Kitabı oku: «The Æneid of Virgil Translated Into Scottish Verse», sayfa 24

CAP. IV

 
Evander tellith till Eneas, but baid,
The verray caus quhy this sacrifice was maid.
 

 
Eftir that stanchit was the hungris rage,
And appetit of meit begouth asswage,
Said kyng Evander; na superstitioun vayn,
Nor mysknawlage of goddis ancyane,
Thys hie fest and gret solempnyte,
Nor this bankat and mesys, as ȝe se,
Hes institut to ws, and this alter
Of sa excelland maieste standyng heir:
Bot, my deir frend and nobill gest Troiane,
We, preservit from cruel peralus pane,
Hantis this seruys apon sik manere,
As proper det and observans ilk ȝer.
First, do behald ȝone schorand hewchis brow,
Quhar all ȝon craggy rochis hyngis now,
Quhou the huge weghty brays bene dovn cast,
The holkit fows in the mont syde left waste,
Quhar as the craggy quhynnys, dovn declyne,
Has drawyn of the hill a huge rewyne.
Ȝon was a cavern or cove in ald days,
With gousty entray far furth of all ways;
A grisly den and ane forworthyn gap
Of Cacus, that na mar had bot the schap
Of mannys form, for skant half man was he
Throw cruel dedis of iniquyte,
That in ȝone fendlich hole dwelt hym allane;
A hellys byke, quhar sonnys beme nevir schane,
Quhar the vile flur evir lew warm was spred
With recent slauchter of blud newly sched:
Befor that tyrrandis ȝet of men that ded is
Affixit stud mony dolorus hedis,
With vissage blakynt, blude byrun, and bla,
The laithly ordur or filth stilland thar fra.
Onto this hutyt monstre, this Cacus,
The God of fyre was fader, Wlcanus;
And at hys mouth, a wondir thing to se,
Hys faderis reky flambe furth ȝiskyt he.
As to hys body, quhar so evir he passit,
Of bustuus statur lyke nane other was it.
Proces of tyme at last hes ws inspirit,
And send ws help, as we full lang desyrit,
Be cummyng of the mychtfull Goddis presens;
For the danter of monstreis, our defens,
The maste redoutit Hercules, com at hand
Be aventour onto this ilke land,
New from the slauchter into stern melle
Of Geryon, the quhilk had bodeis thre.
With prowd spulȝe arryving triumphal,
This conquerour maid thyddir dryve and call
Hys bullys, and hys oxin huge gret,
And eik hys ky, to pastur and to eyt
Endland ȝone valle that is large and wyde,
And tuk thar lugyng on this ryver syde.
Bot the ondantit fury mynd of this theif,
Schrewit Cacus, all way ful of myscheif,
By his frawart engyne and sle consait,
So that na maner wikkytnes nor dissait
Mycht be, that he ne durst nocht tak on hand,
Ne onassayt leif, out from thar stand
Four semly oxin of body gret and squar,
Als mony tendir quyis excedand fair,
Of all tha catal away with hym drave.
And, that thar tred suld na way be persaue,
Onto hys cave ay bakwartis by the talys
To turn thar futsteppis he thame harlys and tralys:
And thus his spreith he had ontil his in,
And with a queym stane closyt hes the gyn:
Sik way he wrocht that, quha thar tred list goif,
Na takynnys suld convoy thame to his coif.
In the meyn quhile, as all the bestis war
Repatyrit weil eftir thar nychtis layr,
At morow ayrly first as thai removit,
For Hercules depart from thens behuffit,
The catal gan to rowtyng, cry, and rar,
The woddis rang of thar sound our alquhar,
And with thar noys dynnyt hillis and knowys;
Quhil in the caif as that a quyok lowis,
With lowd voce squeland in that gousty hald,
All Cacus trast reuelit scho and tald.
Bot tho in greif this worthy Hercules,
Alceus nevo, the douchty Alcides,
That so oft sys was clepit commonly,
Within his skyn begouth to byrn and fry
In brym fury of his bitter gall;
Hys wapynnys and his armour hynt withall,
Hys weghty burdon, or his knorry mays,
And to the hillys hycht held in a rays.
