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_ [
Enter AEneas, Achates, and Ascanius.]
AENEAS.
Where am I now? these should be Carthage walls.
ACHATES.
Why stands my sweet Aeneas thus amazde?
AENEAS.
O my Achates, Theban Niobe,
Who for her sons death wept out life and breath,
And dry with grief was turned into a stone,
Had not such passions in her head as I.
Me thinks that town there should be Troy, yon Idas hill,
There Zanthus streame, because here's Priamus,
And when I know it is not, then I die.
Ach.
And in this humor is Achates to,
I cannot choose but fall upon my knees,
And kisse his hand: O where is Hecuba,
Here she was wont to sit, but saving air
Is nothing here, and what is this but stone?
AENEAS.
O yet this stone doth make Aeneas weep,
And would my prayers (as Pigmalions did)
Could give it life, that under his conduct
We might sail back to Troy and be reuengde
On these hard harted Grecians; which rejoyce
That nothing now is left of Priamus:
O Priamus is left and this is he,
Come, come aboard, pursue the hateful Greeks.
ACHATES.
What means Aeneas?
AENEAS.
Achates though mine eyes say this is stone,
Yet thinks my mind that this is Priamus:
And when my grieved heart sighes and sayes no,
Then would it leap out to give Priam life:
O were I not at all so thou mightst be.
Achates, see King Priam wags his hand,
He is alive, Troy is not overcome.
Ach.
Thy mind Aeneas that would have it so
Deludes thy eye sight, Priamus is dead.
AENEAS.
Ah Troy is sacked, and Priamus is dead,
And why should poor Aeneas be alive?
ASCANIUS.
Sweete father leave to weep, this is not he:
For were it Priam he would smile on me.
ACHATES.
Aeneas see here come the Citizens,
Leave to lament lest they laugh at our fears.
[Enter Cloanthus, Sergestus, Illioneus.]
AENEAS.
Lords of this town, or whatsoever stile
Belongs unto your name, vouchsafe of ruth
To tell us who inhabits this fair town,
What kind of people, and who governes them:
For we are strangers driven on this shore,
And scarcely know within what Clime we are.
ILIONEUS.
I hear Aeneas voice, but see him not,
For none of these can be our Generall.
ACHATES.
Like Illioneus speaks this Noble man,
But Illioneus goes not in such robes.
SERGESTUS.
You are Achates, or I deciv'd.
ACHATES.
Aeneas see _Sergestus_ or his ghost.
ILIONEUS.
He means Aeneas, let us kisse his feete.
Cloan.
It is our Captaine, see Ascanius.
SERGESTUS.
Live long Aeneas and Ascanius.
AENEAS.
Achates, speak, for I am overjoyed.
ACHATES.
O Illioneus, art thou yet alive?
ILIONEUS.
Blest be the time I see Achates face.
Cloan.
Why turns Aeneas from his trusty friends?
AENEAS.
_Sergestus_, Illioneus and the rest,
Your sight amazde me, O what destinies
Have brought my sweet companions in such plight?
O tell me, for I long to be resolved.
ILIONEUS.
Lovely Aeneas, these are Carthage walls,
And here Queen Dido wears th'imperiall Crown,
Who for Troyes sake hath entertaind us all,
And clad us in these wealthy robes we wear.
Oft hath she askt us under whom we serv'd,
And when we told her she would weep for grief,
Thinking the sea had swallowed up thy ships,
And now she sees thee how will she rejoyce?
SERGESTUS.
See where her servitors passe through the hall
Bearing a banket, Dido is not farre.
ILIONEUS.
Look where she comes: Aeneas viewed her well.
AENEAS.
Well may I view her, but she sees not me.
[Enter Dido and her train.]
DIDO.
What stranger art thou that doest eye me thus?
AENEAS.
Sometime I was a Trojan mighty Queen:
But Troy is not, what shall I say I am?
ILIONEUS.
Renowmed Dido, tis our Generall: warlike Aeneas.
DIDO.
Warlike Aeneas, and in these base robes?
go fetch the garment which Sicheus ware:
Brave Prince, welcome to Carthage and to me,
Both happy that Aeneas is our guest:
Sit in this chair and banquet with a Queen,
Aeneas is Aeneas, were he clad
In weedes as bad as ever Irus ware.
AENEAS.
This is no seate for one thats comfortles,
May it please your grace to let Aeneas waite:
For though my birth be great, my fortunes mean,
Too mean to be companion to a Queen.
DIDO.
Thy fortune may be greater then thy birth,
Sit down Aeneas, sit in Dido's place,
And if this be thy son as I suppose,
Here let him sit, be merry lovely child.
