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[1] Pyrrhus sacrific'd.
Dido. I die with melting ruth; Æneas, leave.[2]
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?
Æn. 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 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. Ay; 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,
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.[3][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:[4]
These milk-white doves shall be his centronels,[5]
Who, if that any seek to do him hurt,
Will quickly fly to Cytherea's[6] 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,[7] 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.
- ↑ And, after that, by] Old ed. "And after by that."
- ↑ leave] i.e. cease.
- ↑ 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 45, p. 18.
- ↑ centronels] i.e. sentinels. Compare B. Barnes's Divils Charter, 1607;
{[block center|And here for this night I keeps centrenell
For Muscopateron great king of flyes," &c.
Sig. F. 2.
- ↑ Cytherea's] Old ed. "Citheidas."
- ↑ nephew] i.e. grandson (Lat. nepos).
