I HAUE ALSSO A SCHORT COMMENT COMPYLD
TO EXPON STRANGE HISTOREIS AND TERMYS WILD.
_P. 6. l. 15._--_Innatyve_ is alsmekil to say as _inborn_, or that
quhilk cumis till ony person be thar natural inclinatioun of kynd throw
thar forbearis.
_P. 6. l. 18._--Ptholome kyng of Egipt, the famous gret clerk,
astronomour, and discryvar of the warld, that causit lxxij
interpretouris to translat the bibill, had sa gret plesour and delyte
of bukis that he gadderit togidder in ane librar xxxvj thousand
volummys.
_P. 10. l. 10._--Thistory of Saul and the spreit of Samuel rasyt by the
Phitones is in the first buk of Kyngis, in the xxviij. c.
_P. 14. l. 21._--_Oppetere_ is alsmekil to say as _ore terram petere_,
lyke as Seruius exponys the sammyn term, quhilk to translate in our
tung is, _with mowth to seik, or byte, the erd_. And lo, that is ane
hail sentence for ane of Virgillis wordis.
_P. 15. l. 15._--As for _animal_ and _homo_ in our langage is nocht
a propir term, and thai be bot bestis that exponys _animal_ for a
beste. Ane beste is callit in Latyn _bestia_ and _pecus_, and _animal_
betakynnys all corporall substans that has ane saull quhilk felis payn,
joy, or ennoy: and vndyr _animal_ beyn contenyt all mankynd, beist,
byrd, fowll, fisch, serpent, and all other sik thingis at lyfis and
steris, that has a body; for all sik, and euery ane of thame, may be
properly callit _animal_. And thus _animal_ is ane general name for al
sik maner thingis quhatsumeuer.
_Homo_ betakynnys baith a man and a woman, and we haue na term
corespondent tharto, nor yit that signifyis baith twa in a term
alanerly.
_P. 15. l. 19._--_Genus_ is that thing quhilk is common, and may be
verefyt of mony other thingis different in kynd, or of diuers kyndis:
as this word, _a beste_, may be verefeit and is common till al and
syndry kynd of bestis; for a hors is a beste, ane ox a beste, a scheip
a beste, a dog a beste; and swa of otheris.
_Species_ is that thing or word that is common, or may be verefeit
of mony thingis different in numbir: as this word, _a man_, may be
verefeit and is common till al maner of man particular; for Johne is a
man, Thomas a man, Wilyam a man; and furth of otheris. Syk lyke, this
word, _a hors_, is common to this hors, and that hors; the gray is a
hors, the blak a hors, the quhite a hors.
_Sexus_ is the discretioun, diuersitie, or differens in schap, betwix
the mail and the female in al maner corporal creatouris: for thocht a
man and a woman beyn baith of a kynd and natur, yit ar thai different
and diuers in thar schap. Rycht swa is ane hors fra a mair, quhilk ar
bath of a kynd; siklyke, a cok from a hen, a kow from a bull; and swa
is of all kyndis quhar the mail is distinct fra the femell.
_P. 17. l. 13._--This argument excusis nocht the tratory of Eneas, na
his maynsweryng, considering quhat is said heirafoir, in the ij. c. of
this prolog; that is,
Juno nor Venus goddes neuer war,
Mercur, Neptun, Mars, nor Jupiter,
Of forton eik, na hir necessitie,
Sic thingis nocht attentik ar, wait we.
It followis than, that Eneas vroucht not be command of ony goddis,
bot of his awyn fre wyl, be the permission of God, quhilk sufferis al
thing, and stoppis nocht, na puttis nocht necessite to fre wyll. He
falit than gretly to the sueit Dydo; quhilk falt represit nocht the
goddessis diuinite, for thai had na diuinite, as said is befoir.
_P. 17. l. 25._--Heir he argeuis better than befoir.
_P. 23. l. 1._--Virgille reherssis not Eneas naim, bot callis him _The
Man_, be excellens; as thocht he said, The mast soueran man.
_P. 23. l. 3._--Lavyn, Lavinium, Lawrentum, stud viij. mylis fra the
mowth of Tibyr, and was cyte of the king Latynus; of quham eftyr in the
vij. buyk, quhill the end of this volume.
_P. 23. l. 8._--Quhat is Latium, or Latio, luyk eftyr in the vj. c. of
the viij. buyk. The cite of quham heir is mention was new Troy, quham
Eneas beggit at the mouth of Tibir, and fra Ene bein namyt the Latynis,
and nowdir fra the cyte nor the land.
