Complete Works of Virgil Read online

  Ilyria hes his naym fra Illyrus, son to Polyphemus, and, as sais Sextus Rufus, it contenys xvii provyncis. It extendis endlang all the gret flud Danubyum, callit Hister, on bayth the sydis, and in it is Vngary, Pannony, Sclauony, Bohem, Denmark and Macydon; and this Lyburnya is bot a part therof, contenand certan ilis. Timauus is a flud in Lumbardy, in the Venytian landis, that cumis furth of the Duch montanys at ix beginnyngis, quhilk all rynnys in a loch, quham the pepill adiacent callis a sey, and from this loch cumys the flud that rynnys to Padva, byggit be Anthenor, as heir e may se. Bot it is tobe notyt that Virgill sais abuf, in the first c., Eneas coim fyrst fra Troy to Italy, and heir it apperis Anthenor caym befor him: to that sais Seruyus, tha partis quhamto coym Anthenor beyn not haldyn of Italy, bot of Lumbardy, callyt Gallia Cysalpina. Or mayr evidently may we say that Ene was the fyrst coim to Italy by fait, and at the goddis command. Anthenor coym at his awin auentur, and nocht be destine.

  Venus is clepit Cytherea fra the ile Cythera, besid Creyt, quhar scho was norysit; or fra the mont Cytheron, quhar scho was gretly wirscheppit.

  The cyte of Rome, or than of New Troy.

  The deyfication of Eneas is eftyr, in the last c. of the xiii buyk.

  Of the barganyng or batellis of this Eneas, her in dyuers bukis followand; and of the beldyng of his cyte and how lang his ryng endurit, in the last and penult c. of the xiii buyk.

  Iulus is thre sillabis, spellit wyth i per se and v per se.

  The cite Alba, biggit by Ascanius son of Creusa, eftyr Virgill had his naim fra the quhite swyn, as e may se in the first c. of the viii buk; and was clepit Lang Alba for it was set endlang the band or ryg of a law hill, as writis Tytus Lyuius, and wass distroit by Tullus Hostilius, thrid king of Rom, and tharof in the xi c. of the xiii buke.

  Pepill Hectorean, hardy as Hector, or of the kinrent and blud of Hector, for this Ascanus was his fift son.

  Of Romulus e sall knaw, that Porcas, the xi kyng of Alba or Albanys, gat twa sonys, Numytor and Amulyus, betwyx quham he dividit his realm. Bot this Amulyus banyst his brother Numytor, and slew his son Lawsus; and his dochtir, callit Ilya or Rhea, consecrat a nun onto the goddes Vesta, to that effect scho suld haf na succession, for in tha dais sik nunis, gif tha brak ther virginite, war eyrdit qwyk. Bot this Ilia consauyt and brocht furth twa childyr mayll, quham thai fene to haf beyn engendyrit of Mars, becauss thai war bellicoss and chevalruss, and bygettin of sum dowchti man. And than this Amulyus gart put this Ilia to ded and bad kast tha childyr in Tybyr. Bot the flud bean speyt was flowyn sa far our the brays thai mycht nocht wyn to the crocis of the water and thus war thai left on the bra. And ane Faustus, an hyrd, had thaim haim to his howss, and maid Acca his wyf, other wyss callyt Lupa, nuryce thaim; and for that Lupa betakinnys a wolf and scho was callit Lupa, therfor is it said a wolf fosterit Romulus and Remus. And becauss this said Acca or Lupa maid Romulus hir ayr, therfor sais Virgill he was cled in his motheris or nuryce tawbart. And eftyr, quhen thai worth men, thai becam for the nanys briggantis of the wod, and by a maner pollycy or practyk convenyt that the tayn of thaim suld tak his brother and all his complicis, and sa thai did, and brocht him befor ther vncle the kyng Amulyus, as thocht he wald accuss him of a dedly cryme. And quhen thai war in presens cumin, thai bayth attanys rayss apon Amulyus and slew him, and ther declaryt ther blud and genealogy, and therefter brocht haim thar grandsyr Numytor, and restoryt to him his realm, syn went ther way and for thaim selvyn biggit Roym and wallyt fyrst. And for thai war bayth of a byrth, thai beguyth debait for the naim of the cyte. Than was appunctyt that on the morn quha saw the mast nobyll syng or takin augurian suld geif the cyte his naym. And Remus fyrst saw vi gripis, and Romulus eftyr hym xii gripis. Than said the tayn his takyn was most nobyll for that he saw thaim first; and the tother na, becauss he saw ma; bot quhiddir it was for that debait, or for the goyng our the wallis, as otheris will say, Remus was slayn be Fabyus, chyftan of weyr to Romulus, and the cyte clepit Roma eftyr Romulus. And quhou or quhy that he is callit Quyrites, and of his dowtsom end, and of the sonnis eclips the tym of his ded, and quhy he was repute a god, reid Titus Lyuius, Iohn Bocas in the last c. of the Genealogi of Godis in the ix buke, and Augustyn in the Cyte of God in the xv c. of the iii buke. And sum thing heir eftir in the xiii c. of the vi buke and the x c. of the viii buyk.