Than was the first tyme that ony in this erd
Of our pepill persavyt Cacus efferd,
Within his hed trublit his eyn tway.
Swyft as the wynd he fled and gat away,
And to his cave hym sped with ery spreit;
The dreid adionyt weyngis to his feyt.
And, fra he had hym self sesyt tharin,
A stane of huge weght for to clos the gyn
He leyt do fall, and with sic haist doun thrang,
The chenȝeis brak quharwith it festnyt hang,
That forgit war by hys faderis engyne;
With gret irne slottis schet the entre syne.
Bot lo, in haist Hercules come at hand
With furyus mynd careyng our the land,
Passage and entre sekyng bissely,
Now heir his eyn, now thar, rollyng in hy,
Graslyng hys teith, and byrnand full of ire.
Of Aventynus hill thrys all the swyre
He sersys our, and thrys assays he
To brek and rent that craggy stone entre;
Bot all for nocht, thocht he was nevir sa wight:
So, thrys irkyt, doun from the hillys hyght
To rest hym is he to the valle gone.
Thar stude a pynnakil of quhyn or flynt stone,
Apon the baksyde of this cavern cald,
That rays on end rycht hie forto behald,
For wild fowlys of reif a ganand sted,
That rent raw flesch of bestis bonys ded;
The craggis all about this rolk war worn,
With wedderis blast to holkyt and to torn:
And as it stud on schor sweyand that tyde,
Downwith the bank towart the watir syde,
Hercules it smytis with a mychty towk
Apon the rycht half, forto mak it jowke,
Inforsyng hym to welt it our the bra;
And sa rudly it branglys to and fra,
That from the rutis he it lowsyt and rent,
And tumlyt dovn fra thyne, or he wald stent.
The large ayr dyd reirding with the rusch,
The brays dyndlit, and all dovn can dusch;
The ryver wolx effrayt with the rak,
And, demmyt with the rokis, ran abak.
Than this gret cove, of Cacus sail ryall,
Was discoverit; hys inwart cavernys all,
Wont tobe dyrk, worth patent now and knaw:
Non otherwys than quhen the erd ourthraw
By fors of thundyr, or erdquake with a clap,
Ryvys vp a terribill sewch or grisly gap,
Oppynnand the hellis mansioun infernall,
And onclosys that dyrk regioun paill
Quhilk of the goddis al abufe is hayt;
Or thocht the hellis bysme in sik estait
War oppynnyt, that his bodum se men mycht,
And dampnyt sawlys effrayt of new lycht.
Quharfor this worthy stalwart Hercules,
That on this wys had Cacus set in pres,
And fund onwarnyst by this lycht suddane,
Quhar he was closyt in a cave of stane,
Fast rumesand apon a strange maner;
This campyoun with dartis fell of weir
Gan down tobet, and in his wod fury
Eftir all kynd wapynnys can do cry,
With branchis rent of treis, and querral stanys
Of huge weght dovn warpand all at anys.
Bot this ilk Cacus, quhen that he dyd se
Fra this danger thar was na way to fle,
Furth of his throt, a wondrus thing to tell,
A laithly smok he ȝiskis blak as hell,
And all the hous involuyt with dyrk mist,
That sone the sycht vanyst, or ony wist,
And reky nycht within a litill thraw
Gan thikkyn our al the cavern and ourblaw,
And with the myrknes mydlit sparkis of fyre.
The hie curage of Hercules, lordly syre,
Mycht this no langar suffir, bot in the gap
With hasty stert amyd the fyre he lap,
And thar as maist habundyt smokis dyrk,
With huge sop of reyk and flambis myrk,
So that the caif dyd glevyn of the heyt,
Thar has he hynt Cacus, that wikkyt spreit,
That al invane hys hait kyndlyng furth gaspyt;
For as a ball he hym in armys claspyt,
And so strenȝeis hys throt, furth chirt hys eyn,
Hys hals worth dry of blude. Than mycht be seyn
This mirk dungeon and onsemly hald:
The entre oppynnyt Hercules the bald,
Bet doun the closeris, and syne brocht to the lycht
Hys oxin fra him reft by subtel slycht;
And by the feyt furth harlyt was onon
Of Cacus the deformyt carion.
