_aen. Desine_[552] _meque tuis incendere teque querelis; Italiam non sponte sequor._ 140

_Dido._ Hast thou forgot how many neighbour kings Were up in arms, for making thee my love?

How Carthage did rebel, Iarbas storm, And all the world calls me a second Helen, For being entangled by a stranger's looks?

So thou wouldst prove as true as Paris did, Would, as fair Troy was, Carthage might be sack'd, And I be called a second Helena!

Had I a son by thee, the grief were less, That I might see aeneas in his face: 150 Now if thou go'st, what canst thou leave behind, But rather will augment than ease my woe?

_aen._ In vain, my love, thou spend'st thy fainting breath: If words might move me, I were overcome.

_Dido._ And wilt thou not be mov'd with Dido's words?

Thy[553] mother was no G.o.ddess, perjured man, Nor Darda.n.u.s the author of thy stock; But thou art sprung from Scythian Caucasus, And tigers of Hyrcania gave thee suck.-- Ah, foolish Dido, to forbear this long!-- 160 Wast thou not wrecked upon this Libyan sh.o.r.e, And cam'st to Dido like a fisher swain?

Repaired not I thy ships, made thee a king, And all thy needy followers n.o.blemen?

O serpent, that came creeping from the sh.o.r.e, And I for pity harbour'd in my bosom, Wilt thou now slay me with thy venomed sting, And hiss at Dido for preserving thee?

Go, go, and spare not; seek out Italy: I hope that that which love forbids me do, 170 The rocks and sea-gulfs will perform at large, And thou shalt perish in the billows' ways To whom poor Dido doth bequeath revenge: I, traitor! and the waves shall cast thee up, Where thou and false Achates first set foot; Which if it chance, I'll give ye burial, And weep upon your lifeless carca.s.ses, Though thou nor he will pity me a whit.

Why starest thou in my face? If thou wilt stay, Leap in mine arms; mine arms are open wide; 180 If not, turn from me, and I'll turn from thee; For though thou hast the heart to say farewell, I have not power to stay thee. [_Exit_ aeNEAS.

Is he gone?

I, but he'll come again; he cannot go; He loves me too-too well to serve me so: Yet he that in my sight would not relent, Will, being absent, be obdurate[554] still.

By this, is he got to the water-side;

And, see, the sailors take him by the hand; But he shrinks back; and now remembering me, 190 Returns amain: welcome, welcome, my love!

But where's aeneas? ah, he's gone, he's gone!

_Enter_ ANNA.

_Anna._ What means my sister, thus to rave and cry?

_Dido._ O Anna, my aeneas is abroad, And, leaving me, will sail to Italy!

Once didst thou go, and he came back again: Now bring him back, and thou shalt be a queen, And I will live a private life with him.

_Anna._ Wicked aeneas!

_Dido._ Call him not wicked, sister: speak him fair, 200 And look upon him with a mermaid's eye; Tell him, I never vow'd at Aulis' gulf The desolation of his native Troy, Nor sent a thousand ships unto the walls, Nor ever violated faith to him; Request him gently, Anna, to return: I crave but this,--he stay a tide or two, That I may learn to bear it patiently; If he depart thus suddenly, I die.

Run, Anna, run; stay not to answer me. 210

_Anna._ I go, fair sister: heavens grant good success! [_Exit._

_Enter_ Nurse.

_Nurse._ O Dido, your little son Ascanius Is gone! he lay with me last night, And in the morning he was stoln from me: I think, some fairies have beguiled me.

_Dido._ O cursed hag and false dissembling wretch, That slay'st me with thy harsh and h.e.l.lish tale!

Thou for some petty gift hast let him go, And I am thus deluded of my boy.-- Away with her to prison presently, 220

_Enter_ Attendants.

Trait'ress too kenned[555] and cursed sorceress!

_Nurse._ I know not what you mean by treason, I; I am as true as any one of yours.

_Dido._ Away with her! suffer her not to speak.

[_Exit_ Nurse _with_ Attendants.

My sister comes: I like not her sad looks.

