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  Cruel womenting occupyit euery steid,

  Our alquhar dreid, our alquhar wo and cayr,

  And of the deth feil gastly schaddowis thair.

  Bot first enconteris wss Androgeus

  With a gret cumpany of the Gregyus,

  Onwarly wenyng his fallowis we hadbe.

  In haymly wordis to wss thus carpis he:

  ‘Haist ou, matis, quhat slewth tareit ou thus lait?

  Our other feris rubbis, tursyng away fut hait

  The spreith of Troy, quhilk now is brynt to gledis,

  And e, fyrst from our schippis now ou spedis.’

  Thus said he, quhen that suddanly and onone

  He felt hym self happynnyt amyd his foyn,

  For we hym gave answer not traist enewch.

  Estonyt with the word, abak he drewch,

  As quha onwar tred on a rowch serpent

  Lyggyng in the buss, and for feir bakwart sprent,

  Seand hir, reddy to stang and to infek,

  Set vp hir vennamus allo boldyn nek:

  On the sammyn wyss, Androgeus, of our syght

  Gretly effrayt, fled in al his mycht.

  On thame we schot, and in thar myd rowt duschit,

  Hewit, hakkit, smate down, and al to fruschit

  Tha fey Gregionys, on ilk syde heir and thair,

  With dreid ourset, and wist not quhar thai war.

  The first lawbour thus lukkit weil with wss.

  Ioyus in hart of this chance, Chorebus,

  ‘O e feris, hald furth this way,’ quod he,

  ‘Quhar forton first has schawyn ws sik supple,

  Hald thidder quhar our manhed has ws taucht.

  Now lat wss change scheildis, sen we beyn sawcht,

  Grekis enseneis do we cowntyrfeit;

  Quhidder by slycht or strenth of armys gret

  A man ourcum his ennemy, quha rakkis?

  Thai sal ws rendir thir harnes of thar bakkis.’

  And sayand thus, Androgeus cristit helm

  He hynt in hy and our his hed gan quhelm;

  His schynand scheild with his bawgy tuk he

  And hang a Gregioun swerd down by his the.

  Syklyke dyd Rypheus, my self eik, and Dymas,

  And all the other ongmen at thar was,

  Ful glaidly in that recent spule warm

  Belyf ilk man dyd thame self enarm.

  Amang the Grekis mydlit than went we,

  Nocht with our awyn takyn nor deite;

  Mony debatis and onsettis haue we done,

  And, throu the silens of the nycht, ondone

  Feil of the Grekis, and send to hell adown.

  Ane other mene fled fast out of town

  To thar schippis and tha traist coistis nyce;

  Sum part alsso for schaymfull cowartyce

  Clam vp agane in the gret horssis maw

  And hyd thame in that belly weilbeknaw.

  Allace, onleiffull is ony man to weyn

  (Contrar the plesour of goddis) ocht may sustene.

  Lo, Priamus dochtir, the virgyne Cassandra,

  Was from the tempill and sete of Mynerva

  Drawyn forsabilly bairhed, with hayr down schake,

  Reuthfully invane behaldand hevyn, alake,

  With glotnyt eyn, for baith hir tendir handis

  War streneit sayr, ybondyn hard with bandis.

  This dolorus syght Chorebus mycht nocht se,

  But ruschit with furyus mynd in the melle,

  Reddy to de, and we all followit fast,

  Amang glavys and armour in we thrast.

  Heir war we fyrst tofruschit and hard byset,

  With dartis and with stanys all tobet

  By owr awyn feris from the templis hycht —

  A miserabil slauchtir thar begouth that nycht;

  The portratour of armys was mysknaw,

  All war bot Grekis tymbrellis at thai saw.

  Als quhat for walyng of irus wordis fell

  Agane reskewit said by the damycell,

  Grekis flokkis togidder heir and thar

  And ombesettis cruelly and sayr,

  The fellon Aiax and othir Atrides

  And al the rowtis clepit Dolopes.

  Lyke as sum tyme the fers wyndis e se,

  epherus, Nothus and Eurus, all thre

  Contrarius blaw thar bustuus bubbys with byr,

  The woddis rerdis, bath ayk, elm and fyr

  Ourturnys to grond and Nereus the fomy

  From the sey grond wod wraith is cachit in hy:

  On siklyke wyss the Grekis wss invadit,

  For than thai alls that fled war and evadit,

  Throu the dyrk nycht, quhen sum thar feris slew we,

  And thame had chasit throw owt all the cite,

  Thai war the first come now to do wss deir;

  Our feneit scheildis, wapynnys and other geir

  Ful weil thai knew, and by our vocis eik

  Thai notyfy that nane of wss was Greik.

