The Second and Fourth Books of Virgil's Aeneid

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CERTAIN BOKES OF VIRGILES AenÆis turned into English meter by the right honorable lorde, Henry Earle of Surrey.

Apud Ricardum_Tottel.

Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum .

.1557.

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The second boke of Virgiles AenÆis.

THey whisted all, with fixed face attent,

When prince Aeneas from the royal seat

Thus gan to speak. O Quene, it is thy wil,

I shold renew a woe can not be told:

How that the Grekes did spoile, and ouerthrow

The Phrygian wealth, and wailful realm of Troy,

Those ruthfull things that I my-self beheld,

And wherof no small part fel to my share.

Which to expresse, who could refraine from teres?

What Myrmidon: or yet what Dolopes? Myrmidon: =Myrmidonian; Dolopes: =Dolopian

What stern Ulysses waged soldiar?

And loe moist night now from the welkin falles,

And sterres declining counsel vs to rest.

But sins so great is thy delight to here

Of our mishaps, and Troyes last decay:

Though to record the same my minde abhorres,

And plaint eschues: yet thus wil I begyn.

The Grekes chieftains all irked with the war,

Wherin they wasted had so many yeres,

And oft repulst by fatal destinie,

A huge hors made, hye raised like a hill,

By the diuine science of Minerua:

Of clouen firre compacted were his ribbs:

For their return a fained sacrifice:

The fame wherof so wandred it at point.

In the dark bulk they closde bodies of men

Chosen by lot, and did enstuff by stealth

The hollow womb with armed soldiars.

There stands in sight an isle hight Tenedon,

Rich, and of fame, while Priams kingdom stood:

Now but a bay, and rode vnsure for ship.

Hether them secretly the Grekes withdrew,

Shrouding themselues vnder the desert shore.

And, wening we they had ben fled and gone, wening] wenuing 1557

And with that winde had fet the land of Grece, fet: ='arrived at', 'reached', see OED s.v. fet 7(=fetch, 10a)

Troye discharged her long-continued dole:

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The gates cast vp, we issued out to play,

The Grekish camp desirous to behold,

The places void and the forsaken costes.

Here Pyrrhus band, there ferce Achilles pight:

Here rode their shippes, there did their battells ioyne.

Astonnied some the scathefull gift beheld,

Behight by vow vnto the chast Minerue:

All wondring at the hugenesse of the horse.

And fyrst of all Timoetes gan aduise,

Wythin the walles to leade and drawe the same,

And place it eke amidde the palace court:

Whether of guile, or Troyes fate it would.

Capys, wyth some of iudgement more discrete,

Wild it to drown, or vnderset with flame

The suspect present of the Grekes deceit,

Or bore and gage the hollowe caues vncouth.

So diuerse ranne the giddy peoples minde.

Loe formest of a rout, that followd him,

Kindled laocoon hasted from the towre,

Crieng far-of: O wreched citezens,

What so great kind of frensie freteth you?

Deme ye the Grekes our enemies to be gone?

Or any Grekish giftes can you suppose

Deuoid of guile? Is so Ulysses known?

Either the Grekes ar in this timber hid:

Or this an engin is to anoy our walles,

To view our toures, and ouerwhelme our towne.

Here lurkes some craft. Good Troyans, geue no trust

Unto this horse, for what-so-euer it be,

I dred the Grekes, yea when they offer gyftes.

And with that word, with all his force a dart

He launced then into that croked wombe:

Which tremling stack, and shoke within the side.

Wherwith the caues gan hollowly resound.

And, but for faites, and for our blind forcast,

The Grekes deuise and guile had he discried:

Troy yet had stand, and Priams toures so hie.

Therwyth behold, wheras the Phrigian herdes

Brought to the king, with clamor, all vnknown

A yongman, bound his handes behinde his back:

Whoe willingly had yelden prisoner,

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To frame his guile, and open Troyes gates.

Unto the Grekes: with courage fully bent,

And minde determed either of the twaine,

To worke his feat, or willing yeld to death.

Nere him, to gaze, the Troyan youth gan flock,

And straue whoe most might at the captiue scorne.

The Grekes deceit beholde, and by one profe

Imagine all the rest.

For in the preasse as he vnarmed stood,

Wyth troubled chere, and Phrigian routes beset,

Alas (quod he) what earth nowe, or what seas

May me receyue? Catif, what restes me nowe?

For whom in Grece doth no abode remayne:

The Troians eke offended seke to wreke

Their hainous wrath wyth shedying of my bloud.

With this regrete our hartes from rancor moued,

The brute appeasde we askte him of his birth,

What newes he brought, what hope made hym to yeld.

Then he (al dred remoued) thus began.

O King: I shall, what-euer me betide,

Say but the truth: ne first will me denie

A Grecian borne. for though fortune hath made

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Sinon a wretche, she can not make him false.

If euer came vnto your eares the name

Nobled by fame of the sage Palamede,

Whom traitrously the Grekes condemd to dye,

Giltlesse by wrongfull dome, for that he dyd

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Dyssuade the warres: whose death they nowe lament:

Underneth him my father bare of wealth

Into his band yong, and nere of his blood,

In my prime yeres vnto the war me sent.

While that by fate his state in stay did stand,

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And when his realm did florish by aduise,

Of glorie then we bare som fame and brute.

But sins his death, by false Ulyssez sleight

(I speak of things to all men wel beknown)

A drery life in doleful plaint I led,

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Repining at my gyltlesse frends mischaunce.

Ne could I fool refrein my tong from thretes:

That if my chaunce were euer to return

Uictor to Arge, to folowe my reuenge.

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With such sharp words procured I great hate.

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Here sprang my harm. Ulysses euer sithe

With new-found crimes began me to affray:

In common eares false rumors gan he sowe:

Weapons of wreke his gylty minde gan seke:

Ne rested ay, till he by Calchas meane.

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But whereunto these thanklesse tales in vaine

Do I reherse, and lingre fourth the time?

In like estate if all the Grekes ye price:

It is enough ye here: rid me at ones.

Ulysses (Lord) how he wold this reioise?

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Yea and either Atride would bye it dere.

This kindled vs more egre to enquire,

And to demaund the cause: without suspect

Of so great mischef thereby to ensue,

Or of Grekes craft. He then with forged words,

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And quiuering limmes, thus toke hys tale again.

The Grekes oft-times entended their return,

From Troye town, with long warrs all ytired,

For to dislodge: which would god they had done.

But oft the winter storms of raging seas,

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And oft the boisteous winds did them to stay:

And chiefly when of clinched ribbes of firre

This hors was made, the storms rored in the aire.

Then we in dout to Phebus temple sent

Euripilus, to wete the prophesye:

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From whens he brought these woful news again:

With blood (O Grekes) and slaughter of a maid

Ye pleasd the winds, when first ye came to Troy:

With blood likewise ye must seke your return.

A Grekish soule must offred be therfore,

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But when this sound had pearst the peoples eares,

With sodein fere astonied were their mindes:

The chilling cold did ouerrunne their bones,

To whom that fate was shapte, whom Phebus wold.

Ulysses then amid the preasse bringes in

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Calchas with noyse, and wild him to discusse

The Gods intent. Then some gan deme to me

The cruell wrek of him that framde the craft:

Foreseing secretly what wold ensue.

In silence then, yshrowding him from sight

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But dayes twise fiue he whisted, and refused

To death by speche to further any wight.

At last, as forced by false Ulyssez crye,

Of purpose he brake fourth, assigning me

To the altar: whereto they graunted all:

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And that, that erst eche one dred to himself,

Returned all vnto my wretched death.

And now at hand drew nere the woful day:

All things preparde wherwyth to offer me,

Salt, corne, fillets my temples for to bind.

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I scapte the deth (I graunt) and brake þ e bands,

And lurked in a marrise all the nyght,

Among the ooze, while they did set their sailes:

If it so be that they in-dede so dyd.

Now restes no hope my natiue land to see,

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My children dere, nor long desired sire:

On whom parchaunce they shall wreke my escape:

Those harmlesse wights shal for my fault be slayn.

Then, by the gods, to whom al truth is known:

By fayth vnfiled, if any any-where

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Wyth mortal folke remaines: I thee beseche

O King thereby, rue on my trauail great:

Pitie a wretch that giltlesse suffreth wrong.

Life to these teres, wyth pardon eke we graunt.

And Priam first himself commaundes to loose

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His gyues, his bands: and frendly to him sayd.

Whoso thou art, learn to forget the Grekes.

Hencefourth be oures, and answere me with truth.

Wherto was wrought the masse of this huge hors?

Whoes the deuise? and wherto should it tend?

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What holly vow? or engin for the warres?

Then he, instruct with wiles and Grekish craft,

His loosed hands lift vpward to the sterrs.

Ye euerlasting lampes I testifye,

Whoes powr diuine may not be violate:

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Th'altar, and swerd (quod he) that I haue scapt:

Ye sacred bandes, I wore as yelden hoste: hoste: ='a victim for sacrifice'; see OED s.v. host, n. 4

Leful be it for me to breke mine othe

To Grekes, lefull to hate their nacion,

Lefull be it to sparcle in the ayre

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Their secretes all, whatsoe they kepe in close.

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For free am I from Grece, and from their lawes.

So be it, Troy, and saued by me from scathe,

Kepe faith with me, and stand to thy behest,

If I speake truth, and opening thinges of weight

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For graunt of life requite thee large amendes.

The Grekes whole hope of vndertaken war

In Pallas help consisted euermore.

But sith the time that wicked Diomede,

Ulysses eke that forger of all guile,

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Auenturde from the holly sacred fane

For to bereue dame Pallas fatall forme,

And slew the watches of the chefest toure,

And then away the holy statue stale,

That were so bold with handes embrued in blood,

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The virgin Goddesse veiles for to defile:

Sith that, their hope gan faile, their hope to fall

Their powr appeir, their Goddesse grace withdraw.

Whych with no doutfull signes she did declare.

Scarce was the statue to our tentes ybroughte,

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But she gan stare with sparcled eyes of flame:

Along her limmes the salt sweat trickled downe:

Yea thrise her-selfe (a hideous thinge to tell)

In glaunces bright she glittered from the ground,

Holding in hand her targe and quiuering spere.

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Calchas by sea then bad vs hast our flight:

Whoes engins might not break the walles of Troy,

Unlesse at Grece they wold renew their lottes,

Restore the god that they by sea had brought

In warped keles. To Arge sith they be come,

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They pease their godds, and war afresh prepare:

And crosse the seas vnloked for eftsones

They wil return. This order Calchas set.

This figure made they for th'agreued god,

In Pallas stede, to clense their hainous fault.

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Which masse he willed to be reared hye

Toward the skies, and ribbed all with oke:

So that your gates, ne wall might it receiue,

Ne yet your people might defensed be

By the good zele of old deuotion.

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For if your hands did Pallas gift defile,

To Priams realm great mischef shold befall:

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(Which fate the Gods first on him-self return)

But had your owne handes brought it in your town,

Asie should passe, and carrie offred warr

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In Grece euen to the walles of Pelops town,

And we and oures that destenie endure.

By such-like wiles of Sinon the forsworne

His tale with vs did purchace credit: some

Trapt by deceite, some forced by his teres,

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Whom neither Diomede, nor great Achille,

Nor ten yeres war, ne a thousand saile could daunt.