  Sanct Augustyn in his volum clepit De Verbis Domini, in the xxix sermond, mokkis at this word, sayand: “it is not the end, and the empyr is translat to the Almanys. Bot Virgill was crafty,” sais he, “that wald not on his awyn byhalf rehers thir wordis, bot maid Iupiter pronunce thaim — and as he is a half feneit god, swa is his prophecy.”

  Pthytia was the cuntre of Achilles; Myce or Mycene, the realm of Agamenon; Arge, the realm of Kyng Adrastus, pertenyng eftir to Diomed be raison of his moder, and it is oft tane for all Grece, and the Grekis therfra bein oft clepit Argiui, or pepill of Arge.

  Of Iuliuss Cesar, quhen I behald his Commentareis, and the gret volum of Lucan, and quhat of hym writis Swytoneus, I thynk bettyr hald styll my pen than wryt lytill of sa large a mater and sa excellent a prynce. Bot e sall knaw that the principall entent of Virgill was to extoll the Romanys, and in specyal the famyllye or clan Iulyan, that coim from this Ascanyus, son to Eneas and Crevsa, otherwais callyt Iulus; becauss the empryour August Octavyan, quhamto he direkkit this wark, was of that hows and blud, and sistyr son to Cesar Iulyus. And therfor, quhen Cesar was slayn by the Sanatouris, Octavyan had revengit his deth, and rang passabilly at the byrth of our Salviour, quhen the starn of Bethliam apperit. Than to pless Octavian, said the Romanys that was the sawll of Cesar quhilk was deifyit, and this opynion heir twischis Virgill and alss in his Bucolyqueys.

  Off the stek and of closyng of the tempill of Ianus in tym of weyr and of pace, e haf in the vii buyk in the x c. And this tempill of Ianus was twyss closit befor Octauian: anys be Numa Pompilius, and the secund tym be Tytus Manlyus, and thriss be Octavyan. And this tym heyr markyt was the last tym, at the cumyng of Cryst, quhen all the warld was in pace. In wytnes therof the angellis sang pace in erd, the tym of bryth: the ii c. of Sanct Luke.

  Off Mercury red in the v c. of the iiii buke; and that Mercur heir was send doun from Iupiter is nocht ellis bot the planet Mercur was at disces and Iove stud ascendent, quhilk signifeit frendschip in hast tocum bot not to lest lang.

  In this cheptir e haf that Eneas met his moder Venus in lykness of a virgyn or a mayd, by the quhilk e sall vndirstand that Venus is feneit to be modyr to Eneas becaws that Venus was in the ascendent and had domynation in the hevyn and tym of his natyvite; and for that the planet Venus was the signifiar of his byrth and had domination and speciall influens towart hym, therfor is scho feneit to be his mother; and thus it that poetis feneis bein full of secreyt ondyrstandyng ondyr a hyd sentens or fygur. And weyn nocht for this, thocht poetis feneis Venus the planet, for the causs foirsaid, tobe Eneas mother, at thai beleve nocht he was motherless, bot that he had a fayr lady to his moder, quhilk for hir bewte was clepit Venus. And that Venus metis Eneas in form and lykness of a maid is tobe onderstand that Venus the planete that tym was in the syng of the Virgyn, quhilk betakynnyt luf and fawouris of wemen. And of Venus and hir son Cupyd I sall say sum thyng in the x c. of this sam buke.

  Ene, at morow rakand throu the schaw,

  Met with hys modir into habit onknaw.

  Bot al this nyght the reuthfull Eneas,

  That in his mynd gan mony thyng compass,

  Belive as that the hailsum day wolx lycht

  Dressit him furth to spy and haue a sycht

  Of new placis, fortil serss and knaw

  To quhatkyn costis he with the wynd was blaw,

  Quha thame inhabit, quhidder wild bestis or men —

  For al semyt bot wilderness til hym then —

  And as he fand schupe till hys feris to schaw,

  Hys navy dern amyd the thyk wod schaw,

  Vnderneth the holkit hyngand rochis hie,

  Dekkit about with mony semly tre,

  Quhois schaddowis dyrk h
yd weill the schippis ilkane.