_P. 23. l. 11._--Of Alba cyte luyk eftyr, in the fyfte c. of this buyk,
and in the fyrst c. of the viij. buyk.
_P. 23. l. 13._--Musa, in Grew, signifeis an inuentryce, or inuention,
in our langgage; and of the ix Musis sum thing in my Palyce of Honour,
and be Mastir Robert Hendirson in New Orpheus.
_P. 23. l. 14._--The poet inqueris quhat maieste or power offendyt of
Juno, quhilk is fenyeit to haf many poweris: sche is clepit queyn of
goddis, mastres and lady of realmys, precident of byrthis, spous and
sistir to Jupiter, &c.
_P. 24. l. 12._--Samo is an ile in Trace, quhar Juno was weddit and
born, as sais Seruius; and ther, as vitnessyth Sanct Jerom, stud the
farest tempil of Grece, dedicat to Juno.
_P. 24. l. 12._--Hir _see_, hir _seit_.
_P. 24. l 21._--Lybia, or Liby, is the thrid part of the warld, callit
Affryk, quham now we call the land or cost of Barbary.
_P. 24. l. 29._--The jugement of Paris is common to all knawis the sege
of Troy.
_P. 25. l. 5._--Hebe, douchter of Juno, and goddess of youth, seruyt
Jupiter of his covp: quhilk, at a fest amang the goddis makand hir
seruice, slaid and schew hir schame in al thar presens; for the quhilk
lak Jupiter gaif to this Ganymedes, son to kyng Troyus, hir office. Of
the ravisyng of this Ganymede ye haf benayth, in the v. c. of the v.
buyk; and of this Hebe sum thyng in the prolog of the vij. buyk.
_P. 25. l. 16._--_And as the Troianys_ &c. First abuyf the poete
proponis his entent; sayand, _The batellis and the man_ &c. nyxt makis
he inuocation, calland on his muse to tech hym thar; _O thou my Muse_
&c. and ther, lyke as his muse spak to hym, declaris the caussis of
the feid of Juno, sayand, _Ther was an anchient Cyte, hecht Cartage_.
Now heir thridly procedis he furth on his narration and history, and
beginnys at the sevint yeir of Eneas departyng of Troy, as ye may se in
the end of this first buyk, and eftyr the deces of his fadir Anchises,
quham he erdit in Sycill at Drepanon, as ye haf in the end of the thrid
buyk; the remanent of his auenturis being reseruyt, be craft of poetry,
to the banket of queyn Dido, quhar thai be then at lenth rehersit by
Eneas in the secund and thryd.
_P. 25. l. 29._--This offence was the ravising of Cassandra furth of
the tempill of Pallas, as ye haue in the vij. cheptour of the secund
buke following. And sum says this Aiax oppressit hir in the tempill:
quhilk Aiax was son to kyng Oylus, prince of Locria, or Locrida, and
his pepyll beyn namyt Locrj or Locranys.
Thocht, in verite, Juno was bot ane woman, dochter to Saturn, sistir
and spows to Jupiter king of Crete, yit quhen poetis namys hir swa,
thai ondirstand sum tyme by Juno the erth and the watir, and by Jupiter
the ayr and the fyre: and for als mekyll as the ayr and the fyre is
actyve, and the watyr and the erth patient, and that all corporall
thyngis beyn engendrit therof, heirfoir bein thaj clepit spowsis. Bot,
for that sum tym Juno betakinys alanerly the ayr, and Jove the fyre,
than, be raison of ther contegwyte and qualite convenient, bein thai
clepit sistyr and brothir: and for that all thyngis, by the influens of
the planetis, starnys, and hevinnis abufe, be maid of thir elymentis,
therfor bein thaj clepit kyng and queyn, fadir and mothyr to goddis
and men. And ferthyr as twychyng this Juno, hir other namys and
proprieteis, I refer to John Bocas in the Genealogy of gentille Goddis,
onto the nynt buyk therof, and first c. of the sammyn.
_P. 26. l. 13._--The cuntre or realm of Eolus, clepit Eolia, lyis
betwix Sycill and Italy, vij. ilandis in the sey, of quham thir be
the namys; Lipara, Hiera, Strongile, Didyme, Eriphusa, Phenycusa,
and Evomynos. And for alsmekyll as thir ilis bene full of cavernys,
with bryntstan blawand and byrnand ondir the erd, that therby, throw
the swouch of the fire, may be persauyt a day or twa befor fra quhat
part or art the wynd is for to cum; and this Eolus kyng therof, as an
naturall man, first be experiens persauit this, and wald schaw the
pepill therby, weill twa or thre dais befor, the wynd was to blaw
from syk an art: for the quhilk rayson, with the rude pepill, was he
namyt kyng or god of windis. And thai put that he had vj sonnys and vj
dochtiris, quhilkis ar nocht ellis bot the xij wyndis, of quham the
namys, to begin at the est and go round abowt, bein thir; Subsolanus,
Ewrus, Nothus, Auster, Affricus, Zephyrus, Fauonius, Circius, Chorus,
Boreas, Aquilo, and Wlturnus.
