735 Where am I--and my mind what phrenzy leads!

Now Dido, now, you feel your impious deeds.

Then was the time, your sceptre when you shar'd.

O thou for faith, for piety rever'd!

This, this is he whose pious shoulders bore 740 His G.o.ds, his father, from the Trojan sh.o.r.e!

Why did I not those limbs to pieces tear, Behold the waves, the b.l.o.o.d.y fragments bear, Cut off his friends and sever'd with the sword, Serve up Ascanius at his father's board!

745 His fortune might prevail--and so it might!

What has despair to fear--in Fortune's spite I'd fire the fleet, the town, the son, the sire, The race extinguish, and with joy expire.

O Sun, whose beams all earthy deeds reveal, 750 Juno who know and witness what I feel, Hecate whose howl the midnight hour affrights, G.o.ds of my parting soul--avenging sprites, Accept my vow, my pray'r expiring hear; The ills I bear are worthy of your ear.

755 If so the fates decree, if Jove command, That, he accurst, shall reach th' Italian land, There may he meet in arms, a warlike race, There helpless rove, torn from his son's embrace, His friends untimely end there let him feel; 760 For succour there to strangers meanly kneel; And when for peace, ingloriously he sues, His crown, his life, untimely may he lose, And lie unburied on the naked sh.o.r.e; 765 With the last breath of life this pray'r I pour.

And you, my Tyrian friends--thro' times extent On that curst race eternal hatred vent.

These gifts, these honors, let my ashes reap, No peace, no treaty with that people keep.

770 Rise, rise some vast avenger from my tomb, With fire with sword that Dardan breed consume.

Now and as long as Fate the pow'r shall lend, May sh.o.r.e with sh.o.r.e--may wave with wave contend, So prays my soul--let arms with arms engage, And children's children war eternal wage.

775 So Dido pray'd, while her distracted thought To shun light's hated beams, impatient sought.

To Barce then, her husband's nurse, she said, (Her own at Tyre, within the tomb was laid).

Go, Barce, go my sister hither bring 780 With water sprinkled from the sacred spring; Bid her the victims lead, the rites prepare, And you yourself a sacred fillet wear: The rite began to Stygian Jove we'll end, My cares shall vanish as the flames ascend, 785 His image wasting as the pyre consumes; She spoke--the step of age officious haste a.s.sumes.

But now the ripen'd project chill'd her soul; Thro' starting blood her eyeb.a.l.l.s burning roll; Her cheek convuls'd with spots of livid red, 790 All pale and ghastly, Death approaching spread.

Strait to the court with darting stop she bends, With frantic haste the funeral pyle ascends, And from the scabbard draws the Dardan blade.

(Sad gift, alas, for no such purpose made), 795 But when the bed, and Trojan vest she view'd; That well known bed--she paus'd--and pensive stood.

Tears found their way--once more that bed she prest As these last words her parting breath exprest.

Dear pledges! yes!--while heaven allow'd it so?

800 Now take this soul---relieve me from this woe; I've liv'd, whatever fortune gave is o'er; No common shade I seek the dreary sh.o.r.e, My walls arise, I leave a glorious state; --Not unreveng'd I view'd my husband's fate; 805 Alas, too happy--had the envious gales, To Lybia's coast, ne'er bent the Phrygian sails.

She ceas'd--and kiss'd again the fatal bed: --And must I die--and none avenge me dead?

Yes, yes! I die, since fate will have it so, Thus, even thus, well pleas'd beneath the shades I go; 810 These rising flames his cruel eye shall meet, A dreadful omen to attend his fleet!

With this they saw her falling on the sword; Her blood along the reeking weapon pour'd, 815 Ran trickling down her hands.--Now horrid cries Through all the palace all the town arise-- Fame blows the deed--loud shouts from heav'n rebound, And groans and yells and female shrieks resound, As loud and shrill as if to foes a prey, 820 Carthage or ancient Tyre abandon'd lay, And thro' the temples and abodes of man, Fierce flames with undistinguish'd fury ran.

Her sister hears the tumult of despair, She starts--she tears her breast, she reads her hair, 825 And wildly bursting thro' the gathering crowd, Calls on her dying sister's name aloud: Dido--Dear sister--how am I betray'd!

For this, these flames--this pyre, these shrines I made.

Oh what complaints for me forlorn suffice!

850 Could you, resolv'd to die, your friend despise, Was I unworthy deem'd to share your end?

One pang our souls should free, one fate attend.

I call'd our G.o.ds--my hands these rites prepar'd; You go without me, and our fate unshar'd?

835 Oh, sister! this sad deed has ruin'd all; With you, your state, your friends, your sister fall.

--But pour the stream--I'll wash the blood away, And if some ling'ring breath of life delay, These lips shall catch it.--On the pyre she prest 840 Her sister, just expiring, to her breast; She wip'd the blood--and Dido heard her cries, And strove to raise in rain her languid eyes, They clos'd again,--and babbling in the wound The frothy blood hiss'd forth a horrid sound.

845 Thrice on her hand she lean'd to raise her head, And thrice sank down unable on her bed; Her eyes half fix'd, she open'd to the day, And groan'd that stil they felt the vivid ray.

Till Juno who beheld her ling'ring death, 850 The painful agony of parting breath, Sent Iris down in pity from the sky, To free her soul, and loose the stubborn tye.

For since unclaim'd by Fate, before her day, She fell to love forlorn a guiltless prey, 855 } To cut the tress, the queen of night delay'd, } The flaxen hair that on her forehead stray'd, } Nor yet consign'd her to the Stygian shade.

