Kitabı oku: «The Æneid of Virgil Translated Into Scottish Verse», sayfa 16

THE SAXT BUKE OF ENEADOS

CAP. I

 
Ene aspyis Dedalus wark expres,
And with Sibilla spak, the prophetes.
 

 
Qwil on this wys ilk man occupyit was,
Reuthful Eneas bownys hym to pas,
Onone to sers the strenth and tempil tho
Dedicat ontil the myghty Apollo;
That feirfull gowsty cave far from the way,
And secret hald of Sibilla the may;
Quhais hait memor and resson oft infyrit
Delyus, the prophet divyne, and so inspirit
That scho the secretis fortocum did knaw.
With this thai entrit in the hallowit schaw
Of the thrynfald passynger Dyane,
And hows of brycht Apollo gold bigane.
The fame is so, that Dedalus, the wright,
Furth of king Mynos realm takand his flycht,
Sa bald was with swift fedrame, and happy
To aventur hym self heich in the sky,
And by a quent onvsyt way to knaw,
Towart the frosty poil artik he flaw:
Bot, at the last, softly he gan alicht
Of Chalcydonys apon the castell hicht;
And rendrit fyrst into thir landis, he
Offerit and hallowit, Phebus, onto the,
The fard and flycht of baith hys weyngis two,
And thar grathit a fair tempil alsso.
Apon the portis dyd he carve and grave
Androgyus slauchtir, falsly brocht to grave,
And for hys deth the vengeance and the wrake;
Quhou of Athenes commandit war, alake!
Twys sevyn childir onto Creyt be send,
Perpetualy ilk ȝeir, a fair presand:
The dedly vrn stand porturat mycht thai knaw,
Owt of the quhilk the lottis warrin draw.
Forgane Athenes, a litil our the see,
The ile of Crete he wrocht, musterand ful hie;
The kingis cite thar hecht Gnosya;
Quharin he porturit als ful, wallowa!
The lufe abhominabill of queyn Pasyphe,
Quhou pryvely with the bul forlane was sche:
The blandit kynd, and birth of formys twane,
The monstruus Mynotawr, doith thar remane,
Ane horribill takin of schrewit Venus wark.
Thar was alsso craftely schape and mark
That namekouth hows, quhilk Laborynthus hait,
Ful of wrynkkillit onreturnabil dissait.
Bot, netheles, Dedalus, cawcht piete
Of the gret luf of fayr Ariadne,
That was the kyngis douchtir, tawght ful rycht
Of this quent hows fortil omdo the slycht;
Quhou by a threid the subtell wentis ilkane
Thai myghtin hald, and turn that way agane.
And thou alsso, the ȝong child Icharus,
Quhilk son was onto this ilk Dedalus,
A gret part of this wark suld haue beyn thyne,
Gyf that the dolour and the huge pyne
Had sufferit hym to kyth his craft on the.
In gold to grave thi fall twys etlyt he,
And twys, for rewth, failȝeis the faderis handis.
Eneas tho, and al at with hym standis,
This sculptur al espyit had on breid,
Ne war Achates, quhilk befor him ȝeid,
Be than returnyt was, and with him brocht
The religyus woman quham thai socht,
Baith consecrate to Dyane and Phebus,
Hait Deiphobe, the douchtir of Glawcus;
Quhilk to the king sone spak apon this wys:
This tyme, quod scho, to stair and to devys,
Govand on figuris, is not necessary.
Mair neidfull now it war, but langar tary,
Sevin ȝong stottis, that ȝok bur nevir nane,
Brocht from the bow, in offerand brittin ilkane,
And alsmony twyntyrris, as is the gys,
Chosyn and ganand for the sacrifys.
On this wys till Eneas spak Sibill;
And Troianys tareis nocht forto fulfill
Hir commandment, that, but langar delay,
The sacryfyis and offerand done haue thai;
And syne the nun to the hie tempill thame brocht,