_P. 26. l. 22._--John Bocas, be Eolus set hie in his chare to rewle
and dant the windis, ondirstandis Raison set hie in the manis hed,
quhilk suld dant, and includ law in the cave or boddum of the stomach,
the windis of peruersit appetyte, as lord and syre set be God almychty
therto.
_P. 27. l. 15._--Ilion, or Ilium, was the cyte of Troy, havand his naym
fra king Ilus, fader to Laomedon. The hayll cuntre was callit Troy
fra kyng Tros, or Trojus, fadir to this Ilus: the awld naim therof is
Phrigia, bot oft bein ather of all ther namys takin for other; as Troy,
als weill for the cyte as the realm. And heir, be a maner dispite,
Juno, for the pepill or gudis of Ilion, namys the hail cyte.
_P. 28. l. 2._--For alsmekill as I hafe said abufe Juno betakinnys
the air, in quham blawis thir windis, and by quham the mater quhareof
windis bein engendrit beyn producit to ther perfection, therfor justly
and of rycht Eolus grantis him to hald his ring of Juno.
_P. 28. l. 15._--Ewrus is heir takyn for the gret est wynd, thocht it
be bot the wind est to sowthin; siklyke, Nothus for the mayn sowth,
thocht it be south to est: and Affricus is takin for plat west wynd,
that is bot sowth sowthwest. And thus heir the thre principall gret
windis contrarius blew attanys apon thaim, and the north wind also in
the nyxt c.; _A blastirrand bub owt from the north braying_ &c.
_P. 29, l. 1._--Here fyrst namys Virgill Eneas.
This cald, sais Seruyus, coym of dreid; not that Eneas dred the ded,
bot this maner of ded: and alsso he that dredis na thyng, nor kan haf
na dred, is not hardy, but fuyll hardy and beistly.
_P. 29, l. 6._--The maner was swa in tha dais, that nobillis slan
in feld tuke ther mouth full of erd, to that effect that in the ded
thrawis nain myssyttand word nor voce suld be hard of ther mowth.
_P. 29, l. 11._--Sarpedon, son of Jupiter and Laodomya, dochtyr to
Bellerophon, was kyng of Lycia; of huge statur, and slane by Patroclus.
_P. 30. l. 5._--Thar lyis betwix Affryk and the ile of Sardynia, amyd
the sey, a hirst or ryg of craggy rolkis, quhilkheyn callit _altaris
of suple or help_, becaus therat, on a tyme, the pepill of Affrik and
Romanys band vp perpetwall payce. And thir schald bankis of sand, heir
nammyt, bein the twa dangeris of the sey Affrican, callit Syrtis, the
mair and the les; mar perellus than Yairmuth sandis or Holland cost.
_P. 30. ll. 12 & 15._--Off Orontes and Lewcaspis sum thing in the v. c.
of the vj. buyk; and of this Pander or Pandarus, in the ix. c. of the
v. buyk.
_P. 30. l. 22._--Of this Ilioneus, and the otheris Troianys heir
nammyt, beyn oft benath maid mensioun.
_P. 30. l. 30._--Neptun, or Neptunus, brother to Jove and Pluto, and
son to Saturn. For that the partis of his heritage lay in Creit by the
sey cost, and for he vsit mekill salyng and rowyng, and fand the craft
or art therof, therfor is he clepit god of the sey. He was alsswa ane
the first tawcht to dant and taym horssis: and onto hym beyn consecret
the fundment of wallis, for alsmekill as it is said he biggyt the
wallis of Troy, or than becaus the watyr inclusyt ondyr the erth is
oft tymys caus of erdqwkyng, and trimbillyng or moving of the erth, as
we se by experiens in watyr brekis. And, perchans, thir thre poweris
signefeis the thre granyt ceptour, quhilk his statw in ald days bair in
hand, lyk a crepar or a graip wyth thre granys. Tha discryve hym rydand
in a cart, quhilk betakinnys the weltyng our of the sey wallys, that
rollys, hurlys, and brais, lyke cart quhelis. Quha lykis mair of him,
go reid Bocas, in the first c. and tent buyk of the Genealogy of Goddis.
