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The Works of Christopher Marlowe

Dido

Act: 4 Scene: 1<<

Enter Achates, [Cupid for] Ascanius, Iarbus, and Anna.

Achates

Did ever men see such a sudden storme?

Or day so deere so suddenly Orecast?

Iarbus

I thinke some fell Inchantresse dwelleth here,

That can call them forth when as she please,

And dive into blacke tempests treasurie,

When as she meanes to maske the world with clowdes.

Anna

In all my life I never knew the like,

It haild, it snowde, it lightned all at once.

Achates

I thinke it was the divels revelling night,

There was such hurly burly in the heavens:

Doubtles Apollos Axeltree is crackt,

Or aged Atlas shoulder out of joynt,

The motion was so over violent.

Iarbus

In all this coyle, where have ye left the Queene?

Cupid

Nay, where is my warlike father, can you tell?

Anna

Behold where both of them come forth the Cave.

Iarbus

Come forth the Cave: can heaven endure this sight?

Iarbus, curse that unrevenging Jove,

Whose flintie darts slept in Tipheus den,

Whiles these adulterors surfetted with sinne:

Nature , why mad'st me not some poysonous beast,

That with the sharpnes of my edged sting,

I might have stakte them both unto the earth,

Whil'st they were sporting in this darksome Cave?

[Enter Aeneas and Dido.]

Aeneas

The ayre is deere, and Southerne windes are whist,

Come Dido, let us hasten to the towne,

Since gloomie Aeolus doth cease to frowne.

Dido

Achates and Ascanius, well met.

Aeneas

Faire Anna, how escapt you from the shower?

Anna

As others did, by running to the wood.

Dido

But where were you Iarbus all this while?

Iarbus

Not with Aeneas in the ugly Cave.

Dido

I see Aeneas sticketh in your minde,

But I will soone put by that stumbling blocke,

And quell those hopes that thus employ your cares.

Exeunt.

Act: 4 Scene: 2<<

Enters Iarbus to Sacrifize.

Iarbus

Come servants, come bring forth the Sacrifize,

That I may pacifie that gloomie Jove,

Whose emptie Altars have enlarg'd our illes.

Eternall Jove, great master of the Clowdes,

Father of gladnesse, and all frollicke thoughts,

That with thy gloomie hand corrects the heaven,

When ayrie creatures warre amongst themselves:

Heare, heare, O heare Iarbus plaining prayers,

Whose hideous ecchoes make the welkin howle,

And all the woods Eliza to resound:

The woman that thou wild us entertaine,

Where straying in our borders up and downe,

She crav'd a hide of ground to build a towne,

With whom we did devide both lawes and land,

And all the fruites that plentie els sends forth,

Scorning our loves and royall marriage rites,

Yeelds up her beautie to a strangers bed,

Who having wrought her shame, is straight way fled:

Now if thou beest a pitying God of power,

On whom ruth and compassion ever waites,

Redresse these wrongs, and warne him to his ships

That now afflicts me with his flattering eyes.

Enter Anna.

Anna

How now Iarbus, at your prayers so hard?

Iarbus

I Anna, is there ought you would with me?

Anna

Nay, no such waightie busines of import,

But may be slackt untill another time:

Yet if you would partake with me the cause

Of this devotion that detaineth you,

I would be thankfull for such curtesie.

Iarbus

Anna, against this Troian doe I pray,

Who seekes to rob me of thy Sisters love,

And dive into her heart by coloured lookes.

Anna

Alas poore King that labours so in vaine,

For her that so delighteth in thy paine:

Be rul'd by me, and seeke some other love,

Whose yeelding heart may yeeld thee more reliefe.

Iarbus

Mine eye is fixt where fancie cannot start,

O leave me, leave me to my silent thoughts,

That register the numbers of my ruth,

And I will either move the thoughtles flint,

Or drop out both mine eyes in drisling teares,

Before my sorrowes tide have any stint.

Anna

I will not leave Iarbus whom I love,

In this delight of dying pensivenes:

Away with Dido, Anna be thy song,

Anna that doth admire thee more then heaven.

