The Æneid of Virgil Translated Into Scottish Verse. Volumes 1 & 2. Virgil

forthirmor, and lawar to discend,

      Forgeif me Virgill gif I the offend,30

      Pardon thy Scolar, suffir hym to ryme,

      Sen thou was bot ane mortal man sum tyme;

      In cace I faill haue me not at disdenȝe,

      Thocht I be lewit, my leill hart can nocht fenȝe:

      I sall the follow, suld I therfor haue blame,5

      Quha can do bettir, sa furth in Goddis name.

      I schrynk nocht anys correkkit for tobe

      With ony wight grundit on cherite,

      And glaidly wald I baith inquire and leir,

      And till ilke cunnand wight la to my myne eyr;10

      Bot laith me war, but owther offens or cryme,

      Ane brimell body suld intertrike my ryme.

      Thocht sum wald swer that I the text haue vareit,

      Or that I haue this volume quyte myscareit,

      Or threpe playnly that I come nevir neir hand it,15

      Or at the wark is wers than evir I fand it,

      Or ȝit argue Virgill stude weill befor,

      As now war tyme to schift the werst our scor;

      Ellis haue I said, thar may be na compar

      Betwix his versis and my stile wlgar.20

      All thocht he stant in Latyn maist perfyte,

      Ȝit stude he nevir weill in our tung endyte,

      Les than it be by me now at this tyme.

      Gyf I haue falȝeit, baldly reprufe my ryme;

      Bot first, I pray ȝou, grape the mater cleyn,25

      Reproche me nocht quhill the wark be ourseyn.

      Beis not our studyus to spy a moyt in myne E,

      That in ȝour awyn a ferry boyt can nocht se,

      And do to me as ȝhe wald be done to.

      Now hark schirris, thar is na mair ado;30

      Quha list attend, gevis audiens, and draw neir,

      Me thocht Virgill begouth on this maner:

      I the ilk vmquhile that in the small ait reid

      Tonyt my sang; syne fra the woddis ȝeid,

      And feildis about taucht tobe obesand,5

      Thocht he war gredy, to the bissy husband,

      Ane thankfull wark maid for the plewchmanis art:

      Bot now the horribill stern dedys of Mart,

      The batalys and the man I will discryve.

THE CONTENTIS

       OF EUERY BOOK FOLLOWING.

       Table of Contents

      The first contenys quhou the prynce Ene

      And Troianys war dryve onto Cartage cite.

      The secund buke schawis the finale ennoy,

      The gret myscheif, and subuersioun of Troy.

      The thryd tellith quhou fra Troys cite

      The Troianys careit war throu owt the see.

      The ferd rehersis of fair queyn Dido

      The dowbill woundis, and the mortale wo.

      The fyft contenys funerale gemmys glaid,

      And how the fyre the navy dyd invaid.

      Into the saxt buke syne doith Virgill tell,

      Quhou that Eneas went and visseit hell.

      The sevynt Ene bryngis to hys grond fatale,

      And how Italianys Troianys schup to assale.

      Ontill Eneas gevis the auchten buke

      Baith falloschip and armour, quha list luke.

      Dawnus son Turnus in the nynte, tak tent,

      Segis new Troy, Eneas tho absent.

      The tent declaris by the cost atanys

      The batale betwix Tuscanys and Rutulanys.

      In the ellevynt Rutulyanys beyn ourset,

      By the deces of Camylla downebet.

      The twelft makis end of all the weir, but dowt,

      Throu the slauchtir of Turnus stern and stowt.

      The last, ekit to Virgillis nowmyr evyn

      By Mapheus, convoys Ene to hevyn.

THE FIRST BUKE OF ENEADOS.

       Table of Contents

      CAP. I.

      The Poet first proponyng hys entent

      Declaris Junois wreth and mailtalent.

      The batalis and the man I wil discrive,

      Fra Troys boundis first that fugitive

      By fait to Ytail come and cost Lavyne;

      Our land and sey kachit with mekil pyne,

      By fors of goddis abufe, from euery steid,5

      Of cruell Juno throu ald remembrit fede.

      Gret pane in batail sufferit he alsso,

      Or he his goddis brocht in Latio,

      And belt the cite, fra quham, of nobill fame,

      The Latyne pepill takyn heth thar name,10

      And eik the faderis, princis of Alba,

      Cam, and the wallaris of gret Rome alswa.

      O thou my muse, declare the causis quhy,

      Quhat maiestie offendit, schaw quham by,

      Or ȝit quharfor of Goddis the drery Queyn15

      Sa feil dangeris, sik travell maid susteyn

      A worthy man, fulfillit of piete:

      Is thare sik greif in hevynly myndis on hie?

      Thare was ane ancyant cite, hecht Cartage,

      Quham hynys of Tyre held intill heritage,

      Ennymy to Itail, standand fair and plane5

      The mouth of lang Tibir our forgane,

      Myghty of moblys, full of sculys seyr,

      And maist expert in crafty fait of weir:

      Of quhilk a land Juno, as it is said,

      As to hir special abuf al otheris maid;10

      Hir native land for it postponyt sche

      Callit Samo; in Cartage sett hir see;

      Thar war hir armys, and here stude eik hir chair.

      This Goddes ettillit, gif werdis war nocht contrar,

      This realme to be superior and mastres15

      To all landis; bot certis, netheles,

      The