By this, the camp was come unto the walls,

And through the breach did march into the streets,

To whom the agèd king thus, trembling, spoke; "Achilles' son, remember what I was, Father of fifty sons, but they are slain;

cried.

Frighted with this confusèd noise, I rose,

And, looking from a turret, might behold

Young infants swimming in their parents' blood, Headless carcasses pilèd up in heaps,

Virgins half-dead, dragg'd by their golden hair,
And with main force flung on a ring of pikes,
Old men with swords thrust through their agèd
sides,

Kneeling for mercy to a Greekish lad,
Who with steel pole-axes dash'd out their brains.
Then buckled I mine armour, drew my sword,
And thinking to go down, came Hector's ghost,
With ashy visage, blueish sulphur eyes,

His arms torn from his shoulders, and his breast Furrow'd with wounds, and, that which made me weep,

Thongs at his heels, by which Achilles' horse
Drew him in triumph through the Greekish camp.
Burst from the earth, crying " Æneas, fly!
Troy is a-fire, the Grecians have the town!"
Dido. O Hector, who weeps not to hear thy
name?

En. Yet flung I forth, and, desperate of my life,

Ran in the thickest throngs, and with this sword
Sent many of their savage ghosts to hell.
At last came Pyrrhus, fell and full of ire,
His harness dropping blood, and on his spear
The mangled head of Priam's youngest son;
And, after him, his band of Myrmidons,
With balls of wild-fire in their murdering paws,
Which made the funeral flame that burnt fair
Troy ;

All which hemm'd me about, crying, "This is he!" Dido. Ah, how could poor Æneas scape their hands?

En. My mother Venus, jealous of my health, Convey'd me from their crooked nets and bands; So I escap'd the furious Pyrrhus' wrath: Who then ran to the palace of the king, And at Jove's altar finding Priamus, About whose wither'd neck hung Hecuba, Folding his hand in hers, and jointly both Beating their breasts, and falling on the ground, He, with his falchion's point rais'd up at once, And with Megara's eyes, star'd in their face, Threatening a thousand deaths at every glance:

* harness] i. e. armour.

King of this city, but my Troy is fir'd;
And now am neither father, lord, nor king:
Yet who so wretched but desires to live!
O, let me live, great Neoptolemus ! "
Not mov'd at all, but smiling at his tears,
This butcher, whilst his hands were yet held up,
Treading upon his breast, struck off his hands.
Dido. O, end, Eneas! I can hear no more.
En. At which the frantic queen leap'd on his
face,

And in his eyelids hanging by the nails,
A little while prolong'd her husband's life.
At last, the soldiers pull'd her by the heels,
And swung her howling in the empty air,
Which sent an echo to the wounded king:
Whereat he lifted up his bed-rid limbs,
And would have grappled with Achilles' son,
Forgetting both his want of strength and hands;
Which he disdaining, whisk'd his sword about,
And with the wind thereof the king fell down;
Then from the navel to the throat at once
He ripp'd old Priam; at whose latter gasp
Jove's marble statue gan to bend the brow,
As loathing Pyrrhus for this wicked act.
Yet he, undaunted, took his father's flag,
And dipp'd it in the old king's chill-cold blood,
And then in triumph ran into the streets,
Through which he could not pass for slaughter'd

men;

So, leaning on his sword, he stood stone-still,
Viewing the fire wherewith rich Ilion burnt.
By this, I got my father on my back,
This young boy in mine arms, and by the hand
Led fair Creusa, my beloved wife;
When thou, Achates, with thy sword mad'st way,
And we were round environ'd with the Greeks:
O, there I lost my wife! and, had not we
Fought manfully, I had not told this tale.
Yet manhood would not serve; of force we fled;
And, as we went unto our ships, thou know'st
We saw Cassandra sprawling in the streets,
Whom Ajax ravish'd in Diana's fane,t

* wind] Old ed. "wound "-Mr. Collier (Hist. of Eng. Dram. Poet, iii. 226) first saw the right reading here, comparing the following passage in Shakespeare's Hamlet, act ii. sc. 2;

"Unequal match'd,

Pyrrhus at Priam drives, in rage, strikes wide; But with the whiff and wind of his fell sword

The unnerved father falls."