Quhilk in maner of ane gret cave was wrocht,
Of Cuma holkit in the hillis side.
Ane hundreth entreis had it, large and wyde;
Ane hundreth durris tharon stekit clos,
Out at the quhilkis ruschit alsmony a voce,
Gevand respons onto this Sibilla.
Tho to the dur threswald cummyn ar tha,
Quhen that this virgyn said: To ask answeris
Now is the tyme; lo, lo, the God me steris!
And as scho gan sik wordis say and cry,
Without the entre standand, suddanly
Nowdir vissage nor cullour, as thai war air,
Remanys than, nor hir weil dressit hair;
Bot fast hir breist the breth dyd clap and bete;
Hir fers hart boldynnys vp ful grete,
Enragit of the sprete divyne alsso,
That of mair statur gan scho semyng tho;
Hir voce ne sovndis lyke a mortale wight;
For, with the goddis maieste and myght
Twichit and smyte, that drew hir mynde ful neir,
Hir hart pipis gan to flekkir and steir.
Blyn nocht, blyn nocht, thou gret Troiane Ene,
Of thi bedis nor thi prayeris, quod sche;
For, bot thou do, thir gret durris, but dreid,
And grisly ȝettis, sal nevir warp on breid.
And, with that word, scho cessit, and no mor said.
The cald dreid gan the Troianys invaid,
Thirland throu owt hard banys at euery part:
The king hym self than inkirly from his hart
Maid this oryson, and devotly said:
O bright Phebus, that evir reuth has had
On Troys hard aduersite and wo,
Thow quhilk direkkit the Troiane dartis so
In Achillis body, schot by Parys hand;
This see, at goys about mony gret land,
Thou beand my gidar, entrit haue I,
And eyk the wilsum desert land Masylly,
Quhar the schald sandys strekis endlang the schor:
Now at the last, that fled ws evir mor,
The forther cost of Ital haue we kaucht,
Thocht, hiddertillis, hard fortoun has omberaucht
The Troianys, and persewit onfrendfully.
Now all ȝe Goddis and Goddessis, quham by
Vmquhile was thocht gret Ilion ful of joy,
And the schynand gloryus town of Troy
Semyng resist and gaynstand ȝour godhede,
Lesum it is to desist of ȝour fede,
And now to spair the puyr pepil Troiane.
O thou maist haly prophetes souerane,
Quhat is to cum hes knawlage of all thingis,
Grant at Tewcranys may dwel in Ital ringis;
For I ne ask na land, nor realm algatis,
Bot quhilk is grantit to ws by our fatis:
Schaw, and declar for our goddis errand,
That cachit bene our mony see and sand,
Quhar sal thar resting place be to remane.
So eftir that to Phebus, and Diane,
Of sownd marbill tempillis beld may I,
And festual days for Appollo gar cry.
To the, alsso, within our realmys, salbe
Mony secrete closet and revestre,
Quharin thi warkis and fatale destaneis,
Thi secret sawis, and thi propheceis,
Endite of my kyn and genolegy,
I sal gar kepe and obserue reuerendly;
And, O thou blissit woman, onto the
Wys walit men sal dedicate and sacre:
So that thou write nocht on the levis thi wordis,
For dreid al turn bot til a mok or bourdis,
Gif that the wynd thame skattir and blaw away.
Pronunce it with thyne awin mowth, I the pray.
Tharwith he held hys pace, and said no mor.
Bot than Sibill the prophetes, ful ȝor
Within the cave, as half enragit wight,
Kouth nocht contene of Phebus the gret mycht;
And evir the mair scho hyr enforcys ay
The gret God from hir breist dryve away,
The mor he gan invaid hir and infest,
Hir rageand mowth and fers hart, as him lest,
Danting at wil, and forgeand hir sayngis:
Scho was constrenyt to schaw al suthfast thingis.
 