The hartis than and myndis of our menȝe
Mycht not be satisfyit on him to luke and se,
As to behald hys vgly eyn twane,
Hys terribil vissage, and hys grisly gane,
The rouch byrsys on the breist and creste
Of that monstruos half deil wilde beiste,
And in his gorge stikkand the sloknyt fyre.
Evir sen that tyme, to Hercules the gret syre
We haue this honour mayd and sacrifice,
Al our ofspring and ȝong men on this wys
This day kepis solempnyte, as ȝe se;
Potitius first master heir with me,
And the famyll of Pynaria the bald,
The cheif keparis of Hercules hallowyt hald,
Ȝon altar in this cuthyll dyd vpbeild,
That onto ws in euery tyme of eild
Is clepyt maist solempnyt and hie altar,
And salbe reput gretast euermar.
Tharfor haue done, ȝong gallandis; now in hy,
In wirschip of this fest and mangeory,
Of greyn branchis plet for ȝour hed garlandis,
Do waucht and drynk, bryng cowpys full in handis,
Call on our patron common God dyvyne is,
And with gud will do skynk and birl the wynys.
Thus sayand, the party popill grayn
Heldit his hed with skug Herculyane,
The levis from the plettis dovn hyngand,
Ane haly cowp fillit in hys rycht hand.
Than ilk man smertly tastis the wyne at tabill,
Prayand thar goddis for tobe aggreable.
 

CAP. V

 
In lovyng of the douchty Hercules
The pepill syngis hys warkis mar and les.
 

 
In the meyn sesson Hesperus drew neir,
Throw the declynyng of the hevynly speir:
Tharwith the prestis of the sacryfyis,
Gyrdyt in skynnys, eftir thar ald gys,
Gan trasyng furth togidder in a rowt,
And formest went Potityus the stowt.
All do thai beir the byrnand hait fyre brandis;
And, to renew the bankat, with thar handis
Ful delicat danteis for the secund mete
Thai dres onone, and furth of platis gret
With paysit flesch plenyst the altaris large,
Tharon bestowyng in hepis mony a charge.
Syne the menstralis, syngaris, and danseris,
To syng and play with soundis, as afferis,
Abowt the kyndlit altaris, quhil thai brynt,
Assemblit ar ful swyth, and wald nocht stynt,
With poppil tre hattis buklyt on thar hed.
The ȝonkeris ȝonder in ane other sted
Led rowndis, dansys, and fresch caralyng;
Other agit persons thame addressit to syng
In ympnys, ballettis, and lays, throu the pres,
The lovabill gestis of mychty Hercules:
Quhou the first monstreis of his stepmoder sle,
Lugyng a bab in creddill, stranglit he;
That is to knaw, twa gret serpentis perfay,
The quhilk he wyrreit with hys handis tway:
And how this ilke Hercules of renovn
The ryall citeis assegis and bet dovn,
Of Troy, and eik the strang Echalia:
A thousand hard journeis sufferyng alssua,
Vndre the kyng clepit Euristeus,
By Junoys frawart will mast envyus.
And thus thai syng; invyncybill weriour,
That bair of strenth and hardyment the flour,
The stern Centaures thou slew and dovn bet,
Dowbill of form, and on the clowd byget;
Thow brytnys eik and with thi hand hes slane
Pholus and Helyus, stalwart gyantis twane;
Of Creit the monstreis dantis thou at full,
The savage bestis, as wild bair and bull;
Vndre a roik, Nemee forest within,
Thou slew and rent the hydwys lyoun skyn.
The laik off Stix trymlyt for dreid of the;
The grisly portar of the hellys see,
Lugyng in caif on ded banys half gnaw,
Dyd quaik for feir, quhen he thy vissage saw:
Na kynd of bysnyng figour dyd the grys,
Nor byg Typheus, that agane Jove oftsys
Movyt batell, with wapynnys fell in hand
Mycht the affray, nor thy gret strenth ganestand;
Nor the serpent of Lern, thou put to ded,
Fand the want nowder wysdom nor manhed,
Thocht scho, of hedis with hir mekil rowt,
The dyd assail and ombeset about.