† fane] Old ed. "Fawne."

Her cheeks swollen with sighs, her hair all rent;

Whom I took up to bear unto our ships;

But suddenly the Grecians follow'd us,
And I, alas, was forc'd to let her lie!

Then got we to our ships, and, being aboard,
Polyxena cried out, "Æneas, stay!

The Greeks pursue me; stay, and take me in!"
Mov'd with her voice, I leap'd into the sea,
Thinking to bear her on my back aboard,
For all our ships were launch'd into the deep,
And, as I swom, she, standing on the shore,
Was by the cruel Myrmidons surpris'd,
And, after that, by Pyrrhus sacrific'd.

Dido. I die with melting ruth; Æneas, leave.t
Anna. O, what became of agèd Hecuba?
Iar. How got Æneas to the fleet again?
Dido. But how scap'd Helen, she that caus'd
this war?

En. Achates, speak; sorrow hath tir'd me quite.

Ach. What happen'd to the queen we cannot shew;

We hear they led her captive into Greece:

As for Æneas, he swom quickly back;
And Helena betray'd Deiphobus,
Her lover, after Alexander died,
And so was reconcil'd to Menelaus.

Dido. O, had that ticing strumpet ne'er been born!

Trojan, thy ruthful tale hath made me sad:
Come, let us think upon some pleasing sport,
To rid me from these melancholy thoughts.

[Exeunt all except ASCANIUS, whom VENUS, entering
with CUPID at another door, takes by the sleeve
as he is going off.

Ven. Fair child, stay thou with Dido's waitingmaid:

I'll give thee sugar-almonds, sweet conserves,
A silver girdle, and a golden purse,

And this young prince shall be thy playfellow.
Asc. Are you Queen Dido's son?

Cup. Ay; and my mother gave me this fine bow.

And, after that, by] Oid ed. “ And after by that." t leave] i. e. cease.

Asc. Shall I have such a quiver and a bow? Ven. Such bow, such quiver, and such golden shafts,

Will Dido give to sweet Ascanius.
For Dido's sake I take thee in my arms,
And stick these spangled feathers in thy hat:
Eat comfits in mine arms, and I will sing.*

[Sings.

Now is he fast asleep; and in this grove,
Amongst green brakes, I'll lay Ascanius,
And strew him with sweet-smelling violets,
Blushing roses, purple hyacinths: +
These milk-white doves shall be his centronels,+
Who, if that any seek to do him hurt,
Will quickly fly to Cytherea's § fist.
Now, Cupid, turn thee to Ascanius' shape,
And go to Dido, who, instead of him,

Will set thee on her lap, and play with thee:
Then touch her white breast with this arrow-head,
That she may dote upon Æneas' love,

And by that means repair his broken ships,
Victual his soldiers, give him wealthy gifts,
And he, at last, depart to Italy,

Or else in Carthage make his kingly throne.
Cup. I will, fair mother; and so play my part
As every touch shall wound Queen Dido's heart.
[Exit.

Ven. Sleep, my sweet nephew,|| in these cooling
shades,

Free from the murmur of these running streams,
The cry of beasts, the rattling of the winds,
Or whisking of these leaves: all shall be still,
And nothing interrupt thy quiet sleep,
Till I return, and take thee hence again. [Exit.

* I will sing] Here, most probably, the boy who acted Venus was to sing any song that he happened to know. After the song the scene is supposed to be changed to a grove.

↑ hyacinths] Old ed. "Hyacinthe."—"Read," says J. M. (Gent. Magazine for Jan. 1841),

With blushing roses, purple hyacinth.'" But see note II, p. 18.

centronels] i. c. sentinels. Compare B. Barnes's Divils Charter, 1607;

"And here for this night I keepe centrenell
For Muscopateron great king of flyes," &c.