  By multitude and nowmyr apon wss set

  All eid to wraik, thar war we hail doune bet.

  And first of all, down smyte is Chorebus

  By the rycht hand of Greik Peneleus

  Befor the altare of armipotent Pallas;

  Rypheus down fell, ane the maist iust man was,

  Amang Troianys best kepand equite —

  Bot other ways the goddis thocht suldbe;

  Hypanys eik and Dymas than alssua

  War by thar fallowis throwgyrd bath twa;

  Nor it the, Panthus, quhen that thou fell down,

  Thy gret pety and godly religioun

  Nor habyt of Apollo hyd from skaith.

  O e cald assys of Troy and flawmys baith

  And extreme end of cuntre folkis, heir I

  Drawis ow to witness and doys testyfy,

  Quhen that e fell togrund thus and war slane,

  I nowder sparit wapynnys, strenth nor pane,

  Nor nane onset eschewit of Grekis mycht,

  And gif fatis wald I had fallyn in fyght,

  Thar with my handis wrocht I worth my ded.

  Bot with the press we war relit of that sted,

  Only with me Hyphitus and Pelyas —

  For age Hyphitus waik and febill was,

  And Pelyas slawly mycht onethis go,

  By Vlixes for he was woundit so.”

  Quhou to the kyngis palyce speid Ene,

  That syne was take, thar helpit na suple.

  “Onone onto the palyce of Priamus

  The schowtis and the cryis callys wss.

  Thar was ane hydwyss batale forto seyn,

  As thar nane other bargane ayr had beyn,

  Lyke as nane slane war throu all the cite,

  Sa wod ondantit melle thar we se:

  The Grekis ruschand to the thak on hyght,

  So thik thai thrang about the portis all nycht

  That lyke a wall thai ombeset the ettis.

  Vp to the syd wallys mony leddyr sett is

  Quharon thai preyss fast our the rufe to speill,

  Coverit with scheildis agane the dartis feill

  Thar left hand heich abuf thar hed gan hald,

  And oft with rycht handis gryp the battalyng wald.

  Troianys agane, schaping defens to mak,

  Rent turettis doune and of howss hedis the thak;

  Quhen all wes lost thai se, at lattyr end,

  With sik wapynnys thai schupe thame to defend.

  The gilt sperris and gestis gold begane

  Down on thame slyng thai, and mony costly stane,

  The prowd and ryal werkis of faderis ald.

  And other sum, law down within that hald,

  With drawyn swerdis stude reddy to kepe the et;

  In a thik rowt tharat was mony set.

  Our spretis war restoryt, and curage grew

  The kyngis palyce to succur, and reskew

  The men tharin with all help and supple,

  To strenthing thame war venquyst neyr, we se.

  A smal wykke
t thar was or entre dern,

  A litil et clepit a postern,

  On the bak half Priamus palyce almaist,

  Amang byggynnys stude desolate and waist,

  Quharat was wont alane Andromocha

  To entir oft to Priam and Hecuba,

  And Astyanax, hir ong son, with hir bring

  Onto his grandsyre Priamus the kyng.

  Tharat I enterit, and to the wallys hyght

  Vpwent, quhar wrachit Troianys as thai mycht

  Threw down dartis, thocht all was bot inwaist.

  We start ontil a hie turate in haist,

  The top vpstrekand to the starnys hie,

  Quharon we wont war al Troy forto se,

  The Grekis schippis and thar tentis eik.

  With instrumentis of irne we pyke, and seik

  Round al about quhar the ionyngis war worn,

  Reddy to fall, and corbalys al to torn;

  We holk and mynd the corneris for the nanys,

  Quhil down belive we tumbil it al atanys.

  A fellon rusch it maid, and sownd with all,

  And large on breid our Grekis rowtis dyd fall,

  Bot sone ane other sort start in thar stedis —

  Nowder stanys, nor quarellis with scharp hedis,

  Nor na kynd of wapynnys war sparit than.