Iarbus

I may nor will list to such loathsome chaunge,

That intercepts the course of my desire:

Servants, come fetch these emptie vessels here,

For I will flye from these alluring eyes,

That doe pursue my peace where ere it goes.

Exit.

Anna

Iarbus stay, loving Iarbus stay,

For I have honey to present thee with:

Hard hearted, wilt not deigne to heare me speake?

Ile follow thee with outcryes nere the lesse,

And strewe thy walkes with my discheveld haire

Exit.

Act: 4 Scene: 3<<

Enter Aeneas alone.

Aeneas

Carthage, my friendly host adue,

Since destinie doth call me from thy shoare:

Hermes this night descending in a dreame,

Hath summond me to fruitfull Italy:

Jove wils it so, my mother wils it so:

Let my Phenissa graunt, and then I goe:

Graunt she or no, Aeneas must away,

Whose golden fortunes clogd with courtly ease,

Cannot ascend to Fames immortall house,

Or banquet in bright honors burnisht hall,

Till he hath furrowed Neptunes glassie fieldes,

And cut passage through his toples hilles:

Achates come forth, Sergestus, Illioneus,

Cloanthus, haste away, Aeneas calles.

Enter Achates, Cloanthus, Sergestus, and Illioneus.

Achates

What willes our Lord, or wherefore did he call?

Aeneas

The dreames that did beset my bed

When sleepe but newly had imbrast the night

Commaunds me leave these unrenowmed reames,

Whereas Nobilitie abhors to stay,

And none but base Aeneas will abide:

Abourd, abourd, since Fates doe bid abourd,

And slice the Sea with sable coloured ships,

On whom the nimble windes may all day waight,

And follow them as footemen through the deepe:

Yet Dido casts her eyes like anchors out,

To stay my Fleete from loosing forth the Bay:

Come backe, come backe, I heare her crye a farre,

And let me linke thy bodie to my lips,

That tyed together by the striving tongues,

We may as one saile into Italy

Achates

Banish that ticing dame from forth your mouth,

And follow your foreseeing starres in all;

This is no life for men at armes to live,

Where daliance doth consume a Souldiers strength,

And wanton motions of alluring eyes,

Effeminate our mindes inur'd to warre.

Illioneus

Why, let us build a Citie of our owne,

And not stand lingering here for amorous lookes:

Will Dido raise old Priam forth his grave,

And build the towne againe the Greekes did burne?

No no, she cares not how we sinke or swimme,

So she may have Aeneas in her armes.

Cloanthus

To Italy, sweete friends to Italy,

We will not stay a minute longer here.

Aeneas

Troians abourd, and I will follow you,

[Exeunt omnes, manet Aeneas.]

I fame would goe, yet beautie calles me backe:

To leave her so and not once say farewell,

Were to transgresse against all lawes of love:

But if I use such ceremonious thankes,

As parting friends accustome on the shoare,

Her silver armes will coll me round about,

And teares of pearle, crye stay, Aeneas, stay:

Each word she sayes will then containe a Crowne,

And every speech be ended with a kisse:

I may not dure this female drudgerie,

To sea Aeneas, finde out Italy.

Exit.

Enter Dido and Anna [with traine].

Act: 4 Scene: 4<<

Dido

O Anna, runne unto the water side,

They say Aeneas men are going abourd,

It may be he will steale away with them:

Stay not to answere me, runne Anna runne. [Exit Anna.]

O foolish Trojans that would steale from hence,

And not let Dido understand their drift:

I would have given Achates store of gold,

And Illioneus gum and Libian spice,

The common souldiers rich imbrodered coates,

And silver whistles to controule the windes,

Which Circes sent Sicheus when he lived:

Unworthie are they of a Queenes reward:

See where they come, how might I doe to chide?

Enter Anna, with Aeneas, Achates, Illioneus, and Sergestus.

Anna

Twas time to runne, Aeneas had been gone,

The sailes were hoysing up, and he abourd.

Dido

Is this thy love to me?

Aeneas

O princely Dido, give me leave to speake,

I went to take my farewell of Achates.

Dido

How haps Achates bid me not farewell?

Achates

Because I feard your grace would keepe me here.

Dido

To rid thee of that doubt, abourd againe,

I charge thee put to sea and stay not here.

