Thomas Humphry Ward, ed. The English Poets. 1880–1918.rnVol. I. Early Poetry: Chaucer to Donne

Gawain Douglas (c. 1474–1522)

Extracts from the Aeneid: Dido’s Hunting

Quhou that the Quene to hunteyn raid at morow,
And of the first day of hyr joy and sorow.

FURTH of the see, with this, the dawing springis.

As Phebus rais, fast to the ȝettis thringis

The chois galandis, and huntmen thaim besyde,

With ralis and with nettis strang and wyde,

And hunting speris stif with hedis braid;

From Massylyne horsmen thik thiddir raid,

With rynning hundis, a full hugë sort.

Noblis of Cartage, hovand at the port,

The quene awatis that lang in chalmer dwellis:

Hir fers steid stude stamping, reddy ellis,

Rungeand the fomy goldin bitt jingling;

Of goldin pall wrocht his riche harnissing;

And scho, at last, of palice ischit out,

With huge menȝe walking hir about,

Lappit in ane brusit mantill of Sydony,

With gold and perle the bordour all bewry,

Hingand by hir syde the cais with arrowis ground;

Hir brycht tressis envolupit war and wound

Intill a kuafe of fyne gold wyrin threid;

The goldin buttoun claspit hir purpour weid,

And furth scho passit with all hir company:

The Troiane peple forgadderit, by and by

Joly and glaid the fresche Ascanius ȝing.

Bot first of all, most gudlie, hym self thar king,

Enee gan entir in falloschip, but dout,

And vnto thaim adionyt his large rowt.

Lyk quhen Apollo list depart or ga

Furth of his wintring realm of Lisia,

And leif the flude Exanthus for a quhile,

To vesy Delos his moderis land and ile,

Renewand ringis and dancis, mony a rowt;

Mixt togiddir, his altaris standing abowt,

The peple of Crete, and thaim of Driopes,

And eik the payntit folkis Agathirces,

Schowtand on ther gise with clamour and vocis hie;

Apon thi top, mont Cynthus, walkis he,

His wavand haris, sum tyme, doing down thring

With a soft garland of lawrere sweit smelling,

And wmquhile thaim gan balmyng and anoynt,

And into gold addres, at full gude poynt;

His grundin dartis clattering by his syde.

Als fresch, als lusty did Eneas ryde;

With als gret bewtie in his lordlie face.