The Tragedy of Dido Queene of Carthage Part 9

Wast thou not wrackt vpon this _Libian_ sh.o.a.re, And cam'st to _Dido_ like a Fisherswaine?

Repairde not I thy s.h.i.+ps, made thee a King, And all thy needie followers n.o.blemen?

O Serpent that came creeping from the sh.o.a.re, 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_, 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.

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, I haue not power to stay thee: 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 _aeneas_? ah hees gone hees gone!

_Anna._ What meanes my sister thus to raue and crye?

_Dido._ O _Anna_, my _aeneas_ 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, And I will liue a priuate life with him.

_Anna._ Wicked _aeneas_.

_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_, Nor sent a thousand s.h.i.+ps 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, If he depart thus suddenly, I dye: Run _Anna_, run, stay not to answere me.

_Anna._ I goe faire sister, heauens graunt good successe.

_Exit Anna._

_Enter the Nurse._

_Nurse._ O _Dido_, your little sonne _Ascanius_ Is gone! he lay with me last night, 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 h.e.l.lish tale, Thou for some pettie guift hast let him goe, 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, I am as true as any one of yours. _Exeunt the Nurse._

_Dido._ Away with her, suffer her not to speake.

My sister comes, I like not her sad lookes.

_Enter Anna._

_Anna._ Before I came, _aeneas_ was abourd, And spying me, hoyst vp the sailes amaine: But I cride out, _aeneas_, false _aeneas_ stay.

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, _aeneas_ stay, _Dido_, faire _Dido_ wils _aeneas_ 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.

_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_, And ore his s.h.i.+ps 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 sh.o.a.re, And ride vpon his backe vnto my loue: Looke sister, looke louely _aeneas_ s.h.i.+ps, See see, the billowes heaue him vp to heauen, And now downe falles the keeles into the deepe: O sister, sister, take away the Rockes, Theile breake his s.h.i.+ps, O _Proteus_, _Neptune_, _Ioue_, Saue, saue _aeneas_, _Didos_ leefest loue!

Now is he come on sh.o.a.re safe without hurt: 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 renegate?

Must I make s.h.i.+ps for him to saile away?

Nothing can beare me to him but a s.h.i.+p, And he hath all thy fleete, what shall I doe?

But dye in furie of this ouersight?

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 there is a woman famoused for arts, Daughter vnto the Nimphs _Hesperides_, Who wild me sacrifice his ticing relliques: Goe _Anna_, bid my seruants bring me fire. _Exit Anna._

_Enter Iarbus._

_Iar._ How long will _Dido_ mourne a strangers flight, That hath dishonord her and _Carthage_ both?

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

_Dido._ _Iarbus_, talk not of _aeneas_, 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 have my loue but thou: So, leaue me now, let none approach this place. _Exit Iarbus._ Now _Dido_, with these reliques burne thy selfe, And make _aeneas_ 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 sh.o.a.re, perish thou to: These letters, lines, and periurd papers all, Shall burne to cinders in this prectious flame.

And now ye G.o.ds 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 undas Impresor: arma armis: pugnent ipsig nepotes_: Liue false _aeneas_, truest _Dido_ dyes, _Sic sic inuat ire sub umbras_.

_Enter Anna._

_Anna._ O helpe _Iarbus_, _Dido_ in these flames Hath burnt her selfe, aye me, vnhappie me!

_Enter Iarbus running._

_Iar._ Cursed _Iarbus_, dye to expiate The griefe that tires vpon thine inward soule, _Dido_ I come to thee, aye me _aeneas_.

_Anna._ What can my teares or cryes preuaile me now?

_Dido_ is dead, _Iarbus_ slaine, _Iarbus_ my deare loue, O sweet _Iarbus_, _Annas_ sole delight, What fatall destinie enuies me thus, To see my sweet _Iarbus_ slay himselfe?

But _Anna_ now shall honor thee in death, And mixe her bloud with thine, this shall I doe, That G.o.ds and men may pitie this my death, And rue our ends senceles of life or breath; Now sweet _Iarbus_ stay, I come to thee.

_FINIS._