The Tragedy of Dido Queene of Carthage

Enter the Nurse.

Nurse. O Dido, your little sonne AscaniusIs gone! he lay with me last night,And in the morning he was stolne from me,I thinke some Fairies haue beguiled me.Dido. O cursed hagge and false dissembling wretch!That slayest me with thy harsh and hellish tale,Thou for some pettie guift hast let him goe,And I am thus deluded of my boy:Away with her to prison presently,Traytoresse too keend and cursed Sorceresse.

Nurse. I know not what you meane by treason, I, I am as true as any one of yours. Exeunt the Nurse.

Dido. Away with her, suffer her not to speake. My sister comes, I like not her sad lookes.

Enter Anna.

Anna. Before I came, Æneas was abourd,And spying me, hoyst vp the sailes amaine:But I cride out, Æneas, false Æneas stay.Then gan he wagge his hand, which yet held vp,Made me suppose he would haue heard me speake:Then gan they driue into the Ocean,Which when I viewd, I cride, Æneas stay,Dido, faire Dido wils Æneas stay:Yet he whose heart of adamant or flint,My teares nor plaints could mollifie a whit:Then carelesly I rent my haire for griefe,Which seene to all, though he beheld me not,They gan to moue him to redresse my ruth,And stay a while to heare what I could say,But he clapt vnder hatches saild away.Dido. O Anna, Anna, I will follow him.Anna. How can ye goe when he hath all your fleete?Dido. Ile frame me wings of waxe like Icarus,And ore his ships will soare vnto the Sunne,That they may melt and I fall in his armes:Or els Ile make a prayer vnto the waues,That I may swim to him like Tritons neece:O Anna, fetch Orions Harpe,That I may tice a Dolphin to the shoare,And ride vpon his backe vnto my loue:Looke sister, looke louely Æneas ships,See see, the billowes heaue him vp to heauen,And now downe falles the keeles into the deepe:O sister, sister, take away the Rockes,Theile breake his ships, O Proteus, Neptune, Ioue,Saue, saue Æneas, Didos leefest loue!Now is he come on shoare safe without hurt:But see, Achates wils him put to sea,And all the Sailers merrie make for ioy,But he remembring me shrinkes backe againe:See where he comes, welcome, welcome my loue.

Anna. Ah sister, leaue these idle fantasies, Sweet sister cease, remember who you are.

Dido. Dido I am, vnlesse I be deceiu'd,And must I raue thus for a renegate?Must I make ships for him to saile away?Nothing can beare me to him but a ship,And he hath all thy fleete, what shall I doe?But dye in furie of this ouersight?I, I must be the murderer of my selfe:No but I am not, yet I will be straight.Anna be glad, now haue I found a meaneTo rid me from these thoughts of Lunacie:Not farre from hence there is a woman famoused for arts,Daughter vnto the Nimphs Hesperides,Who wild me sacrifice his ticing relliques:Goe Anna, bid my seruants bring me fire. Exit Anna.

Enter Iarbus.

Iar. How long will Dido mourne a strangers flight,That hath dishonord her and Carthage both?How long shall I with griefe consume my daies,And reape no guerdon for my truest loue?Dido. Iarbus, talk not of Æneas, let him goe,Lay to thy hands and helpe me make a fire,That shall consume all that this stranger left,For I entend a priuate Sacrifize,To cure my minde that melts for vnkind loue.Iar. But afterwards will Dido graunt me loue?Dido. I, I, Iarbus, after this is done,None in the world shall have my loue but thou:So, leaue me now, let none approach this place. Exit Iarbus.Now Dido, with these reliques burne thy selfe,And make Æneas famous through the world,For periurie and slaughter of a Queene:Here lye the Sword that in the darksome CaueHe drew, and swore by to be true to me,Thou shalt burne first, thy crime is worse then his:Here lye the garment which I cloath'd him in,When first he came on shoare, perish thou to:These letters, lines, and periurd papers all,Shall burne to cinders in this prectious flame.And now ye Gods that guide the starrie frame,And order all things at your high dispose;Graunt, though the traytors land in Italy,They may be still tormented with vnrest,And from mine ashes let a Conquerour rise,That may reuenge this treason to a Queene,By plowing vp his Countries with the Sword:Betwixt this land and that be neuer league,

Littora littoribus contraria, fluctibus undas

Impresor: arma armis: pugnent ipsig nepotes:Liue false Æneas, truest Dido dyes,Sic sic inuat ire sub umbras.

Enter Anna.

Anna. O helpe Iarbus, Dido in these flames Hath burnt her selfe, aye me, vnhappie me!

Enter Iarbus running.

Iar. Cursed Iarbus, dye to expiate The griefe that tires vpon thine inward soule, Dido I come to thee, aye me Æneas.

Anna. What can my teares or cryes preuaile me now?Dido is dead, Iarbus slaine, Iarbus my deare loue,O sweet Iarbus, Annas sole delight,What fatall destinie enuies me thus,To see my sweet Iarbus slay himselfe?But Anna now shall honor thee in death,And mixe her bloud with thine, this shall I doe,That Gods and men may pitie this my death,And rue our ends senceles of life or breath;Now sweet Iarbus stay, I come to thee.FINIS