That intercepts the course of my desire-- Servants, come fetch these empty vessels here; For I will fly from these alluring eyes, 50 That do pursue my peace where'er it goes.

[_Exit._--Servants _re-enter, and carry out the vessels, &c._

_Anna._ Iarbas, stay, loving Iarbas, stay!

For I have honey to present thee with.

Hard-hearted, wilt not deign to hear me speak?

I'll follow thee with outcries ne'ertheless, And strew thy walks with my dishevell'd hair.

[_Exit._

SCENE III.

_Enter_ aeNEAS.[518]

_aen._ Carthage, my friendly host, adieu!

Since Destiny doth call me from thy[519] sh.o.r.e: Hermes this night, descending in a dream, Hath summoned me to fruitful Italy; Jove wills it so; my mother wills it so: Let my Phoenissa grant, and then I go.

Grant she or no, aeneas must away; Whose golden fortunes, clogg'd with courtly ease, Cannot ascend to fame's immortal house, Or banquet in bright Honour's burnished hall, 10 Till he hath furrowed Neptune's gla.s.sy fields, And cut a pa.s.sage through his topless[520] hills.-- Achates, come forth! Sergestus, Ilioneus, Cloanthus, haste away! aeneas calls.

_Enter_ ACHATES, CLOANTHUS, SERGESTUS, _and_ ILIONEUS.

_Ach._ What wills our lord, or wherefore did he call?

_aen._ The dreams, brave mates, that did beset my bed, When sleep but newly had embrac'd the night, Commands me leave these unrenowmed realms,[521]

Whereas n.o.bility abhors to stay, And none but base aeneas will abide. 20 Aboard, aboard! since Fates do bid aboard, And slice the sea with sable-colour'd ships, On whom the nimble winds may all day wait, And follow them, as footmen, through the deep.

Yet Dido casts her eyes, like anchors, out, To stay my fleet from loosing forth the bay: "Come back, come back," I hear her cry a-far, "And let me link thy[522] body to my lips, That, tied together by the striving tongues, We may, as one, sail into Italy." 30

_Ach._ Banish that ticing dame from forth your mouth, And follow your fore-seeing stars in all: This is no life for men-at-arms to live, Where dalliance doth consume a soldier's strength, And wanton motions of alluring eyes Effeminate our minds, inur'd to war.

_Ili._ Why, let us build a city of our own, And not stand lingering here for amorous looks.

Will Dido raise old Priam forth his grave, And build the town again the Greeks did burn? 40 No, no; she cares not how we sink or swim, So she may have aeneas in her arms.

_Clo._ To Italy, sweet friends, to Italy!

We will not stay a minute longer here.

_aen._ Trojans, aboard, and I will follow you.

[_Exeunt all except_ aeNEAS.

I fain would go, yet beauty calls me back: To leave her so, and not once say farewell, Were to transgress against all laws of love.

But, if I use such ceremonious thanks As parting friends accustom on the sh.o.r.e, 50 Her silver arms will coll[523] me round about, And tears of pearl cry, "Stay, aeneas, stay!"

Each word she says will then contain a crown, And every speech be ended with a kiss: I may not dure this female drudgery: To sea, aeneas! find out Italy!

[_Exit._

SCENE IV.

_Enter_[524] DIDO _and_ ANNA.

_Dido._ O Anna, run unto the water-side!

They say aeneas' men are going aboard; It may be, he will steal away with them: Stay not to answer me; run, Anna, run! [_Exit_ ANNA.

O foolish Trojans, that would steal from hence, And not let Dido understand their drift!

I would have given Achates store of gold, And Ilioneus gum and Libyan spice; The common soldiers rich embroider'd coats, And silver whistles to control the winds, 10 Which Circe[525] sent Sichaeus when he lived: Unworthy are they of a queen's reward.

See where they come: how might I do to chide?

_Re-enter_ ANNA, _with_ aeNEAS, ACHATES, CLOANTHUS, ILIONEUS, SERGESTUS, _and_ Carthaginian Lords.

_Anna._ 'Twas time to run; aeneas had been gone; The sails were hoising up, and he aboard.

_Dido._ Is this thy love to me?

_aen._ O princely Dido, give me leave to speak!

I went to take my farewell of Achates.

_Dido._ How haps Achates bid me not farewell?

_Ach._ Because I feared your grace would keep me here. 20

_Dido._ To rid thee of that doubt, aboard again: I charge thee put to sea, and stay not here.

_Ach._ Then let aeneas go aboard with us.

_Dido._ Get you aboard; aeneas means to stay.

_aen._ The sea is rough, the winds blow to the sh.o.r.e.

_Dido._ O false aeneas! now the sea is rough; But, when you were aboard, 'twas calm enough: Thou and Achates meant to sail away.

_aen._ Hath not the Carthage queen mine only son?

Thinks Dido I will go and leave him here? 30

_Dido._ aeneas, pardon me; for I forgot That young Ascanius lay with me this night; Love made me jealous: but, to make amends, Wear the imperial crown of Libya, [_Giving him her crown and sceptre._ Sway thou the Punic sceptre in my stead, And punish me, aeneas, for this crime.

_aen._ This kiss shall be fair Dido's punishment.

_Dido._ O, how a crown becomes aeneas' head!

Stay here, aeneas, and command as king.

_aen._ How vain am I to wear this diadem, 40 And bear this golden sceptre in my hand!

A burgonet of steel, and not a crown, A sword, and not a sceptre, fits aeneas.

_Dido._ O, keep them still, and let me gaze my fill!

Now looks aeneas like immortal Jove: O, where is Ganymede, to hold his cup, And Mercury, to fly for what he calls?

Ten thousand Cupids hover in the air, And fan it in aeneas' lovely face!

O, that the clouds were here wherein thou fled'st,[526] 50 That thou and I unseen might sport ourselves!

Heaven,[527] envious of our joys, is waxen pale; And when we whisper, then the stars fall down, To be partakers of our honey talk.

_aen._ O Dido, patroness of all our lives, When I leave thee, death be my punishment!

Swell, raging seas! frown, wayward Destinies!

Blow, winds! threaten, ye rocks and sandy shelves!

This is the harbour that aeneas seeks: Let's see what tempests can annoy me now. 60