CAP. II

 
The answeris and the wordys to and fra
Betwix Eneas and this Sibilla.
 

 
The hundreth gret durris of that hows, with this,
At thar awin willis warpit wide, I wys,
And brocht the prophetis ansuer to thar erys:
O Eneas, that, eftir mony ȝheris,
Now finaly hes dryve to end, quod sche,
Sa mony huge gret dangeris of the see!
Bot on the land, I tel ȝou al and sum,
Far grettar perellis remanys forto cum.
The Troiane pepill to the realm of Lavyne
Sal cum; that is determyt be goddis dyvyne;
Out of thi mynde sik dowtis do away:
Bot forthirmor, I wil onto the say,
Quhen thai the grond of Italy haue nummyn,
Thai sal desyre neuer thiddir to haue cummyn.
Batalis, horribil batalis, to conclude,
I now behald, and Tibris, the gret flude,
For gret habundance of blude on spait walx reid.
Nowdyr Exanth nor Symois in that sted
Sal thou mys, nor ȝit the Grekis army.
Thou sal befor the fynd in Italy
Ane othir Achil, born als of a goddes:
Nor Juno, Troianys persewar expres,
Sal neuer mair failȝe in ȝour contrary.
And quhen thou art thar, as thou waldbe cary,
Of succurs and of help al desolate,
Quhat pepill, and quhat citeis than, God wait,
In Ital salt thou beseik of supple!
Few sal remane onrequerit, trast me.
The causys of al this myscheif and pane,
Ane othir woman, a fremmyt gest agane
For the Troianys, is to be spows and wed,
A strange bride, or scho be brocht to bed.
Withdraw the from na perellis, nor hard thrist;
Bot evir infors mair strangly to resist
Agane dangeris, than fortune sufferis the.
Ȝour first reskew of succurs and supple
Furth of a Gregioun cite salbe schaw,
Quhilk thou leste wenys, a wondir thing to knaw.
Furth of hir secret closet, thus onane,
Sik sawis warpis this Sibilla Cumane;
Horribil answeris, ful dowtsum to consave,
Quhar as scho sat rumysand in hir cave,
In subtel wordis of obscurite
Involupand the trewth and verite:
For on sik wys Apollo hir refrenys,
Bridillis hir sprete, and, as him list, constrenys,
From hir hart pipis his fers brod withdrawing.
As the divyne fury gan first sessing,
And eik hir ragiand mowth begouth to rest,
Devoyt Eneas begynnys als prest,
And said: Virgyn, na kynd of pane may rys
Onknaw to me, of new that may me grys:
Or now I am warnyt of al sik chance,
And hes thame rollit in my remembrance.
Bot a thing I beseik the and requeir;
Sen the entres and port, thai sai, bene heir,
Of the infernal king, and the layk dyrk
Of Acheron, gorgeit with fludis myrk;
Thocht it be rycht difficil, ȝit grant me
Thai quent realmys I may behald and se,
And cum onto my deir faderis sight:
Thiddir the passage, and al ways rycht,
Do teche me, and tha secret portis onschet.
I hym delyuerit amyd from flambis het,
And on thir schulderis careit him away,
A thousand speris followand to assay,
From myd ennymeis brocht him to salfte:
In my vayage, accumpaneit with me,
He went throu owt al seys and strange strandis,
All maner perrellis of fludis, stremys, and sandis,
And stormys of the hevin, thocht he was waik:
He sufferit and sustenyt, for my saik,
Ful huge pane, as he had beyn a page,
Abufe the strenth and common curs of age.
And forthir he me chargit, and gan beseik,
To the, lady, I reuerently suld seik,
And pas hiddir to thi sted and dwelling place.
Haue reuth now, haly woman, schaw sum grace
Baith to the son and fader, I requeir;