Hail, verray child of Jove; hail, honour hie
Adionyt to the goddis in maieste!
Baith ws and eik thi sacrifyce infeir
We pray the wissy, at thou may cum heir
With prosper presens and ful happy fut,
In our helpyng for tobe our bute.
In sic sangis thar fest thai sanctify,
And Hercules hie lovyng syng and cry;
Bot principaly, and last of the laif,
Thai maid mensioun of Cacus slane in caif,
And quhou that he the flambis furth dyd blaw.
The wod resoundis schill, and euery schaw
Schowtis agane of thar clamour and dyn,
The hillys rerdis, quhil dyndlis roik and quhyn.
Syne, quhen dyvyne seruys was at end,
To the cite bownys ilk man to wend.
Furth held the kyng onweldy in ald ȝeris,
Fast by hym haldand, as his frendis and feris,
The prynce Eneas and his ȝong son Pallas;
And, quhil thai thus towart the cite pas,
With syndry sermondis schortis he the way.
Eneas awondris of that he dyd say,
And kest his eyn about delyuerly,
Thai stedis all to serchyn and espy;
Sa fair placis to se and vissy tyte
This strange knycht caucht plesance and delyte,
And glaidly can inquiryng euery thing,
And hard the answer of the agit kyng,
Quhilk teching him per ordour to him tald
Memorialis of seir forfaderis auld.
 

CAP. VI

 
Quhou kyng Evander rehersis til Enee
In eldris days the rewle of that cuntre.
 

 
Thys kyng Evandrus than, the first foundar
Of Romys burgh or palyce, can declar
And dyd rehers ontil his gest Enee:
Thir woddis and thir schawis all, quod he,
Sum tyme inhabyt war and occupyit
With Nymphis and Fawnys apon euery syde,
Quhilk fairfolkis, or than elvys, clepyng we,
That war engendryt in this sam cuntre,
That with ane kynd of men yborn, but leys,
Furth of ald stokkis and hard runtis of treis;
Quhilkis nowder maneris had nor polecy,
Ne couth thai eir the ground, nor occupy
The plewis, nor the oxin ȝok infeir,
Nor ȝit had craft to conquys nor wyn geir,
Nor kepe thar moblis quhen it gadderit was;
Bot, as thir bestis, or the doillit as,
Thar fude of treis dyd in woddis fet,
Or of the wild veneson scharp to get.
First from the hie hevynnys into this land
Saturnus com, fleand gret Jovis brand,
Hys realmys reft, and banyst eik was he:
Bot tha ontaucht pepill of this cuntre,
That skatterit dwelt in his hillis greyn,
He maid forgadder togidder and conveyn,
Gaue thame lawys and statutis thame to lede,
And wald also this regioun euery sted
War callit Latium, and clepit to hys name,
For that he surely lurkyt in the same.
And as thai tel, and redis in mony ryme,
Of gold the warld was in that kyngis tyme;
Sa lykandly, in paix and liberte,
At eys his common pepill governyt he:
Quhil, peis and peis, the elde syne war and war
Begouth to wolx, that cullour fading far,
As, in the sted of paix, the rage of wer
Begouth succeid, and covatys of geyr.
Syne the pissance com of Ausonya,
And the pepill Sycany hecht alsswa,
By quham the land of Saturn, war and wys,
Hes left and changit his ald name oft sys.
Syne kyngis com, amangis quham for the nonys
Stern Tybrys rygnyt, a man byg of bonys,
Fra quham, ay syne, all the Italiane blude
Thar gret ryver hes clepit Tibrys flude;
Thus Albula hys auld trew name hes lost.
And me also to duel within this cost,
Banyst and flemyt of my natyve land,
Strang destany, quhilk may nocht be gaynstand,
And fortoun eik, clepit omnipotent,
Throu all extremys of sey hes hidder sent.
The reuerend als and dreidfull monysyngis
Of Carmentes my moder, in mony thingis
Expert as nymphe and prophetes dyvyne,
And the autorite of god Appollyne,
Hes me constrenyt to dwel in this hald.
