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

the place within apperis,

      The wyde hallys wolx patent al infeiris30

      Of Priamus and ancyant kyngis of Troy;

      Secret throwgangis ar schawyn wont to be 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;5

      The holl howsis ȝowlit and resowndit

      For womentyng of ladeis and wemen;

      The clamour vpstrak to the starnys then.

      The woful moderis ran frayit on athir syde

      Ful lamentabill throw out the chawmeris wyde,10

      Brasand the postis in armys, and durris cald,

      And feil sys with mowthis kys thame wald.

      Instantly Pyrrus assailȝeis with al his mycht,

      By naturale strenth of his fader the wight,

      That nowder closeris, nor barryt ȝettis stowt,15

      Nor ȝit the keparis may hald thame langar owt.

      Oft wyth the ram the port is schaik and duschit,

      Down bet ȝet chekis, and bandis al tofruschit;

      The way is maid by fors, and entre brokkyn;

      Grekis insprent, the formaste haue thai stokyn20

      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,25

      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.30

      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,5

      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 ȝyng,

      Syk fayr beleif is lost of his ofspryng!10

      The prowd gestis and durris gilt with gold

      Of barbary wark, and hungyn mony fold

      With riches and spulȝe of seyr nationys,

      Sa far as from the fyre onbet adoune is,

      The Grekis occupyis haly; al is tharis;15

      Quhat so thame lyst tospil is nane that sparis.

      CAP. IX.

      Into this nixt cheptour ȝe may attend

      Of Priam Kyng of Troy the fatale end.

      Peraventur, of Priamus wald ȝe speir

      Quhou tyd the chance, hys fait gif ȝe lyst heir

      Quhen he the cite saw takyn and downbet,

      And of his palyce brokyn euery ȝet,20

      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 clos, vnder the hevyn al bayr,5

      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 did ourheld.

      Hecuba thydder, with hir childer, for beild10

      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 hald beyn ȝyng;15

      Quhat fulych thocht, my wrachit spows and kyng,

      Movis the now syk wapynnys forto weld?

      Quhidder hastis thou? quod sche; of na sik beld

      Haue we now mystir, nor syk deffendouris as the,

      The tyme is nocht ganand tharto we se.20

      In cace Hector war present heir, my son,

      He mycht nocht succour Troy, for it is won:

      Quharfor, I pray the, syt doune and cum hydder,

      And lat this altare salue ws al togidder,

      Or than atanys al heir lat ws de.25

      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,30

      Throw wapynnys fleyng and his ennemys all,

      By 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,5

      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 ȝald with habundans of blude.10

      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 abone15

      Quhilk takis heid to this at thou has done,

      The goddis mot condyngly the forȝeld,

      Eftir thi desert rendring sik gaynȝeld,

      Causit me behald myne awyn child slane, allace!

      And with hys blude fylit the faderis face.20

      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 to beseik,

      The