_P. 31. l. 15._--Heir is an notabyll doctryn, that nane nobill man suld
hastely reveng him eftir his greif. Tharfor was gevin consell to August
Octavian, the empriour, that eftir his commotioun, or euer he did or
said ocht, he suld wryte xxiiij lettiris.
_P. 31. l. 21._--This thre granyt ceptour in sum part haf I twychit
abuf: it may betakyn alsswa the thre properteis of the water, quhilk is
flowand, drynkabyll, and ganand to sayll or swym intyll.
_P. 32. l. 1._--Cymothoe, as sais Seruyus, is, in Grew, als mekyll
to say in our langage, as the flowand or rinnand flud, quhilk may be
clepit a ganand dochtir to Neptun, god of seys. Trytton, as sais Bocas,
is the bruyt or rowtyng of the wally sey; quharfor justly is he fenyeit
trumpet to the occian, and son to Neptun. Netheles, Plynyus in his
natural history reherssis that Triton is a verray monstre of the sey,
and that in the tym of Tyberius the emperour syk ay was hard and seyn.
His schap and portatour is discryvit in the x. buyk, in the iiij. c.;
and he slais Mesenus in the iij. c. of the vj. buyk.
_P. 32. l. 8._--Noyte Virgill in this comparison and symilytude, for
therin and in syk lyke baris he palm of lawd, as I haf said in my
proheme. It is to be considderit alsso that, our all this wark, he
comparis batell tyll spait or dyluge of watyr, or than to suddan fyr,
and to nocht ellis.
_P. 32. l. 16._--Cristoferus Landynus, that writis moraly apon Virgill,
says thus: Eneas purposis to Italy, his land of promyssioun; that is
to say, a just perfyte man entendis to mast soueran bonte and gudnes,
quhilk, as witnessyth Plato, is situate in contemplation of godly
thingis or dyvyn warkis. His onmeysabill ennymy Juno, that is fenyeit
queen of realmys, entendis to dryve him from Itall to Cartage; that is,
Avesion, or concupissence to ryng or haf warldly honouris, wald draw
him fra contemplation to the actyve lyve; quhilk, quhen scho falis by
hir self, tretis scho with Eolus, the neddyr part of raison, quhilk
sendis the storm of mony warldly consalis in the just manis mynd:
bot, quhoubeyt the mynd lang flowis and delitis heirintyll, fynaly by
the fre wyll and raison predomynent, that is, ondirstand, by Neptun,
the storm is cessit, and, as followis in the nyxt c., arryvit in sond
havin, quhilk is tranquilite of consciens: and fynaly Venus, in the
vj. c. following, schawis Ene his feris recouerit again; quhilk is,
fervent lufe and cherite schawis the just man his swete meditationys
and feruor of deuotion, quham he tynt by warldly curis, restorit to hym
again; and all his schippis bot on, be quham I ondyrstand the tyme lost.
_P. 33. l. 18._--Nympha may be clepit a spows, or a damysell. Bot thai
bein takyn with poetis for goddessis of woddis, wildirnessis, fludis,
or wellis: and Nympha is a generall naym to all syk Nymphis of wellis,
bein callit Naydes; of hillis or montanys, Oreades; of woddis and
forestis, Dryades; of salt fludis, Nereides; of flouris, Napee and
Hamadriades, ar fenyeit to grow and de wyth the tre, as quha wald say
the sawle of the tre.
_P. 34. l. 5._--Ye sall ondirstand, Virgill, in all partis of his
proses, quhat maner or fassoun he discrivis ony man at the begynnyng,
sa continewys he of that samin person all thro; and Eneas in all his
wark secludis from all vylle offyce: bot, as twychand materris of pyety
or devotion, thar labowris he euer wyth the first, as ye may se in the
beginyng of the vj. buke.
_P. 34. l. 13._--Thocht sum wald say, perchans, that in Affrik bein
na hartis, therto answeris Landinus that albeit perchans now ther be
nain, in tha days tha war not to seyk: Or thocht in the ferther partis
of Affrik be nain, in the hiddir partis, quharto was Eneas dryve, ther
beyn mony.
_P. 34. l. 29._--Acestes, kyng of Sycilly; of quham in the first c. of
the v. buke.
_P. 35. l. 7._--Sylla and Charybdis bein twa gret dangeris in the
Sycill sey; of quham in the vj. and viij. c. of the thrid buke.