  And first of al, befor the porch inran

  Hard to the entre, in schynyng plait and mail,

  Pyrrus, with wapynnys fersly to assaill,

  Lyke to the edder, with schrewit herbis fed,

  Cummyn furth to lycht and on the grond lyis spred,

  Quham wynter lang hyd vnder the cald erd,

  Now slippit hir slowch with schynand skyn new brerd,

  Hir slydry body in hankis rownd al run,

  Heich vp hir nek strekand forgane the son,

  With forkit tong intyll hir mouth quytterand.

  To the assalt with Pyrrus come at hand

  Periphas, and Automedon his squyer

  Was wont to govarn Achilles cart in weir,

  And al the fensabill men of Scyrrya

  Bownys our the wallis and howss hedis alsswa,

  And fyre blesis abuf the rufe garris fle.

  Bot first of al, ane stalwart ax hynt he,

  The stern Pyrrus, to hew and brek the et,

  And furth of har the stapillis has he bet,

  And bandis all of brass yforgyt weill:

  Be that in twa the master bar ilk deill

  Is al tofruschit, syne the hard burdis he hakkis,

  And throu the et ane large wyndo makkis,

  By the quhilk slop the place within apperis,

  The wyde hallys wolx patent al infeiris

  Of Priamus and ancyant kyngis of Troy;

  Secret throwgangis ar schawyn wont tobe quoy;

  Armyt men se thai stand at the first port.

  Bot than throw owt the inner palyce, at schort,

  With duylful scryke and walyng al is confoundit;

  The holl howsis owlit and resowndit

  For womentyng of ladeis and wemen —

  The clamour vpstrak to the starnys then.

  The woful moderis ran frayit on athir syde

  Ful lamentabil throw out the chawmeris wyde,

  Brasand the postis in armys, and durris cald,

  And feil syss with mowthis kyss thame wald.

  Instantly Pyrrus assaileis with al his mycht,

  By naturale strenth of his fader the wight,

  That nowder closeris, nor barryt ettis stowt,

  Nor it the keparis may hald thame langar owt.

  Oft wyth the ram the port is schaik and duschit,

  Down bet et chekis and bandis al tofruschit.

  The way is maid by forss, and entre brokkyn;

  Grekis insprent, the formaste haue thai stokyn

  And slane with swordis; the large hald heir and thar

  Was fyllit full of Grekis our alquhar.

  Not sa fersly the fomy ryver or flude

  Brekkis our the bankis on spait quhen it is wode,

  And, with hys brusch and fard of watir brown,

  The dykis and the schoris bettis doun,

  Ourspredand croftis and flattis with his spait,

  Our al the feildis that thai may row a bayt,

  Quhil howsys and the flokkis flyttis away,

  The corn grangis and standand stakkis of hay.

  I saw my self thair Neoptolemus

  Mak fellon slauchtir, wod and furyus,

  And athir brodir of Atrides alswa.

  Eldmodir to ane hundreth thar saw I Hecuba,

  And Priamus at the altar quhar he stude,

  All our bysprent and sperklyt ful of blude

  Of sacryfice, quhamto he bet the fyre.

  Fyfty chawmeris held that rial syre

  Quhar warryn his gude dochteris, ladeis yng,

  Syk fayr beleif is lost of his ofspryng.

  The prowd gestis and durris gilt with gold

  Of barbary wark, and hungyn mony fold

  With richess and spule of seyr nationys,

  Sa far as from the fyre onbet adoune is

  The Grekis occupyis haly — al is tharis,

  Quhat so thame lyst tospil is nane that sparis.”

  Into this nixt cheptour e may attend

  Of Priam, kyng of Troy, the fatale end.

  “Peraventur of Priamus wald e speir

  Quhou tyd the chance. Hys fait, gif e lyst, heir:

  Quhen he the cite saw takyn and downbet,

  And of his palyce brokyn euery et,

  Amyd the secret closettis eik hys fays,

  The auld grayth, al for nocht, to hym tays

  Hys hawbryk quhilk was lang furth of vsage,

  Set on his schulderis trymlyng than for age;

  A sword but help about hym beltis he

  And ran towart hys fays, reddy to de.

  Amyd the closs, vnder the hevyn al bayr,

  Stude thar that tyme a mekil fair altare,

  Neyr quham thar grew a rycht ald lawrer tre

  Bowand towart the altare a litill wie,

  That with his schaddow the goddis dyd ourheld.

  Hecuba thyddir with hir childer for beild

  Ran al invane and about the altare swarmys,

  Brasand the godlyke ymage in thar armys,

  As for the storm dowis flokkis togidder ilkane.

