is enewch at ȝe haue hard of me:
Now haist my pane, sen algatis I mon de.
Vlixes, quhilk is kyng of Ithacy,
Wald it war swa, and with gret price wald by
My deth Agamemnon als, and Menalay.5
Than hastit we, and brynt to heir hym say,
Desyrus all the maner forto heir,
Mysknawyng the gret iniquiteis seir
And sle craftis of Grekis in euery deid.
He quakand than, as it had bene for dreid,10
Begouth forto tell furth the remanent,
Sayand on this wys, with ful dissemlyt entent:
The Grekis oft in purpos war and will
To fle from Troy and leif it standand still,
And, wery of thar lang weir, pas away;15
Wald God swa thai had done syne mony a day!
The seys rage and storm thame stoppit oft,
And from thar passage the north wynd onsoft
Held thame abak, in angwys and in feir;
And principaly now, sen this hors was heir20
Of hattyr gestis beldit vp, but dowt,
The stormy clowdis our al the ayr gan rowt.
We, dowtyng heiron, send the preste Erypilus
Answer to seik at the tempill of Phebus,
And from the secret oratory, suyth to sayn,25
Thir soroful tythyngis he ws brocht agane:
With blude and by the slauchtir of a maid,
Grekis, ȝe mesyt the wyndis first, he said,
Quhen that ȝe come of Troy to the cuntre;
Ȝour haym passage by blude mon fundyn be,30
And haue ȝour askyn by deth of a Gregyoun.
Quhen to the commonys eris ran the sown
Of thir wordis, with myndis affrayit, atanys
The cauld dreid ran in throu thar banys,
For feir quhamto was schape this destanye,5
Or quho it was Apollo desyrit to die.
Vlixes than, amang thame, with gret dyn,
Calcas the gret dyvynour has brocht in,
And bissely at hym inquiris he,
By respons of the goddis, quha suld de.10
Than mony ane demyt to me, ful rycht,
The cruel wraik of that dissaitful slycht,
And quyetly persavit how it wald wend.
This Calcas held his tong ten days to end,
Kepand secret and cloys al his entent,15
Refusyng with his word ony to schent,
Or to pronunce the deth of ony wyght:
Skars at the last, throu gret clamour and slyght
Of Vlixes constrenyt, but mair abaid,
As was devisit, the laith word furth braid,20
And me adiudgit to send to the altare.
Tharto alhail the Grekis assentit are,
And sufferit glaidly so the mater pas;
Quhar as tofor eueryane tobasyt was
For hym selwyn, tho blyth was page and knycht25
The chance returnyt on a catyfe wyght.
Cummyn was the duylful day that doith me grys,
Quhen that of me suld be maid sacryfyce,
With salt meldir, as weil the gyis is kend,
Abowt my heide a garland or a bend.30
I grant that from the deth my self I fred,
The bandis I brast, and fast away syne fled
Ontil a muddy marras, quhar, the dyrk nycht,
Amang the rysp and redis out of sycht
Full law I lurkit, quhil vp salys drew thai,5
Gif thai perchance be ȝit passit away.
Now restis thar na hope; allace, fell me!
My natyve cuntre sal I neuer se,
Nor deir childryng, nor fader weil belovit,
Quham, as I traist, the Grekis, all ammovit10
For myne eschaping, turment sal with pane;
Thai, saykles wyghtis, sal for my gilt be slane.
Quharfor, Schir king, be the hie goddis abufe,
And thar mychtis that trewth best knawis and lufe,
And by the faith onfylit, and leil lawte,15
Gyf it with mortale folkis may fundyn be,
Haue rewth and piete on sa feil harmys smart,
And tak compassioune in thi gentill hart;
Apon my wrechit sawle haue sum mercy
That gyltles sufferis sik dyseys wrangwisly.20
CAP. III.
Ȝyt of the traytowris fals controvyt slycht,
That was belevit, allace! with euery wyght.
Pardon and lyfe to thir terys geif we,
Quod Priamus, and mercy grantis fre.
And, first of all, the mannykillis and hard bandis
Chargit he lows of this ilk manis handis;
With frendly wordis syne thus onto hym said,
Quhat evir thou art, beis mery and glaid,
