compassioune in thi gentill hart;
Apon my wrechit sawle haue sum mercy
That gyltles sufferis sik dyseys wrangwisly.20
CAP. III.
Ȝyt of the traytowris fals controvyt slycht,
That was belevit, allace! with euery wyght.
Pardon and lyfe to thir terys geif we,
Quod Priamus, and mercy grantis fre.
And, first of all, the mannykillis and hard bandis
Chargit he lows of this ilk manis handis;
With frendly wordis syne thus onto hym said,
Quhat evir thou art, beis mery and glaid,
Forȝet the Grekis that lost ar and away,5
From thens fordwart thou salbe owris, perfay.
Bot schaw trewly this a thing I inquer,
Onto quhat fyne this huge hors was heir,
Of sa gret statur beldit vp on hie:
Quha wrocht the wark? quhat may it signyfie?10
Quhat is it? ane offerand of sum halynes?
Or sum engyne of batale? as I ges,
Said Priamus. Bot than the tother wight,
Ful weil instrukit of Grekis art and slycht,
Lowsit and laitly fred of al his bandis,15
Onto the starnys hevit vp his handis:
O ȝhe, quod he, euerlestand lampis brycht,
And ȝour dyvyne power and ȝour gret mycht,
That aucht not beyn forsworn, I testefy;
And ȝou altaris, and cruel swordis, quham I20
Am eschapit, and al ȝou goddis wys
Quhais garlandis bair I as ȝour sacryfys,
Leiffull is now to brek, but mair abaid,
The sworn promys that I to Grekis maid;
Leiffull is eik tha pepill fortil hait,25
And schaw furth planely al at euer I wait,
Thar hyd slycht als to rype furth to the grund:
To na cuntre nor lawis am I bund.
Sa mot thou, Troy, quham I sal salue fra skayth,
Kepe me thy promys and thi lawte baith,30
As I sal schaw the verite ilke deill,
And for my lyfe sal rendir ȝou a gret weill.
The Grekis trast and comfort, mony ȝheris,
From the begynnyng of thir mortale weris,
On Pallas help stude haill this towne to get:5
Bot efter that Thedeus, wareit get,
With Vlixes, fyndar of wykkytnes,
The fatale rellyk of Palladium, I ges,
Furth of hir tempill, and the hallowit hald,
To reif away forsabilly war so bald,10
And sla the wachis of the cheif castell,
The haly ymage, grysly forto tell,
Pollute and fylit, and with thar bludy handis
Hir vyrgyne valis and blissit godly garlandis
Presumyt twich; sen syne has euermair15
Bakwart of Grekis the hope went and weilfair;
Thar mychtis and thar strenthis feblit fast:
So frawart thame hir mynd this god hes kast
That with na dowtsum takynnys, ma than twa,
Hir greif furth schew this ilke Trytonia.20
Skarsly the statw was in thar tempill vpset,
Quhen all hir membris bittir terys swet;
Hir eyn glowit as ony gleid for ire,
Quharfra thar flaw mony sparkis of fyre;
A teyrful thing, and wonderfull to tell;25
Thrys schynyng down on the grond scho fell,
Hyr targe trymlyng, and schakyng fast hir speir.
Onone, al most ȝe wend to sey infeir,
Cryis Calcas, nor Grekis instrument
Of Troy the wallis sal neuer hurt ne rent,30
Les than agane the land of Arge be socht,
With alkyn portage quhilk was hydder brocht
In barge or bilgeit ballyngare our see:
The goddes mon be mesit als, quod he.
And now, set thai, with this ilke wynd, haue socht5
Thar land of Grece or Myce, this is thar thocht,
To graith thar armour and wapynnys by and by,
And, with supple of goddis in cumpany,
In haist forto return agane our see;
Or ȝe beyn war, apon ȝou will thai be.10
Thus al per ordour declaris thame Calcas,
At quhais monicioun als vp biggit was
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