The maner than was, and the ald custum5
Within the land of ancyent Latyum,
Quhilk blissit vsance eftir mony a day
The citeis and faderis of Alba kepit ay,
Now the gret master souerane cite dyng
Of Rome kepis and hantis the self thing;10
That is to knaw, quhen first thai move or steir
The marciall ensenȝeis for the wer,
Quhidder so thai list to set with ostis plane
On the Gethys, pepill Tartareane,
With dolorus and with ful lamentable wer15
In Hyrcany or Araby to steir,
Or for til ettill into Inde furth eik,
Towart the dawyng and son rysyng to seik,
Or ȝit til ask and reduce hame agane
Thar standartis from the dowr pepill Persane.20
Twa portis beyn of batale and debait,
So thai war clepit to thar name, and hait,
Haldyn in religioun of haly reuerence
Of Martys cruel dreid and his offence:
A hundreth brasyn hespis thame claspit queym,
And strenthy irne flottis, that dyd seym
Tobe eternal and inconsumptive;5
Nor Janus, kepar of this entre of strive,
Was no quhile furth of this ilk hallowit hald.
Bot quhen the ferm sentens of faderis ald
Was ony tyme determyt to move weir,
Than he that was cheif duke or consuler,10
In rob ryall vestit, that hait Quyryne,
And rich purpour, eftir the gys Gabyne,
Gyrd in a garmont semly and fut syde,
Thir ȝettis suld up oppin and warp wyde:
Within that girgand hirst alsso suld he15
Pronunce the new weir, batale, and melle;
Quham all the sensabill men suld follow fast,
With plane assent and brasyn trumpis blast.
The kyng Latyn furthwith command thai than
On this maner, as prince and grettast man,20
To proclame weir and decrete the melle
Agane Troianys, thidder cum with Ene,
And warp tha sorofull ȝettis vp on breid.
The prynce refusyt to do sa vile a deid,
Ne list not anys thame twich, nor brek his heist,25
Sore agrevit planely ganestud thar requeste,
And in his secret closet hym withdrew.
Than from the hevin downe quhirland with a quhew
Come queyn Juno, and with hir awin handis
Dang vp the ȝettis, brak but delay the bandis:30
This cruell douchter of the ald Saturn
The marbill hirst can weltir and ourturn,
And strang ȝet chekis of weirfar and batell
Strake down, and rent the gret irne postis fell.
Onsterit lang tyme, and onmovit, Ital5
Now byrnys into fury bellicall.
Sum grathis thame on fut to go in feild;
Sum his montit on horsbak vnder scheld
The dusty pvlder vpdryvand with a stour,
And euery man socht wapynnys and armour;10
Thar schynand scheildis sum dyd burnys weill,
And sum polist scharp speir hedis of steill,
To mak thame brycht with fat creisch or same,
And on quhitstanys thar axis scharpis at hame;
To beir pynsellis it gladis thame vp and dovne,15
And ar reiosyt to heir the trumpettis sovne.
Fyve the grettast and maist cheif citeis,
Thar wapynnys to renew in al degreis,
Set vp forgis and steil styddeis fyne;
Rych Atyna, and the prowd Tyburyne,20
Ardea the cite, and Crustumere,
And eik Antemne, with strang towris he
And weirly wallis battellit about,
The sikkyr helmys penys and forgis owt;
Thar targettis bow thai of the lycht sauch tre,25
And bos bukleris coverit with cuyrbulȝe;
Sum steil hawbrikis forgis furth of playt,
Burnyst flaukartis and leg harnes, fut hait,
With latit sowpill siluer weill annelit:
All instrumentis of pleuch graith, irnyt or stelyt,30
As cultyris, sokkis, and the somys gret,
With sythis, and al hukis at scheris quhet,
War thidder brocht and tholis temper new;
The lust of all sik wark lomys was adew:
Thai dyd thame forge in swerdis of mettel brycht,5
Forto defend thar cuntre and thar rycht.
Be this, thar armour grathit and thar geir,
The draucht trumpet blawis the brag of weir;
The sloggorn ensenȝe, or the wach cry,
Went for the batale all suld be reddy.10
He pullis down his sellet quhar it hang,
Sum deill effrayt of the noys and thrang;
He dryvis furth the stampand hors on raw
Onto the ȝok, the chareottis to draw;
He clethys hym with his scheld, and semys bald;15
He claspys hys gilt habirgyon and thrynfald;
He, in his breistplait strang and his byrne,
A sover swerd beltis law down by his the.