Achates

Then let Aeneas goe abourd with us.

Dido

Get you abourd, Aeneas meanes to stay.

Aeneas

The sea is rough, the windes blow to the shoare.

Dido

O false Aeneas, now the sea is rough,

But when you were abourd twas calme enough,

Thou and Achates ment to saile away.

Aeneas

Hath not the Carthage Queene mine onely sonne?

Thinkes Dido I will goe and leave him here?

Dido

Aeneas pardon me, for I forgot

That yong Ascanius lay with me this night:

Love made me jealous, but to make amends,

Weare the emperiall Crowne of Libia,

Sway thou the Punike Scepter in my steede,

And punish me Aeneas for this crime.

[Gives him crowne and scepter.]

Aeneas

This kisse shall be faire Didos punishment.

Dido

O how a Crowne becomes Aeneas head!

Stay here Aeneas, and commaund as King.

Aeneas

How vaine am I to weare this Diadem,

And beare this golden Scepter in my hand?

A Burgonet of steele, and not a Crowne,

A Sword, and not a Scepter fits Aeneas.

Dido

O keepe them still, and let me gaze my fill:

Now lookes Aeneas like immortall Jove,

O where is Ganimed to hold his cup,

And Mercury to flye for what he calles?

Ten thousand Cupids hover in the ayre,

And fanne it in Aeneas lovely face,

O that the Clowdes were here wherein thou fledst,

That thou and I unseene might sport our selves:

Heavens envious of our joyes is waxen pale,

And when we whisper, then the starres fall downe,

To be partakers of our honey talke.

Aeneas

O Dido, patronesse of all our lives,

When I leave thee, death be my punishment,

Swell raging seas, frowne wayward destinies ,

Blow windes, threaten ye Rockes and sandie shelfes,

This is the harbour that Aeneas seekes,

Lets see what tempests can anoy me now.

Dido

Not all the world can take thee from mine armes,

Aeneas may commaund as many Moores,

As in the Sea are little water drops:

And now to make experience of my love,

Faire sister Anna leade my lover forth,

And seated on my Gennet, let him ride

As Didos husband through the Punicke streetes,

And will my guard with Mauritanian darts,

To waite upon him as their soveraigne Lord.

Anna

What if the Citizens repine thereat?

Dido

Those that dislike what Dido gives in charge,

Commaund my guard to slay for their offence:

Shall vulgar pesants storme at what I doe?

The ground is mine that gives them sustenance,

The ayre wherein they breathe, the water, fire,

All that they have, their lands, their goods, their lives,

And I the Goddesse of all these, commaund

Aeneas ride as Carthaginian King.

Achates

Aeneas for his parentage deserves

As large a kingdome as is Libia.

Aeneas

I, and unlesse the destinies be false,

I shall be planted in as rich a land.

Dido

Speake of no other land, this land is thine,

Dido is thine, henceforth Ile call thee Lord:

Doe as I bid thee sister, leade the way,

And from a turret Ile behold my love.

Aeneas

Then here in me shall flourish Priams race,

And thou and I Achates, for revenge,

For Troy, for Priam, for his fiftie sonnes,

Our kinsmens lives, and thousand guiltles soules,

Will leade an hoste against the hatefull Greekes,

And fire proude Lacedemon ore their heads.

Exit [with Troians].

Dido

Speakes not Aeneas like a Conqueror?

O blessed tempests that did drive him in,

O happie sand that made him runne aground:

Henceforth you shall be our Carthage Gods:

I, but it may be he will leave my love,

And seeke a forraine land calde Italy:

O that I had a charme to keepe the windes

Within the closure of a golden ball,

Or that the Tyrrhen sea were in mine armes,

That he might suffer shipwracke on my breast,

As oft as he attempts to hoyst up saile:

I must prevent him, wishing will not serve:

Goe, bid my Nurse take yong Ascanius,

And beare him in the countrey to her house,

Aeneas will not goe without his sonne:

Yet lest he should, for I am full of feare,

Bring me his oares, his tackling, and his sailes: [Exit a Lord.]