Us caitifes then a far more dredful chaunce

Befell, that trobled our vnarmed brestes.

Whiles Laocon, that chosen was by lot

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Neptunus priest, did sacrifice a bull

Before the holy Altar, sodenly

From Tenedon behold in circles great

By the calme seas come fletyng adders twaine,

Which plied towardes the shore (I lothe to tell)

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With rered brest lift vp aboue the seas:

Whoes bloody crestes aloft the waues were seen:

The hinder parte swamme hidden in the flood:

Their grisly backes were linked manifold:

With sound of broken waues they gate the strand,

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With gloing eyen, tainted with blood and fire:

Whoes waltring tongs did lick their hissing mouthes.

We fled away, our face the blood forsoke.

But they with gate direct to Lacon ran.

And first of all eche serpent doth enwrap

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The bodies small of his two tender sonnes:

Whoes wretched limmes they byt, and fed theron.

Then raught they hym, who had his wepon caught

To rescue them, twise winding him about,

With folded knottes, and circled tailes, his wast.

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Their scaled backes did compasse twise his neck,

Wyth rered heddes aloft, and stretched throtes.

He with his handes straue to vnloose the knottes:

Whose sacred fillettes all be_sprinkled were

With filth of gory blod, and venim rank.

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And to the sterres such dredfull shoutes he sent,

Like to the sound the roring bull fourth loowes,

Which from the halter wounded doth astart,

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The swaruing axe when he shakes from his neck.

The serpentes twine with hasted traile they glide

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To Pallas temple, and her towres of heighte:

Under the feete of which the Goddesse stern,

Hidden behinde her targettes bosse they crept.

New gripes of dred then pearse our trembling brestes.

They sayd Lacons desertes had derely bought

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His hainous dede, that pearced had with stele

The sacred bulk, and throwen the wicked launce:

The people cried with sondry greeing shoutes,

To bring the horse to Pallas temple bliue,

In hope thereby the Goddesse wrath t'appease

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We cleft the walles, and closures of th[e tow]ne. copytext torn

Wherto all helpe, and vnderset the feet

With sliding rolles, and bound his neck with ropes.

This fatall gin thus ouerclambe our walles,

Stuft with armed men: about the which there ran

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Children, and maides, that holly carolles sang.

And well were they whoes hands might touch the cordes.

With thretning chere thus slided through o[u]r town

The subtil tree, to Pallas temple ward:

O natiue land, Ilion, and of the Goddes

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The mansion-place. O warrlik walles of Troy.

Fowr times it stopt in th'entrie of our gate:

Fowr times the harnesse clattred in the womb.

But we goe on, vnsound of memorie,

And blinded eke by rage perseuer still.

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This fatal monster in the fane we place

Cassandra then, inspired with Phebus sprite,

Her prophetes lippes yet neuer of vs leeued

Disclosed eft, forespeking thinges to come.

We wretches loe, that last day of our life,

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With bowes of fest the town, and temples deck.

With this the skie gan whirle about the sphere:

The cloudy night gan thicken from the sea,

With mantells spred that cloked earth, and skies,

And eke the treason of the Grekish guile.

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The watchemen lay disperst, to take their rest,

Whoes werried limmes sound slepe had then opprest:

When well in order comes the Grecian fleet,

From Tenedon toward the costes well-knowne,

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By frendly silence of the quiet moone.

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When the Kinges ship put fourth his mark of fire,

Sinon, preserued by froward destinie,

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The closures eke of pine by stealth vnpind.

Whereby the Grekes restored were to aire,

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With ioy down-hasting from the hollow tree.

With cordes let down did slide vnto the ground

The great captaines, Sthenel, and Thesander,

The fierce Ulisses, Athamas and Thoas,

Machaon first, and then King Menolae,

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Opeas eke that did the engin forge.

By cordes let fal fast gan they slide adown:

And streight inuade the town yburied then

With wine, and slepe. And first the watch is slain,

Then gates vnfold to let their fellowes in[.]

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They ioyne them-selues with the coniured bandes.

It was the time, when graunted from the godds

The first slepe crepes most swete in wery folk.

Loe in my dreame before mine eies, me-thought,

With rufull chere I sawe where Hector stood:

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Out of whoes eies there gushed streames of teares,

Drawn at a cart as he of late had be? "?" used here and below as mark of exclamation

Distained with bloody dust, whoes feet were bowlne

With the streight cordes wherwith they haled him

Ay me. what one? that Hector how vnlike,

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Which erst returnd clad with Achilles spoiles:

Or when he threw into the Grekish shippes

The Troian flame? So was his beard defiled,

His crisped lockes al clustred with his blood:

With all such wounds, as many he receiued

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About the walls of that his natiue town.

Whome franckly thus, me-thought, I spake vnto,

With bitter teres and dolefull deadly voice,

O Troyan light, O only hope of thine:

What lettes so long thee staid? or from what costes.

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Our most desired Hector, doest thou come?

Whom after slaughter of thy many frends,

And trauaill of the people, and thy town,

Alweried (lord) how gladly we behold.

What sory chaunce hath staind thy liuely face?

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Or why see I these woundes (alas) so wide?

He answeard nought, nor in my vain demaundes

Abode: but from the bottom of his brest

Sighing he sayd: flee, flee, O Goddesse son,

And saue thee from the furie of this flame.

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Our enmies now ar maisters of the walles:

And Troye town now falleth from the top.

Sufficeth that is done for Priams reigne.

If force might serue to succor Troye town,

This right hand well mought haue ben her defense.

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But Troye now commendeth to thy charge

Her holy reliques, and her priuy Gods.

Them ioyne to thee, as felowes of thy fate.

Large walles rere thow for them. For so thou shalt,

After time spent in th'ouerwandred flood.

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This sayd, he brought fourth Uesta in his hands,

Her fillettes eke, and euerlasting flame.

In this meane-while with diuerse plaint the town

Throughout was spred: and lowder more and more

The din resouned: with rattling of armes

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(Although mine old father Anchisez house

Remoued stood, with shadow hid of trees)

I waked: therwith to the ho[u]se-top I clambe,

And harkning stood I: like as when the flame

Lightes in the corne, by drift of boisteous winde:

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Or the swift stream, that driueth from the hill,

Rootes vp the feldes, and presseth the ripe corne,

And plowed ground, and ouerwhelmes the groue,

The silly herdman all astonnied standes,

From the hye rock while he doth here the sound.

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Then the Grekes faith, then their deceit appered.

Of Deiphobus the palace large and great

Fell to the ground, all ouerspred with flash.

His next neighbour Ucalegon afire:

The Sygean seas did glister all with flame.

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Upsprang the crye of men, and trompettes blast.

Then as distraught I did my armure on:

Ne could I tell yet whereto armes auailde.

But with our feres to throng out from the preasse

Toward the toure our hartes brent with desire:

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Wrath prickt vs fourth: and vnto vs it semed

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A semely thing to dye: armd in the feld.

Wherwith Panthus: scapte from the Grekish dartes,

Otreus sonne, Phebus prest, brought in hand

The sacred reliques: and the vanquisht Gods:

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And in his hand his litle nephew led.

And thus as phrentik to our gates he ran:

Panthus (quod I) in what estate stand we?

Or for refuge what fortresse shall we take?

Scarse spake I this: when wailing thus he sayd.

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The later day and fate of Troye is come,

The which no plaint or prayer may auaile.

Troyans we were, and Troye was somtime,

And of great fame the Teucrian glorie erst:

Fierce Ioue to Grece hath now transposed all.

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The Grekes ar Lordes ouer this fired town.

Yonder huge horse, that stands amid our walles,

Sheds armed men. And Sinon victor now,

With scorne of vs, doth set all things on flame.

And rushed in at our vnfolded gates

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Are thousands moe, than euer came from Grece.

And some with weapons watch the narrow stretes,

With bright swerdes drawn to slaughter redy bent.

And scarse the watches of the gate began

Them to defend, and with blinde fight resist.

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Through Panthus words, and lightning of the Gods,

Amid the flame and armes ran I in preasse:

As furie guided me, and wher-as I had heard

The crye greatest, that made the ayre resound.

Into our band then fell old Iphytus,

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And Rypheus, that met vs by moonelight.

Dymas and Hypanis ioyning to our side,

With yong Chorebus, Mygdonius son:

Which in those dayes at Troye did ariue

Burning with rage of dame Cassandraes loue,

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In Priams ayd and rescue of his town:

Unhappy he that wold no credit geue

Unto his spouses woords of prophecie.

Whom when I saw assembled in such wise,

So desperatly the battail to desire:

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Then furthermore thus sayd I vnto them,

O ye yongmen of courage stout in vaine:

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For nought ye striue to saue the burning town.

What cruel fortune hath betid, ye see.

The Gods out of the temples all ar fled,

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Through whoes might long this empire was mainteind:

Their altares eke are left both wast and voyd.

But if your will be bent with me to proue

That vttermost, that now may vs befall:

Then let vs dye, and runne amid our foes.

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To vanquisht folk despeir is only hope.

With this the yongmens courage did encrease:

And through the dark, like to the raue[n]ing wolues,

Whom raging furie of their empty mawes

Driues from their den, leauing with hungry throtes

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Their whelpes behinde, among our foes we ran,

Upon their swerdes vnto apparant death,

Holding alway the chiefe strete of the town,

Couerd with the close shadowes of the night.

Who can expresse the slaughter of that night?

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Or tell the nomber of the corpses slaine?

Or can in teres bewaile them worthely?

The auncient famous citie falleth down,

That many yeres did hold such seignorie.

With senslesse bodies euery strete is spred,

470

Eche palace, and sacred porch of the Gods.

Nor yet alone the Troyan blood was shed.

Manhod oft-times into the vanquisht brest

Returnes, wherby some victors Grekes ar slain. "victors": here Surrey follows Gavin Douglas's translation of the Aeneid (C.vii.17), "sum Grekis victoris" for Virgil's "victoresque ... Danai" [cf. Jones, p. 144].

Cruel complaintes, and terror euery-where,

475

And plentie of grisly pictures of death.

And first with vs Androgeus there met,

Fellowed with a swarming rout of Grekes:

Deming vs, vnware, of that feloship:

With frendly words whom thus he cald vnto.

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Hast ye my frendes: what slouth hath taried yow?

Your feers now sack, and spoile the burning Troy,

From the tall ships where ye but newly come.

When he had sayd, and heard no answer made

To him againe wherto he might geue trust:

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Finding himself chaunced amid his foes,

Mazde he withdrew his foote back with his word:

Like him that, wandring in the bushes thick,

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Tredes on the adder with his rechlesse foote,

Rered for wrath swelling her speckled neck

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Dismayd, geues back al sodenly for fere.

Androgeus so feard of that sight stept back.

And we gan rush amid the thickest rout:

When here and there we did them ouerthrow,

Striken with dred, vnskilfull of the place.

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Our first labor thus lucked well with vs.

Chorebus then encouraged by his chaunce,

Reioysing sayd: Hold fourth the way of health

(My feers) that hap, and manhod hath vs taught.

Change we our shields: the Grekes armes do we on

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Craft, or manhod, with foes what reckes it which.

The slaine to vs their armure they shall yeld.

And with that word Androgeus crested helme,

And the rich armes of his shield did he on:

A Grekish swerd he girded by his side.

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Like gladly Dimas. and Ripheus did.

