al the sensabill men of Scyrrya
Bownys our the wallis and howsis hedis alswa,20
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 ȝet,
And furth of har the stapillis has he bet,
And bandis all of bras yforgyt weill:25
Be that in twa the master bar ilk deill
Is al tofruschit; syne the hard burdis he hakkis,
And throu the ȝet are large wyndo makkis,
By the quhilk slop 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
