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: The Destiny of Rome

Anchises gyffis Eneas gud teiching,
To gyde the peple ondir his gouerning.

THE PEPLE of vdyr realmis, son, sayd he,

Bene moyr expert in craftis, and moir sle

To forge and carve lyflyk staturis of bras,

Be countinance as the spreit tharin was;

I traist, forsuith heyreftyr mony ane

Sall hew quyk facis furth of marbyll stane;

Sum wtheris better can thair causis pleid;

Sum bene mair crafty in ane wthir steid,

With rewlis and with mesouris by and by

For til excers the art of geometry;

And sum moir subtel to discrive and prent

The sternis movingis and the hevynis went:

Bot thow, Romane, remember, as lord and syre,

To rewle the pepill vndir thyne impyre;

Thir sall thi craftis be at weil may seme,

The paix to modyfy and eik manteme,

To pardoun all cumis ȝoldin and recreant,

And prowd rabellis in batale for to dant.