Quhilk is na gabbyng fuythly, nor na lie,
As Jhone Bocas in the genealogie

Of Goddys declarys, and lyke as he may reid
In the recolles of Troy, quha left tak hed.

5 Quha wait gyf he in vifioun thydder went

By art magike, forcery, or enchantment,

And with his faderis fawle dyd fpeke and meyt,
Or in the lyknes with fum other spreit,

Lyke as the fpreit of Samuell, I ges,
10 Rayfit to King Saul was by the Phitones?
I will nocht fay all Virgill beyn als trew,
But at fyk thyngis ar poffibill this I schew;
Als in the days war ma illufionys,

By dewillich warkis and coniurationis,

15 Than now thar beyn, fo doith clerkis determ;
For, bliffit be God, the faith is now mair ferm.
Enewch tharof, now will I na mor fayn,
Bot onto Caxtoun thus I turn agane.

The namys of pepill or citeis beyn fo bad

20 Put by this Caxtoun, that, bot he had beyn mad, The flude of Touyr for Tibir he had nocht write; All men may knaw thar he forvayt quyte. Palente the cite of Evander kyng,

As Virgill playnly makis reherfyng,

25 Stude quhar in Rome now ftant the cheif palyce; This fam buke eyk, in mair hepit malyce,

On the felf ryver of Touyr fays playnly
Eneas dyd hys cyte edify.

Thus ay for Tibir Touyr puttis he,

30 Quhilk mony hundreth mylis fyndry be;

For fykkyrly, les than wys authoris leyn,
Ene faw nevir Touyr with hys eyn;
For Touyr diuidis Grece from Vngary,
And Tibir is cheif flude of Italy;

5 Touyr is kend a grayn of that ryver
In Latyn hecht Danubium or Hyfter,
Or gyf it be Tanais he clepis fa,

That flude diuidis Europ from Asia.
In lyke wys eik this Caxtoun, all invane,

10 Crifpina clepis Sibilla Cumane,

That in the text of Virgill, traftis ws,
Hait Deiphebe douchtir of Glawcus,
Quhilk was Eneas convoyar to hell.

Quhat fuld I langar on hys errouris dwell?
15 Thai beyn fo playn, and eik fa mony fald,
The hundreth part tharof I leif ontald.
The laft fax bukis of Virgill all inferis,
Quhilk contenys ftrang batalis and werys,
This ilk Caxtoun fo blaitly lattis ourflip,
20 I hald my tung for fchame, bytand my lyp.
The gret afferis of athir hoft and array,
The armour of Eneas frefch and gay,
The quent and curyus caftis poeticall,
Perfyte fymylitudis, and exempilis all
25 Quharin Virgill beris the palm of lawd,

Caxtoun, for dreid thai fuld hys lippis fcald,
Durft nevir twich. Thus fchortly for the namys.
A twenty devill way fall hys wark atanys,
Quhilk is na mair lyke Virgill, dar I lay,

30 Than the nycht owle refemblis the papyngay.

Quharfor zou gentill redaris I befich
Trafte on na wys at this my wark be fich,
Quhilk dyd my beft, as the wyt mycht atteyn,
Virgillis verfys to follow and no thing feyn.
5 The worthy noblys redis my wark for thy,
And caft this other buke on fyde far by,
Quhilk, vndir cullour of fum ftrange Franch wycht,
Sa franchly leys, oneith twa wordis gais rycht.

I nold ghe traft I faid this for difpyte;
10 For me lyft with nane Inglis bukis flyte,
Na with na bogill nor browny to debait,
Nowder ald gaiftis nor fpretis ded of lait,
Nor na man will I lakkyn nor difpys,

My warkis till authorys be fik wys,
15 Bot twichyng Virgillis honour and reuerens,
Quha euer contrary, I mon ftand at defens;
And bot my buke be fundyn worth fik thre,
Quhen it is red, do warp it in the fee,
Thraw it in the fyre, or rent it euery crum,
20 Twichand that part lo heir is all and fum.
Syne I defend and forbiddis euery wight
That can nocht spell thar Pater Nofter rycht,
Fortill correct or git amend Virgill,

Or the tranflatar blame in hys wlgar ftile;
25 I knaw quhat payn was to follow hym fut hait,
Albeit you think my fayng intricate.

Trafte weill, to follow a fixt fentens or mater

Is mair practik, deficill, and far ftrater,
Thocht thyne engyne beyn eleuate and hie,

30 Than forto write all ways at liberte.

Gif I had nocht bene to a boundis conftrenyt,
Of my bad wyt perchance I couth haue fenyt
In ryme a ragment twys als curyus,

Bot nocht be twenty part fo fentencyus.

5 Quha is attachit ontill a ftaik, we fe,
May go na ferthir bot wreil about that tre,
Rycht fo am I to Virgillis text ybund,

I may nocht fle, les than my falt befund; For thocht I wald tranfcend and go befyde, 10 His wark remanys, my fchame I may nocht hyde; And thus I am conftrenyt, als neir I may, To hald hys vers and go nane other way, Les fum hiftory, fubtell word, or the ryme Caufith me mak digreffioun fum tyme. 15 So thocht in my tranflatioun eloquens fkant is, Na lufty caft of oratry Virgill wantis; My ftudyus brayn to comprehend his fentens Leit me nevir taift hys flude of eloquens; And thus forfuyth becaus I was nocht fre, 20 My werk is mair obfcur and gros per de, Quharof, God wait, Virgill has na wyte, Thocht myne be blunt, hys text is maift perfyte. And git perfave I weill, be my confait,

The kyng of poetis ganys nocht for rurall eftait, 25 Nor hys fresch memor for bowbardis; he or scho Quha takis me nocht go quhar thai haue ado: The fonnys lycht is neuer the wers, traifte me, All thocht the bak hys brycht bemys doith fle. Greyn gentill ingynys, and breiftis curageus, 30 Sik ar the pepill at ganys beft for ws;

Our werk defiris na lewyt rebalddaill,
Full of nobilite is thiftory all haill,
For, euery vertu belangand a nobill man,
This ornate poet, bettir than ony can,
5 Payntand diferyvis in perfon of Eneas;
Not forto fay, fikane Eneas was,

Jit than by hym perfytly blafons he
All wirfchip, manhed, and nobilite,

With euery bonte belangand a gentill wycht,

10 Ane prynce, ane conquerour, or a valgeand knycht; In luffis cuyr eneuch heir fall he fynd;

And fchortly, Virgill left na thing behynd

That mycht hys volume illummyn or crafty mak;
Reid quha hym knawys, I dar this vndertak,

15 Als oft as je hym reid, full weill I wait,

The fynd ilke tyme fum mery new confait.

Thoght venerabill Chaufer, principal poet but peir,
Hevynly trumpat, orlege, and reguler,

In eloquens balmy, cundyt, and dyall,
20 Mylky fontane, cleir ftrand, and roys ryall,
Of fresch endyte, throu Albion island braid,
In hys legend of notabill Ladeis, faid
That he couth follow word by word Virgill,
Wifar than I may faill in lakar stile;
25 Sum tyme the text mon haue ane expofitioun,
Sum tyme the cullour will caus a litill additioun,
And fum tyme of a word I mon mak thre,
In witnes of this term oppetere ;
Eik, weill I wait, fyndry expofitouris feir
30 Makis on a text fentens diuers to heir,