For thou may do all thing, I wait, but weir:
Ne not but gude resson, ful weil I knaw,
Beside Avernus, our hir hallowit schaw,
Proserpyn maid the patron and mastres.
Gif Orpheus mycht reduce agane, I ges,
From hell his spousis gost with his sweit stringis,
Playand on his harp of Trace sa plesand springis;
Or gif Pollux redemyt his broder Castor,
As he that was immortal get and boyr,
Partyng with him his immortalite,
Athir for other sufferand forto de,
That ych of thame, by coursis alternate,
Sa oft gais and returnys that gait;
Is it nocht anys lesum I pas that way?
Of Thesyus quhat nedis mair to say,
Or of the strang maste dowchty Hercules,
Quhilk thidder went with sa gret fors and pres?
Am I nocht eik discend from Jupiter?
Sik prayer maid he, grippand the altar;
Quhil thus begouth the prophetes speke agane:
Of goddis blude, Anchises son Troiane,
It is richt facil and eith gait, I the tell,
Forto discend and pas on down to hell:
The blak ȝettis of Pluto, and that dirk way,
Standis evir oppin and patent nycht and day;
Bot tharfra to return agane on hyght,
And heir abufe recovir this aris licht,
That is difficil wark, thar lawbour lyis.
Ful few thar bene, quhom heich aboue the skyis
Thar ardent vertue has rasit and vphyeit,
Or ȝit quhom equal Jupiter deifyit,
Thai quhilk bene gendrit of goddis, may thidder attayn.
Al the myd way is wildirnes onplayn,
Or wilsum forest, and the laithly flude
Cochytus, with his drery bosum onrude,
Flowis enverom rownd about that place.
Bot gif sa gret desyre and luf thou has
Twys til our sayll of Stix the dedly layk,
And twys behald blak hellis pyt of wraik,
Or sa huge laubour delytis the, quod scho,
Harkyn quhat first behuffis the to do.
Amyd a rank tre lurkis a goldin bewch,
With aurial levis, and flexibill twystis tewch,
Onto Juno infernal consecrate,
That standis lowkit abowt and obumbrate
With dirk schaddowis of the thik wod schaw.
Bot it is na wys lesum, I the schaw,
Thir secret ways vndir the erd to went,
Quhil of the tre this goldin grayn be rent:
Fair Proserpyn hes institute and command
To offer hir this, hir awin propir presand.
Ane othir goldin grane, to the ilk effect,
Thou sal nocht mys, thocht the first be down brek;
Incontinent evir of the sammyn mettall
Sik a lyke branch sal burgion furth withall.
The nedis, tharfor, to hald thine eyn on hight,
It forto sers and seik; syne all at right,
Quhen it is fund, thou hynt it in thi hand.
For, gif it list, esely that sammyn wand,
Of the awin will, sall follow thi grip fut hait,
Gif so the fatis wil thou pas that gait;
Or ellis be na strenth thou sal it ryve,
Nor kut in twa with wapyn, sword, or knyve.
And mair atour, beforn the in the place,
At thou ne wait, of thi deyr frend, allace!
Onerdyt lyis of new the ded body,
That with hys corps pollutis al thi navy;
The self tyme slane thow askand our answer,
And in this place remanys with ws heir.
First se that hym to hys lang hame thou haue,
And, as efferis, gar bery law in graue.
Til his funeral entyre, or sacrifys,
Do bring the blak bestis, as is the gys:
Lat tha be ȝour first expiationys,
And clenging graith, eftir ȝour serymonys.
So at the last, of Stix the cayrful schaw,
And realmys wilsum for levand men to knaw,
Thou sal behald. Quod scho; and tho gan ses,
Hir mowth clappit togiddir, and held hir pes.
 