The whole youth gan them clad in the new spoiles,

Mingled with Grekes for no good luck to vs

We went, and gaue many onsets that night.

And many a Greke we sent to Plutoes court.

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Other there fled and hasted to their ships,

And to their costes of sauegard ran againe.

And some there were, for shamefull cowardrie,

Clambe vp againe vnto the hugie horse, hugie: =huge; see OED s.v. hugy

And did them hide in his welknowen womb.

515

Ay me, bootelesse it is for any whight

To hope on ought, against will of the Gods.

Loe where Cassandra, Priams daughter dere,

From Pallas chirch was drawn with sparkled tresse,

Lifting in vain her flaming eyen to heuen:

520

Her eyen: for fast her tender wrestes were bound. wrestes: =wrists

Which sight Chorebus raging could not bere,

Recklesse of death: but thrust amid the throng:

And after we through thickest of the swerdes.

Here were we first ybatred with the dartes

525

Of our owne feers, from the hye temples top.

Wherby of vs grete slaughter did ensue,

Mistaken by our Grekish armes and crestes.

Then flockt the Grekes, moued with wrath, and ire

sig: [B4v]

Of the Uirgin from them so rescued:

530

The fell Aiax, and either Atrides,

And the great band cleped the Dolopes.

As wrastling windes, out of dispersed whirl,

Befight themselues, the west with southern blast,

And gladsom East proud of Auroraes horse,

535

The woods do whiz: and fomy Nereus,

Raging in furie with threeforked mace

From bottoms depth doth weltre vp þ e seas:

So came the Grekes. And such, as by deceit

We sparkled erst in shadow of the night,

540

And draue about our town, appered first.

Our fained shields and wepons then they found,

And by sound our discording voice they knew.

We went to wreck with nomber ouerlayd.

And by the hand of Peneleus first

545

Chorebus fel before the altar dead

Of armed Pallas, and Rypheus eke,

The iustest man among the Troians all,

And he that best obserued equitie.

But otherwyse it pleased now the Gods,

550

There Hipanis, and Dimas both were slaine,

Throughpearced with the weapons of their feers.

Nor thee, Panthus, when thou wast ouerthrown,

Pitie, nor zele of good deuocion,

Nor habit yet of Phebus hid from scathe.

555

Ye Troyan ashes, and last flames of mine,

I cal in witnesse, that at your last fall

I fled no stroke of any Grekish swerd:

And if the fates wold I had fallen in fight,

That with my hand I did deserue it wel.

560

With this from thense I was recuiled back,

With Iphytus, and Pelias alone,

Iphytus weke, and feble all for age,

Pelias lamed by Ulissez hand.

To Priams palace crye did cal vs then.

565

Here was the fight right hideous to behold,

As though there had no battail ben but there,

Or slaughter made els-where throughout the town.

A fight of rage and furie there we saw.

sig: C1

The Grekes toward the palace rushed fast,

570

And couerd with engines the gates beset,

And rered vp ladders against the walles,

Under the windowes scaling by their steppes,

Fenced with sheldes in their left hands, wheron

They did receiue the dartes, while their right hands

575

Griped for hold th'embatel of the wall.

The Troyans on the tother part rend down

The turrets hye, and eke the palace-roofe:

With such weapons they shope them to defend,

Seing al lost, now at the point of death.

580

The gilt sparres, and the beames then threw they down,

Of old fathers the proud and royal workes.

And with drawn swerds some did beset the gates,

Which they did watch and kepe in routes full thick.

Our sprites restorde to rescue the kings house,

585

To help them, and to geue the vanquisht strength.

A postern with a blinde wicket there was,

A common trade to passe through Priams house:

On the backside wherof wast houses stood.

Which way eftsithes, while that our kingdome dured,

590

Th'infortunate Andromache alone

Resorted to the parentes of her make,

With yong Astyanax his grandsire to see.

Here passed I vp to the hyest toure,

From whense the wretched Troyans did throw down

595

Dartes spent in wast. Unto a turret then

We stept: the which stood in a place aloft,

The top wherof did reache wellnere the sterres,

Where we were wont all Troye to behold,

The Grekish nauie, and their tentes also.

600

With instrumentes of iron gan we pick,

To seke where we might finde the ioyning shronk

From that high seat: which we razed, and threw down.

Which falling gaue fourthwith a rushing sound,

And large in breadth on Grekish routes it light.

605

But sone an-other sort stept in theyr stede.

No stone vnthrown, nor yet no dart vncast

Before the gate stood Pyrrhus, in the porche,

Reioysing in his dartes, with glittring armes,

Like to the adder with venimous herbes fed,

sig: [C1v]

610

Whom cold winter all bolne hid vnder-ground,

And shining bright when she her slough had slong

Her slipper back doth rowle with forked tong,

And raised brest, lift vp against the sun.

With that together came great Periphas,

615

Automedon eke that guided had somtime

Achilles horse, now Pyrrhus armure bare.

And eke with him the warlike Scyrian youth

Assayld the house, and threw flame to the top.

And he an axe before the formest raught:

620

Wherwith he gan the strong gates hew, and break.

From whens he bet the staples out of brasse:

He brake the barres, and through the timber pearst

So large a hole, wherby they might discerne

The house, the court, the secret chambers eke

625

Of Priamus, and auncient kings of Troy,

And armed foes in th'entrie of the gate.

But the palace within confounded was

With wayling, and with rufull shrikes and cryes.

The hollow halles did howle of womens plaint.

630

The clamor strake vp to the golden sterres.

The frayd mothers, wandring through the wide house,

Embracing pillers, did them hold and kisse.

Pyrrhus assaileth with his fathers might,

Whom the closures ne kepers might hold out.

635

With often-pushed ram the gate did shake.

The postes beat down remoued from their hookes.

By force they made the way, and th'entrie brake.

And now the Grekes let in, the formest slew:

And the large palace with soldiars gan to fill.

640

Not so fercely doth ouerflow the feldes

The foming flood, that brekes out of his bankes:

Whoes rage of waters beares away what heapes

Stand in his way, the coates, and eke the herdes:

As in th'entrie of slaughter furious

645

I saw Pyrrhus and either Atrides.

There Hecuba I saw with a hundred moe

Of her sons wyues, and Priam at the altar,

Sprinkling with blood his flame of sacrifice.

Fiftie bedchambers of his childrens wyues,

650

With losse of so great hope of his ofspring,

sig: C2

The pillers eke proudly beset with gold,

And with the spoiles of other nations,

Fell to the ground: and whatso that with flame

Untouched was, the Grekes did all possesse.

655

Parcase yow wold ask what was Priams fate.

When of his taken town he saw the chaunce,

And the gates of his palace beaten down,

His foes amid his secret chambers eke:

Th'old man in vaine did on his sholders then,

660

Trembling for age, his curace long disused:

His bootelesse swerd he girded him about:

And ran amid his foes, redy to dye.

Amid the court vnder the heuen all bare

A great altar there stood, by which there grew

665

An old laurel-tree bowing therunto,

Which with his shadow did embrace the Gods.

Here Hecuba, with her yong daughters all,

About the altar swarmed were in vaine:

Like Doues, that flock together in the storme:

670

The statues of the Gods embracing fast.

But when she saw Priam had taken there

His armure, like as though he had ben yong:

What furious thought, my wretched spouse, (quod she)

Did moue thee now such wepons for to weld?

675

Why hastest thow? This time doth not require

Such succor, ne yet such defenders now.

No, though Hector my son were here againe.

Come hether: this altar shall saue vs all:

Or we shall dye together. Thus she sayd.

680

Wherwith she drew him back to her, and set

The aged man down in the holy seat.

But loe Polites, one of Priams sons,

Escaped from the slaughter of Pyrrhus,

Comes fleing through the wepons of his foes,

685

Searching all wounded the long galleries.

And the voyd courtes: whom Pyrrhus all in rage

Followed fast, to reache a mortal wound:

And now in hand wellnere strikes with his spere.

Who fleing fourth, till he came now in sight

690

Of his parentes, before their face fell down,

Yelding the ghost, with flowing streames of blood.

sig: [C2v]

Priamus then, although he were half-ded,

Might not kepe in his wrath, nor yet his words:

But cryeth out: For this thy wicked work,

695

And boldnesse eke such thing to enterprise,

If in the heauens any iustice be,

That of such things takes any care or kepe,

According thankes the Gods may yeld to thee,

And send thee eke thy iust deserued hyre,

700

That made me see the slaughter of my childe,

And with his blood defile the fathers face.

But he, by whom thow fainst thy-self begot,

Achilles was to Priam not so stern.

For loe he, tendring my most humble sute,

705

The right, and faith, my Hectors bloodlesse corps

Rendred, for to be layd in sepulture,

And sent me to my kingdome home againe.

Thus sayd the aged man: and therewithall

Forcelesse he cast his weak vnweldy dart.

710

Which repulst from the brasse, where it gaue dint,

Without sound hong vainly in the shieldes bosse.

Quod Pyrrhus, then thow shalt this thing report.

On message to Pelide my father go:

Shew vnto him my cruel dedes, and how

715

Neoptolem is swarued out of kinde.

Now shalt thow dye, quod he. And with that word

At the altar him trembling gan he draw,

Wallowing through the blodshed of his son:

And his left hand all clasped in his heare,

720

With his right arme drewe fourth his shining sword,

Which in his side he thrust vp to the hilts.

Of Priamus this was the fatal fine,

The wofull end that was alotted him.

When he had seen his palace all on flame,

725

With ruine of his Troyan turrets eke,

That royal prince of Asie, which of late

Reignd ouer so many peoples and realmes,

Like a great stock now lieth on the shore:

His hed and sholders parted ben in twaine:

730

A body now without renome, and fame.

Then first in me entred the grisly feare.

Dismayd I was. Wherwith came to my minde

sig: [C3]

The image eke of my dere father, when

I thus beheld the king of equal age

735

Yeld vp the sprite with wounds so cruelly.

Then thought I of Creusa left alone:

And of my house in danger of the spoile:

And the estate of yong Iulus eke.

I looked back to seke what nomber then

740

I might discern about me of my feeres.

But weried they had left me all alone.

Some to the ground were lopen from aboue:

Some in the flame their irked bodies cast.

There was no moe but I left of them all:

745

When that I saw in Uestaes temple sit

Dame Helen, lurking in a secret place:

(Such light the flame did giue as I went by,

While here and there I cast mine eyen about)

For she in dred, least that the Troians shold

750

Reuenge on her the ruine of their walles,

And of the Grekes the cruel wrekes also,

The furie eke of her forsaken make,

The common bane of Troy, and eke of Grece,

Hateful she sate beside the altars hid.

755

Then boyld my brest with flame, and burning wrath,

To reuenge my town vnto such ruine brought.

With worthy peines on her to work my will.

Thought I: Shall she passe to the land of Spart

All safe, and see Mycene her natiue land,

760

And like a Quene returne with victorie

Home to her spouse, her parentes, and children,

Folowed with a traine of Troyan maides,

And serued with a band of Phrigian slaues,

And Priam eke with iron murdred thus,

765

And Troy town consumed all with flame,

Whoes shore hath ben so oft forbathed in blood?

