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These hands did help to hale it to the gates,
Through which it could not enter, 'twas so huge.
O, had it never enter'd, Troy had stood.
But Priamus, impatient of delay,

Enforc'd a wide breach in that rampir'd wall,
Which thousand battering rams could never pierce,
And so came in this fatal instrument:

At whose accursed feet, as overjoy'd,

We banqueted, till, overcome with wine,
Some surfeited, and others soundly slept.

Which Sinon viewing, caus'd the Greekish spies
To haste to Tenedos, and tell the camp :
Then he unlock'd the horse, and suddenly
From out his entrails, Neoptolemus,

Setting his spear upon the ground, leapt forth,
And after him a thousand Grecians more,
In whose stern faces shin'd the quenchless fire,
That after burnt the pride of Asia.

By this the camp was come unto the walls,

And through the breach did march into the streets,
Where, meeting with the rest," kill! kill!" they cry'd.
Frighted with this confused noise, I rose,
And looking from a turret, might behold
Young infants swimming in their parents' blood!
Headless carcases piled up in heaps!

Virgins half dead, dragg'a by their golden hair,
And with main force flung on a ring of pikes!
Old men with swords thrust through their aged 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, desp'rate 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 murd'ring paws,
Which made the funeral-flame that burnt fair Troy ;
All which hemm'd me about, crying, This is he!
DIDO. Ha! 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 her's, and jointly both
Beating their breasts, and falling on the ground,

He with his faulchion's point rais'd up at once,
And with Megara's eyes star'd in their face,
Threat'ning a thousand deaths at every glance;
To whom the aged king thus trembling spoke :-
"Achilles' son, remember what I was,
Father of fifty sons, but they are slain ;
Lord of my fortune, but my fortune's turn'd!
King of this city, but my Troy is fired!
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, Æneas, I can hear no more.
Ex. 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 wound 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,

Her cheeks swoln 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, Eneas! 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 swam, she, standing on the shore,
Was by the cruel Myrmidons surpris'd,
And after by that Pyrrhus sacrific'd.

DIDO. I die with melting ruth; Æneas, leave! ANNA. O what became of aged Hecuba?

IAR. How got Æneas to the fleet again?

DIDO. But how 'scaped Helen, she that caused this war?

EN. Achates, speak, sorrow hath tir'd me quite. ACHA. What happen'd to the queen we cannot shew;

We hear they led her captive into Greece:

As for Eneas, he swam 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 omnes.

Enter VENUS and CUPID, VENUS takes ASCANIUS by the sleeve.

VEN. Fair child, stay thou with Dido's waiting maid;
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. Aye, and my mother gave me this fine bow.
Asc. Shall I have such a quiver and a bow?
VEN. Such bow, such quiver, and such golden
shafts,

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