  And he bot with a fallow furth is gane,

  With traste Achates; in athiris hand yfeir

  The braid steil heid schuke on the huntyng speir.

  Amyd the wod hys moder met thame tway

  Semand a maid in vissage and aray

  With wapynnys like the virgynys of Spartha

  Or the stowt wench of Trace, Harpalica,

  Hastand the horss hir fadir to reskew,

  Spedyar than Hebrun, the swyft flude, dyd persew;

  For Venus eftyr the gyss and maner thar

  Ane active bow apon hir schuldir bar

  As scho had bene a wild hunteress,

  With wynd waving hir haris lowsit of tress,

  Hir skyrt kiltit til hir bair kne,

  And first of other, onto thame thus spak sche:

  “Howe, say me ongkeris, saw e walkand heir

  By aventur ony of my sisteris deyr,

  The cayss of arrowis tachit by hir syde,

  And cled in to the spottit lynx hyde,

  Or with lowd cry followand the chayss

  Eftir the fomy bayr, in thar solace?”

  Thus said Venus, and hir son agane

  Answeris and said, “Trewly, maide, in plane

  Nane of thi systeris dyd I heir ne se.

  Bot, O thou virgyne, quham sal I cal the?

  Thy vissage semys na mortale creatur

  Nor thi voce sovndis not lyke to humane nature:

  A goddess art thou suythly to my syght.

  Quhidder thou be Dyane, Phebus systir brycht,

  Or than sum goddess of thir nymphis kynd,

  Maistress of woddis, beis to ws happy and kynd,

  Releve our lang travell quhat euer thou be,

  And vndir quhat art of this hevyn sa hie

  Or at quhat cost of the warld finaly

  Sal we arrive, thou tech wss by and by;

  Of men and land onknaw we are drive will

  By wynd and storm of sey cachit hiddertill;

  And mony fair sacrifice and offerand

  Befor thyne altar sal de of my rycht hand.”

  Venus answerd, “I dene not to ressaue

  Sik honour certis, quhilk feris me nocht to haue,

  For to the madynnys of Tyre this is the gyiss

  To beir a cayss of arowis on this wyss,

  With rede botynys on thar schankis hie.

  This is the realm of Punyce quhilk e se,

  The pepill of Tyre, and the cite, but mor,

  Belt be the folk discend from Agenor.

  he bene in the merchis of Lyby, sans faill,

  Inhabit with pepill ondantabill in bataill,

  Quhar Dido quene rewlis the empyre,

  Hydder, for hir brodir, fled from the realm of Tyre;

  Lang war the iniuris, the dowtis lang tobe tald,

  Bot I the vmaste of the mater sall hald.

  Ane husband, quhilk Sycheus hecht, had sche,

  Rychast in all the grond of Phenyce

  And strangly luffit of the silly Dido,

  For be hir fader, as was the maner tho,

  By chans scho was in cleyn virginite

  Weddit to hym. Bot of Tyre the cuntre

  In heretage held Pigmalyon hir brodir,

  In wikkitnes cruel abufe all othir,

  Quhilk, but offence or occasioun of greif,

  For blynd cwatyce of gold throu his myscheif,

  Befor the altar, slely with a knyfe,

  Or he was war, reft Sycheus the lyfe,

  And, of the gret luf of his systir suyr,

  Concelyt this cruel deid lang vndir cuyr —

  That fals man, by dissaitfull wordis fair,

  With vaynhope trumpit the wofull luffar.

  Bot of hir husband bygravit the ymage

  To hir apperis in sleip, with pail vissage,

  On mervellus wyss, and gan at lenth declare

  Quhou he was cruelly slane at the altare.

  He schew the knyf outthrow hys breist threst,

  And all the hyd cryme of hir howss manyfest,

  Syne in gret haist exortis hir to fle

  And leif hir native land, and tak the see,

  And, forto help hir onwart by the way,

  Vnder the erth quhar ald hurdis hyd lay,

  Of siluer and gold revelit a huge weght.

  Dido, heirat commovit I ou hecht,

  For hir departing falloschip reddy maid;

  Togidder conuenys but ony langar abaid

  All thai quhilk hatis the cruell tyrrantis dedis,

  Or it his fellon violence sair dredis.

  The schippis that on cayss war reddy thar

  Thai tuke, and chargit full of gold but mayr.

  The tresour of the wrachit Pigmaleon

  Is thus caryit our the sey onone.

  A woman captane is of all this deid.

  To one place ar thai cummyn, thou may tak heid,

  Quhar now rysis one large wallis stowt

  Of New Cartage, with hie towris abowt.