  Bot quhen scho saw how Priamus has tane

  His armour, so as thocht he had beyn yng:

  ‘Quhat fulych thocht, my wrachit spowss and kyng,

  Movis the now syk wapynnys forto weld?

  Quhidder hastis thou?’ quod sche. ‘Of na sik beld

  Haue we now mystir, nor syk diffendouris as the,

  The tyme is nocht ganand tharto we se,

  In cace Hectour war present heir, my son,

  He mycht nocht succur Troy, for it is won,

  Quharfor I pray the syt doune and cum hydder

  And lat this altare salue wss al togidder,

  Or than atanys al heir lat ws de.’

  Thus said scho and with sik sembland as mycht be

  Hym towart hir has brocht, but ony threte,

  And set the auld doune on the haly sete.

  Bot lo, Polytes, ane of Priamus sonnys

  Quhilk from the slauchter of Pyrrus away run is,

  Throw wapynnys fleyng and his ennemyss all,

  Be lang throwgangis and mony voyd hall;

  Woundit he was, and come to seik reskew.

  Ardently Pyrrus gan him fast persew,

  With grondyn lance at hand so neir furthstrekit,

  Almaist the hed hym twichit and arekit,

  Quhil at the last, quhen he is cummyn, I weyn,

  Befor his faderis and his moderis eyn,

  Smate hym down ded in thar sycht quhar he stude,

  The gaist he ald with habundans of blude.

  Priamus than, thocht he was halfdeill ded,

  Mycht nocht conteyn his ire nor wordis of fed,

  Bot cryis furth:
‘For that cruell offens

  And owtragyus fuyl hardy violens,

  Gif thar be piete in the hevin abone

  Quhilk takis heid to this at thou has done,

  The goddis mot condyngly the foreld,

  Eftir thi desert rendring sik gayneld,

  Causit me behald myne awyn child slane, allace,

  And with hys blude fylit the faderis face.

  Bot he quhamby thou fenys thi self byget,

  Achil, was not to Priam sa hard set,

  For he, of rycht and faith eschamyt eik,

  Quhen that I come hym lawly tobeseik,

  The ded body of Hector rendrit me,

  And me convoyit hame to my cite.’

  Thus sayand the ald waykly, but forss or dynt,

  A dart dyd cast, quhilk with a pyk gan stynt

  On his harness, and in the scheild dyd hyng

  But ony harm or other dammagyng.

  Quod Pyrrus, ‘Sen always thou saist swa,

  To Pellyus son, my fadir, thou most ga.

  Beir hym this message, ramembir weil thou tell

  Him al my warkis and dedis sa cruell —

  Schaw Neoptolemus is degenerit cleyn.

  Now salt thou de.’ And with that word in teyn

  The ald trymlyng towart the altare he drew,

  That in the hait blude of his son, sched new,

  Fundrit; and Pyrrus grippis hym by the hayr

  With his left hand, and with the tother albayr

  Drew furth his schynand swerd, quhilk in his syde

  Festynnyt, and onto the hyltis dyd he hyde.

  Of Priamus thus was the finale fait —

  Fortone heir endit his gloryus estait,

  Seand Ilion albyrn in fryis brown

  And Troys wallis fall and tumlyt down.

  That ryal prince, vmquhile our Asya

  Apon sa feil pepil and realmys alswa

  Ryngnyt in welth, now by the cost lyis ded

  Bot as a stok and of hakkit his hed,

  A corps but lyfe, renown or other fame,

  Onknawyn of ony wight quhat was his name.”

  Quhou Venus gan to Eneas appeir,

  And of his fader and other materis seyr.

  “Fyrst than the grysly dreid about me start:

  Astonyst I wolx, for sone prent in myne hart

  The ymage of my deir fader, quhen I

  The kyng his evyneild beheld sa cruelly

  By deidly wound aldand vp the spreit.

  On dessolat Crevse, my spowss sa sweit,

  I thocht alsso, and dangeris of my place;

  Of litil Ascaneus sayr I dred the cace.

  About I blent to behald, heir and thar,

  Quha of our feris remanyt with me thar.

  Al war thai fled full wery, left me alane;

  Sum to the erd loppin from hie towris of stane,

  Sum in the fyre thar irkit bodeis leit fall —

  Thar was na ma bot I left of thame all;

  Quhen in the tempil of Vesta the goddas,