No no: for though on wemen the reuenge

Unsemely is, such conquest hath no fame:

To geue an end vnto such mischief yet

770

My iust reuenge shal merit worthy praise,

And quiet eke my minde, for to be wroke

On her which was the causer of this flame,

And satisfie the cinder of my feers. cinder: =funerary ashes [Jones]

sig: [C3v]

With furious minde while I did argue thus,

775

My blessed mother then appeard to me,

Whom erst so bright mine eyes had neuer seen,

And with pure light she glistred in the night,

Disclosing her in forme a Goddesse like,

As she doth seme to such as dwell in heuen.

780

My right hand then she toke, and held it fast,

And with her rosie lips thus did she say.

Son, what furie hath thus prouoked thee

To such vntamed wrath? what ragest thow?

Or where is now become the care of vs?

785

Wilt thow not first go see where thow hast left

Anchises thy father fordone with age?

Doth Creusa liue, and Ascanius thy son?

Whom now the Grekish bands haue round beset:

And, were they not defensed by my cure,

790

Flame had them raught and enmies swerd ere this.

Not Helens beautie hatefull vnto thee,

Nor blamed Paris yet, but the Gods wrath

Reft yow this wealth, and ouerthrew your town.

Behold (and I shall now the cloude remoue,

795

Which ouercast thy mortal sight doth dim,

Whoes moisture doth obscure all thinges about:

And fere not thow to do thy mothers will,

Nor her aduise refuse thow to performe.)

Here where thow seest the turrets ouerthrown,

800

Stone bet from stone, smoke rising mixt with dust,

Neptunus there shakes with his mace the walles,

And eke the loose foundations of the same,

And ouerwhelms the whole town from his seat:

And cruell Iuno with the formest here

805

Doth kepe the gate that Scea cleped is,

Nere wood for wrath, whereas she standes, and calls

In harnesse bright the Grekes out of their ships.

And in the turrets hye behold where standes

Bright shining Pallas, all in warlike wede,

810

And with her shield where Gorgons hed apperes:

And Iupiter my father distributes

Auayling strength, and courage to the Grekes.

Yet ouermore, against the Troyan powr,

He doth prouoke the rest of all the Gods.

sig: [C4]

815

Flee then my son, and geue this trauail end.

Ne shall I thee forsake, in sauegard till

I haue thee brought vnto thy fathers gate.

This did she say: and therwith gan she hide

Her-self in shadow of the close night.

820

Then dredfull figures gan appere to me,

And great Gods eke agreued with our town.

I saw Troye fall down in burning gledes,

Neptunus town clene razed from the soil:

Like as the elm forgrown in mountaines hye,

825

Round hewen with axe, that husbandmen

With thick assaultes striue to teare vp, doth threat,

And hackt beneath trembling doth bend his top,

Till yold with strokes, geuing the latter crack,

Rent from the heighth, with ruine it doth fall.

830

With this I went, and guided by a God

I passed through my foes, and eke the flame:

Their wepons, and the fire eke gaue me place.

And when that I was come before the gates,

And auncient building of my fathers house:

835

My father, whom I hoped to conuey

To the next hils, and did him thearto treat,

Refused either to prolong his life,

Or bide exile after the fall of Troy.

All ye (quod he) in whom yong blood is fresh,

840

Whose strength remaines entier and in full powr,

Take ye your flight.

For if the Gods my life wold haue proroged,

They had reserued for me this wonning-place.

It was enough (alas) and eke to much,

845

To see the town of Troy thus razed ones,

To haue liued after the citee taken.

When ye haue sayd, this corps layd out forsake.

My hand shall seke my death, and pitie shal

Mine enmies moue, or els hope of my spoile.

850

As for my graue, I wey the losse but light:

For I my yeres disdainfull to the Gods

Haue lingred fourth, vnable to all nedes,

Sins that the sire of Gods and king of men

Strake me with thonder, and with leuening blast.

855

Such things he gan reherse, thus firmly bent.

sig: [C4v]

But we besprent with teres, my tender son,

And eke my swete Creusa, with the rest

Of the houshold, my father gan beseche,

Not so with him to perish all at ones,

860

Nor so to yeld vnto the cruel fate.

Which he refused, and stack to his entent.

Driuen I was to harnesse then againe,

Miserably my death for to desire.

For what aduise or other hope was left?

865

Father, thoughtst thow that I may ones remoue

(Quod I) a foote, and leaue thee here behinde?

May such a wrong passe from a fathers mouth?

If Gods will be, that nothing here be saued

Of this great town, and thy minde bent to ioyne

870

Both thee and thine to ruine of this town:

The way is plaine this death for to atteine.

Pyrrhus shall come besprent with Priams blood,

That gored the son before the fathers face,

And slew the father at the altar eke.

875

O sacred mother was it then for this,

That you me led through flame, and wepons sharp,

That I might in my secret chaumber see

Mine enmies: and Ascanius my son,

My father, with Creusa my swete wife,

880

Murdred alas the one in th'others blood?

Why seruants then, bring me my armes againe.

The latter day vs vanquished doth call.

Render me now to the Grekes sight againe:

And let me see the fight begon of_new.

885

We shall not all vnwroken dye this day.

About me then I girt my sword again,

And eke my shield on my left sholder cast,

And bent me so to rush out of the house.

Lo in my gate my spouse clasping my feet,

890

Foregainst his father yong Iulus set.

If thow wilt go (quod she) and spill thy-self,

Take vs with thee in all that may betide.

But as expert if thow in armes haue set

Yet any hope, then first this house defend,

895

Whearas thy son, and eke thy father dere,

And I somtime thine owne dere wife, ar left.

sig: D1

Her shrill loud voice with plaint thus filld the house,

When that a sodein monstrous maruel fell.

For in their sight, and woefull parents armes,

900

Behold a light out of the butten sprang

That in tip of Iulus cap did stand:

With gentle touch whoes harmlesse flame did shine,

Upon his heare, about his temples spred.

And we afraid trembling for dredfull fere

905

Bet out the fire from his blasing tresse,

And with water gan quench the sacred flame.

Anchises glad his eyen lift to the sterres:

With handes his voice to heauen thus he bent.

If by praier, (almighty Iupiter),

910

Inclined thou mayst be, beholde vs then

Of ruth: at least if we so much deserue.

Graunt eke thine ayd father, confirm this thing.

Scarse had the old man said, when that the heuens

With sodein noise thondred on the left hand.

915

Out of the skie by the dark night there fell

A blasing sterre, dragging a brand o[f] flame: of] or 1557

Which with much light gliding on the house-top

In the forest of Ida hid her beames.

The which full bright cendleing a furrow shone,

920

By a long tract appointing vs the way.

And round about of brimstone rose a fume.

My father vanquist, then beheld the skies,

Spake to the Gods, and th'olly sterre adored olly: =holy

Now, now (quod he) no longer I abide.

925

F[o]low I shall where ye me guide at hand. Folow] Felow 1557

O natiue Gods, your familie defend

Preserue your li[n]e. this warning comes of you,

And Troy stands in your protection now

Now geue I place, and wherso that thou goe

930

Refuse I not my sonne, to be thy feer.

This did he say: and by that time more clere

The cracking flame was heard throughout the walles,

And more and more the burning heat drew nere.

Why then haue done, my father dere, (quod I)

935

Bestride my neck fourthwith, and sit theron,

And I shal with my sholders thee susteine:

Ne shal this labor do me any dere.

sig: [D1v]

What-so betide, come perill, come welfare,

Like to vs both and common there shal be.

940

Yong Iulus shall beare me company:

And my wife shal follow far-of my steppes,

Now ye my seruantes, mark well what I say.

Without the town ye shall find, on an hill

An old temple there, standes wheras somtime

945

Worship was don to Ceres the Goddesse.

Biside which growes an aged cipresse-tree,

Preserued long by our forefathers zele.

Behind which place let vs together mete.

And thou father receiue into thy handes

950

The reliques all, and the Gods of the land:

The which it were not lawfull I should touch,

That come but late from slaughter and bloodshed,

Till I be washed in the running flood.

When I had sayd these wordes, my sholders brode,

955

And laied neck with garmentes gan I spred, laied: =exposed? bowed? [Jones]; cf. Virgil, "subjectaque colla": see OED, laid, ppl. adj.

And theron cast a yellow lions-skin,

And therupon my burden I receiue.

Yong Iulus, clasped in my right hand,

Followeth me fast with vnegal pace:

960

And at my back my wife. Thus did we passe,

By places shadowed most with the night.

And me, whom late the dart which enemies threw,

Nor preasse of Argiue routes could not amaze, amaze] amazde 1557

Eche whispring wind hath power now to fray,

965

And euery sound to moue my doutfull mind:

So much I dred my burden, and my feer,

And now we gan draw nere vnto the gate,

Right well escapte the daunger, as me-thought:

When that at hand a sound of feet we heard.

970

My father then, gazing throughout the dark,

Cried on me: flee, son: they ar at hand.

With that bright sheldes, and shene armours I saw.

But then I knowe not what vnfrendly God

My trobled wit from me biraft for fere.

975

For while I ran by the most secret stretes,

Eschuing still the common haunted track,

From me catif alas bereued was

Creusa then my spouse, I wote not how:

sig: [D2]

Whether by fate, or missing of the way,

980

Or that she was by werinesse reteind.

But neuer sithe these eies might her behold:

Nor did I yet perceiue that she was lost:

Ne neuer backward turned I my mind,

Till we came to the hill, wheras there stood

985

The old temple dedicate to Ceres.

And when that we were there assembled all,

She was only away, deceiuing vs

Her spouse, her son, and all her compainie. compainie] ccompainie 1557

What God, or man did I not then accuse,

990

Nere wood for ire? or what more cruell chaunce

Did hap to me, in all Troies ouerthrow?

Ascanius to my feeres I then betoke,

With Anchises and eke the Troian Gods,

And left them hid within a valley depe.

995

And to the town I gan me hye againe,

Clad in bright armes, and bent for to renew

Auentures past, to search throughout the town,

And yeld my hed to perils ones againe,

And first the walles and dark entrie I sought

1000

Of the same gate, wherat I issued out.

Holding backward the steppes wher we had come

In the dark night, loking all round about.

In euery place the vgsome sightes I saw,

The silence selfe of night agast my sprite.

1005

From hense againe I past vnto our house,

If she by chaunce had ben returned home.

The Grekes were there, and had it all beset

[With] wasting fire blown vp by drift of wind, With] The 1557

Aboue the roofes the blazing flame sprang vp:

1010

The sound wherof with furie pearst the skies

To Priams palace and the Castel then

I made: and ther at Iunous sanctuair

In the void porches Phenix, Ulisses eke,

Sterne guardens stood watching of the spoile.

1015

The richesse here were set reft from the brent

Temples of Troy: the table of the Gods,

The vessells eke that were of massy gold,

And vestures spoild, were gatherd all in heap:

The children orderly, and mothers pale for fright

sig: [D2v]

1020

Long ranged on a rowe stode round about.

So bold was I to showe my voice that night,

With clepes and cries to fill the stretes throughout,

With Creuse name in sorrow, with vain teres,

And often-sithes the same for to repete.

1025

The town restlesse with furie as I sought,

Th'unlucky figure of Creusaes ghost,

Of stature more than wont, stood fore [mine] eyen. mine] 1557 omits

Abashed then I woxe: therwith my heare

Gan start right vp: my voice stack in my throte:

1030

When with such words she gan my hart remoue.

What helps to yeld vnto such furious rage,

Swete spouse? quod she. Without wil of the gods

This chaunced not: ne lefull was for thee,

To lead away Creusa hense with thee.