_P. 35. l. 10._--Off thir Cyclopes alsso, in the ix. and x. c. of the
thrid buyk.
_P. 36. l. 2._--Wyne the eldar the bettir, sa that it be fresch; and
euery man knawis vennyson owt of ply tynys the sesson.
_P. 36. l. 16._--Jove, or Jupiter, by the gentillis was clepit the
mast soueran god, fader of goddis and men, and all the otheris war bot
haldyn as poweris dyuers of this Jupiter, callit _juuans pater_, the
helply fadir; bot quham we cleip swa I haf writyn in my proloug of the
x. buyk. Of Jupiter, as writis Sanct Augustyn in his volume clepit the
Cyte of God, in the vij. buke and ix. c. therof, thus writis poetis:
Jupiter omnipotens, regum rex ipse, deusque,
Progenitor genitrixque deum, deus vnus, et omnes.
_Jupiter omnipotent, kinq of kingis, and god, fader and moder of
goddis, an god, and all the goddis._ Of him largly spekis he alswa,
reprevand the gentile opinyonys, in the sam volum, in the first buk and
xj. c. therof; and in the xij. c. repreuys the opynion of Plato, that
haldis God the sawl of the warld. Of Jupiter sais the poet Lucan,
Jupiter est quodcunque vides, quocunque moueris:
_Jupiter is all that euer thou seis, and all that euer movis._ Bot
quhou ther beyn thre syndry Jupiteris, reid John Bocas in his Genealogy
of Goddis, in the first c. of the xj. buyk, quhar he tretis of Jupiter,
kyng of Crete, quhilk was Jupiter the thrid: and ther, at the full,
of all the fiction and fabillis therof, and quhy he is clepit gret
god, and of this Jupiter in the recollectis of Troy. Of the secund
Jupiter, kyng of Archad, and syne of Athenes, quhich slew Lycaon, and
was fadyr to Dardanus, of quham caym the Troianys, he writis in the
first c. of his v. buyk: and of Jupiter the first, callit Lysanyan,
and kyng Athenes, in the ij. c. of his ij. buke, quhar he tretis the
proprieteis of Jupiter the planeyt. And now to speyk of Jupiter the
planete, quhilk is secund in ordour, and vnermaste nyxt Saturn; he is
gentyll and meyk, and full of gud influens, and profitabill aspectis,
in sa far that gif he conionys with a frawart planete, sik as Mars, or
Saturn, he meysis ther wreth: gif he conjonys with a meyn planete, as
the Sone, the Moyn, or Mercury, he drawis thaim and makis inclyn to his
gudnes. Quhen he conjonys with Venus, or is participant with hir, as he
stud in the ascendent at this tym of Eneas landyng, quhilk is fenyeit
the commonyng betwix hym and Venus, than, as heir apperis, batakynnys
all gud; for Jove is clepit, _Fortuna maior_, and Venus, _Fortuna
minor_. He completis his curs in xij yeris; and, by this constylation
betwix him and Venus, Seruius ondirstandis felicite to cum be a woman;
as followis be Dido: And that Venus was sorofull, that is to knaw,
discendent, and nocht in hir strenth, signifeis the sorefull departyng
and myschans of Dido.
_P. 37. l. 18._--Becaus ther is mensioun of Anthenor, quham many,
followand Gwydo De Columnis, haldis tratour, sum thing of him will I
speyk, thocht it may suffis for his purgation that Virgill heir hayth
namit him, and almaste comparit him to the mast soueran Eneas; quhilk
comparison na wys wald he haf maid for lak of Eneas, gif he had bein
tratour. Bot to schaw his innocens, lat vs induce the mast nobill and
famus historian and mylky flud of eloquens, gret Tytus Lyuius, quhilk
of Anthenor and Eneas sais thir wordis in his beginning: _It is weill
wyt that, Troy beand takin, in all the otheris Troianys crudelite was
exersit, exceppand twa, Athenor and Eneas: to quham the Grekis did na
harm, bot abstenyt fra all power of batell as twichyng thaim, becaus of
the rayson of hospitalite; for thai had beyn ther ald hostis and all
tymys thai war solistaris and warkkaris to rendyr Helen and to procur
paice_. Now I beseik yow, curtes redaris, considdir gif this be punctis
of traison, or rathar of honour; and wey the excellent awtorite of
Virgill and Tytus Lyuius with your pevach and corrupt Gwido. Landinus
sais als of this Anthenor that, for his sone Glaucus followit Paris, he
depechit him of him, and for that sam caus, quhen he was aftyr slan by
Agamemnon, he maid na duyll for his ded.