AENEAS.
This place beseemes me not, O pardon me.
DIDO.
I'll have it so, Aeneas be content.
ASCANIUS.
madam, you shall be my mother.
DIDO.
And so I will sweet child: be merry man,
Heres to thy better fortune and good starres.
AENEAS.
In all humility I thanke your grace.
DIDO.
Remember who thou art, speak like thy selfe,
Humility belongs to common groomes.
AENEAS.
And who so miserable as Aeneas is?
DIDO.
lies it in Dido's hands to make thee blest,
Then be assured thou art not miserable.
AENEAS.
Priamus, O Troy, oh Hecuba!
DIDO.
May I entreate thee to discourse at large,
And truely to how Troy was overcome:
For many tales go of that Cities fall,
And scarcely do agree upon one point:
Some say Antenor did betray the town,
Others report twas Sinon's perjury:
But all in this that Troy is overcome,
And Priam dead, yet how we hear no newes.
AENEAS.
A wofull tale bids Dido to unfould,
Whose memory like pale deaths stony mace,
Beates forth my senses from this troubled soul,
And makes Aeneas sink at Dido's feete.
DIDO.
What faints Aeneas to remember Troy?
In whose defence he fought so valiantly:
Look up and speak.
AENEAS.
Then speak Aeneas with Achilles tongue,
And Dido and you Carthaginian Peeres
hear me, but yet with Mirmidons harsh ears,
Daily inur'd to broyles and Massacres,
Lest you be mou'd too much with my sad tale.
The Grecian soldiers tired with ten years war;
Began to cry, let us unto our ships,
Troy is invincible, why stay we here?
With whose outcrys Atrides being apal'd,
Summoned the Captaines to his princely tent,
Who looking on the scarres we Trojans gave,
Seeing the number of their men decreast,
And the remainder weake and out of heart,
Gave up their voices to dislodge the camp,
And so in troopes all marcht to Tenedos:
Where when they came, Ulysses on the sand
Assayd with honey words to turn them back:
And as he spoke to further his intent,
The winds did drive huge billows to the shore,
And heaven was darkned with tempestuous clouds:
Then he alleag'd the Gods would have them stay,
And prophecied Troy should be overcome:
And therewithall he calde false Sinon forth,
A man compact of craft and perjury,
Whose ticing tongue was made of Hermes pipe,
To force an hundred watchfull eyes to sleep:
And him Epeus having made the horse,
With sacrificing wreathes upon his head,
Ulysses sent to our unhappy town:
Who groveling in the mire of Zanthus banks,
His hands bound at his back, and both his eyes
Turned up to heaven as one resolved to die,
Our Phrigian shepherd haled within the gates,
And brought unto the Court of Priamus:
To whom he used action so pitifull,
Looks so remorcefull, vowes so forcible,
As therewithall the old man overcome,
Kist him, imbrast him, and unloosde his bands,
And then, O Dido pardon me.
DIDO.
Nay leave not here, resolve me of the rest.
AENEAS.
O th'inchaunting words of that base slave,
Made him to think Epeus pine-tree Horse
A sacrifice t'appease Mineruas wrath:
The rather for that one Laocoon
Breaking a spear upon his hollow breast,
Was with two winged Serpents stung to death.
Whereat agast, we were commanded straight
With reverence to draw it into Troy .
In which unhappy work was I employd,
These hands did helpe to hale it to the gates,
Through which it could not enter twas so huge.
O had it never entred, Troy had stood.
But Priamus impatient of delay,
Inforced a wide breach in that rampierd wall,
Which thousand battering Rams could never pierce,
And so came in this fatall instrument:
At whose accursed feete as overjoyed,
We banquetted till overcome with wine,
Some surfetted, and others soundly slept.
Which Sinon viewing, caused the Greekish spies
To hast to Tenedos and tell the Camp:
Then he unlocked the Horse, and suddenly
From out his entrailes, Neoptolemus
Setting his spear upon the ground, leapt forth,
And after him a thousand Grecians more,
In whose sterne faces shin'd the quenchles fire,
That after burnt the pride of Asia.
By this the Camp was come unto the walls,
And through the breach did march into the streets,
Where meeting with the rest, kill kill they cried.
Frighted with this confused noyse, I rose,
And looking from a turret, might behold
Yong infants swimming in their parents blood,
Headles carkasses piled up in heaps,
Virgins halfe dead dragged by their golden hair,
And with main force flung on a ring of pikes,
Old men with swords thrust through their aged sides,
Kneeling for mercy to a Greekish lad,
Who with steel Pol-axes dasht out their brains.