CAP. III

 
Of Mysenus entyrment at was slane,
And quhou Eneas fand the goldin grane.
 

 
Ene, with drery cheir, and eyn down cast,
Levand the cave, furth on his way is past,
And in his breste gan rollyng all on raw
Thir onkouth chancis, wondir strange to knaw.
Achates, hys traste frend, furth by hym went,
Ilk step and pays musyng the sammyn entent:
Ful mony diuers sermondis betwix thame two
Talkand and carpand oft quhar as tha go;
Dowtsum quhilk of thar feris this might be,
The prophetes thame tald was done to de,
Or quhat corps was this scho thame bad bery.
And, as thai come apon the strandis dry,
Thai gan behald, ligging in the ilk sted,
Mysenus new slane be onworthy ded;
Mysenus, Eolus son, nane mair cunnand
Ostis to assembill with brasyn trump in hand;
That, with his sovnd and weirly blastis, oft sys
The martial curage maid in brestis rys.
Sum tyme he was ane of gret Hectoris feris;
About Hector evir hantit he the werys,
Now blawing with his trump maste craftely,
Now with a speir jonand hys mastir by:
Eftir Achil reft him the lyfe in wer,
Til dowchty Ene this forcy chyvaler
Adionyt hes him self in falloschip,
A man of na les prowes nor wirschip.
Bot now, percace, with his boys trump as he
Went onprowisitly blawand by the see,
To stryfe prowoking the goddis with his springis,
Gif it be lesum to trast sa schameful thingis,
Triton the God, havand tharat dispite,
Or he was war, him hyntis, and dyd smyte
Amang the fomy rolkis law adown,
And in the salt wallys the man gan drown.
Quharfor about his corps with gret clamour
The Troianys stude murnand, and maid dolour;
Bot principaly the rewthfull Eneas.
Sibillais heste, as he commandit was,
Tho sped in haist forto perform weping:
For the sepulcre funerale fyre or byng,
Ane hepe of treis thai pres onone to dycht,
And vp onto the hevynnys rays on hight.
Ontil ane ancyent forest socht thai then,
Entrand in mony dern wild bestis den:
Ful of roset down bet is the fyr tre;
Smyte with the ax dyd rayr the akis hie;
Gret eschin stokkis tumlys to the grond;
With weggeis schydit gan the byrkis sovnd;
The felloun elmys weltis down the hillys.
Ene him self alsso, with ful gude willys
Into sik warkis, with the first, al day
For tobe bissy gan his feris pray,
With loome in hand fast wirkand lyke the laif;
And in hys breste gan to and fra consaif,
Ful hevely, thir materis war betyde,
Behaldand the large wod on athir syde,
Thar as he stude thus makand hys prayer:
Wald God ȝon goldyn branch list now appeir,
And kyth the self to ws in this forest!
Sen lo, al thing the prophetes exprest
Of the, Mysenus, ar our trew, allace!
Skars war thir wordis said, quhen, in that place,
A payr of dowis fra hevin come with a flycht,
And richt forgane the mannys face dyd lycht,
And on the grene sward thar place tuke law.
This rial prynce, alssone as he thame saw,
His moderis byrdis knew, and blithly than
Hys orison hes maid, and thus began:
O haly fowlys, gif the way may be went,
Be ȝe my gydis to compleit myne entent;
Addres ȝour cours throu owt the ayr in hy
Onto that haly schaw, with soyl myghty,
Quhar as that rych branch the grond ourheildis.
And ȝe, my blissit moder, that our beild is
Into this dowtsum cace, be nocht away;