  Als mekill grond thai bocht at the first tyde

  As thai mycht compas with a bullis hyde;

  ondir cheif castell standing on the bra

  Into thar langage clepit is Byrsa,

  And of this deid his name beris witnes it.

  Bot quhat be he, finaly wald I wyt?

  Or of quhat cuntre cummyn? Or pass wald quhar?”

  Sche sperand this, Eneas sichand sair,

  The voce drawand deip from his breist within,

  Said, “O thou goddess, gif I suld begyn

  And tell our labour from the formast end,

  To heir our storyis set thou myght attend,

  Or I maid end, Vesper, the evyn starn brycht,

  Suld cloyss the hevin and end the days lycht.

  We ar of ancyant Troy (gif euer e

  The name of Troy has hard in this cuntre),

  And caryit throuowt diuerss seys alswa,

  And now by fortoune to cost of Lybia

  Drevyn with tempest. Rewthfull Ene am I,

  That Troiane golddis tursys in my navy,

  Quham fra amyd our ennemyss I rent.

  My fame is knaw abufe the eliment.

  I seik Itale and our auld cuntre fer

  And lynage cum from hyast Iupiter.

  With schippis twyss ten the Phyrgyane see,

  My modir a goddes techand the way, tuke we,

  Followand destany quhilk was to me grant.

  Of all our floyt, from wynd and wallys skant

  Sevin evil perbrakit salue remanys with me.

  Onkend and mysterfull in desertis of Lybe

  I wandir, expellit from Europ and Asia.”

  Venus na mair sufferit hym pleyn or say;

  Amyd hys dolorus playntis thus spak sche:

  “Quhat evir thou art, I trast weill at thou be

  Favorit with the goddis, and drawis this hailsum ayr,

  Quhilk is the spreit of lyfe, to thy weilfair,

  Sen thou art cummyn to Cartage the cyte.

  Now hald thy way and at the quenys entre

  Present thy self. I schaw the for certane

  Thy ferys ar salf, thy navy is cummyn agane,

  In salfty brocht fre of north wyndis als,

  Less than my parentis taucht me spaying craft fals.

  Behald twelf swannys in randoun glaid and fair

  Quham, newly from the regioun of the air,

  Iovis fowle, the egill, discendyng fra hys hycht,

  Hass sair effrayt amyd the skyis brycht;

  Now with lang range to lycht thai beyn adrest

  And spyis the erth about quhar thai sall rest.

  As thai return, thar weyngis swouchand iolely,

  And with thar courss circlys about the sky,

  Cryand or syngand efter thar awyn gyss:

  Thy schippys and falloschip on the sammyn wyss

  Owdir ar herbryit in the havyn, I wyss,

  Or with bent saill entris in the port be this.

  Now pas
s thy way evyn furth that sammyn went.”

  Thus said sche, and turnand incontinent,

  Hir nek schane lyke onto the royss in May,

  Hyr hevynly haris glitterand brycht and gay,

  Kest from hir forhed a smell gloryus and sweit,

  Hir habyt fell down coveryng to hir feit,

  And in hir passage a verray god dyd hir kyth.

  And fra that he knew hys moder alswith

  With sik wordis he followys as scho dyd fle:

  “Quhy art thou cruell to thy son,” quod he,

  “Dissavand hym sa oft with fals sembland?

  Quhy grantis thou nocht we mycht ioyn hand in hand

  And fortill heir and rendir vocis trew?”

  Thus he reprevys, bot sche is went adew.

  Than to the cyte he haldis furth the way,

  Bot Venus with a sop of myst baith tway

  And with a dyrk clowd closyt rownd abowt,

  That na man suld thame se nor twich but dowt,

  Ne by the ways stop or ellis deir,

  Or it the cawsis of thar cummyn speir.

  Hyr self vplyft to Paphum passyt swith

  To vissy hir restyng place, ioly and blith;

  Thar is hir tempill into Cypir land,

  Quharin thar doith ane hundreth altaris stand,

  Hait byrnnyng full of Saba sens all howris,

  And smellyng sweit with fresch garlandis of flowris.

  Mony expondis Achates for thochtfull cuyr or solicitud, quhilk all tymys is feyr and companeon to princis and gret men.

  The madynnis of Sparta bene the Amasonys.

  Harpalica douchter to Ligurgus kyng of Trace, hir fader beand tane be the pepil of Getya, assemblit hir power and with sa gret haist persewit thame that scho semyt in swiftness to forryn the swiftast flude of Trace, callit Hebrun; and with mair agilite and hardyment than is almaste tobe belevit, reskewit hir fader and ourcome hir aduersaris.