Then buckled I mine armour, drew my sword,
And thinking to go down, came Hectors ghost
With ashy visage, blewish, sulphure eyes,
His arms torne from his shoulders, and his breast
Furrowd with wounds, and that which made me weep,
Thongs at his heels, by which Achilles horse
Drew him in triumph through the Greekish Camp,
Burst from the earth, crying, Aeneas fly,
Troy is a fire, the Grecians have the town,
DIDO.
O Hector who weeps not to hear thy name?
AENEAS.
Yet flung I forth, and desperate of my life,
Ran in the thickest throngs, and with this sword
Sent many of their sauadge ghosts to hell.
At last came Pirrhus fell and full of ire.
His harnesse dropping blood, and on his spear
The mangled head of Priams yongest son,
And after him his band of Mirmidons,
With balles of wilde fire in their murdering paws,
Which made the funeral flame that burnt fair Troy:
All which hemd me about, crying, this is he.
DIDO.
Ah, how could poor Aeneas scape their hands?
AENEAS.
My mother Venus jealous of my health,
Conuaid me from their crooked nets and bands:
So I escaped the furious Pirrhus wrath:
Who then ran to the pallace of the King,
And at Jove's Altar finding Priamus,
About whose withered neck hung Hecuba,
Foulding his hand in hers, and jointly both
Beating their breasts and falling on the ground,
He with his faulchions point raisde up at once,
And with Megeras eyes stared in their face,
Threatning a thousand deaths at every glance.
To whom the aged King thus trembling spoke:
Achilles son, remember what I was,
Father of fifty sons, but they are slain,
Lord of my fortune, but my fortunes turned,
King of this City, but my Troy is fired,
And now am neither father, Lord, nor King:
Yet who so wretched but desires to live?
O let me live, great Neoptolemus,
Not mou'd at all, but smiling at his tears,
This butcher whil'st his hands were yet held up,
Treading upon his breast, struck off his hands.
DIDO.
O end Aeneas, I can hear no more.
AENEAS.
At which the franticke Queen leapt on his face,
And in his eyelids hanging by the nayles,
A little while prolong'd her husbands life:
At last the soldiers pulled her by the heels,
And swong her howling in the empty air,
Which sent an eccho to the wounded King:
Whereat he lifted up his bedred lims,
And would have grappeld with Achilles son,
Forgetting both his want of strength and hands,
Which he disdaining whiskt his sword about,
And with the wound 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 lothing Pirrhus for this wicked act:
Yet he undaunted took his fathers flagge,
And dipt it in the old Kings chill cold blood,
And then in triumph ran into the streets,
Through which he could not passe for slaughtred 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 yong 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 inviron'd with the Greeks:
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 ravisht in Dianas Fawne,
Her cheeks swollen with sighes, 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.
Then got we to our ships, and being aboard,
Polixena cried out, Aeneas stay,
The Greeks pursue me, stay and take me in.
Moved with her voice, I lept into the sea,
Thinking to bear her on my back aboard:
For all our ships were launched into the deep,
And as I swomme, she standing on the shore,
Was by the cruel Mirmidons surprised,
And after by that Pirrhus sacrificed.
DIDO.
I die with melting ruth, Aeneas leave.
ANNA.
O what became of aged Hecuba?
IARBUS
How got Aeneas to the fleet again?
DIDO.
But how scapt 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 swomme quickly back,
And Helena betrayed Diiphobus
Her Lover, after Alexander died,
And so was reconcil'd to Menelaus.
DIDO.
O had that ticing strumpet nere been borne:
Trojan, thy ruthfull tale hath made me sad:
Come let us think upon some pleasing sport,
To rid me from these melancholly thoughts.
[Exeunt omnes.]
[Enter Venus at another doore, 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 yong Prince shall be thy playfellow.
ASCANIUS.
Are you Queen Dido's son?
CUPID.
I, and my mother gave me this fine bow.
ASCANIUS.
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 sticke these spangled feathers in thy hat,
Eate Comfites in mine arms, and I will sing.
Now is he fast asleep, and in this grove
Amongst greene brakes I'll lay Ascanius,
And strewe him with sweet smelling Violets,
Blushing Roses, purple Hyacinthe:
These milk white Doves shall be his Centronels:
Who if that any seek to do him hurt,
Will quickly fly to Citheidas fist.
Now Cupid turn thee to Ascanius shape,
And go to Dido who in stead 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,
Victuall his soldiers, give him wealthy gifts,
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.
VENUS.
Sleep my sweet nephew in these cooling shades,
Free from the murmure of these running streams,
The cry of beasts, the ratling 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.] _
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