The Works of Christopher Marlowe

Dido


Act: 1 Scene: 2
Why, what are you, or wherefore doe you sewe?
But tell me Troians, Troians if you be,
Unto what fruitfull quarters were ye bound,
Before that Boreas buckled with your sailes?
Brave men at armes, abandon fruitles feares,
Since Carthage knowes to entertaine distresse.
My selfe will see they shall not trouble ye,
Your men and you shall banquet in our Court,
And every Troian be as welcome here,
As Jupiter to sillie Baucis house:
Come in with me, Ile bring you to my Queene,
Who shall confirme my words with further deedes.

Act: 2 Scene: 1
How got Aeneas to the fleete againe?

Act: 3 Scene: 1
How long faire Dido shall I pine for thee?
Tis not enough that thou doest graunt me love,
But that I may enjoy what I desire:
That love is childish which consists in words.
But Dido is the favour I request.
Come Dido, leave Ascanius, let us walke.
Ungentle Queene, is this thy love to me?
Iarbus dye, seeing she abandons thee.
Am I not King of rich Getulia?
I goe to feed the humour of my Love,
Yet not from Carthage for a thousand worlds.
Doth Dido call me backe?
Then pull out both mine eyes, or let me dye.

Act: 3 Scene: 3
Ungentle, can she wrong Iarbus so?
Ile dye before a stranger have that grace:
We two will talke alone, what words be these?
Why, man of Troy, doe I offend thine eyes?
Or art thou grievde thy betters presse so nye?
Women may wrong by priviledge of love:
But should that man of men (Dido except)
Have taunted me in these opprobrious termes,
I would have either drunke his dying bloud,
Or els I would have given my life in gage.
And might I live to see thee shipt away,
And hoyst aloft on Neptunes hideous hilles,
Then would I wish me in faire Didos armes,
And dead to scorne that hath pursued me so.
I, this it is which wounds me to the death,
To see a Phrigian far fet on the sea,
Preferd before a man of majestie:
O love, O hate, O cruell womens hearts,
That imitate the Moone in every chaunge,
And like the Planets ever love to raunge:
What shall I doe thus wronged with disdaine?
Revenge me on Aeneas, or on her:
On her? fond man, that were to warre gainst heaven,
And with one shaft provoke ten thousand darts:
This Troians end will be thy envies aime,
Whose bloud will reconcile thee to content,
And make love drunken with thy sweete desire:
But Dido that now holdeth him so deare,
Will dye with very tidings of his death:
But time will discontinue her content,
And mould her minde unto newe fancies shapes:
O God of heaven, turne the hand of fate
Unto that happie day of my delight,
And then, what then? Iarbus shall but love:
So doth he now, though not with equall game,
That resteth in the rivall of thy paine,
Who nere will cease to soare till he be slaine.

Act: 4 Scene: 1
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.
In all this coyle, where have ye left the Queene?
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?
Not with Aeneas in the ugly Cave.

Act: 4 Scene: 2
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.
I Anna, is there ought you would with me?
Anna, against this Troian doe I pray,
Who seekes to rob me of thy Sisters love,
And dive into her heart by coloured lookes.
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.
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.

Act: 5 Scene: 1
How now Aeneas, sad, what meanes these dumpes?
As how I pray, may I entreate you tell.
If that be all, then cheare thy drooping lookes,
For I will furnish thee with such supplies:
Let some of those thy followers goe with me,
And they shall have what thing so ere thou needst.
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 love?
But afterwards will Dido graunt me love?
Cursed Iarbus, dye to expiate
The griefe that tires upon thine inward soule.
Dido I come to thee, aye me Aeneas.