Wherein haue I offended Iupiter,

That he should take Æneas from mine armes ?
O no, the Gods wey not what Louers doe,
It is Eneas calles Eneas hence,

And wofull Dido by these blubbred cheekes,
By this right hand, and by our spousall rites,
Desires Æneas to remaine with her :
Si bene quid de te merui, fuit aut tibi quidquam
Dulce meum, miserere domus labentis: & istam
Oro, si quis adhuc precibus locus, exue mentem.

En. Desine meque tuis incendere teque querelis,
Italiam non sponte sequor.

Dido. Hast thou forgot how many neighbour kings Were vp in armes, for making thee my loue? How Carthage did rebell, Iarbus storme,

And all the world calles me a second Helen,

For being intangled by a strangers lookes :

So thou wouldst proue as true as Paris did,

1540

1545

1550

Would, as faire Troy was, Carthage might be sackt, 1555 And I be calde a second Helena.

Had I a sonne by thee, the griefe were lesse,

That I might see Eneas in his face :

Now if thou goest, what canst thou leaue behind,

But rather will augment then ease my woe?

1560

En. In vaine my loue thou spendst thy fainting breath,

If words might moue me I were ouercome.

Dido. And wilt thou not be mou'd with Didos words?

Thy mother was no Goddesse periurd man,

Nor Dardanus the author of thy stocke:

1565

But thou art sprung from Scythian Caucasus,

And Tygers of Hircania gaue thee sucke
Ah foolish Dido to forbeare this long!

Wast thou not wrackt vpon this Libian shoare,
And cam'st to Dido like a Fisher swaine ?
Repairde not I thy ships, made thee a King,
And all thy needie followers Noblemen?

1570

O Serpent that came creeping from the shoare,
And I for pitie harbord in my bosome,

Wilt thou now slay me with thy venomed sting,
And hisse at Dido for preseruing thee?
Goe, goe and spare not, seeke out Italy,

1575

1542 rites] rights Hurst 1552 call'd Hurst to Cunn. wreck'd Hurst, Dyce to Bull.

1546 adhuc Hurst etc. ad hæc 1594 1568 this] thus Rob.

1569

I hope that that which loue forbids me doe,
The Rockes and Sea-gulfes will performe at large,
And thou shalt perish in the billowes waies,
To whom poore Dido doth bequeath reuenge.
I traytor, and the waues shall cast thee vp,
Where thou and false Achates first set foote:
Which if it chaunce, Ile giue ye buriall,
And weepe vpon your liueles carcases,
Though thou nor he will pitie me a whit.

1580

1585

Why star'st thou in my face? if thou wilt stay,
Leape in mine armes, mine armes are open wide :
If not, turne from me, and Ile turne from thee:
For though thou hast the heart to say farewell,

1590

I haue not power to stay thee. (Exit Æneas.) Is he gone?
I but heele come againe, he cannot goe,
He loues me to too well to serue me so :
Yet he that in my sight would not relent
Will, being absent, be abdurate still.
By this is he got to the water side,

And, see the Sailers take him by the hand,

But he shrinkes backe, and now remembring me,
Returnes amaine: welcome, welcome my loue :
But wheres Eneas? ah hees gone, hees gone!

(Enter Anna.)

1595

1600

Anna. What meanes my sister thus to raue and crye? Dido. O Anna, my Eneas is abourd,

And leauing me will saile to Italy.

Once didst thou goe, and he came backe againe,

Now bring him backe, and thou shalt be a Queene, 1605 And I will liue a priuate life with him.

Anna. Wicked Eneas.

Dido. Call him not wicked, sister, speake him faire,

And looke vpon him with a Mermaides eye,

Tell him, I neuer vow'd at Aulis gulfe
The desolation of his natiue Troy,

1610

Nor sent a thousand ships vnto the walles,
Nor euer violated faith to him:

Request him gently (Anna) to returne,
I craue but this, he stay a tide or two,
That I may learne to beare it patiently.

1579 sea-gulls Hurst, Cunn. 1591 S.D. add. Hurst

1615

1585 lifeless Hurst to Bull. 1600 S.D. add. Hurst.

If he depart thus suddenly, I dye :

Run Anna, run, stay not to answere me.

Anna. I goe faire sister, heauens graunt good successe.

Enter the Nurse.

Nurse. O Dido, your little sonne Ascanius

Is gone! he lay with me last night,

Exit Anna

1620

And in the morning he was stolne from me,

I thinke some Fairies haue beguiled me.

Dido. O cursed hagge and false dissembling wretch!

That slayest me with thy harsh and hellish tale,
Thou for some pettie guift hast let him goe,

1625

And I am thus deluded of my boy :

Away with her to prison presently,

Traytoresse too keend and cursed Sorceresse.

Nurse. I know not what you meane by treason, I, 1630

I am as true as any one of yours.

Exeunt the Nurse (and Attendants).

Dido. Away with her, suffer her not to speake.

My sister comes, I like not her sad lookes.

Enter Anna.

Anna. Before I came, Æneas was abourd, And spying me, hoyst vp the sailes amaine : But I cride out, Eneas, false Eneas stay.

