445 Then cease the wounding accent of complaint-- I follow not my will, but Heav'n's constraint.

She heard his words--but turning from his view, Now here, now there, her eyes indignant threw.

She fix'd him with a scornful silent cast, 450 All over view'd him--and burst forth at last.

No, faithless monster, no! Nor race divine, Nor Dardan sire, nor G.o.ddess mother thine!

Form'd in the flinty womb of rocks accurst, 455 Begot by Caucasus, by tygers nurst.

What need I more? why doubt of what is plain?

One sigh, one look, did all my tears obtain.

How name his crimes? did loves extremest woe, Move that hard heart, or cause one tear to flow!

But will Jove's Queen who guards the nuptial vow, 460 Will mighty Jove himself, such deeds allow?

Whom now confide in? Cast upon my sh.o.r.e, Shipwreck'd, distress'd, a friendly aid I bore: Himself, his fleet, his friends, from ruin drew, Nay, foolish woman! shar'd my kingdom too, 465 Now,--my rage to very madness tends: Now Lycian fates, now Phaebus he pretends, } Nay mighty Jove himself, thro' flitting air } Sends down a G.o.d his dread command to bear.

} A worthy object, truly, for his care!

470 A mighty thing, to break the G.o.d's repose!

But go, such fates no longer I oppose; Go, seek Ausonia in the hollow wind, And in the frothy surge a kingdom find.

Yes may you find--just Heav'n my wishes serve!

475 Dash'd on some rock, the fate that you deserve.

Then, when you call on injure! Dido's name, I'll follow glaring in the light'ning's flame; When Death's cold hand this wretched soul shall free, My ghost shall haunt you, wheresoe'er you be.

480 Yes wretch--be sure--the vengeance will be paid.

'Twill reach my ear--'twill sooth my angry shade.

While yet she spoke, she trembling turn'd away, Broke from his sight, and shun'd the light of day.

485 She left him struck with fear, with grief opprest; Opposing thoughts revolv'd within his breast.

Her languid step her maids supporting led, And plac'd her fainting on the nuptial bed.

Much as he wish'd the mourner to console, To speak soft comfort to her wounded soul, 490 To grief, to doubt, to pow'rful love a prey, Jove's sov'reign will, the hero must obey, He views the fleet, his brave companions cheers, Hauls down the bark and to the ocean veers; The sides well calk'd, the briny wave defy, 495 The living woods, their shapeless limbs supply, From the green oar the bleeding leaf they tear, They run, they toil, they press the phasing care.

In gath'ring numbers from the town they pour, Wind o'er the plain, and spread along the sh.o.r.e 500 Like ants, that forage for a future day, 500 And to their stores the plunder'd wheat convey; In narrow columns move the sable train; These with main strength roll on the pond'rous grain; These press the march, and these the loit'rers drive; 505 They go, they come, their path seems all alive.

Ill fated Queen! what pangs your bosom tore, What sighs you heav'd, as on the moving sh.o.r.e, The busy crews, a.s.sembling in your sight, With dashing waves, their horrid shouts unite.

510 Love, in our heart! how boundless is thy force!

To tears again, to pray'r she has recourse; Love bends her soul each suppliant art to try, Each humble suit, ere she resolve, to die.

See, Anna, see, the crowded beach they hide, 515 See how they spread, they swarm from ev'ry side; Their open sails already court the wind, The stern with wreaths the joyful sailors bind.

Oh had I thought such ills could e'er ensue Perhaps I should have learn'd to bear them too?

520 Now grant me, Anna, grant this one request!

False man! his friendship you alone possest; To you his heart was open, none but you, The soft access, the pliant moment knew.

Go sister then, my haughty foe intreat, 525 Tell him to Troy I sent no hostile fleet; Nor yet, at Aulis, was I one that swore, United vengeance to the Dardan sh.o.r.e.

Have I disturb'd his father's sacred shade, That to be heard--not mere--in vain I've pray'd?

530 Tho' clos'd his ears to me, can be deny This last, this least request! where would he fly?

Bid him remain till wintry storms subside, Till kinder breezes, smooth the ruffled tide.

535 The nuptial vow, which he so vainly swore, His plighted faith no longer I implore, Nor yet his Latian kingdom to forego: Some fruitless s.p.a.ce, some breathing time for woe, 'Till fate have thought the wretch subdu'd to grieve, Is all I beg--Obtain this last reprieve-- 540 For pity gain it,--and the short delay With all her parting soul, will Dido pay.