Scars hes Evandrus all thir wordis tald,
Quhen, walkyng thens furth bot a litil space,
He can do schaw the altar and the place
Quhilk in the langage Romane ȝit, sans faill,
Is to this day clepit port Carmentaill;
Quharby ramemmorit is in the ilk tovn
This ald Carmentes wirschip and renovn,
Quhilk was baith nymphe and fatale prophetes,
That first declarit, in hir sawys expres,
The gret pryncis fortocum of Ene,
And of Pallenteum the nobilite.
The kyng syne schew him to the haly schaw,
Quhilk strang Romulus dyd reduce and draw
In maner of franches or of sanctuary.
He schew him eik, but ony langar tary,
Vnder the frosty bra, the coif, was call
Ful mony ȝeris in thar leid Lupercall,
Eftir thar gys of Arcad and estait,
To Pan the god of Lyce consecrait.
He schew alsso the wod hait Argilete,
That to the man of Arge, thar lost the swete,
Was dedicat, and drew to witnes that sted
That he was nevir culpabill of his ded,
And can to him declar the mater plane,
Quhat wys his gest, this man of Arge, wes slane.
Fra thyne, to mont Tarpeya he him kend,
And beknyt to that sted, fra end to end,
Quhar now standis the goldin Capitoll,
Vmquhil of wild buskis rowch skroggy knoll.
Thocht, the ilk tyme, ȝit of that dreidfull place
Ane feirfull reuerent religioun, per cace,
The ery rural pepill dyd affray,
So that this crag and scroggis wirschippit thai.
In ȝon schaw, on this woddy hillis top
That skowgit is with mony buskis crop,
Quod Evander, tharon a god dois dwell,
Bot quhat god at he be can na man tell:
My pepill that bene cummyn from Arcaid
Wenys thai saw ȝonder, as thai me said,
Gret Jove hym self, as he ful oft at large
Dyd schake his tawbart, or his beknyt targe,
And with his rycht hand dyd assembill and steir
The watry clowdis, that makis thundris beir.
And forthir eik he said ontill Enee,
Ȝon twa town stedis thou behaldis, quod he,
With barmkyn down bet and euery wall,
Of forfaderis thai bene memoriall:
This cite beldit our ald fader Janus,
And ȝonder cite fundit Saturnus:
Janiculum this hecht, myne awin leif brother,
And Saturnya clepit was that other.
Amangis thame with sic carpying and talk,
Towart Evandrus pur lugyng thai stalk:
The catal eik behald thai raik on raw,
And in that sted thar pasturand thai saw,
Quhar now in Rome is the cheif merkat placis,
Baith squeil and low in thai ilk plentuus gatis
Quhilk sum tyme hecht Caryne, fair and large,
Quhar the howsis war like a turnyt barge.
And quhen thai cummyn to the palice wer,
Quod Evander, at thir ilk ȝettis heir
The conquerour entrit, douchty Hercules;
This sobir mans ressauyt hym, but les.
My gentil gest, enfors the and addres
To lern to dar contemp welth and riches,
And do thi self compone, and schaw in deid
In goddis steid worthy to succeid,
With thame equal ressauyt in sic herbry;
Amang smal geir now entris bowsumly.
And sayand this, the myghty gret Ene
Within hys narrow chymmys ledis he,
And maid him sytting doun apon a bed,
That stuffit was with levys, and ourspred
With the rouch skyn of a bustuus wild beir
In Affrik bred befor mony a ȝer.
 

CAP. VII

 
Ontil Eneas Venus armour requiris
Fra Wlcanus, quhilk grantis hir desiris.
 

 
The nycht approchis with hir weyngis gray,
Ourspred the erd, and put all lycht away;
Quhen Venus moder till Ene efferd,
And not but caus, seand the felloun rerd,
The dreidfull bost and assemly attanys
Aganys hir son of pepill Laurentanys,
To Wlcanus, hir husband and gud man,
Within hys goldyn chalmyr scho began
Thus forto spek, and with hir wordis the fyre
Of dyvyne luf can towartis hym inspire.