_P. 37. l. 19._--Ilyria hes his naym fra Illyrus, son to Polyphemus,
and, as sais Sextus Rufus, it contenys xvij provyncis. It extendis
endlang all the gret flud Danubyum, callit Hister, on bayth the sydis,
and in it is Vngary, Pannony, Sclauony, Bohem, Denmark, and Macydon:
and this Lyburnya is bot a part therof, contenand certan ilis. Timauus
is a flud in Lumbardy, in the Venytian landis, that cumis furth of the
Duch Montanys at ix beginnyngis, quhilk all rynnys in a loch, quham
the pepill adiacent callis a sey; and from this loch cumys the flud
that rynnys to Padva, byggit be Anthenor, as heir ye may se. Bot it is
to be notyt that Virgill sais abuf, in the first c., Eneas coim fyrst
fra Troy to Italy; and heir it apperis Anthenor caym befor him. To
that sais Seruyus, tha partis quhamto coym Anthenor beyn not haldyn of
Italy, bot of Lumbardy, callit Gallia Cysalpina: or mayr evidently may
we say that Ene was the fyrst coim to Italy by fait, and at the goddis
command; Anthenor coym at his awin auentur, and nocht be destine.
_P. 38. l. 11._--Venus is clepit Cytherea fra the ile Cythera, besid
Creyt, quhar scho was norysit; or fra the mont Cytheron, quhar scho was
gretly wirscheppit.
_P. 38. l. 13._--The cyte of Rome, or than of new Troy.
_P. 38. l. 15._--The deyfication of Eneas is eftyr, in the last c. of
the xiij. buyk.
_P. 38. l. 21._--Of the barganyng or batellis of this Eneas, her in
dyuers bukis followand; and of the beldyng of this cyte, and how lang
his ryng endurit, in the last and penult c. of the xiij. buyk.
_P. 38. l. 29._--Julus is thre sillabis, spellit wyth i _per se_ and v
_per se_.
_P. 39. l. 4._--The cite Alba, biggit by Ascanius son of Creusa, eftyr
Virgill had his naim fra the quhite swyn, as ye may se in the first c.
of the viij. buk; and was clepit Lang Alba, for it was set end lang the
band or ryg of a law hill, as writis Tytus Lyuius, and was distroit by
Tullus Hostilius, thrid king of Rom; and tharof in the xj. c. of the
xiij. buke.
_P. 39. l. 6._--Pepill Hectorean, hardy as Hector, or of the kinrent
and blude of Hector; for this Ascanyus was his fift son.
_P. 39. l. 11._--Of Romulus ye sall knaw, that Porcas, the xj kyng of
Alba or Albanys, gat twa sonys, Numytor and Amulyus, betwyx quham he
dividit his realm. Bot this Amulyus banyst his brother Numytor, and
slew his son Lawsus, and his dochtir, callit Ilya or Rhea, consecrat a
nun onto the goddes Vesta, to that effect scho suld haf na succession;
for in tha dais sik nunis, gif thai brak ther virginite, war eyrdit
qwyk. Bot this Ilia consauyt and brocht furth twa childyr mayll, quham
thai fenze to haf beyn engendyrit of Mars, becaus thai war bellicos
and chevalrus, and bygettin of sum dowchti man; and than this Amulyus
gart put this Ilia to ded, and bad kast tha childyr in Tybyr. Bot the
flud be an speyt was flowyn sa far our the brays thai mycht nocht wyn
to the crocis of the water, and thus war thai left on the bra; and ane
Fastulus, an hyrd, had thaim born to his hows, and maid Acca his wyf,
other wys callyt Lupa, nuryce thaim: and, for that Lupa batakinnys a
wolf, and scho was callit Lupa, therfor is it said a wolf fosterit
Romulus and Remus. And becaus this said Acca or Lupa maid Romulus
hir ayr, therfor sais Virgill he was cled in his motheris or nuryce
tawbart. And eftyr, quhen thai worth men, thai becam for the nanys
briggantis of the wod, and by a maner pollycy or practyk convenyt
that the tayn of thaim suld tak his brother and all his complicis,
and sa thai did, and brocht him befor ther vncle the kyng Amulyus,
as thocht he wald accus him of a dedly cryme. And quhen thai war in
presens cumin, thai bayth attanys rays apon Amulyus and slew him, and
ther declaryt ther blud and genealogy; and therefter brocht haim thar
grandsyr Numytor, and restoryt to him his realm: syn went ther way,
and for thaim selvyn biggit Roym and wallyt fyrst. And, for thai war
bayth of a byrth, thai beguyth debait for the naim of the cyte. Than
was appunctyt that on the morn quha saw the mast nobyll syng, or takin
Augurian, suld geif the cyte his naym: and Remus fyrst saw vj gripis,
and Romulus eftyr hym xij gripis. Than said the tayn his takyn was
mast nobyll, for that he saw thaim first; and the tother na, becaus he
saw ma: bot quhiddir it was for that debait, or for the goyng our the
wallis, as otheris will say, Remus was slayn be Fabyus, chyftan of weyr
to Romulus, and the cyte clepit Roma eftyr Romulus. And quhou or quhy
that he is callit Quyrites, and of his dowtsum end, and of the sonnis
eclips the tym of his ded, and quhy he was repute a god, reid Titus
Lyuius, John Bocas in the last c. of the Genealogie of Godis, in the
ix. buke, and Augustyn in the Cyte of God, in the xv. c. of the iij.