Cytherea's] Old ed. "Citheidas."

|| nephew] i. e. grandson (Lat. nepos).

Sig. F. 2.

Enter CUPID * as ASCANIUS.

Cup. Now, Cupid, cause the Carthaginian queen To be enamour'd of thy brother's looks: Convey this golden arrow in thy sleeve, Lest she imagine thou art Venus' son;

And when she strokes thee softly on the head, Then shall I touch her breast and conquer her.

Enter DIDO, ANNA, and IARBAS.

Iar. How long, fair Dido, shall I pine for thee? 'Tis not enough that thou dost grant me love, But that I may enjoy what I desire:

That love is childish which consists in words.

Dido. Iarbas, know, that thou, of all my

wooers,

And yet have I had many mightier kings,-
Hast had the greatest favours I could give.
I fear me, Dido hath been counted light
In being too familiar with Iarbas;
Albeit the gods do know, no wanton thought
Had ever residence in Dido's breast.

Iar. But Dido is the favour I request.
Dido. Fear not, Iarbas; Dido may be thine.
Anna. Look, sister, how Eneas' little son
Plays with your garments and embraceth you.
Cup. No, Dido will not take me in her arms;
I shall not be her son, she loves me not.
Dido. Weep not, sweet boy; thou shalt be
Dido's son:

Sit in my lap, and let me hear thee sing.

[CUPID sings. No more, my child; now talk another while, And tell me where learn'dst thou this pretty

song.

Cup. My cousin Helen taught it me in Troy. Dido. How lovely is Ascanius when he smiles! Cup. Will Dido let me hang about her neck? Dido. Ay, wag; and give thee leave to kiss her too.

Cup. What will you give me now? I'll have this fan.

Dido. Take it, Ascanius, for thy father's sake.
Iar. Come, Dido, leave Ascanius; let us walk.
Dido. Go thou away; Ascanius shall stay.
Iar. Ungentle queen, is this thy love to me?
Dido. O, stay, Iarbas, and I'll go with thee!

Enter Cupid, &c.] Scene, a hall in Dido's palace. ↑ Cupid sings] See note, p. 259.

Cup. An if my mother go, I'll follow her. Dido. Why stay'st thou here? thou art no love of mine.

Iar. Iarbas, die, seeing she abandons thee! Dido. No; live, Iarbas: what hast thou de

serv'd,

That I should say thou art no love of mine?
Something thou hast deserv'd.—Away, I say !
Depart from Carthage; come not in my sight.
Jar. Am I not king of rich Gætulia!

Dido. Iarbas, pardon me, and stay a while.
Cup. Mother, look here.

Dido. What tell'st thou me of rich Gætulia? Am not I queen of Libya? then depart.

Iar. I go to feed the humour of my love, Yet not from Carthage for a thousand worlds. Dido. Iarbas !

Iar. Doth Dido call me back?

Dido. No; but I charge thee never look on me. Iar. Then pull out both mine eyes, or let me die. [Erit.

Anna. Wherefore doth Dido bid Iarbas go? Dido. Because his loathsome sight offends mine eye,

And in my thoughts is shrin'd another love.
O Anna, didst thou know how sweet love were,
Full soon wouldst thou abjure this single life!
Anna. Poor soul, I know too well the sour of
love:

[Aside.

O, that Iarbas could but fancy me!
Dido. Is not Eneas fair and beautiful?
Anna. Yes; and Iarbas foul and favourless.*
Dido. Is he not eloquent in all his speech?
Anna. Yes; and Iarbas rude and rustical.
Dido. Name not Iarbas: but, sweet Anna,
say,

Is not Æneas worthy Dido's love?

Anna. O sister, were you empress of the world,

Eneas well deserves to be your love!
So lovely is he, that, where'er he goes,
The people swarm to gaze him in the face.

Dido. But tell them, none shall gaze on him but I,

Lest their gross eye-beams taint my lover's cheeks.

