The Æneid of Virgil Translated Into Scottish Verse

Fortill expone maid me a felloun blundir;
To follow alanerly Virgilis wordis, I weyn,
Thar suld few vndirstand me quhat thai meyn;
The bewte of his ornate eloquens
May nocht al tyme be kepit with the sentens.
Sanct Gregor eik forbyddis ws to translait
Word eftir word, bot sentens follow al gait.
Quha haldis, quod he, of wordis the properteis
Full oft the verite of the sentens fleys.
And to the sammyn purpos we may apply
Horatius in hys art of poetry;
Pres nocht, says he, thou traste interpreter,
Word eftir word to translait thi mater.
Lo he reprevis, and haldis myssemyng,
Ay word by word to reduce ony thing.
I say nocht this of Chauser for offens,
But till excus my lewyt insufficiens;
For as he standis beneth Virgill in gre,
Vndir hym alsfer I grant my self to be.
And netheles into sum place, quha kend it,
My mastir Chauser gretly Virgill offendit.
All thoch I be to bald hym to repreif,
He was fer baldar, certis, by hys leif,
Sayand he followit Virgillis lantern toforn,
Quhou Eneas to Dydo was forsworn.
Was he forsworn? Than Eneas was fals;
That he admittis, and callys hym traytour als.
Thus, wenyng, allane Ene to haue reprevit,
He has gretly the prynce of poetis grevit.
For, as said is, Virgill dyd diligens,
But spot of cryme, reproch, or ony offens,
Eneas for to loif and magnyfy;
And gif he grantis hym maynsworn fowlely,
Than all hys cuyr and crafty engyne gais quyte,
Hys twelf ȝheris laubouris war nocht worth a myte.
Certis, Virgill schawys Ene dyd na thing,
From Dydo of Cartage at hys departyng,
Bot quhilk the goddis commandit hym beforn;
And gif that thar command maid hym maynsworn,
That war repreif to thar diuinyte,
And na reproch onto the said Enee.
Als in the first, quhar Ilioneus
Spekis to the queyn Dido, says he nocht thus,
Thar curs by fait was set tyll Italy?
Thus mycht scho not pretend na just caus quhy,
Thocht Troianys eftir departis of Cartage,
Sen thai befor declaryt hir thar vayage.
Reid the ferd buke quhar queyn Dido is wraith,
Thar sal ȝhe fynd Ene maid nevir aith,
Promyt, nor band with hir fortill abyde:
Thus hym tobe maynsworn may nevir betyde,
Nor nane onkyndnes schew forto depart
At the bydding of Jove with reuthfull hart,
Sen the command of God obey suld all,
And vndir his charge na wrangwys deid may fall.
Bot sikkyrly, of resson, me behufis
Excus Chauser fra all maner repruffis,
In lovyng of thir ladeis lylly quhyte
He set on Virgill and Eneas this wyte;
For he was evir, God wait, all womanis frend.
I say na mair, bot, gentil redaris heynd,
Lat all my faltis with this offens pas by.
Thou prynce of poetis, I the mercy cry,
I meyn thou kyng of kyngis, lord etern,
Thou be my muse, my gydar, and laid stern,
Remittyng my trespas and euery mys
Throu prayer of thy moder queyn of blys!
Afald godhed, ay lestyng, but discrepans,
In personys thre, equale of a substans,
On the I call and Mary Virgyn myld;
Calliope nor payan goddis wild
May do to me na thing bot harm, I weyn,
In Criste is all my traste and hevynnys queyn.
Thou virgyn moder and madyn be my muse,
That nevir ȝit na synfull lyst refus
Quhilk the besocht deuotly for supple;
Albeit my sang to thy hie maieste
Accordis nocht, ȝit condiscend to my write,
For the sweit liquor of thy pappis quhite
Fosterit that prynce, that hevynly Orpheus,
Grond of all gude, our Saluyour Ihesus.
Bot forthirmor, and lawar to discend,
Forgeif me Virgill gif I the offend,
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,
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;
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,
Or at the wark is wers than evir I fand it,
Or ȝit argue Virgill stude weill befor,