The Complete Plays (9 page)

At which
the frantic queen leaped
on his face,

And in his eyelids hanging by the nails,

A little while prolonged her husband's life.

At last the soldiers pulled her by the heels

And swung her howling in the empty air,

Which sent an echo to the wounded king;

250    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 whisked his sword about,

And with the
wind thereof
the king fell down.

Then from the navel to the throat at once

He ripped 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

260    And dipped it in the old king's chill cold blood,

And then in triumph ran into the streets,

Through which he could not pass for slaughtered 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-environed with the Greeks.

270    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 knowest

We saw
Cassandra sprawling
in the streets,

Whom Ajax ravished in
Diana's fane,

Her cheeks swoll'n with sighs, her hair all rent,

Whom I took up to bear unto our ships.

But suddenly the Grecians followed us,

And I, alas, was forced to let her lie.

280    Then got we to our ships and, being aboard,

Polyxena cried
out, ‘Aeneas, stay!

The Greeks pursue me, stay and take me in!'

Moved with her voice, I leapt into the sea,

Thinking to bear her on my back aboard,

For all our ships were launched into the deep,

And as I swum, she, standing on the shore,

Was by the cruel Myrmidons surprised

And after by that Pyrrhus sacrificed.

DIDO

I die with melting ruth; Aeneas,
leave!

ANNA

290    O, what became of agèd Hecuba?

IARBAS

How got Aeneas to the fleet again?

DIDO

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

AENEAS

Achates, speak, sorrow hath tired me quite.

ACHATES

What happened to the queen we cannot show;

We hear they led her captive into Greece.

As for Aeneas, he swum quickly back,

And Helena betrayed Deiphobus,

Her lover after
Alexander died
,

And so was reconciled to Menelaus.

DIDO

300    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
[
except
ASCANIUS
].

Enter
VENUS
[
with
CUPID
]
at another door, and takes
ASCANIUS
by the sleeve
.

VENUS

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.

ASCANIUS

Are you Queen Dido's son?

CUPID

Ay, and my mother gave me this fine bow.

ASCANIUS

310    Shall I have such a quiver and a bow?

VENUS

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.

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 hyacinth;

320    These milk-white doves shall be his sentinels,

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 Aeneas' love,

And by that means repair his broken ships,

Victual his soldiers, give him wealthy gifts,

330    And he at last depart to Italy,

Or else in Carthage make his kingly throne.

CUPID

I will, fair mother, and so play my part

As every touch shall wound Queen Dido's heart.

[
Exit
.]

VENUS

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
.

Enter
CUPID
alone
[
disguised as
ASCANIUS
].

CUPID

Now, Cupid, cause the Carthaginian queen

To be enamoured 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
IARBAS, ANNA
and
DIDO
.

IARBAS

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:

10      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.

IARBAS

But Dido is the favour I request.

DIDO

Fear not, Iarbas, Dido may be thine.

ANNA

20       Look, sister, how Aeneas' little son

Plays with your garments and embraceth you.

CUPID

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?

CUPID

My cousin Helen taught it me in Troy.

DIDO

How lovely is Ascanius when he smiles!

CUPID

30       Will Dido let me hang about her neck?

DIDO

Ay, wag, and give thee leave to kiss her too.

CUPID

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

DIDO

Take it, Ascanius, for thy father's sake.

IARBAS

Come, Dido, leave Ascanius! Let us walk!

DIDO

Go thou away, Ascanius shall stay.

IARBAS

Ungentle queen, is this thy love to me?

DIDO

O stay, Iarbas, and I'll go with thee.

CUPID

And if my mother go, I'll follow her.

DIDO
[
to
IARBAS
]

Why stay'st thou here? Thou art no love of mine.

IARBAS

40       Iarbas, die, seeing she abandons thee!

DIDO

No, live Iarbas; what hast thou deserved,

That I should say ‘Thou art no love of mine'?

Something thou hast deserved. Away, I say!

Depart from Carthage! Come not in my sight!

IARBAS

Am I not king of rich Gaetulia?

DIDO

Iarbas, pardon me, and stay a while.

CUPID

Mother, look here.

DIDO

What tell'st thou me of rich Gaetulia?

Am not I queen of Libya? Then depart!

IARBAS

50      I go to
feed the
humour of my
love,

Yet not from Carthage for a thousand worlds.

DIDO

Iarbas!

IARBAS
Doth Dido call me back?

DIDO

No, but I charge thee never look on me.

IARBAS

Then pull out both mine eyes, or let me die.

    
Exit
IARBAS
.

ANNA

Wherefore doth Dido bid Iarbas go?

DIDO

Because his loathsome sight offends mine eye,

And in my thoughts is shrined another love.

O Anna, didst thou know how sweet love were,

Full soon wouldst thou abjure this single life.

ANNA

60      Poor soul, I know too well the sour of love.

[
Aside
] O that Iarbas could but fancy me!

DIDO

Is not Aeneas 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 Aeneas worthy Dido's love?

ANNA

O sister, were you empress of the world,

Aeneas well deserves to be your love;

70      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.

Anna, good sister Anna, go for him,

Lest with these sweet thoughts I melt clean away.

ANNA

Then, sister, you'll abjure Iarbas' love?

DIDO

Yet must I hear that loathsome name again?

Run for Aeneas, or I'll fly to him.

Exit
ANNA
.

CUPID

You shall not hurt my father when he comes.

DIDO

80      No, for thy sake I'll love thy father well.

O dull-conceited Dido
, that till now

Didst never think Aeneas 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;

90      
And thou, Aeneas, 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
AENEAS,
ACHATES, SERGESTUS
, ILIONEUS
and
CLOANTHUS
.]

Achates, how doth Carthage please your lord?

ACHATES

That will Aeneas show your majesty.

DIDO

Aeneas, art thou there?

AENEAS

I understand your highness sent for me.

DIDO

100    No, but now thou art here, tell me, in sooth,

In what might Dido highly pleasure thee?

AENEAS

So much have I received at Dido's hands

As, without blushing, I can ask no more.

Yet, Queen of Afric, are my ships unrigged,

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:

110    Which piteous wants if Dido will supply,

We will account her author of our lives.

DIDO

Aeneas, 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 rivelled gold,

Wound on the barks of
odoriferous trees;

Oars of massy ivory, full of holes,

Through which the water shall delight to play.

Thy anchors shall be hewed from crystal rocks,