* foul and favourless] A pleonastic expression; for both words have much the same meaning, viz. ugly.

well.

O dull-conceited Dido, that till now
Didst never think Eneas beautiful!
But now, for quittance of this oversight,
I'll make me bracelets of his golden hair;
His glistering eyes shall be my looking-glass;
His lips an altar, where I'll offer up
As many kisses as the sea hath sands;
Instead of music I will hear him speak;
His looks shall be my only library;
And thou, Eneas, Dido's treasury,

In whose fair bosom I will lock more wealth
Than twenty thousand Indias can afford.
O, here he comes! Love, love, give Dido leave
To be more modest than her thoughts admit,
Lest I be made a wonder to the world. /

Enter ENEAS, ACHATES, SERGESTUS, ILIONEUS, and

CLOANTHUS.

Achates, how doth Carthage please your lord? Ach. That will Eneas shew your majesty. Dido. Æneas, art thou there?

En. I understand, your highness sent for me. Dido. No; but, now thou art here, tell me, in sooth,

In what might Dido highly pleasure thee.

En. So much have I receiv'd at Dido's hands,
As, without blushing, I can ask no more:
Yet, queen of Afric, are my ships unrigg'd,
My sails all rent in sunder with the wind,
My oars broken, and my tackling lost,
Yea, all my navy split with rocks and shelves;
Nor stern nor anchor have our maimèd fleet;
Our masts the furious winds struck overboard:
Which piteous wants if Dido will supply,
We will account her author of our lives.
Dido. Eneas, I'll repair thy Trojan ships,
Conditionally that thou wilt stay with me,
And let Achates sail to Italy:

I'll give thee tackling made of rivell'd* gold,
Wound on the barks of odoriferous trees;
Oars of massy ivory, full of holes,

• rivell'd] i. e. (1 suppose) twisted.

As sea-born nymphs shall swarm about thy

ships,

And wanton mermaids court thee with sweet

songs,

Flinging in favours of more sovereign worth
Than Thetis hangs about Apollo's neck,

So that Eneas may but stay with me.

En. Wherefore would Dido have Æneas stay?
Dido. To war against my bordering enemies.
Eneas, think not Dido is in love;
For, if that any man could conquer me,

I had been wedded ere Eneas came:
See, where the pictures of my suitors hang;
And are not these as fair as fair may be?
Ach. saw this man at Troy, ere Troy was
sack'd.

Serg. § I this in Greece, when Paris stole fair
Helen.

Ili. This man and I were at Olympia's || games.

Serg. I know this face; he is a Persian born: I travell'd with him to Etolia.

Cloan. And I in Athens with this gentleman, Unless I be deceiv'd, disputed once.

Dido. But speak, Eneas; know you none of these?

En. No, madam; but it seems that these are kings.

Dido. All these, and others which I never saw, Have been most urgent suitors for my love;

* pyramides] Mr. Collier (Hist. of Engl. Dram. Poet., iii. 228) is mistaken in stating that here the old ed. hal "pyramids."—Our early authors generally wrote "pyra mides" (a plural regularly formed from "pyramis "); an we have already had in these plays,

"Like to the shadows of Pyramides," &c.

First Part of Tamburlane, p. 27, sec. col "Besides the gates, and high pyramides," &c. Faustus, p. 91, sec. col

↑ ballass] Spelt here in old ed. "ballace",-i. e. ballast seemly] Old ed. "meanly."-I at first conjecture. meetly.""-Mr. Collier pronounces the right reading to be "newly."

Serg.] The old ed. has "En."; which is proved to be wrong by the next speech of Dido.

Olympia's] Old ed. "Olympus."