buke. And sum thing heireftir in the xiij. c. of the vj. buke and the
x. c. of the viij. buyk.
_P. 39. l. 15._--Sanct Augustyn in his volum clepit _De verbis Domini_,
in the xxix sermond, mokkis at this word, sayand, Yit is not the end,
and the empyr is translat to the Almanys: bot Virgill was crafty, sais
he, that wald not on his awyn byhalf rehers thir wordis, bot maid
Jupiter pronunce thaim; and as he is a half fenzeit god, swa is his
prophecy.
_P. 39. l. 26._--Pthyia was the cuntre of Achylles; Myce, or Mycene,
the realm of Agamemnon; Arge the realm of kyng Adrastus, pertenyng
eftir to Diomed be raison of his moder; and it is oft tane for all
Grece, and the Grekis therfra bein oft clepit Argiui, or pepill of Arge.
_P. 40. l. 2._--Of Julius Cesar, quhen I behald his Commentareis, and
the gret volum of Lucan, and quhat of hym writis Swytoneus, I thynk
bettyr hald styll my pen than wryt lytill of sa large a mater, and
sa excellent a prynce. Bot ye sall knaw that the principall entent
of Virgill was to extoll the Romanys, and in specyal the famyllye or
clan Julyan, that comin from this Ascanyus, son to Eneas and Crevsa,
otherwais callyt Julus; becaus the empryour August Octauyan, quhamto he
direkkit this wark, was of that hows and blud, and sistyr son to Cesar
Julyus. And therfor, quhen Cesar was slayn by the Sanatouris, Octavyan
had revengeit his deth, and rang passabilly at the byrth of our
salviour, quhen the starn of Bethliam apperit. Than, to ples Octavian,
said the Romanys, that was the sawll of Cesar quhilk was deifyit; and
this opynion heir twichis Virgill, and als in his Bucolyqueys.
_P. 40. l. 13._--Off the stek and of closyng of the tempill of Janus
in tym of weyr and of pace, ye haf in the vij. buyk, in the x. c. And
this tempill of Janus was twys closit befor Octauian; anys be Numa
Pompilius, and the secund tym be Tytus Manlyus; and thris be Octavyan:
and this tym heyr markyt was the last tyme, at the cumyng of Cryst,
quhen all the warld was in pace. In wytnes therof the angellis sang
pace in erd, the tym of bryth; the ij. c. of Sanct Luke.
_P. 40. l. 22._--Off Mercury red in the v. c. of the iiij. buke: and
that Mercur heir was send doun from Jupiter is nocht ellis bot the
planet Mercur was at disces, and Jove ascendent; quhilk signifeit
frendschip in hast to cum, bot not to lest lang.
_P. 41. c. VI._--In this cheptir ye haf that Eneas met his moder Venus
in liknes of a virgyn, or a mayd; by the quhilk ye sall vndirstand that
Venus is fenyeit to be modyr to Eneas, becaus that Venus was in the
ascendent, and had domynation in the hevyn, the tym of his natyvite:
and, for that the planet Venus was the signifiar of his byrth, and had
domination and speciall influens towart hym, therfor is scho fenzeit
to be his mother; and thus it that poetis fenzeis bein full of secreyt
ondyrstandyng ondyr a hyd sentens or fygur. And weyn nocht for this,
thocht poetis fenzeis Venus the planet, for the caus foirsaid, to be
Eneas mother, at thai beleve nocht he was motherles, bot that he had
a fayr lady to his moder, quhilk for hir bewte was clepit Venus: and
that Venus metis Eneas in form and lyknes of a maid is to be onderstood
that Venus the planete that tym was in the syng of the Virgyn, quhilk
betakynnyt luf and fawouris of wemen. And of Venus and hir son Cupyd I
sall say sum thyng in the x. c. of this sam buke.