_Re-enter_ ANNA.

_Anna._ Before I came, aeneas was aboard, And, spying me, hoist up the sails amain; But I cried out, "aeneas, false aeneas, stay!"

Then gan he wag his hand, which, yet held up, Made me suppose he would have heard me speak; 230 Then gan they drive into the ocean: Which when I view'd, I cried, "aeneas, stay!

Dido, fair Dido wills aeneas stay!"

Yet he, whose heart['s] of adamant or flint, My tears nor plaints could mollify a whit.

Then carelessly I rent my hair for grief: Which seen to all, though he beheld me not, They gan to move him to redress my ruth, And stay a while to hear what I could say; But he, clapp'd under hatches, sail'd away. 240

_Dido._ O Anna, Anna, I will follow him!

_Anna._ How can you go, when he hath all your fleet?

_Dido._ I'll frame me wings of wax, like Icarus, And, o'er his ships, will soar unto the sun, That they may melt, and I fall in his arms; Or else I'll make a prayer unto the waves, That I may swim to him, like Triton's niece.

O Anna, [Anna,[556]] fetch Arion's[557] harp, That I may tice a dolphin to the sh.o.r.e, And ride upon his back unto my love! 250 Look, sister, look! lovely aeneas' ships!

See, see, the billows heave him[558] up to heaven, And now down falls the keels into the deep!

O sister, sister, take away the rocks!

They'll break his ships. O Proteus, Neptune, Jove, Save, save, aeneas, Dido's liefest[559] love!

Now is he come on sh.o.r.e, safe without hurt: But, see, Achates wills him put to sea, And all the sailors merry-make for joy; But he, remembering me, shrinks back again: 260 See, where he comes! welcome, welcome, my love!

_Anna._ Ah, sister, leave these idle fantasies!

Sweet sister, cease; remember who you are.

_Dido._ Dido I am, unless I be deceiv'd: And must I rave thus for a runagate?

Must I make ships for him to sail away?

Nothing can bear me to him but a ship, And he hath all my[560] fleet.--What shall I do, But die in fury of this oversight?

I; I must be the murderer of myself: 270 No, but I am not; yet I will be straight.-- [_Aside._ Anna, be glad; now have I found a mean To rid me from these thoughts of lunacy: Not far from hence There is a woman famoused for arts, Daughter[561] unto the nymphs Hesperides, Who will'd me sacrifice his ticing relics: Go, Anna, bid my servants bring me fire. [_Exit_ ANNA.

_Enter_ IARBAS.

_Iar._ How long will Dido mourn a stranger's flight That hath dishonoured her and Carthage both? 280 How long shall I with grief consume my days, And reap no guerdon for my truest love?

_Enter_ Attendants _with wood and torches_.

_Dido._ Iarbas, talk not of aeneas; let him go: Lay to thy hands, and help me make a fire, That shall consume all that this stranger left; For I intend a private sacrifice, To cure my mind, that melts for unkind love.

_Iar._ But afterwards, will Dido grant me love?

_Dido._ I, I, Iarbas; after this is done, None in the world shall have my love but thou. 290 [_They make a fire._ So leave me now; let none approach this place.

[_Exeunt_ IARBAS _and_ Attendants.

Now, Dido, with these relics burn thyself, And make aeneas famous through the world For perjury and slaughter of a queen.

Here lie[562] the sword that in the darksome cave He drew, and swore by, to be true to me: Thou shall burn first; thy crime is worse than his.

Here lie the garment which I cloth'd him in When first he came on sh.o.r.e; perish thou too.

These letters, lines, and perjur'd papers, all 300 Shall burn to cinders in this precious flame.

And now, ye G.o.ds, that guide the starry frame, And order all things at your high dispose, Grant, though the traitors land in Italy, They may be still tormented with unrest; And from mine ashes let a conqueror rise, That may revenge this treason to a queen By ploughing up his countries with the sword!

Betwixt this land and that be never league; _Litora_[563] _litoribus contraria, fluctibus undas 310 Imprecor, arma armis; pugnent ipsique nepotes!_[564]