So pray'd the Queen, and o'er and o'er again, Pray'rs, sighs, and tears her sister urg'd in vain; Unmov'd he stands by tears, by pray'rs by sighs, 545 The fates oppose, the G.o.d his ear denies.

Thus from the rock, the patient work of years, His knotted strength an oak majestic rears, When Alpine storms on ev'ry side contend, Now here, now there his rooted ma.s.s to bend, 550 Each labour'd limb resounds, and from his head The rustling spoils in heaps the ground o'erspread.

He grasps the rock unmov'd, and proudly shoots As high to heav'n his head, as down to h.e.l.l his roots.

With storms as fierce the lab'ring Hero torn, 555 Now here now there by swelling pa.s.sion borne Sunk in his soul a mighty load of woe, His mind unshook--tears unavailing flow.

'Twas then that Dido, sinking with her fate, In all its horror view'd her wretched state.

560 The light of heav'n grew odious to her sight, She call'd on Death, and each religions rite With horrid omens urg'd the dark design: The milky juice flowed black upon the shrine; And dire to tell, the sacred wine she bore 565 Fell from the cup in fleaks of clotted gore.

These horrid sighs, to her alone reveal'd, Ev'n from her sister's friendship she conceal'd.

But more--a temple in the palace stood With snow-white fleeces hang, with garlands strew'd, 570 Where to her former husband's honor'd shade a.s.siduous worship, daily vows she paid: There, when the night, unroll'd her sable pall She hears his voice in doleful murmurs call, While from the roof the fated owl alone 575 In deep complaint prolongs the funeral tone.

Beside, what ills had been foretold before, Now on her mind, a dread impression bore.

Her aching eyes did broken slumbers close, aeneas like a vengeful fury rose: 580 Alone--forsaken--distant from her home, Driv'n o'er the desert--she appears to roam With sinking steps,--abandoned--left behind, Thro' burning sands her native Tyre to find.

So mad Pentheus saw two suns arise, 585 Two Thebes appear before his haggard eyes.

So wild Orestes flies his mother's rage, With snakes, with torches arm'd across the stage, To 'scape her vengeance whereso'er he goes, Pale furies meet him and his flight oppose.

590 Now when despair had settled on her mind, What way to meet the death that she design'd Fill'd all her thoughts. Her sister she addrest While treach'rous smiles beguil'd her soul distrest.

Rejoice, my friend, while I the means impart, 595 To gain his love or drive him from my heart: A place there is where aethiopia ends, And into ocean's lap the sun descends; Where Atlas on his spreading shoulders bears, And turns the shining glory of the spheres.

600 Thence comes a priestess, in Ma.s.syla rear'd, Who for the watchful Dragon food prepar'd; Th' Hesperian temple 'twas her charge to keep, The drowsy flow'rs in liquid honey steep, And watch the golden branches on the tree.

605 She, at her will, the lab'ring mind can free, With mystic verse,--or deadly cares enforce, Repell the stars--arrest the rivers course; Raise the dead shade, the trembling mountain rend, And make the wood with horrid sound descend.

610 By heav'n and thee, thou nearest to my heart, Against my will I fly to magic art.

But in the inmost court, in open air, A lofty pile thou, dearest friend, prepare, There let his arms, my nuptial couch that grac'd, 615 There ev'ry thing he faithless left be plac'd; And fast that bed--sad witness of my fall; The priestess orders to destroy them all.

Of the sad deed be left no conscious trace-- She ceas'd and smil'd,--but death was in her face.

620 Anna obey'd; prepar'd the pyre; her mind Conceiv'd no fear of all the Queen design'd, Nor with such deep despair, her spirit fraught, Nor worse than when Sicheus fell she thought.

In open air, but in a court inclos'd, 625 Rich pine and cloven oak the pyre compos'd; The Queen herself the lofty sides around, With flow'rs of death, funereal fillets bound; Then o'er the pyre, upon the nuptial bed, His sword, his portrait, all he left, she spread; 630 Her spirit labour'd with the dread design; All round were altars rais'd for rites divine.

There stands the priestess with dishevell'd hair; (Her voice like thunder shakes the trembling air) Thrice on the hundred G.o.ds aloud she calls, 635 Deep night and chaos, thrice her Voice appalls; The triple form that Virgin Dian wears, Infernal Hecate's threefold nature hears.

For stygian waters that surround the dead, Enchanted juice, a baleful vapour shed.