What if I sinke his ships? O heele frowne:

Better he frowne, then I should dye for griefe:

I cannot see him frowne, it may not be:

Armies of foes resolv'd to winne this towne,

Or impious traitors vowde to have my life,

Affright me not, onely Aeneas frowne

Is that which terrifies poore Didos heart:

Not bloudie speares appearing in the ayre,

Presage the downfall of my Emperie,

Nor blazing Commets threatens Didos death ,

It is Aeneas frowne that ends my daies:

If he forsake me not, I never dye,

For in his lookes I see eternitie,

And heele make me immortall with a kisse.

Enter a Lord.

Lord

Your Nurse is gone with yong Ascanius,

And heres Aeneas tackling, oares and sailes.

Dido

Are these the sailes that in despight of me,

Packt with the windes to beare Aeneas hence?

Ile hang ye in the chamber where I lye,

Drive if you can my house to Italy:

Ile set the casement open that the windes

May enter in, and once againe conspire

Against the life of me poore Carthage Queene:

But though he goe, he stayes in Carthage still,

And let rich Carthage fleete upon the seas,

So I may have Aeneas in mine armes.

Is this the wood that grew in Carthage plaines,

And would be toyling in the watrie billowes,

To rob their mistresse of her Troian guest?

O cursed tree, hadst thou but wit or sense,

To measure how I prize Aeneas love,

Thou wouldst have leapt from out the Sailers hands,

And told me that Aeneas ment to goe:

And yet I blame thee not, thou art but wood.

The water which our Poets terme a Nimph,

Why did it suffer thee to touch her breast,

And shrunke not backe, knowing my love was there?

The water is an Element, no Nimph,

Why should I blame Aeneas for his flight?

O Dido, blame not him, but breake his oares,

These were the instruments that launcht him forth,

Theres not so much as this base tackling too,

But dares to heape up sorrowe to my heart:

Was it not you that hoysed up these sailes?

Why burst you not, and they fell in the seas?

For this will Dido tye ye full of knots,

And sheere ye all asunder with her hands:

Now serve to chastize shipboyes for their faults,

Ye shall no more offend the Carthage Queene.

Now let him hang my favours on his masts,

And see if those will serve in steed of sailes:

For tackling, let him take the chaines of gold,

Which I bestowd upon his followers:

In steed of oares, let him use his hands,

And swim to Italy, Ile keepe these sure:

Come beare them in.

Exeunt [attended].

Act: 4 Scene: 5<<

Enter the Nurse with Cupid for Ascanius.

Nurse

My Lord Ascanius, ye must goe with me.

Cupid

Whither must I goe? Ile stay with my mother.

Nurse

No, thou shalt goe with me unto my house,

I have an Orchard that hath store of plums,

Browne Almonds, Servises, ripe Figs and Dates,

Dewberries, Apples, yellow Orenges,

A garden where are Bee hives full of honey,

Musk-roses, and a thousand sort of flowers,

And in the midst doth run a silver streame,

Where thou shalt see the red gild fishes leape,

White Swannes, and many lovely water fowles:

Now speake Ascanius, will ye goe or no?

Cupid

Come come, Ile goe, how farre hence is your house?

Nurse

But hereby child, we shall get thither straight.

Cupid

Nurse I am wearie, will you carrie me?

Nurse

I, so youle dwell with me and call me mother.

Cupid

So youle love me, I care not if I doe.

Nurse

That I might live to see this boy a man,

How pretilie he laughs, goe ye wagge,

Youle be a twigger when you come to age.

Say Dido what she will I am not old,

Ile be no more a widowe, I am young,

Ile have a husband, or els a lover.

Cupid

A husband and no teeth!

Nurse

O what meane I to have such foolish thoughts!

Foolish is love, a toy.—O sacred love,

If there be any heaven in earth, tis love:

Especially in women of our yeares.—

Blush blush for shame, why shouldst thou thinke of love?

A grave, and not a lover fits thy age:—

A grave? why, I may live a hundred yeares,

Fourescore is but a girles age, love is sweete:—

My vaines are withered, and my sinewes drie,

Why doe I thinke of love now I should dye?

Cupid

Come Nurse.

Nurse

Well, if he come a wooing he shall speede,

O how unwise was I to say him nay!

Exeunt.

Nav.