Then Iris, going from the sunbeam drew A thousand colours, varying as she flew; 860 Her dewy wing in liquid azure spread, Dropt down the sky, and hov'ring o'er her head Pluto, this fated lock I bear to thee, And from this body set the spirit free, She said--Her fingers cut the flaxen hair, 865 The heat dissolv'd--the soul exhal'd in air.

THE HENRIAD.

CANTO IX.

ARGUMENT.

Description of the Palace of Love.--Discord implores his aid to bend the unconquerable courage of Henry IV.--Description of Gabrielle d'Etree.

Henry, pa.s.sionately enamoured with her; quits his army, and loses the advantages of his victory at Ivry. Mornay seeks him in his retreat, tears him from the arms of his mistress, and restores him to his army.

WHERE fam'd Idalia's happy plains extend, As Europe's bounds begin and Asia's end, Stands an old palace, long by time rever'd; The first rude plan the hand of nature rear'd; 5 But soon, disdaining Nature's simple taste, Intruding art the modest fabric grac'd.

There vernal breezes fann'd the myrtle shade, Soft odour breath'd, and beams unclouded play'd.

No tyrant winter e'er despoil'd the grove, 10 Bid feather'd warblers end the note of love, Or bound the murm'ring rill in icy chains.

Eternal verdure crown'd the blissful plains; No labour Earth requir'd, no season knew, Unbid by man her smiling harvest grew; 15 Round mellow fruit, the timid blossom twin'd, Gay Flora's bloom to rich Pomona join'd.

Not wanton Nature when her reign began, Such blessings lavish'd on her fav'rite man; The thoughtless joy which from abundance flows, 20 Days without care, and nights of calm repose: All to delude the mind, to charm the sense, All Eden e'er could boast,--but innocence.

Sweet music wafted on the balmy breeze, Invited languor and voluptuous ease, 25 While am'rous lays in dulcet note proclaim The lovers triumph, and the fair one's shame.

There to the laughing G.o.d in flow'rs array'd, The graceful throng their daily homage paid; There in his temple learn'd the fatal art, 30 To please, seduce, and captivate the heart.

Young Hope, in flatt'ring smiles for ever gay, To Love's mysterious altar leads the way: The graces round, half veil'd and half in sight, Enticing motion with their voice unite; 35 While Indolence, luxurious laid along, Listless and loit'ring, hears the tender song.

There, silent Myst'ry, with the veil she wears, And eyes conversing with the soul, appears, Attentive tender cares, attracting smiles, 40 Gay sport and mirth, and all that thought beguiles.

Lascivious pleasures group'd with wanton ease; And soft desires that more than pleasure please.

Such the delightful entrance of the dome: But onward if with guardless step you roam, 45 And thro' the deep recess audacious pry, What alter'd scenes of horror strike your eye!

No pleasures form'd in playful groupes invite, No dulcet sounds the ravish'd ear delight; 50 No tender cares:--- But in their place appear, Sullen Complaint, and cloy'd Disgust, and Fear; There, fever'd Jealousy with livid hue, And falt'ring steps unwinds Suspicion's clew; Arm'd with the blood-stain'd instruments of death, There, Rage and Hatred spread their poison'd breath; 55 While Malice, brooding over secret guile, Repays their labour with a treach'rous smile; Remorse, that never sleeps, brings up the rear, Hates his own deed, and drops a barren tear.

There, Love, capricious child, had chose to reign, 60 And pains and pleasures were his motely train; Cruel and kind by turns, but ever blind, The dear delight, the torment of mankind, Thro' ev'ry camp, thro' ev'ry senate glides, Commands the warrior, o'er the judge presides; 65 Still welcome to the heart, he still deceives, Pants in each bosom, thro' all nature lives.

High on a throne of endless conquest vain, Love bids the monarch drag his servile chain; And glorying less to please, than to destroy, 70 In scenes of woe exults with savage joy.

Him, Discord sought, by Rage relentless led, The timid pleasures knew the fiend and fled; Her eyes were fire, fresh blood her forehead dy'd, Around she whirl'd her flaming torch, and cry'd: 75 Why sleeps my brother o'er the poison'd dart?

His pow'r forgetting o'er the human heart?

Did ever Love the flames of Discord waft, Or Discord's venom tinge Love's deadly shaft?

Did I for Love, bid madd'ning worlds engage?

80 Rise then--avenge my insult, serve my rage; Behold a conqu'ring king my pow'r defy!

Crush'd by his hand, behold my serpents die!

See dove-ey'd Mercy smiling by his side, Thro' fields of civil rage his faithful guide; 85 See to his standard ev'ry heart return, While I my falling empire vainly mourn: Let him, with her, obtain one conquest more, Paris is his, and Discord's reign is o'er: Her smiles will gild the triumph which he gains, 90 Then what is left for me but hopeless chains!

But Love shall wind this torrent from its course, And soil his glories in their limpid sourse; Spite of the virtues which adorn his mind, In am'rous chains that haughty spirit bind.

95 Can you forget what heroes once you charm'd, Whom at her feet fair Omphale disarm'd?

Whose purple sail before Augustus flew, Who lost the world for Egypt's queen and you?

To these proud trophies Henry's name unite, 100 Beneath your myrtle all his laurels blight: You serve yourself, when you my throne maintain, For Lore and Discord must together reign.

So spoke the monster, and the vault around Trembling, threw back on Earth the deadly sound.

105 Love heard, and answ'ring with a doubtful smile, Where half was sweetness, half insidious guile, His golden quiver o'er his shoulder threw, And gliding soft thro' yielding azure flew.

Pleasure, the graces, and unthinking sport, 110 Born by the Zephyr, were his wanton court.

Pois'd on his even wing, he look'd with joy On Simois, and the plain where once was Troy; A smile the triumph of his heart betray'd, To view the mighty ruin Love had made.