_P. 41. l. 20._--Mony expondis Achates for thochtfull cuyr or
solicitud, quhilk all tymys is feyr and companyeon to princis and gret
men.
_P. 42. l. 1._--The madynnis of Sparta bene the Amasonys.
_P. 42. l. 2._--Harpalica douchter to Ligurgus kyng of Trace, hir
fader beand tane be the pepil of Getya, assemblit hir power, and with
sa gret haist persewit thame, that scho semyt in swiftnes to forryn
the swiftast flude of Trace, callit Hebrun; and, with mair agilite and
hardyment than is almaste to be belevit, reskewit hir fader and ourcome
hir aduersaris.
_P. 43. l. 5._--Thus said scho for to dissimyll hyr self, or than
becaus that in Cypir was scho wirscheppit only wyth insens and flouris,
and nayn other sacrifyce, sa that it was onlefull ony blud war sched in
hir tempyll.
_P. 43. l. 12._--Of Agenor ye sal knaw that Jupiter engendrit Ephaphus,
quhilk gat Belus the first, that engendrit this Agenor, and he begat
Phenix, fra quham the realm of Tyre was namyt Phenycia, and the pepil
bath of Tyre and Cartage Phenycianys, or Punycianys. This Phenix begat
Belus the secund, otherwys callit Methres, and he was fader to this
Pygmaleon, and queyn Dido, otherwys nemmyt Elissa. This ilk Phenix
also engendrit Philistenes, quhilk begat this Sycheus, otherwys callit
Sicarbas, spous to this ilk Dido, and gret preste to Hercules.
_P. 44. l. 30._--Sum sais scho gave als mekyll gold as wald gang in a
bul hid for this grund; sum haldis opynyon that in thai dais the monye
was mad of cuyrbulye or leddyr, and this castell hes his naym therfra,
for, in the langage of Affrik, _byrsa_ betakynnys leddyr, or a hyd: bot
Seruyus is of Virgillis opynion, sayand, Dido maid carve the bull hid
in sa small twhangis that it cumpassyt abowt the spas of xxij stageis,
that is thre myllis quarter les.
_P. 45. l. 17._--That Eneas heyr commendis his self, it is not to be
tayn that he said this for arrogans, bot for to schaw his scyll; as a
kyng or prince onknawin in an onkowth land, may, but repreif, rehers
his estate and dygnite, to mak him be tretyt as afferis. And als,
becaus he trastyt he spak with a goddes, that scho suld nocht aschaym
to remayn and talk with hym therfor: and becaus scho was a woman, he
schew that he was a man of autorite, with quham thai nedis nocht ascham
to speyk; for he was that man quhilk, by the common voce, was clepit
Eneas full of pyete. And for that Virgill clepis hym swa all thro
this buyk, and I interpret that term, quhylys, for _rewth_, quhils,
for _devotion_, and quhilis, for _pyete_ and _compassion;_ tharfor ye
sall knaw that pyete is a vertu, or gud deid, be the quhilk we geif
our dylligent and detfull lawbour to our natyve cuntre, and onto thaim
beyn conionyt to vs in neyr degre: and this vertu, pyete, is a part of
justyce, and hes ondyr hym twa other vertws; amyte, callyt frendschip,
and liberalyte.
_P. 45. l. 24._--Varo sais that Eneas, fra his departing of Troy quhil
he coym in the feldis of Lawrentum, all the day saw the starn of Venus;
and quhen he was thiddir cummyn he saw it na mair, quharby he ondirstud
that was his grund fatayll.
_P. 46. l. 10._--Parentis betakynnys the childis fader and moder baith.
_P. 46. l. 13._--The Egill be poetis is fenyeit to be Jovis fowle,
and that he maid ministration to him of the thunder and wapynnys the
tyme of the battale betwix the god Dis and the gyantis. Bot, war it
lefull to compar prophane fabillis to haly Scriptour, Sanct John the
ewangelist is verray Jovis egill, and clepit son of thundir.
_P. 50. l. 6._--
Attrides beyn in Latyn clepit thus
Thir nevois reput of kyng Attryus,
That in our langage are the broder tway,
Kyng Agamemnon, and Duke Menalay.
_P. 63. l. 8._ Of Typhon, or Typheus, in the xi. c. of the ix. buke.