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The Works of Christopher Marlowe

I feare I sawe Aeneas little sonne,

Led by Achates to the Troian fleete:

If it be so, his father meanes to flye:

But here he is, now Dido trie thy wit.

Aeneas, wherefore goe thy men abourd?

Why are thy ships new rigd? or to what end

Launcht from the haven, lye they in the Rhode?

Pardon me though I aske, love makes me aske.

But yet Aeneas will not leave his love?

These words proceed not from Aeneas heart.

Farewell: is this the mends for Didos love?

Doe Trojans use to quit their Lovers thus?

Fare well may Dido, so Aeneas stay,

I dye, if my Aeneas say farewell.

Let me goe, farewell, I must from hence,

These words are poyson to poore Didos soule,

O speake like my Aeneas, like my love:

Why look'st thou toward the sea? the time hath been

When Didos beautie chaind thine eyes to her:

Am I lesse faire then when thou sawest me first?

O then Aeneas, tis for griefe of thee:

Say thou wilt stay in Carthage with thy Queene,

And Didos beautie will returne againe:

Aeneas, say, how canst thou take thy leave?

Wilt thou kisse Dido? O thy lips have sworne

To stay with Dido: canst thou take her hand?

Thy hand and mine have plighted mutuall faith,

Therefore unkind Aeneas, must thou say,

Then let me goe, and never say farewell?

The Gods, what Gods be those that seeke my death?

Wherein have I offended Jupiter,

That he should take Aeneas from mine armes?

O no, the Gods wey not what Lovers doe,

It is Aeneas calles Aeneas hence,

And wofull Dido by these blubbred cheekes,

By this right hand, and by our spousall rites,

Desires Aeneas to remaine with her:

Si bene quid de te merui, fuit aut tibi quidquam

Dulce meum, miserere domus labentis: et istam

Oro, si quis adhuc precibus locus, exue mentem.

Hast thou forgot how many neighbour kings

Were up in armes, for making thee my love?

How Carthage did rebell, Iarbus storme,

And all the world calles me a second Helen,

For being intangled by a strangers lookes:

So thou wouldst prove as true as Paris did,

Would, as faire Troy was, Carthage might be sackt,

And I be calde a second Helena.

Had I a sonne by thee, the griefe were lesse,

That I might see Aeneas in his face:

Now if thou goest, what canst thou leave behind,

But rather will augment then ease my woe?

And wilt thou not be mov'd with Didos words?

Thy mother was no Goddesse perjurd man,

Nor Dardanus the author of thy stocke:

But thou art sprung from Scythian Caucasus,

And Tygers of Hircania gave thee sucke:

Ah foolish Dido to forbeare this long!

Wast thou not wrackt upon this Libian shoare,

And cam'st to Dido like a Fisher swaine?

Repairde not I thy ships, made thee a King,

And all thy needie followers Noblemen?

O Serpent that came creeping from the shoare,

And I for pitie harbord in my bosome,

Wilt thou now slay me with thy venomed sting,

And hisse at Dido for preserving thee?

Goe goe and spare not, seeke out Italy,

I hope that that which love 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 revenge.

I traytor, and the waves shall cast thee up,

Where thou and false Achates first set foote:

Which if it chaunce, Ile give ye buriall,

And weepe upon your liveles 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 have not power to stay thee: is he gone? [Exit Aeneas.]

I but heele come againe, he cannot goe,

He loves me to too well to serve me so:

Yet he that in my sight would not relent,

Will, being absent, be obdurate 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 love:

But wheres Aeneas? ah hees gone hees gone!

OAnna, my Aeneas is abourd,

And leaving 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 live a private life with him.

Call him not wicked, sister, speake him faire,

And looke upon him with a Mermaides eye,

Tell him, I never vow'd at Aulis gulfe

The desolation of his native Troy,

Nor sent a thousand ships unto the walles,

Nor ever violated faith to him:

Request him gently (Anna) to returne,

I crave 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.

O cursed hagge and false dissembling wretch!

That slayest me with thy harsh and hellish 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 keene and cursed Sorceresse.

Away with her, suffer her not to speake

Exeunt the Nurse [and Attendants].

My sister comes, I like not her sad lookes.

Enter Anna.

OAnna, Anna, I will follow him.

Ile frame me wings of waxe like Icarus,

And ore his ships will soare unto the Sunne,

That they may melt and I fall in his armes:

Or els Ile make a prayer unto the waves,

That I may swim to him like Tritons neece:

O Anna, fetch Arions Harpe,

That I may tice a Dolphin to the shoare,

And ride upon his backe unto my love:

Looke sister, looke lovely Aeneas ships,

See see, the billowes heave him up to heaven,

And now downe falles the keeles into the deepe:

O sister, sister, take away the Rockes,

Theile breake his ships, O Proteus, Neptune, Jove,

Save, save Aeneas, Didos leefest love!

Now is he come on shoare safe without hurt:

But see, Achates wils him put to sea,

And all the Sailers merrie make for joy,

But he remembring me shrinkes backe againe:

See where he comes, welcome, welcome my love.

Dido I am, unlesse I be deceiv'd,

And must I rave thus for a runnagate?

Must I make ships for him to saile away?

Nothing can beare me to him but a ship,

And he hath all my fleete, what shall I doe

But dye in furie of this oversight?

I, I must be the murderer of my selfe:

No but I am not, yet I will be straight.

Anna be glad, now have I found a meane

To rid me from these thoughts of Lunacie:

Not farre from hence

There is a woman famoused for arts,

Daughter unto the Nimphs Hesperides,

Who wild me sacrifize his ticing relliques:

Goe Anna, bid my servants bring me fire.

Iarbus, talke 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 private Sacrifize,

To cure my minde that melts for unkind love.

I, I, Iarbus, after this is done,

None in the world shall have my love but thou:

So, leave me now, let none approach this place. Exit .

Now Dido, with these reliques burne thy selfe,

And make Aeneas famous through the world,

For perjurie and slaughter of a Queene:

Here lye the Sword that in the darksome Cave

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 shoare, perish thou to:

These letters, lines, and perjurd papers all,

Shall burne to cinders in this pretious flame.

And now ye gods 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 unrest,

And from mine ashes let a Conquerour rise,

That may revenge this treason to a Queene,

By plowing up his Countries with the Sword:

Betwixt this land and that be never league,

Littora littoribus contraria,fluctibus undas

Imprecor: arma armis: pugnent ipsique nepotes:

Live false Aeneas, truest Dido dyes,

Sic sic juvat ire sub umbras.