640 Black drops of venom--potent herbs she steep'd, With brazen scythes, by trembling Moonlight reap'd.

And from the filly's infant forehead shorn A powerful philter from the mother torn.

The Queen her sacred off'ring in her hands, 645 With one foot bar'd, before the altar stands; Her zone unbound releas'd her flowing vest; The conscious G.o.ds her dying words attest, The start that bear our fate, and if above A pow'r remains, that pities injur'd love.

650 'Twas night when o'er the earth in soft repose, All that exist, the load of life depose; When woods are hush'd, and murmuring billows done, When stars descending half their course have run; In silence all--The beasts, the feather'd brood, 655 That swim the lake, or haunt the thicket wood, All thro' the silent night, in balmy sleep Their hearts reliev'd in sweet oblivion steep.

Not wretched Dido--night descends in vain Her eyes unclos'd, and unrepriev'd her pain; 660 Rest flies her soul, and sleep her couch forsakes; Care through the livelong night incessant wakes; Now love, now rage, in midnight silence nurst, Back on her soal with doubted fury burst.

From wave to wave of boiling pa.s.sion borne, 665 What now remains, she cries--despis'd, forlorn, Must Dido now, poor suppliant wretch, implore, And court the husband she disdain'd before; Or must I on their fleet submissive wait; And from those Dardan lords expect my fate?

670 Oh! yes!--by former favours I may guess What grat.i.tude they'll feel in my distress.

But if--which way! what means?--What pow'r have I?

How will their pride my humble suit deny?

Oh senseless being! have I yet to know, 675 How far, that perjur'd, Trojan race can go?

And then--alone attend their joyful crew, Or with my Tyrian force their fleet pursue?

Yes,--and the men I scarce from home could tear, 680 Will they for me again the ocean dare.

No--meet the death you merit.--Let the sword-- 'Tis all that's left, this sad relief afford.

Oh, sister, to my tears so weakly kind, You nurst this fatal error in my mind, } You wrought my fate, you gave me to my foe; 685 } As Nature free, unshar'd my days might flow, } No guilty joy, no faithless partner know, No pangs like these I bear,--and not to you, Dear injur'd shade, Sicheus not untrue.

Long as the gloomy shades o'erhung the pole, 690 Such cares revolving prey'd upon her soul.

Meanwhile aeneas in his fleet repos'd, His doubts remov'd, and all for flight dispos'd.

To him the form divine he'd seen before, Appear'd in sleep--again his mandate bore; 695 The graceful limbs of youth, the flaxen hair, The voice, the rosy hue, Jove's son declare.

O G.o.ddess born! can sleep weigh down your eyes, Clos'd to the dangers which around you vise?

Senseless!--the zephyrs waste their fav'ring breath, 700 While brooding in a soul resolv'd on death Some black design, matures, some treach'rous blow, Haste then and fly, while yet you've pow'r to go.

You'll see, if here you wait the morning ray, The port block'd up, the sh.o.r.e to flames a prey.

705 Woman's a thing so variable and light!

Haste then away. He spoke and mix'd with night.

aeneas trembling as the phantom flew, Started from sleep, and rous'd the slumb'ring crew.

Rise, rise, companions, each one to his oar; 710 Hoist ev'ry sail--a G.o.d sent down once more, Impels our flight--Be quick--stand out to sea, The cables cut. Great G.o.d, whoe'er you be Thy words again exulting we obey.

Be present, rule our stars--direct our way 715 Propitious. He spoke, his whirling falchion drew, The halser cut, the bark impatient flew, All felt the impulse--dashing thro' the tide They quit the sh.o.r.e, their barks the ocean hide; The boiling wave their oars alternate sweep, 720 They bend, they pull, they cut the sounding deep.

Now rising from t.i.thonius golden bed Fresh beams of rosy light Aurora shed; And as the scatter'd shades were pierc'd with grey, The Queen from high beheld them under way, 725 Their swelling sail the fav'ring breezes bent, The sh.o.r.e, the port, a lonely s.p.a.ce present.

Oh then her lovely bosom in despair She beat. Oh then she tore her flaxen hair.

He's gone--Almighty heav'n, he's gone! she cries, 730 That wand'ring exile all my pow'r defies.

Arm, arm, my warriors--sally from the town; Pursue the wretches--haul my gallies down; Bring flaming brands, with sails with oars pursue.

--What have I said, alas! what would I do?