But all in vain he did his plot disguise; She the first motion finds : love tho' most sure, 15 [fly 25 That wicked fame which their first love proclaim'd Foretells the end: the queen, with rage inflam'd, 20 Thus greets him. "Thou dissembler wouldst thou "Out of my arms by stealth perfidiously? "Could not the hand I plighted, nor the love, "Nor thee the fate of dying Dido, move? "And in the depth of winter, in the night, "Dark as thy black designs, to take thy flight, "To plough the raging seas to coasts unknown, "The kingdom theu pretend'st to not thine own! "Were Troy restor'd, thou shouldst mistrust a wind "False as thy vows, and as thy heart unkind. 30 "Fly'st thou from me? By these dear drops of brine "I thee adjure, by that right hand of thine, By our espousals, by our inarriage-bed, "If all my kindness aught have merited; "If ever I stood fair in thy esteem, "From ruin me and my lost house redeem. "Cannot my pray'rs a free acceptance find? Nor my tears soften an obdurate mind? My fame of chastity, by which the skies "I reach'd before, by thee extinguish'd dies. "Into my borders now larbas falls, "And my revengeful brother scales my walls 35 40 "The wild Numidians will advantage take; "For thee both Tyre and Carthage me forsake. "Hadst thou before thy flight but left with me 45 "A young neas, who, resembling thee, Might in my sight have sported, I had then "Not wholly lost, nor quite deserted been ; By thee, no mare my husband, but my guest, "Betray'd to mischiefs, of which death's the least." 55 60 With fixed looks he stands, and in his breast, 51 By Jove's command, his struggling care supprest. "Great Queen! your favours and deserts so great, "Tho' numberless, I never shall forget; "No time, until myself I have forgot, "Out of my heart Eliza's name shall blot : "But my unwilling flight the gods enforce, "And that must justify our sad divorce. "Since I must you forsake, would Fate permit "To my desires I might my fortune fit, "Troy to her ancient splendour I would raise, "And where I first began would end my days. "But since the Lycian Lots and Delphic god "Have destin'd Italy for our abode; "Since you proud Carthage (fled from Tyre) enjoy, "Why should not Latium us receive from Troy? "As for my son, my father's angry ghost "Tells me his hopes by my delays are crost. "And mighty Jove's ambassador appear'd "With the same message, whom I saw and heard; 64 69 "We both are griev`d when you or I complain, "But much the more when all complaints are vain : "I call to witness all the gods, and thy "Beloved head, the coast of Italy "Against my will I seek.” 75 Whilst thus he speaks she rolls her sparkling eyes, Surveys him round, and thus incens'd replies : "Thy mother was no goddess, nor thy stock "From Dardanus, but in some horrid rock, “Perfidious wretch! rough Caucasus thee bred, 80 "And with their milk Hyrcanian tigers fed. "Dissimulation I shall now forget, “ And my reserves of rage in order set, "Could all my pray'rs and soft entreaties force "Sighs from his breast, or from his look remorse.85 "Where shall I first complain? can mighty Jove "Or Juno such impieties approve? "The just Astrea sure is fled to hell, "Nor more in earth nor heav'n itself will dwell. "Oh, Faith! him on my coasts by tempest cast, 90 "Receiving madly, on my throne I plac'd : "His men from famine and his fleet from fire "I rescu'd now the Lycian Lots conspire "With Phoebus; now Jove's envoy thro' the air "Brings dismal tidings, as if such low care "Could reach their thoughts, or their repose disturb! "Thou art a false impostor and a fourbe. "Go, go, pursue thy kingdom thro' the main, "I hope, if Heav'n her justice still retain, 95 "Thou shalt be wreck'd, or cast upon some rock, "Where thou the name of Dido shalt invoke: JOI "I'll follow thee in fun'ral flames: when dead "My ghost shail thee attend at board and bed : "And when the gods on thee their vengeance show, "That welcome news shall comfort me below."105 I 10 This saying, from his hated sight she fled, Conducted by her damsels to ber bed: Yet restless she arose, and looking out, Beholds the fleet, and hears the seamen shout When great Eneas pass'd before the guard, To make a view how all things were prepar'd. Ah! cruel Love! to what dost thou enforce Poor mortal breasts! Again she hath recourse To tears and pray`rs, again she feels the smart Of a fresh wound from his tyrannic dart. 115 That she no ways nor means may leave untry'd, Thus to her sister she herself apply'd: "Dear sister! my resentment had not been "So moving, if this fate I had foreseen; "Therefore to me this last kind office do; "Thou hast some int'rest in our scornful foe; "He trusts to thee the counsels of his mind, "Thou his soft hours and free access canst find: "Tell him I sent not to the Ilian coast "My fleet to aid the Greeks; his father's ghost 125 "I never did disturb : ask him to lend "To this the last request that I shall send, :. Kiij... 120 "Ascanius? and his tender limbs have drest, "And made the father on the son to feast? "Thou Sun! whose lustre all things here below "Surveys, and Juno! conscious of my woe, Revengeful Furies! and Queen Hecate ! 66 Receive and grant my pray'r! If he the sea 186 "Must needs escape, and reach th' Ausonian land, "If Jove decree it, Jove's decree must stand. 190 “When landed may he be with arms opprest By his rebelling people, be distrest 66 Ey exile from his country, be divorc'd "From young Ascanius sight, and be enforc'd "To implore foreign aids, and lose his friends "By violent and undeserved ends! "When to conditions of unequal peace "He shall submit, then may he not possess Kingdom nor life, and find his funeral 196 "I' th' sands when he before his day shall fall 1200 "And ye, oh Tyrians! with immortal hate "Pursue this race; this service dedicate "To my deplored ashes: let there be "Twixt us and them no league nor amity. "May from my bones a new Achilles rise "That shail infest the Trojan colonies 205 With fire, and sword, and famine; when at length "Time to our great attempts contributes strength; "Our seas, our shores, our armies, theirs oppose, "And may our children be for ever foes!" 210 |