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Enter the Nurse.]
Nurse.
O Dido, your little son Ascanius
Is gone! he lay with me last night,
And in the morning he was stolne from me,
I think some Fairies have beguiled me.
DIDO.
O cursed hagge and false dissembling wretch!
That slayest me with thy harsh and hellish tale,
Thou for some petty guift hast let him go,
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 mean by treason, I,
I am as true as any one of yours.
[Exeunt the Nurse.]
DIDO.
Away with her, suffer her not to speak.
My sister comes, I like not her sad looks.
[Enter Anna.]
ANNA.
Before I came, Aeneas was aboard,
And spying me, hoyst up the sails amaine:
But I cride out, Aeneas, false Aeneas stay.
Then gan he wagge his hand, which yet held up,
Made me suppose he would have heard me speak:
Then gan they drive into the Ocean,
Which when I viewed, I cride, Aeneas stay,
Dido, fair Dido wills Aeneas stay:
Yet he whose heart of adamant or flint,
My tears nor plaints could mollify a whit:
Then carelesly I rent my hair for grief,
Which seen to all, though he beheld me not,
They gan to move him to redresse my ruth,
And stay a while to hear what I could say,
But he clapt under hatches sailed away.
DIDO.
O Anna, Anna, I will follow him.
ANNA.
How can ye go when he hath all your fleet?
DIDO.
I'll frame me wings of waxe like Icarus,
And ore 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 Tritons neece:
O Anna, fetch Orions Harpe,
That I may tice a Dolphin to the shore,
And ride upon his back unto my love:
Look sister, Look lovely Aeneas ships,
See see, the billows heave him up to heaven,
And now down falles the keeles into the deep:
O sister, sister, take away the Rocks,
They'll break his ships, O Proteus, Neptune, Jove,
Save, save Aeneas, Dido's leefest love!
Now is he come on shore safe without hurt:
But see, Achates wils him put to sea,
And all the Sailers merrie make for joy,
But he remembring me shrinkes back again:
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, unlesse I be deceiv'd,
And must I rave thus for a renegate?
Must I make ships for him to sail away?
Nothing can bear me to him but a ship,
And he hath all thy fleet, what shall I do?
But die in fury of this oversight?
I, I must be the murderer of myself:
No but I am not, yet I will be straight.
Anna be glad, now have I found a mean
To rid me from these thoughts of Lunacy:
Not farre from hence there is a woman famoused for arts,
Daughter unto the Nimphs Hesperides,
Who wild me sacrifice his ticing relliques:
go Anna, bid my servants bring me fire.
[Exit Anna.]
[Enter Iarbus.]
IARBUS
How long will Dido mourne a strangers flight,
That hath dishonord her and Carthage both?
How long shall I with grief consume my daies,
And reape no guerdon for my truest love?
DIDO.
Iarbus, talk not of Aeneas, let him go,
Lay to thy hands and helpe 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.
IARBUS
But afterwards will Dido grant me love?
DIDO.
I, I, Iarbus, after this is done,
None in the world shall have my love but thou:
So, leave me now, let none approach this place.
[Exit Iarbus.]
Now Dido, with these reliques burn thy selfe,
And make Aeneas famous through the world,
For perjury and slaughter of a Queen:
Here lie the Sword that in the darksome Cave
He drew, and swore by to be true to me,
Thou shalt burn first, thy crime is worse then his:
Here lie the garment which I cloath'd him in,
When first he came on shore, perish thou to:
These letters, lines, and perjured papers all,
Shall burn to cinders in this prectious flame.
And now ye Gods that guide the starrie frame,
And order all things at your high dispose;
Grant, though the traytors land in Italy,
They may be still tormented with unrest,
And from mine ashes let a Conquerour rise,
That may revenge this treason to a Queen,
By plowing up his Countries with the Sword:
Betwixt this land and that be never league,
Littora littoribus contraria, fluctibus undas
Impresor: arma armis: pugnent ipsig nepotes:
Live false Aeneas, trvest Dido dies,
Sic sic inuat ire sub umbras.
[Enter Anna.]
ANNA.
O helpe Iarbus, Dido in these flames
Hath burnt her selfe, aye me, unhappy me!
[Enter Iarbus running.]
IARBUS
Cursed Iarbus, die to expiate
The grief that tires upon thine inward soul,
Dido I come to thee, aye me Aeneas.
ANNA.
What can my tears or crys prevail me now?
Dido is dead, Iarbus slain, Iarbus my dear love,
O sweet Iarbus, Annas sole delight,
What fatall destiny envies me thus,
To see my sweet Iarbus slay himself?
But Anna now shall honor thee in death,
And mixe her blood with thine, this shall I do,
That Gods and men may pity this my death,
And rue our ends senseless of life or breath;
Now sweet Iarbus stay, I come to thee.
FINIS.
[Christopher Marlowe's Play: Tragedy of Dido, Queen of Carthage] _
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