1035

The king of the hye heuen suffreth it not.

A long exile thou art assigned to bere,

Long to furrow large space of stormy seas.

So shalt thou reach at last Hesperian land,

Wher Lidian Tiber with his gentle streme

1040

Mildly doth flow along the frutfull feldes.

There mirthful wealth, there kingdom is for thee,

There a kinges child preparde to be thy make.

For thy beloued Creusa stint thy teres.

For now shal I not see the proud abodes

1045

Of Myrmidons, nor yet of Dolopes:

Ne I a Troyan lady, and the wife

Unto the sonne of Uenus the Goddesse,

Shall goe a slaue to serue the Grekish dames.

Me here the Gods great mother holdes.

1050

And now farwell: and kepe in fathers brest

The tender loue of thy yong son and myne.

This hauing said she left me all in teres,

And minding much to speake: but she was gone,

And suttly fled into the weightlesse aire.

1055

Thrise raught I with mine armes t'accoll her neck:

Thrise did my handes vaine hold th'image escape:

Like nimble windes, and like the flieng dreame.

So night spent out, returne I to my feers:

And ther wondring I find together swarmd

1060

A new nomber of mates, mothers, and men,

sig: [D3]

A rout exiled, a wreched multitude,

From eche-where flockke together, prest to passe,

With hart and goods, to whatsoeuer land

By sliding seas me listed them to lede.

1065

And now rose Lucifer aboue the ridge

Of lusty Ide, and brought the dawning light.

The Grekes held th'entries of the gates beset:

Of help there was no hope. Then gaue I place,

Toke vp my sire, and hasted to the hill.

The fowrth boke of Virgiles AenÆis.

BUt now the wounded Quene, with heuy care,

Throughout the veines she norisheth the playe,

Surprised with blind flame, and to hir mind

Gan eke resort the prowesse of the man,

And honour of his race: while in her brest

Imprinted stack his wordes, and pictures forme.

Ne to her limmes care graunteth quiet rest.

The next morow, with Phebus laump, the earth

Alightned clere: and eke the dawning day

The shadowes dark gan from the poale remoue:

When all vnsound her sister of like minde

Thus spake she to: O sister Ann, what dreames

Be these, that me tormented thus afray?

What new guest, is this that to our realm is come?

What one of chere? how stout of hart in armes?

Truly I think (ne vain is my belefe)

Of Goddish race some ofspring shold he be:

Cowardry notes hartes swarued out of kind.

He driuen (Lord) with how hard destiny:

What battailes eke atchiued did he recount?

But that my mind is fixt vnmoueably,

Neuer with wight in wedlock ay to ioyne:

Sith my first loue me left by death disseuered,

If geniall brands, and bed me lothed not,

sig: [D3v]

To this one gilt perchaunce yet might I yeld.

Anne, for I graunt, sith wretched Sichees death

My spouse and house with brothers slaughter staind,

This onely man hath made my sences bend,

And pricked foorth the mind, that gan to slide,

Now feelingly I tast the steppes of mine old flame.

But first I wish, the earth me swalow down:

Or with thunder the mighty Lord me send

To the pale gostes of hel, and darknes deepe:

Ere I thee staine, shamefastnes, or thy lawes

He that with me first coppled, tooke away

My loue with him enioy it in his graue. with him enioy it in his graue] which still enioye he in his grave H

Thus did she say, and with supprised teares

Bained her brest. wherto Anne thus replied:

O sister, dearer beloued then the lyght:

Thy youth alone in plaint still wilt thou spill?

Ne children sweete, ne Uenus giftes wilt know?

Cinders (thinkest thou) mind this? or graued ghostes?

Time of thy doole thy spouse new dead, I graunt.

None might thee moue: no not the Libian king

Nor yet of Tire Iarbas set so light:

And other princes mo: whom the rich soile

Of affrick breedes, in honours triumphant,

Wilt thou also gainstand thy liked loue

Comes not to mind vpon whoes land thou dwelst.

On this side, loe the Getule town behold,

A people bold vnuanquished in warre,

Eke the vndaunted Numides compasse thee

Also the Sirtes, vnfrendly harbroughe: harbroughe: =harbour

On th'other hand, a desert realme for thrust thrust: =thirst

The Barceans, whose fury stretcheth wide.

What shall I touch the warres that moue from Tire?

Or yet thy brothers threates?

By gods purueiaunce it blewe, and Iunos helpe,

The Troiaynes shippes (I think) to runn this course

Sister, what town shalt thou see this become?

Throgh such allie how shal our kingdom rise?

And by the aid of Troiane armes how great?

How many waies shal Cartages glorie grow?

Thou onely now besech the Gods of grace

By sacrifice: which ended, to thy house

sig: [D4]

Receue him: and forge causes of abode:

Whiles winter frettes the seas, and watry Orion,

The shippes shaken, vnfrendly the season.

Such wordes enflamed the kindled mind with loue,

Loosed al shame, and gaue the doubtfull hope,

And to the temples first they hast, and seeke,

By sacrifice for grace, with Hogreles of two yeares

Chosen (as ought) to Ceres, that gaue lawes,

To Phebus, Bachus, and to Iuno chiefe,

Which hath in care the bandes of mariage.

Faire Dido held in her right hand the cup

Which twixt the hornes of a white Cowe she shed

In presence of the Gods passing before

The aulters fatte, which she renewed oft

With giftes that day, and beastes debowled: debowled: =disembowelled

Gasing for counsell on the entrales warme.

Ay me, vnskilfull mindes of prophesy

Temples, or vowes, what boote they in her rage?

A gentle flame the mary doth deuoure: mary: =marrow

Whiles in the brest the silent wound keepes life,

Unhappy Dido burns, and in her rage

Throughout the town she wandreth vp and down:

Like [to] the stricken Hinde with shaft, in Crete to] 1557 omits, to H

Throughout the woods which chasing with his dartes

Aloofe, the Shepheard smiteth at vnwares

And leaues vnwist in her the thirling head:

That through the groues, and landes glides in her f[l]ight: flight] fight 1557, flight H

Amid whose side the mortall arrow stickes,

Aeneas now about the walles she leades,

The town prepared, and Cartage welth to shew,

Offring to speak, amid her voice, she whistes,

And when the day gan faile, new feastes she makes

The Troies trauales to heare anew she listes, Troies: =Trojans? Troiane H

Inraged al: and stareth in his face

100

That tels the tale. And when they were al gone:

And the dimme mone doth eft withold the light:

And sliding starres prouoked vnto sleepe:

Alone she mournes within her palace voide:

And sets her down on her forsaken bed.

105

And absent him she heares, when he is gone,

And seeth eke: oft in her lappe she holdes

Ascanius, trapt by his fathers forme:

sig: [D4v]

So to begile the loue cannot be told.

The turrettes now arise not, erst begonne,

110

Neither the youth weldes armes, nor they auaunce

The portes: nor other mete defence for warr.

Broken there hang the workes and mighty frames

Of walles high-raised, threatning the skie.

Whom assoone as Ioues deare wife sawe infect

115

With such a plage, ne fame resist the rage:

Saturnes daughter thus burdes Uenus then.

Great praise (quod she) and worthy spoiles you win.

You and your son, great Gods of memory,

By both your wiles one woman to deuower.

120

Yet am I not deceiued, that foreknew

Ye dread our walles, and bildinges gan suspect

Of high Cartage. But what shalbe the ende?

Or wherunto now serueth such debate?

But rather peace, and bridale bandes knit we,

125

Sith thou hast spede of that, thy heart desired,

Dido doth burne with loue, rage fretes her boones

This people now as common to vs both,

With equal fauour let vs gouerne then,

Lefull be it to serue a Troian spouse:

130

And Tirianes yeld to thy right hand in dowre. Tirianes: =Tyrians

To whom Uenus replied thus: that knewe,

Her wordes proceded from a fained minde,

To Libian coastes to turne th'empire from Rome,

What wight so fond, such offer to refuse?

135

Or yet with thee had leuer striue in warr?

So-be-it fortune thy tale bring to effect,

But destenies I dout: least Ioue nill graunt,

That folke of Tire, and such as came from Troie,

Should hold one town: or graunt these nacions

140

Mingled to be, or ioyned ay in leage.

Thou a[r]t his wife: lefull it is for the art] at 1557, art H

For to attempt his fansie by request:

Passe on before and folow the I shall? "?": ="!"; see above

Quene Iuno then thus tooke her tale againe:

145

This trauaile be it mine: but by what meane.

(Marke in fewe wordes I shal thee lerne eftsones)

This worke in hand may now be compassed.

A[e]neas nowe, and wretched Dido eke Aeneas] Aneas 1557, Aeneas H

sig: E1

To the forest, a_hunting minde to wende,

150

To_morne as soon as Titan shall ascend,

And with his beames hath ouerspred the world,

And whiles the winges of youth do swarm about.

And whiles they raunge to ouer-set the groues

A cloudie showr mingled with haile I shall

155

Poure down, and then with thonder shake the skies,

Th'assemble scattered the mist shall cloke.

Dido a caue, the Troyan prince the same

Shall enter to: and I will be at hand.

And if thy will sticke vnto mine: I shall

160

In wedlocke sure knit, and make her his own.

Thus shall the maryage be: to whose request

Without debate Uenus did seme to yeld,

And smyled soft, as she that found the wyle.

Then from the seas, the dawning gan arise,

165

The Sun once vp, the chosen youth gan throng

Out at the gates: the hayes so rarely knit, hayes: see s.v. OED, hay, n3: "a net used for catching wild animals"

The hunting-staues with their brod heads of steele

And of Masile the horsemen fourth they brake Masile: =Massilia

Of senting-houndes a kenel huge likewise.

170

And at the threshold of her chaumber-dore,

The Carthage Lords did on the Quene attend.

The trampling steede with gold and purple trapt,

Chawing the fomie bit, there fercely stood.

Then issued she, awayted with great train,

175

Clad in a cloke of Tyre embradred riche.

Her quyuer hung behinde her back, her tresse

Knotted in gold, her purple vesture eke

Butned with gold, the Troyans of her train

Before her go, with gladsom Iulus.

180

Aeneas eke the goodliest of the route

Makes one of them, and ioyneth close the throngs:

Like when Apollo leaueth Lycia,

His wintring-place, and Xanthus floods likewise:

To viset Delos his mothers mansion:

185

Repairing eft and furnishing her quire

The Candians, and folkes of Driopes, Driopes: =Driopians

With painted Agathyrsies shoute, and crye: Agathyrsies: =Agathyrsians

Enuironing the altars roundabout

When that he walks vpon mount_Cynthus top:

sig: [E1v]

190

His sparkled tresse represt with garlandes soft

Of tender leaues, and trussed vp in gold:

His quiuering dartes clattring behinde his back:

So fresh and lustie did Aeneas seme:

Such lordly port in present countenaunce.

195

But to the hils, and wilde holtes when they came:

From the rocks top the driuen sauage rose. rose] rooes H

Loe from the hill aboue on th'other side,

Through the wyde lawnds, they gan to take their course lawnds: see OED s.v. lawn, n1

The harts likewise, in troupes taking their flight,

200

Raysing the dust, the mountain fast forsake.

The childe Iulus, blithe of his swift steede

Amids the plain now pricks by them, now thes:

And to encounter wisheth oft in minde

The foming Bore in-steede of ferefull beasts,

205

Or Lion brown might from the hill descend.