1635

Then gan he wagge his hand, which yet held vp,

Made me suppose he would haue heard me speake :
Then gan they driue into the Ocean,

Which when I viewd, I cride, Eneas stay,

1640

Dido, faire Dido wils Eneas stay:

Yet he whose heart of adamant or flint,

My teares nor plaints could mollifie a whit :
Then carelesly I rent my haire for griefe,
Which seene to all, though he beheld me not,
They gan to moue him to redresse my ruth,
And stay a while to heare what I could say,
But he clapt vnder hatches saild away.

1645

Dido. O Anna, Anna, I will follow him.
Anna. How can ye goe when he hath all your fleete?
Dido. Ile frame me wings of waxe like Icarus, 1651

1629 too keend] keen Hurst: 1636 stay omit conj.

1628+S.D. Enter Attendants add. Dyce, Bull. keend] to kind conj. Coll., conj. Deighton kind conj. Gros.: kenn'd Cunn., Bull. Mitford

1642 heart 1594: heart's Hurst etc.

And ore his ships will soare vnto the Sunne,
That they may melt and I fall in his armes :
Or els Ile make a prayer vnto the waues,
That I may swim to him like Tritons neece:
O Anna, fetch Orions Harpe,

That I may tice a Dolphin to the shoare,
And ride vpon his backe vnto my loue:
Looke sister, looke, louely Eneas ships,
See see, the billowes heaue him vp to heauen,

1655

1660

And now downe falles the keeles into the deepe:

O sister, sister, take away the Rockes,

Theile breake his ships. O Proteus, Neptune, Ioue,
Saue, saue Eneas, Didos leefest loue!

Now is he come on shoare safe without hurt :

1665

But see, Achates wils him put to sea,

And all the Sailers merrie make for ioy,

But he remembring me shrinkes backe againe :

See where he comes, welcome, welcome my loue.
Anna. Ah sister, leaue these idle fantasies,
Sweet sister cease, remember who you are.
Dido. Dido I am, vnlesse I be deceiu'd,
And must I raue thus for a runnagate?
Must I make ships for him to saile away?
Nothing can beare me to him but a ship,
And he hath all my fleete, what shall I doe
But dye in furie of this ouersight ?

1670

1675

I, I must be the murderer of my selfe :
No but I am not, yet I will be straight.
Anna be glad, now haue I found a meane
To rid me from these thoughts of Lunacie :
Not farre from hence

1680

There is a woman famoused for arts,
Daughter vnto the Nimphs Hesperides,
Who wild me sacrifize his ticing relliques :
Goe Anna, bid my seruants bring me fire.

Enter Iarbus.

1685

Exit Anna.

Iar. How long will Dido mourne a strangers flight, That hath dishonord her and Carthage both?

1652 ship Hurst, Cunn.

to Gros.

Cunn.

1656 Anna repeat conj. Dyce, Cunn. Arions Dyce to Gros. 1660 him] 'em Dyce: them 1676 my Hurst etc. thy 1594 1678 I, I] Aye,

I Hurst to Bull. 1679+S.D. Aside add. Dyce, Bull. 1682 Not..

hence omit conj. Mitford

1682-3 One line 1594: div. Dyce 1684 Daughter] Guardian conj. Bull.: Drugster conj. Deighton

How long shall I with griefe consume my daies,
And reape no guerdon for my truest loue?

Dido. Iarbus, talke not of Æneas, let him goe,
Lay to thy hands and helpe me make a fire,
That shall consume all that this stranger left,
For I entend a priuate Sacrifize,

To cure my minde that melts for vnkind loue.
Iar. But afterwards will Dido graunt me loue?
Dido. I, I, Iarbus, after this is done,
None in the world shall haue my loue but thou:
So, leaue me now, let none approach this place.

1690

1695

Exit Iarbus.

Now Dido, with these reliques burne thy selfe,
And make Eneas famous through the world,
For periurie and slaughter of a Queene:
Here lye the Sword that in the darksome Caue
He drew, and swore by to be true to me,

Thou shalt burne first, thy crime is worse then his :
Here lye the garment which I cloath'd him in,
When first he came on shoare, perish thou to:
These letters, lines, and periurd papers all,
Shall burne to cinders in this pretious flame.
And now ye Gods that guide the starrie frame,
And order all things at your high dispose,
Graunt, though the traytors land in Italy,
They may be still tormented with vnrest,
And from mine ashes let a Conquerour rise,
That may reuenge this treason to a Queene,
By plowing vp his Countries with the Sword:
Betwixt this land and that be neuer league,
Littora littoribus contraria, fluctibus vndas
Imprecor: arma armis: pugnent ipsíq nepotes:
Liue false Æneas, truest Dido dyes,

Sic sic iuuat ire sub vmbras.

1700

1705

1710

1715

1720

(Stabs herself and throws herself into the flames.)

Enter Anna.

Anna. O helpe Iarbus, Dido in these flames Hath burnt her selfe, aye me, vnhappie me!

1690+S.D. Enter Attendants with wood and torches add. Dyce 1691 Iarbus] Oh conj. Mitford

1698+S.D. They make a fire add. Dyce 1703, 1706 lies Hurst, Dyce 1721 S.D. add. Gros. 1723, 1726 aye] ah Hurst, Cunn.