Quod sche, quhil that the kyngis of Grece and Arge
Down bet the Troiane wallys wyde and large,
That destinat war, bath towr, town, and wall,
Of ennemys be flambys to down fall,
Na help onto thai wrachit folkis I socht,
Nane armour axit, nor thy craft besocht,
Nor the, my deirest spows, exers bad I
Thy craft, nor wark invane wald occupy:
Albeit that to the childring of Pryam kyng
I was bedettit into mekill thing,
And the ontollerabill laubour of Enee
Bewalit oft wepand ful fair, quod sche,
Quhilk now by Jovis power stad remanys
Within the boundys of Rutilyanys.
Quharfor this tyme I, thy ilk spows and wyve,
Thy blissyt godhed, derrest to me on lyve,
Cummys lawly to beseik and requer
For wapynnys, harnes, armour, and sic ger;
For my deir son I, moder, prays the:
Sen Nereus douchter, Thetys, mycht, quod sche,
Induce the till enarm hir son Achill,
And eik Tythonus spous, at hir awin will,
Aurora, with hir terys so the brak
Fortill enarm hir child Memnon the blak.
Behald quhat pepill, lo, assemblit bene,
Quhat wallit townys with ȝettis closyt in teyn
Gryndys thar wapynnys aganis me and myne,
To bring ws to distructioun and rewyne.
Thus said the goddes, and in hir milk quhite armys
Ful tendirly belappys him and warmys,
Quhil that he musys so, that hait fyre sle
Of lufe bekend onon ressauyt he;
The natural heit into the merch dyd glyde,
Persand the banys maid soft on every syde:
Nane other wys than as, sum tyme, we se
The schynand brokkyn thundris lychtnyng fle
Wyth subtil fyry stremys throu a ryft,
Persand the watry clowdis in the lift.
Venus hys spows, confiding in hir bewte,
Ful glaid persavys that hym caucht had sche.
The fader than Vlcanus, god abuf,
Lokkyt in the eternal cheyn of luf,
Answerd and said; quharfor, myne awin hart deir,
Sa far about thou glosys thy mater?
Quhy axis thou nocht planely thy desire?
Quhiddir is becum of me, thy lord and syre,
The ferm confidence thou suld haue, Goddes?
Quhat nedyt mor bot schaw thy mynd expres?
Gyf siclike curis and desire had bene
Into thy mynd that sammyn tyme, I meyn
Duryng the subuertioun of Troys ryng,
To ws it had bene bot a lesum thing
Troianys til haue enarmyt at thy request:
Nowder the fader almychty at the lest,
Ne ȝit the fatis contrary dyd ganestand,
Bot Troys cite mycht haue langar stand,
So that kyng Priamus ryng, by our power,
Mycht haue remanyt fully othir ten ȝeir.
And now, gif thou the grathis forto fecht,
And tharto be thy mynd set, I the hecht
All maner thing, with solist diligens,
That may be wrocht in my craft or sciens,
Or ȝit may be forgit in irne or steill,
Or moltyn mettal graif and burnyst weill.
Sa far as fyre, and wynd, and hie engyne,
Into our art may cumpas or dyvyne.
Tharfor desist of thi strenth to haue dreid,
Or me to pray in ocht at thou hes neyd;
For in sic cacis thar nedis na request:
Am I nocht reddy to fulfill thy behest?
Thir wordis beyng said, this hait syre
Gan hir enbrasyng al at his desyre,
And, lappit to hys spowsys breist in armys,
The plesand natural sleip, to beit his harmys,
And eys hys wery membris, can he tak.
Syne as he had slummyrrit bot a snak,
Quhen the first silence of the quyet nycht
Hys myddil curs and cirkill run had rycht,
Provokyng folk of the first sleip awaik:
Lyke as the puyr wife, quhilk at evin had raik
Hyr ingill, rysys forto beit hir fyre,
As scho that hes nane other rent nor hyre
Bot with hir rok and spynnyng forto thryve,
And tharwithall sustene hir enty lyve;
Hir day wark to encres, or scho may se,
Thartill a part of the nycht ekis sche,
And at the candill lycht hir handys tway,
And eik hir pur damysellis, as scho may,
Natly exercis forto wirk the lyne,
To snoif the spyndill, and lang thredis twyne,
Quharby scho mycht sustene hir powerte,
Kepe chaist hir spowsys bed in honeste,
And tharwith eik foster hir childer lyte:
The mychty God of fyre this tyme als tyte,
And no slawar, bot on the sam maner,
Furth of hys bed startis, and hynt his geir,
And to hys smyddy craft and forge hym spedis.