In the meane-while the skies gan rumble sore:

In tayle therof, a mingled showr with hayle.

The Tyrian folk, and eke the Troyans youth,

And Uenus nephew the cotage[:] for feare :] ? 1557

210

Sought round about: the floods fell from the hils.

Dido a den, the Troyan prince the same,

Chaunced vpon. Our mother then the earth,

And Iuno that hath charge of mariage,

First tokens gaue with burning gledes of flame,

215

And priuie to the wedlock lightning skies:

And the Nymphes yelled from the mountains top.

Ay me, this was the first day of their mirth,

And of their harmes the first occasion eke.

Respect of fame no longer her witholdes:

220

Nor museth now to frame her loue by stelth.

Wedlock she cals it: vnder the pretence

Of which fayre name she cloketh now her faut.

Forthwith Fame flie[t]h through the great Libian towns: flieth] flieh 1557, flies H

A mischefe Fame, there is none els so swift:

225

That mouing growes, and flitting gathers force:

First small for dred, sone after climes the skies:

Stayeth on earth, and hides her hed in cloudes.

Whom our mother the earth, tempted by wrath

Of Gods, begat: the last sister (they write)

230

To Caeus, and to Enceladus eke,

sig: E2

Spedie of foote, of wyng likewise as swift,

A monster huge, and dredfull to descriue.

In euery plume, that on her body sticks,

(A thing in-dede much maruelous to heare)

235

As many waker eyes lurk vnderneath,

So many mouthes to speake, and listning eares.

By night she flies amid the cloudie skie,

Shriking by the dark shadow of the earth,

Ne doth decline to the swete sleepe her eyes.

240

By day she sits to mark on the house-top,

Or turrets hye, and the great towns afraies,

As mindefull of yll and lyes, as blasing truth.

This monster blithe with many a tale gan sow

This rumor then into the common eares:

245

As well things don as that was neuer wrought:

As that there comen is to Tyrians court

Aeneas one outsprong of Troyan blood

To whom fair Dido wold her-self be wed.

And that the while the winter long they passe

250

In foule delight, forgetting charge of reigne,

Led against honour with vnhonest lust.

This in eche mouth, the filthie Goddesse spreds,

And takes her course to king Hiarbas straight

Kindling his minde: with tales she feedes his wrath.

255

Gotten was he by Ammon_Iupiter

Upon the rauisht Nimph of Garamant.

An hundred hugie great temples [h]e built, he] be 1557, he H

In his farre-stretching realmes, to Iupiter.

Altars as many kept with waking flame,

260

A watche alwayes vpon the Gods to tend.

The floores embrude with yelded blood of beastes,

And threshold spred with garlands of strange hue.

He wood of minde, kindled by bitter brute,

Tofore th'altars, in presence of the Gods,

265

With reared hands gan humbly Ioue entreate,

Almighty God whom the Moores nacion

Fed at rich tables presenteth with wine,

Seest thou these things? or feare we thee in vaine

When thou lettest flye thy thonder from the cloudes?

270

Or do those flames with vaine noyse vs affray?

A woman that wandring in our coastes hath bought

sig: [E2v]

A plot for price: where she a citie set:

To whome we gaue the strond for to manure.

And lawes to rule her town: our wedlock lothed,

275

Hath chose Aeneas to commaund her realme.

That Paris now with his vnmanly sorte,

With mitred hats, with oynted bush and beard: oynted: =anointed, see OED s.v. oint

His rape enioyth: whiles to thy temples we

Our offrings bring, and folow rumors vaine,

280

Whom praing in such sort, and griping eke

The altars fast, the mighty fa[t]her heard: father] faiher 1557, father H

And writhed his loke toward the royal walls

And louers eke forgetting their good name,

To Mercurie then gaue he thus in charge.

285

Hense son in hast, and call to thee the windes.

Slide with thy plumes, and tell the Troyan prince,

That now in Carthage loytreth, rechlesse

Of the towns graunted him by desteny:

Swift through the skies, see thow these words conuey.

290

His faire mother behight him not to vs

Such one to be: ne therefore twyse him saued

From Grekish arms: but such a one

As mete might seme great Italie to rule

Dreedfull in arms, charged with seigniorie,

295

Shewing in profe his worthy Teucrian race.

And vnder lawes, the whole world to subdue.

If glorie of such things nought him enflame:

Ne that he listes seke honour by som paine:

The towers yet of Rome being his sire

300

Doth he enuie to yong Ascanius?

What mindeth he to frame? or on what hope

In enmies land doth he make hys abode?

Ne his ofspring in Italie regardes?

Ne yet the land of Lauin doth behold?

305

Bid him make sayle: haue here the sum and end

Our message thus report. When Ioue had sayd

Then Mercurie gan, bend him to obey

His mightie fathers will: and to his heeles

His golden wings he knits, which him transport

310

With a light winde aboue the earth, and seas.

And then with him his wande he toke, whereby

He calles from hell pale gostes: and other some

sig: [E3]

Thether also he sendeth comfortlesse.

Wherby he forceth sleepes, and them bereues,

315

And mortall eies he closeth vp in deth:

By power wherof he driues the windes away.

And passeth eke amid the troubled cloudes.

Till in his flight he gan descrie the top,

And the stepe flankes of rocky Atlas hill:

320

That with his crowne susteines the welkin vp:

Whose head forgrowen, with pine, circled alway,

With misty cloudes, beaten, with wind and storme:

His shoulders spred with snow, and from his chin

The springes descend: his beard frosen with yse.

325

Here Mercury with equal shining winges

First touched, and with body headling be[n]te: bente] bette 1557, bent H

To the water then[ce] tooke he his discent, thence] thend 1557, thence H

Like to the foule, that endlong costes and strondes

Swarming with fysh, flyes sweping by the sea:

330

Cutting betwixt the windes and Libian [s]andes, sandes] landes 1557, sandes H

From his graundfather by the mothers side,

Cillenes child so came, and then alight

Upon the houses with his winged feete.

To_fore [the] towers, wher he Aeneas saw the] 1557 omits, the H

335

Foundacions cast, arering lodges new.

Girt with a sweard of Iasper starry bright:

A shining parel flamed with stately [d]ie flamed] flameed 1557; die] eie 1557

Of Tirian purple hong his shoulders down

The gift and work of wealthy Didoes hand

340

Stripped througho[u]t with a thin thred of gold,

Thus he encounters him: Oh careles wight

Both of thy realme, and of thine own affaires:

A wifebound man now dost thou reare the walles

Of high Cartage, to build a goodly town.

345

From the bright skies the ruler of the Gods

Sent me to thee, that with his beck commaundes

Both heuen and earth: in hast [he] gaue me charge he] 1557 omits, he H

Through the light aire this message thee to say.

What framest thou? or on what hope thy time

350

In idlenes doth wast in Affrick land?

Of so great things, if nought the fame thee stirr,

Ne list by trauaile honour to pursue:

Ascan[i]us yet, that waxeth fast behold, Ascanius] Ascanus 1557, Ascanius H

sig: [E3v]

And the hope of Iulus seede thine heir:

355

To whom the realme of Italy belonges,

And soile of Rome. When Mercury had said:

Amid his tale far-of from mortall eies

Into light aire, he vanisht out of sight.

Aeneas with that vision striken down,

360

Well-nere bestraught, vpstart his heare for dread,

Amid his throtal his voice likewise gan stick. throtal: =throat; see OED s.v. throttle

For to depart by night he longeth now,

And the sweet land to leaue, astoined sore

With this aduise, and message of the Gods.

365

What may he do, alas? or by what woordes

Dare he persuade the raging Quene in loue?

Or in what sort may he his tale beginne?

Now here now there his recklesse minde gan run,

And diuersly him drawes discoursing all.

370

After long doutes this sentence semed best:

Mnestheus first, and strong Cloanthus eke

He calles to him, with Sergest: vnto whom

He gaue in charge his nauie secretly

For to prepare, and driue to the sea-coast

375

His people, and their armour to addresse:

And for the cause of change to faine excuse:

And that he, when good Dido least foreknew,

Or did suspect so great a loue could break,

Wold wait his time to speke therof most meete:

380

The nearest way to hasten his entent.

Gladly his wil, and biddings they obey.

Ful soone the Quene, this crafty sleight gan smell,

(Who can deceiue a louer in forecast?)

And first foresaw the motions for to come,

385

Things most assured fearing: vnto whom

That wicked fame reported, how to flight

Was armde the fleet all redy to auale.

Then ill bested of counsell rageth she:

And whisketh through the town like Bachus nunne,

390

As Thias stirres, the sacred rites begon,

And when the wonted third yeres sacrifice

Doth prick her fourth, hering Bachus name hallowed:

And that the festful night of Citheron

sig: [E4]

Doth call her fourth with noyes of dauncing

395

At length her-self bordeth Aeneas thus.

Unfaithfull wight, to couer such a fault

Coldest thou hope? vnwist to leue my land?

Not thee our loue, nor yet right hand betrothed,

Ne cruell death of Dido may withhold?

400

But that thou wilt in winter shippes prepare,

And trie the seas in broile of whorling windes?

What if the land thou seekest, were not straunge?

If not vnknowen? or auncient Troye yet stoode?

In rough seas, yet should Troye towne be sought?

405

Shunnest thou me? By these teares, and right hand,

(For nought els haue I wretched lefte my-self)

By our spousals and mariage begonne,

If I of thee deserued euer well

Or thing of mine were euer to thee leefe:

410

Rue on this realme, whoes ruine is at hand?

If ought be left that praier may auaile,

I thee beseche to do away this minde.

The Libians and tirans of Nomadane

For thee me hate: my Tirians eke for thee

415

Ar wroth: by thee my shamefastnes eke stained,

And good renoume, wherby vp to the starres

Perelesse I clame. To whom wilt thou me leaue.

Redy to dye, my swete guest? sithe this name

Is all as now, that of a spouse remaines.

420

But wherto now shold I prolong my death?

What? vntil my brother Pigmalion

Beate downe my walles? or the Getulian king

Hiarbas yet captiue lead me away?

Before thy flight a child had I ones borne,

425

Or sene a yong Aeneas in my court

Play vp and down, that might present thy face:

All vtterly I could not seeme forsaken.

Thus sayd the Quene: he to the Gods aduise

Unmoued held his eies, and in his brest

430

Represt his care, and stroue against his wil.

And these few wordes at last then forth he cast:

Neuer shall I denie (Quene) thy deserte,

Greater than thou in wordes may well expresse:

To think on thee, ne irke me aye it shall

sig: [E4v]

435

Whiles of my-selfe I shall haue memory, selfe] slelfe 1557

And whiles the spirit these Limmes of mine shal rule,

For present purpose somwhat shal I say.

Neuer ment I to clok the same by stelth

Sclaunder me not, ne to escape by flight,

440

Nor I to thee pretended mariage:

Ne hyther cam to ioine [me in] such leage. me in] men 1557, me in H

If desteny at mine own liberty

To lead my life would haue permitted me

After my wil my sorow to redoub:redoub: =remedy, see OED s.v. redub

445

Troy and the remainder of our folke

Restore I shold: and with these scaped handes,

The walles againe vnto thee vanquished,

And palace high of Priam eke repaire.