I ȝou beseik be favorabil to our way.
And prayand thus, efter the spamen werd,
He prentit baith his futsteppis in the erd,
Behaldand redly quhat syngnys thai schaw,
Or quhidder thai mark, etand, pasyng on raw.
Thai at the last gan flychtir furth a space,
Half stalkand on the grond a soft pace,
Sa fer befor Achates and Ene
As thai mycht weil behald thame with thar E.
And alssone as thai come to the entre
Of Avernus, that stynkand hellys see,
Vprays thai swyftly, and in the moste ayr
Flaw furth, and syne gan alycht and repair
Apon thar segys, quhar thame list tobe,
Of divers naturis perkit on the tre,
Throw quhais branchis, of seir hewis mony ane,
The brycht glittyrrand goldin cullour schane.
Lyke as ful oft, in chil wyntiris tyde,
The gum or glew, amyd the woddis wide,
Is wont to seym ȝallow on the grane new,
Quhilk nevir of that treis substance grew,
With saffron hewit frute doyng furth sprowt,
Circulis and wymplis rownd bewis abowt:
Siklyke was of this gold the figur brycht,
That burgionyt fayr on the rank akis hycht.
Evir as the branch for pypand wynd reboundit,
The goldin schakeris ratlis and resoundit.
Eneas smertly hynt the grayn at schone,
And, but delay, hes rent it dovn anone;
Desyrus to compleit hys way alssua,
Bair it onto the hald of Sibilla.
And netheles Troianys, this ilk tyde,
Mysenus deth bewalit at the cost syde,
Onto the dolorus onsilly body
Funeral seruyce completand by and by.
At the begynnyng first vp hie thai beild
A huge heip or byng amyd the feild,
Of dry ayk schydis and fat roset treys:
Al sydis tharof, als fer as ony seys,
Was dek and coverit with thir dedly bewis,
And wild cipres, the tre of mortall hewys;
The top abufe arrayit was at richt,
And adornyt with schynand armour bricht.
Sum spedis to graith hait watir bissely
In caldronys playand on the fyre fast by:
The cald ded corps is weschin and invnct,
Embalmyt with rich gummys euery junct.
Thai schowting, gowling, and clamour, abowt him maid;
The body syne bewalit haue thai laid
In a soft bed, and thar abuf was spred
Purpour robbis, quharwith he wont was cled:
Sum on thar schulderis the gret beir vpbair,
A dulful office, with mony sob and rayr,
And, as the maner of tendir frendis is,
For sorow thar facis writhis away, I wys,
Puttand the kyndling in with hait fyre brand.
Gret hepis of cens vpblesit fra hand to hand;
Cowpis and goblettis warpit in the fyre,
Ful of oyl dolyve, brynt vp brycht and schyre.
Eftir all was fallin in puldir and in as,
And the gret heit of flambis quynchit was,
The reliqueis and the dry ammeris syne
Thai sloknyt, and gan weschin with sweit wyne:
The banys, walit by and naitly chosit,
Choryneus in a brassyn twn hes closit;
And this ilk man his feris al, but dowt,
With cleyn watir clengit thrys abowt,
Strinkland a litil dewing, as was the gys,
With the branch of a happy olyve thrys;
He purgit and aspergit weil the men,
The lattir word, al is done! said he then.
Eneas tho gart vp erekkit be
A sepultur, of ful huge quantite,
In takynnyng of the mannys instrumentis,
Ane ayr and eik a trumpet tharon prentis,
Vndir the mont, vmquhile Aeryus
Was clepit, quhilk now is hait Mysenus;
Eftir his name callit perpetualy,
That evir sal his memor testify.
 