Thar standis ane ile, with reky stanys as gledis,
Vpstrekyng hie betwix the cost Sycille
And Lyparen, god Eolus wyndis ille:
Vndre the quhilk byg iland in the see
Ane coif thar is, and hyrnys feill thar be,
Lyke till Ethna holkyt in the mont,
By the Ciclopes fornace worn or bront,
That makys rumlyng, as quha dyd thunder heir,
The bustuus dyntis on the styddeys seir;
Ane huge dyn and noys the strayke doyth mak.
The irne lumpys in tha cavys blak
Can byss and quhissill, and the hait fyre
Doith fuf and blaw in blesys byrnand schire:
Quhilk forges bene Wlcanus duellyng call,
And eftir Wlcan that cuntre nemmyt all.
The mychty God of fyre dovn from the hevin
Into this forsaid ile discendit evin,
Quhar as, intill hys large and gowsty caif,
The hydduus Ciclopes forgit furth and draif,
Brontes, Steropes, and nakyt Pyracmon,
The glowand irne to well and peyn onon.
The fyreflaucht, ȝyt nocht formyt perfitely,
Quhilk the fader of godis oft throw the sky
From euery art dovn in the erth doys cast,
Thai had into thar handys wirkand fast;
That ane part polist, burnyst weill and dycht,
Thar other party not perfytit rycht.
Thre rawys wel tha of the frosyn hail schour,
Thre of the watry clowd, to eik the stowr,
Thre blesys of the byrnand fyris brycht,
With thre blastis of the south wyndis lyght:
Syne to thar wark, in maner of gun powder,
Thai myddillyt and thai myxit this feirful sowder,
A grysly sound, gret dreid, and goddis ire,
Quham followys ay the fel flambys of fyre.
Ane other sort ful bissely to Mart
The rynnyng quhelys forgis, and weir cart,
Quharwith the men to batale doys he steir,
And movys citeis to rays mortal weir:
Thai dycht and polys egirly alssua
The horribill terget, bustuus Egyda,
Quhilk is the grevyt Pallas grysly scheild,
With serpent scalys puldrit in goldyn feild,
Togidder lynkyng lowpyt edderis twa;
And in the breist of the goddes graif thai
Gorgones hed, that monstre of gret wondir,
With eyn wawland, and nek bane hak in sondyr.
Away with this, ȝhe Ethna Ciclopes,
Quod Wlcanus, and all sic warkis ses,
And at I say enprentis in ȝour thocht.
Ontill a forcy man ar tobe wrocht
Harnes and armour: now nedis it, quod he,
Ȝour strenth exers and pythis schaw; lat se
Quha nymlyast can cum and turn thar handis;
Now on all master poynt of craft it standis:
Do put away in haist all maner delay.
Na mair he said; bot wondir frakly thai
Onto thar laubour can thame all addres,
Assignand euery man hys part expres:
The irne the mettal throw thir cundyttis flowys,
The moltyn gold and weirlyk steil hait glowys,
And furth of gousty furnace fundyt ran.
Maste craftely to forgyng thai began
A huge gret semly target, or a scheild,
Quhilk only mycht resistyng into feild
Agane the dynt of Latyn wapynnys all;
In euery place sevin ply thai welt and call.
Sum can ressaue the glowand heyt, sum wynd
With blawand bellys bet the fyre behynd;
Sum of the trowch apon the sparkand gledis
The byssand watir strynklys and ourspredis.
The huge coif and all the mont within,
For strak of stydeys, can resound and dyn.
Amangis thame self thai grisly smythys gret
With mekil fors dyd forge, peyn, and bet,
And can thar armys hesyng vp and dovn
In nowmyr and in dew proportioun,
And with the grippand turcas oft alsso
The glowand lump thai turnyt to and fro.