But now Apollo, called Grineus,

450

And prophecies of Licia me aduise

To sease vpon the realme of Italy.

That is my loue, my country, and my land.

If Cartage turrettes thee Phenician-borne.

And of a Libian town the sight deteine:

455

To vs Troians why doest thou then enuy

In Italy to make our r[e]sting-seat? resting] risting 1557

Lefull is eeke for vs straunge realmes to seeke.

As oft as night doth cloke with shadowes darke

The earth: as oft as flaming starres apere:

460

The troubled ghost of my father Anchises

So oft in sleepe doth fray me, and aduise,

The wronged hed by me of my deare sonne,

Whom I defraud of the Hisperian crown,

And landes alotted him by desteny.

465

The mess[e]ngerletter broken eke of the Gods but late

Sent down from Ioue (I sware by eyther hed)

Passing the ayre, did this to me report.

In bright day-light the God my-selfe I saw

Entre these walles, and with these eares him heard.

470

Leue then with plaint, to vexe both the and me.

Against my will to Italy I go.

Whiles in this sort he did his tale pronounce,

With waiward looke she gan him ay behold,

And roling eies, that moued to and fro:

475

With silent looke discoursing oueral,

sig: F1

And foorth in rage, at last thus gan she brayde,

Faithlesse, forsworn, ne Goddesse was thy dam,

Nor Dardanus beginner of thy race,

But of hard rockes mount_Caucase monstruous

480

Bred thee, and teates of Tyger gaue thee suck.

But what should I dissemble now my chere?

Or me reserue to hope of greater things?

Mindes he our teares? or euer moued his eyen?

Wept he for ruth? or pitied he our loue?

485

What shall I set before? or where begin?

Iuno nor Ioue with iust eyes this beholds.

Faith is no-where in suretie to be found.

Did I not him thrown vp vpon my shore

In neede receiue, and fonded eke inuest

490

Of halfe my realme? his nauie lost, repair?

From deathes daunger his fellowes eke defend?

Ay me, with rage and furies loe I driue.

Apollo now, now Lycian prophesies,

Another-while the messenger of Gods

495

(He sayes) sent down from mighty Ioue himself

The dredfull charge amid the skies hath brought.

As though that were the trauil of the Gods,

Or such a care their quietnes might moue.

I hold thee not, nor yet gainsay thy words,

500

To Italie passe on by helpe of windes,

And through the floods go searche thy kingdom new.

If ruthfull Gods haue any power, I trust,

Amid the rocks, thy guerdon thou shalt finde,

When thou shalt clepe full oft on Didos name,

505

With burial brandes I absent shall thee [c]hase, chase] thase 1557, chase H

And when cold death from life these lims deuides,

My gost eche-where shall still on thee awaite,

Thou shalt abye. and I shall here thereof.

Among the soules below thy brute shall come.

510

With such-like wordes she cut of half her tale,

With pensiue hart abandoning the light:

And from his sight, her-self gan farre remoue:

Forsaking him: that many things in fere

Imagened, and did prepare to say.

515

Her [s]wouningletter broken lims her damsels gan releue,

And to her chamber bare of marble-stone:

sig: [F1v]

And layd her on her bed with tapets spred.

But iust Aeneas, though he did desire

With comfort swet her sorows to appease,

520

And with his words to banish all her care,

Wailing her much, with great loue ouercome:

The Gods will yet he woorketh, and resortes

Unto his nauie, where the Troyans fast

Fell to their worke from the shore to vnstock

525

High-rigged ships: now fleetes the talowed kele,

Their oares with leaues yet grene from wood they bring,

And mastes vnshaue, for hast to take their flight.

You might haue sene them throng out of the town

Like ants, when they do spoile the bing of corne, bing: =heap, pile; see OED s.v. bing, n1

530

For winters dred, which they beare to their den:

When the black swarm creeps ouer all the fields:

And thwart the grasse by strait pathes drags their pray.

The great graines then, som on their shoulders trusse,

Some driue the troupe, som chastice eke the slow:

535

That with their trauaile chafed is eche pathe.

Beholding this, what thought might Dido haue?

What sighes gaue she? when from her towers hye

The large coasts she saw haunted with Troyans workes,

And in her sight the seas with din confounded.

540

O witlesse loue, what thing is that to do

A mortal minde thou canst not force therto?

Forced she is to teares ay to returne,

With new requestes, to yeld her hart to loue:

And least she should before her causelesse death

545

Leaue any-thing vntried: O sister Anne

Quoth she, behold the whole coast round about,

How they prepare assembled euery-where.

The streming sailes abiding but for wynde:

The shipmen crowne theyr ships with bows for ioy,

550

O sister, if so great a sorow I

Mistrusted had: it were more light to beare.

Yet nathelesse this for me wretched wight,

Anne, shalt thou do: for faithles, thee alone

He reuerenced, thee eke his secretes tolde:

555

The metest time thou knewest to borde the man:

To my proude foe, thus sister humbly say:

I with the grekes within the port Aulide

sig: F2

Coniured not the Troyans to destroy:

Nor to the walles of Troy yet sent my fleete:

560

Nor cynders of his father Anchises

Disturbed haue out of his sepulture.

Why lettes he not my wordes sinke in his eares

So harde to ouertreate? whither whirles he?

This last boone yet graunt he to wretched loue

565

Prosperous windes for to depart with ease,

Let him abide: the foresayde mariage now,

That he betraied, I do not him require:

Nor that he should faire Italy forgo.

Neither I would, he should his kingdom leaue:

570

Quiet I aske, and a time of delay,

And respite eke my furye to asswage,

Til my mishap teach me all comfortlesse,

How for to wayle my grief. This latter grace,

Sister I craue, haue thou remorse of me,

575

Whiche if thou shalt vouchsafe, with heapes I shall

Leaue by my death redoubled vnto thee.

Moisted with teares, thus wretched gan she playne:

Which Anne reportes, and answere bringes againe.

Nought teares him moue, ne yet to any wordes

580

He can be framed with gentle minde to yelde.

The werdes withstande, and God stops his meke eares. werdes: =Fates

Like to the aged boysteous-bodied oke,

The which among the alpes, the Northerne windes,

Blowyng now from this quarter, now from that,

585

Betwixt them striue to ouerwhelme with blastes,

The whistlyng ayre among the braunches rores,

Which all at once bow to the earth her croppes,

The stocke once smit: whiles in the rockes the tree

Stickes fast: and loke, how hye to the heauen her toppe

590

Reares vp, so deepe her roote spredes downe to hell:

So was this Lorde now here now there beset

With wordes, in whose stoute brest wrought many cares,

But still his minde in one remaines, in vaine

The teares were shed. Then Dido frayde of fates

595

Wisheth for death, irked to see the skyes.

And that she might the rather worke her will,

And leaue the light (a grisely thing to tell)

Upon the altars burnyng full of cense

sig: [F2v]

When she set giftes of sacrifice, she saw

600

The holy-water stocks waxe blacke within,

The wine eke shed, chaunge into filthy gore.

This she to none, not to her sister told.

A marble temple in her palace eke,

In memory of her old spouse, there stood,

605

In great honour and worship, which she held,

With snowwhite clothes deckt, and with bows o[f]letter broken feast,

Wherout was herd, her husbandes voyc[e], and speche voyce] voyc 1557

Cleping for her, when dark night hid the earth,

And oft the Owle with rufull song complaind,

610

From the house-top drawing long dolefull tunes

And many things forespoke by prophets past

With dredfull warning gan her now affray:

And stern Aeneas semed in her slepe

To chase her stil about, distraught in rage:

615

And still her thought, that she was left alone

Uncompanied great viages to wende.

In desert land her Tyrian folk to seeke.

Like Pentheus, that in his madnes saw

Swarming in flocks the furies all of hell:

620

Two Suns remoue, and Thebes town shew twain.

Or like Orestes Agamemnons son:

In tragedies who represented aye

Driuen about, that from his mother fled

Armed with brands, and eke with serpents black:

625

That sitting found within the temples porche

The vglie furies his slaughter to reuenge.

Yelden to wo, when phrensie had her caught,

Within her-selfe then gan she well debate,

Full bent to dye, the time, and eke the meane:

630

And to her wofull sister thus she sayd,

In outward chere dissembling her entent,

Presenting hope vnder a semblant glad:

Sister reioyce, for I haue found the way

Him to returne, or lose me from his loue.

635

Toward the end of the great Ocean-flood

Where-as the wandring Sun discendeth hence:

In the extremes of Ethiope is a place,

Where huge Atlas doth on his sholders turne

The sphere so r[o]und with flaming starres beset, round] rund 1557

sig: [F3]

640

Borne of Massyle, I heare should be a Nunne:

That of th'esperian sisters temple old

And of their goodly garden keper was

That geues vnto the Dragon eke his foode,

That on the tree preserues the holy fruit

645

That honie moyst, and sleping poppey castes,

This woman doth auaunt, by force of charme

What hart she list to set at libertie:

And other some to perce with heuy cares:

In running flood to stop the waters course:

650

And eke the sterres their meuings to reuerse:

T'assemble eke, the gostes that walk by night,

Under thy feete, th'earth thou shalt behold

Tremble and rore, the okes come from the hill.

The Gods and thee, dere sister now I call

655

In witnes, and thy hed to me so sweete:

To magike artes against my will I bend.

Right secretly within our inner court.

In open ayre reare vp a stack of wood:

And hang theron the weapon of this man

660

The which he left within my chamber stick.

His weedes dispoiled all, and bridal bed,

Wherein alas sister, I found my bane,

Charge thereupon, for so the Nunne commaundes,

To do away, what did to him belong,

665

Of that false wight that might remembraunce bring.

Then whisted she, the pale her face gan staine, pale: =pallor

Ne could yet Anne beleue, her sister ment

To cloke her death by this new sacrifice:

Nor in her brest such furie did conceiue,

670

Neither doth she now dred more greuous thing,

Then folowed Sichees death: wherefore

She put her will in vre. But then the Quene.

When that the stak of wood was reared vp,

Under the ayre within the inward court

675

With clouen oke, and billets made of fyrre,

With garlandes, she doth all beset the place,

And with grene bows eke crown the funerall,

And therupon his wedes and swerd yleft,

And on a bed his picture she bestowes:

680

As she that well foreknew what was to come.

sig: [F3v]

The altars stande about, and eke the Nunne

With sparkeled tresse, the which thre hundred Gods

With a loude voice doth thunder out at once:

Erebus the grisely, and Chaos huge,

685

And eke the threefolde Goddesse, Hecate

And three faces of Diana the virgin,

And sprinkcles eke the water counterfet

Like vnto blacke Auernus lake in hell:

And springyng herbes reapt vp with brasen sithes

690

Were sought after the right course of the Moone,

The venim blacke intermingled with milke,

The lumpe of fleshe twene the new-borne foales eyen

To reue, that winneth from the damme her loue.

She with the mole all in her handes deuout mole: ="sacrificial cake", see OED s.v. mole, n4

695

Stode neare the aulter, bare of the one foote,

With vesture loose, the bandes vnlaced all,

Bent for to dye, cals the Gods to recorde,

And gilty starres eke of her desteny.

And if there were any God that had care

700

Of louers hartes not moued with loue alike,

Him she requires of iustice to remember.