CAP. IV

 
Of Eneas sacrifyis be nycht,
And quhou to hel he tuk the way ful rycht.
 

 
This beand done, Sibillais commandment
Ene addressis perform incontinent.
Thar stude a dirk and profound cave fast by,
A hieduus hoill, deip gapand and grisly,
All ful of cragis and of thir scharp flynt stanys,
Quhilk was weil dekkit and closit for the nanys
With a fowle layk, als blak as ony craw,
And skuggis dym of a ful dern wod schaw;
Abufe the quhilk na fowle may fle but skath.
Exalationys or vapouris blak and laith
Furth of that dedly golf thrawis in the air,
Sik wys na byrd may thiddir mak repair;
Quharfor Grekis Avernus clepis this sted,
The place but fowlis, to say, or pyt of ded.
Heir first Ene, at this ilk entre vyle,
Fowr ȝong stottis addressit, blak of pyle:
The nun Sibilla ressauys thame, and syne
Amyd thar forhedis quhelmyt on cowpis of wyne,
And of thar top, betwix the hornys twa,
The ovirmast haris has scho pullit awa,
And in the haly ingil, as was the gys,
Kest thame, in maner of the first sacrifice,
Apon Hecate cryand, with mony a ȝell,
Mychtful in hevin and dym dungeon of hell.
Sum slevit knyvis in the bestis throtis,
And otheris, quhilk war ordand for sik notis,
The warm new blude keppit in cowp and peys.
Ene him self a ȝow was blak of flece
Brittynnyt with hys sword, in sacrifice ful hie
Onto the moder of the fureys thre,
And hir gret systir; and to the, Proserpyne,
A ȝeld kow all to trynschit; and eftir syne
To the infernal kyng, quhilk Pluto hait,
Hys nycht altaris begouth to dedicate:
The hail bowkis of bestys, bayn and lyre,
Amyd the flambys kest and haly fyre;
The fat oly dyd he ȝet and peyr
Apon the entralys, to mak thame byrn cleir.
Bot lo! a litill befor the son rysyng,
The grond begouth to rummys, croyn, and ryng,
Vndir thar feyt, and woddy toppis hie
Of thir hillys begyn to move thai se:
Amang the schaddowys and the skuggis mark
The hell hundys hard thai ȝowl and bark,
At cummyng of the goddes Proserpyne.
Sibilla cryis, that prophetes dyvyne,
All ȝe that bene prophane, away, away;
Swith, owtwith al the sanctuar hy ȝow, hay!
And thou, quod sche, hald on thi way with me;
Draw furth thi swerd; for now is neid, Ene,
To schaw thi manheid, and be of ferm curage.
Thus far scho said, smyte with the godly rage,
And tharwith entris in the oppynnyt cave:
Eneas onabasit, fra all the lave,
Followis his gide with equale pays ful rycht.
O ȝhe Goddis, in quhais power and mycht
The sawlis beyn, and ȝhe dern skuggis dyrk,
Confusyt Chaos, quharof all thing beyn wirk,
Skaldand hellis flude, Flagiton, but lycht,
Placis of silence and perpetuall nycht;
Mot it be leful to me for to tell
Tha thyngis quhilkis I haue hard said of hell,
And, by ȝour myghtis, that I may furth schaw
Seir thingis drynchit in the erd ful law,
And deip envoluyt in myrknes and in myst.
Thai walking furth sa dyrk, oneth thai wyst
Quhidder thai went, amyd dym schaddowys thar,
Quhar evir is nycht, and nevir lyght dois repar,
Throwout the waist dongion of Pluto kyng,
Thai voyd boundis, and that gowsty ryng:
Siklyke as quha wald throw thik woddis wend
In obscure licht, quhen moyn may nocht be kend;
As Jupiter, the kyng etheryall,
With erdis skug hydis the hevynnys all,
And the myrk nycht, with hir vissage gray,
From every thing hes reft the hew away.
Befor the porch, and fyrst jawys of hell,
Lamentatioun and wraikfull Thochtis fell
Thar lugyng had; and tharat dwellis eyk
Pail Maladeis, that causys folk be seik;
The feirful Dreid, and als onweldy Age,
The fellon Hungir with hir ondantit rage:
Thar was alsso the laithly Indigence,
Terribill of port, and schameful hir presence;
The grysly Ded, at mony ane hes slane,
The hard Labour, and diseysful Pane,
The slottry Sleip, Dedis cousyng of kynd,
Inordinat Blithnes of peruersit mynd;
And in the ȝet, forganyst thame, dyd stand
The mortall Batall with hys dedly brand,
The irne chalmeris of hellys Fureys fell,
Witles Discord, that wondryng maist crewell,
Wymplit and buskit in a bludy bend,
With snakis hung at euery harys end.
And in the myddis of the vtyr ward,
With braid branschis spred owr al the sward,
A rank elm tre stude, huge gret, and stok ald:
The wlgar pepil in that sammyn hald
Belevis thir vayn dremys makis thar dwellyng;
Vndir ilk leif ful thik thai stik and hyng.
Thar beyn eik monstreis of mony diuers sort:
The Centawres war stablit at this port,
The dowbil porturat Scilla with thame infeir,
Bryareus with ane hundreth formys seyr,
The bysnyng best, the serpent of Lerna,
Horribilly quhysland, and quent Chymera
With fyre enarmyt on hir toppis hie,
The laithly Harpyes, and the Gorgones thre;
Of thrynfald bodeys gaistly formys dyd grone,
Baith of Erylus and of Geryon.
Eneas smartly, for the hasty dreid,
Hynt furth hys swerd in this place, and, gud speid,
The drawin blaid he profferis thar and heir
Onto tha monstreis, evir as thai drew neir;
And war not his expert mait Scybilla
Tawcht him thai war bot voyd gaistis all tha,
But ony bodeis, as wandrand wrechis waist,
He had apon thame ruschit in gret haist,
And with his bytand brycht brand, all invane,
The twme schaddowis smyttyn to haue slane.