Some came in person, others sent their legates,
Yet none obtain'd me: I am free from all;
And yet, God knows, entangled unto one.
This was an orator, and thought by words
To compass me; but yet he was deceiv'd:
And this a Spartan courtier, vain and wild;
But his fantastic humours pleas'd not me:
This was Alcion, a musician;

But, play'd he ne'er so sweet, I let him go:
This was the wealthy king of Thessaly;
But I had gold enough, and cast him off:
This, Meleager's son, a warlike prince;
But weapons gree not with my tender years:
The rest are such as all the world well knows:
Yet now I swear, by heaven and him I love,
I was as far from love as they from hate.

En. O, happy shall he be whom Dido loves!
Dido. Then never say that thou art miserable,

Because, it may be, thou shalt be my love:
Yet boast not of it, for I love thee not,-
And yet I hate thee not.-O, if I speak,
I shall betray myself! [Aside.]-Æneas, come:†
We two will go a-hunting in the woods;
But not so much for thee,-thou art but one,-
As for Achates and his followers.

[Exeunt.

Enter JUNO to ASCANIUS, who lies asleep. Juno. Here lies my hate, Æneas' cursed brat, The boy wherein false Destiny delights, The heir of Fury, the favourite of the Fates, § That ugly imp that shall outwear my wrath, And wrong my deity with high disgrace. But I will take another order now, And raze th' eternal register of Time: Troy shall no more call him her second hope, Nor Venus triumph in his tender youth; For here, in spite of heaven, I'll murder him, And feed infection with his let-out life. Say, Paris, now shall Venus have the ball Say, vengeance, now shall her Ascanius die? O, no! God wot, I cannot watch my time, Nor quit¶ good turns with double fee down told!

Tut, I am simple, without mind ** to hurt,

*now] Old ed. "how."

tcome] Old ed. "speak,"-by an error of the compositor, whose eye had caught the word from the preceding line.

Enter Juno, &c.] Scene, a grove.

§ Fates] Old ed. "face."-"Omit," says J. M. (Gent. Magazine for Jan. 1841), "the second 'the' in this line." Ilet-out] Old ed. "left out."

quit] i. e. requite.

** mind] Old ed. "made."-The modern editors print "migat."

And have no gall at all to grieve my foes! But lustful Jove and his adulterous child Shall find it written on confusion's front, That only Juno rules in Rhamnus' town.

Enter VENUS.

Ven. What should this mean? my doves are
back return'd,

Who warn me of such danger prest + at hand
To harm my sweet Ascanius' lovely life.-
Juno, my mortal foe, what make you here?
Avaunt, old witch! and trouble not my wits.
Juno. Fie, Venus, that such causeless words of
wrath

Should e'er defile so fair a mouth as thine!
Are not we both sprung of celestial race,
And banquet, as two sisters, with the gods?
Why is it, then, displeasure should disjoin
Whom kindred and acquaintance co-unites?

Ven. Out, hateful hag! thou wouldst have
slain my son,

Had not my doves discover'd thy intent:
But I will tear thy eyes fro forth thy head,
And feast the birds with their blood-shotten
balls,

If thou but lay thy fingers on my boy.

Juno. Is this, then, all the thanks that I shall

have

For saving him from snakes' and serpents' stings,
That would have kill'd him, sleeping, as he lay!
What, though I was offended with thy son,
And wrought him mickle woe on sea and land,
When, for the hate of Trojan Ganymede,
That was advanced by my Hebe's shame,
And Paris' judgment of the heavenly ball,
I muster'd all the winds unto his wreck,
And urg'd each element to his annoy?
Yet now I do repent me of his ruth,
And wish that I had never wrong'd him so.
Bootless, I saw, it was to war with fate
That hath so many unresisted + friends:
Wherefore I chang'd my counsel with the time,
And planted love where envy erst had sprung.

Ven. Sister of Jove, if that thy love be such
As these thy protestations do paint forth,
We two, as friends, one fortune will divide:
Cupid shall lay his arrows in thy lap,

And to a sceptre change his golden shafts;

*That only Juno rules in Rhamnus' town] i, e. that Juno only is the goddess of vengeance, Nemesis.

+ prest] i. e. ready, near. tunresisted] i. e. irresistible.

§ chang'd] Old ed. "change."