It was then night, the sounde and quiet slepe

Had through the earth the weried bodyes caught,

The woodes, the ragyng seas were falne to rest,

705

When that the starres had halfe their course declined,

The [f]eldes whist, beastes, and fowles of diuers hue, feldes] seldes 1557, feldes H

And what-so that in the brode lakes remainde,

Or yet among the bushy thickes of bryar,

Laide downe to slepe by silence of the night

710

Gan swage their cares, mindlesse of trauels past.

Not so the spirite of this Phenician:

Unhappy she that on no slepe could chance,

Nor yet nightes rest enter in eye or brest.

Her cares redoble: loue doth rise and rage againe,

715

And ouerflowes with swellyng stormes of wrath.

Thus thinkes she then, this roules she in her minde,

What shall I do? shall I now beare the scorne

For to assaye mine olde woers againe?

And humbly yet a Numid spouse require?

720

Whose mariage I haue so oft disdayned?

The Troyan nauy, and Teucrian vile commaundes

sig: [F4]

Folow shall I? as tho[u]gh it shoulde auaile,

That whilom by my helpe they were releued:

Or forbecause with kinde, and mindefull folke

725

Right well doth sit the passed thankefull dede?

Who would me suffer? (admit this were my will)

Or me scorned to their proude shippes receiue?

Oh, wo-begone: full little knowest thou yet,

The broken othes of Laomedons kinde.

730

What then? alone on mery Mariners

Shall I waite? or borde them with my power

Of Tyrians assembled me about?

And such as I with trauaile brought from Tyre,

Driue to the seas, and force them saile againe?

735

But rather dye, euen as thou hast deserued:

And to this wo, with iron geue thou ende.

And thou sister first vanquisht with my teares,

Thou in my rage with all these michiefes first

Didst burden me, and yelde me to my foe.

740

Was it not graunted me from spousals free,

Like to wilde beastes, to liue without offence,

Without taste of such cares? is there no fayth,

Reserued to the cinders of Sychee?

Such great complaints brake forth out of her brest:

745

Whiles Aeneas full minded to depart,

All thinges prepared, slept in the poupe on high.

To whom in slepe the wonted Godheds forme

Gan aye appere, returnyng in like shape

As semed him: and gan him thus aduise:

750

Like vnto Mercury in voyce, and hue.

With yelow bushe, and comely lymmes of youth.

O Goddesse sonne, in such case canst thou sleepe?

Ne yet bestraught the daungers doest forsee, bestraught: =distracted, distraught, see OED s.v. bestraught

That compasse thee? nor hearst the faire windes blowe?

755

Dido in minde roules vengeance and desceite,

Determd to dye, swelles with vnstable ire, Determd: =determined, see OED s.v. determ

Wilt thou not flee whiles thou hast time of flight?

Straight shalt thou see the seas couered with sayles,

The blasyng brondes, the shore all spred with flame,

760

And if the morow steale vpon thee here:

Come of, haue done, set all delay aside.

For full of change these women be alway.

sig: [F4v]

This sayd, in the dark night he gan him hide,

Aeneas of this sodain vision

765

Adred starts vp out of his sleepe in hast,

Cals vp his feers: awake get vp my men,

Abord your ships, and hoyse vp sayl with speede, hoyse: =hoist, see OED s.v. hoise

(A God me wills sent from aboue againe)

To hast my flight, and writhen cabels cut.

770

Oh holy God, what-so thow art we shall

Folow thee, and all blithe obey thy will:

Be at our hand, and frendly vs assist:

Adresse the sterres with prosperous influence.

And with that word his glistering sword vnshethes,

775

With which drawen, he the cabels cut in twaine.

The like desire the rest embraced all,

All-thing in hast they cast, and fourth they whurle,

The shores they leaue, with ships the seas ar spred,

Cutting the fome, by the blew seas they swepe.

780

Aurora now from Titans purple bed,

With new day-light hath ouerspred the earth,

When by her windowes the Quene the peping day

Espyed, and nauie with splaid sailes depart

The shore, and eke the porte of vessels voyde:

785

Her comly brest thrise or foure times she smote

With her own hand, and tore her golden tresse.

Oh Ioue (quoth she) shall he then thus depart

A straunger thus, and scorne our kingdome so?

Shall not my men do on theyr armure prest?

790

And eke pursue them throughout all the town?

Out of the rode sone shall the vessell warpe. warpe: "(of a ship) to move gradually forward as a result of being hauled along on a rope or 'warp'", see OED s.v. warp 25(b)

Hast on, cast flame, set sayle, and welde your owers.

What said I: but where am I? what phrensie

Alters thy minde? vnhappy Dido now

795

Hath thee beset a froward destenie.

Then it behoued, when thou didst geue to him

The scepter. [L]o his faith and his right hand, Lo] So 1557, Loe H

That leades with him (they say) his countrie godes, godes] goodes 1557, godes H

That on his back his aged father bore,

800

His body might I not haue caught and rent?

And in the seas drenched him. and his feers?

And from Ascanius his life with Iron reft,

And set him on his fathers bord for meate?

sig: G1

Of such debate perchaunce the fortune might

805

Haue bene doubtfull: would God it were assaied.

Whom should I feare, sith I my-selfe must die?

Might I haue throwen into that nauy brandes,

And filled eke their deckes with flaming fire,

The father, sonne, and all their nacion

810

Destroied, and falln my-self ded ouer al.

Sunne with thy beames, that mortall workes discries,

And thou Iuno, that wel these trauailes knowest,

Proserpine thou, vpon whom folk do vse

To houle, and call in forked waies by night,

815

Infernal furies, ye wreakers of wrong,

And Didos Gods, who standes at point of death.

Receiue these wordes, and eke your heauy power

Withdraw from me, that wicked folk deserue,

And our request accept, we you beseche.

820

If so that yonder wicked head must needes

Recouer port, and saile to land of force

And if Ioues wil haue so resolued it,

And such ende set as no wight can fordoe,

Yet at the least asailed mought he be

825

With armes, and warres of hardy nacions,

From the boundes of his kingdom farre exiled,

Iulus eke rashed out of his armes

Driuen to call for helpe, that he may see

The giltles corpses of his folke lie dead: giltles] giltlesh 1557

830

And after hard condicions of peace,

His realme, nor life desired may he brooke:

But fall before his time vngraued amid the sandes.

This I require, these wordes with blood I shed.

And T[i]rians, ye his stocke and all his race Tirians] Trians 1577, Tirians H

835

Pursue with hate, rewarde our cinders so.

No loue nor leage, betwixt our peoples be.

And of our bones, some wreaker may there spring,

With sword and flame that Troians may pursue:

And from hencefoorth when that our powr may stretch,

840

Our co[s]tesletter broken to them contrary be for aye,

I craue of God, and our streames to their fluddes,

Armes vnto armes, and ofspring of eche race

With mortal warr eche other may fordoe

This said, her mind she writhed on al sides,

sig: [G1v]

845

Seking with spede to end her irksome life.

To Sichees nurse Barcen then thus she said

(For hers at home in ashes did remaine)

Cal vnto me (deare nurse) my sister Anne:

Bid her, in hast in water of the fludde

850

She sprinckle the body, and bring the beastes,

And purging sacrifice, I did her shewe:

So let her come: and thou thy temples bind

With sacred garlandes: for the sacrifice,

That I to Pluto haue begonne, my mind

855

Is to [p]erforme, and geue end to these cares: performe] herforme 1557, perfourme H

And Troian statue throw into the flame.

When she had said, redouble gan her nurse

Her steppes, forth on an aged womans trot.

But trembling Dido egerly now bent

860

Upon her sterne determinacion,

Her bloodshot eies roling within her head:

Her quiuering chekes flecked with deadly staine,

Both pale and wan to think on death to come,

Into the inward wardes of her palace

865

She rusheth in, and clam vp, as distraught,

The buriall stack, and drew the Troian swerd

Her gift sometime, but ment to no such vse.

Where when she saw his weed, and wel-knowen bed,

Weping a while in study gan she stay,

870

Fell on the bed, and these last words she said.

Swete spoiles, whiles God and destenies it wold,

Receue this sprite, and rid me of these cares.

I liued, and ranne the course, fortune did graunt,

And vnder earth my great gost now shall wende.

875

A goodly town I built, and saw my walles:

Happy, alas to happy, if these costes

The Troyan shippes had neuer touched aye.

This said, she laid her mouth close to the bed.

Why then (quoth she) vnwroken shal we die?

880

But let vs die for thus: and in this sort

It liketh vs to seeke the shadowes darck.

And from the seas the cruel Troyans eies

Shall wel discern this flame, and take with him

Eke these vnlucky tokens of my death.

885

As she had said, her damsell might perceue

sig: [G2]

Her with these wordes fal pearced on a sword,

The blade embrued and hands besprent with gore

The clamor rang vnto the pallace-toppe,

The brute ranne throughout al th'astoined towne,

890

With wailing great, and womens shril yelling,

The roofes gan roare, the aire resound with plaint,

As though Cartage, or th'auncient town of Tyre

With prease of entred enemies swarmed full,

Or when the rage of furious flame doth take

895

The temples toppes, and mansions eke of men.

Her sister Anne, spritelesse for dread to heare

This fearefull sturre, with nailes gan teare her face,

She smote her brest, and rushed through the rout:

And her dieng she cleapes thus by her name:

900

Sister, for this with craft did you me bourd?

The stak, the flame, the altars, bred they this?

What shall I first complaine, forsaken wight?

Lothest thou in death thy sisters felowship?

Thou shouldst haue calld me to like destiny:

905

One wo, one sword, one houre mought end vs both.

This funerall stak built I with these handes,

And with this voice cleped our natiue Gods,

And cruel so absentest me from thy death?

Destroyd thou hast (sister) both thee and me,

910

Thy people eke, and princes borne of Tyre.

Geue, here I shall with water washe her woundes,

And suck with mouth her breath, if ought be left.

This said, vnto the high degrees shee mounted,

Embrasing fast her sister now half-dead,

915

With wailefull plaint: whom in her lap she layd,

The black swart gore wiping dry with her clothes.

But Dido striueth to lift vp againe

Her heauy eyen, and hath no power therto:

Deepe in her brest, that fixed wound doth gape.

920

Thrise leaning on her elbow gan she raise

Her-self, vpward: and thrise she ouerthrewe

Upon the bed: ranging with wandring eies

The skies for light, and wept when she it found.

Almighty Iuno hauing ruth by this

925

Of her long paines, and eke her lingring death,

From heauen she sent the Goddesse Iris downe,

sig: [G2v]

The throwing sprit, and iointed limmes to loose. throwing: ="struggling in death-agony", see OED throw, v.2

For that neither by lot of destiny,

Nor yet by kindly death she perished:

930

But wretchedly before her fatall day,

And kindled with a sodein rage of flame:

Proserpine had not from her head bereft

The golden heare, nor iudged her to hell.

The dewye Iris thus with golden wings,

935

A thousand hues shewing against the sunne,

Amid the skies then did she flye adowne:

On Didos head, where-as she gan alight:

This heare (quod she) to Pluto consecrate.

Commaunded I reue, and thy spirit vnloose.

940

From this body: And when she thus had said,

With her right hand she cut the heare in twaine:

And therwith al the kindly heat gan quench?

And into wind the life foorthwith resolue.

Finis.

Imprinted at London in flete_strete within Temple_barre, at the sygne of the hand and starre, by Richard_Tottell the .xxi. day of Iune. An. 1557.