From Asia cast, from Europe cast,”

  She might abide no more

  To hear his moan: she thrusts a word amidst his grief and saith:

  “Nay thou art not God’s castaway, who drawest mortal breath,

  And fairest to the Tyrian town, if aught thereof I know.

  Set on to Dido’s threshold then e’en as the way doth show.

  For take the tidings of thy ships and folk brought back again 390

  By shifting of the northern wind all safe from off the main:

  Unless my parents learned me erst of soothsaying to wot

  But idly. Lo there twice seven swans disporting in a knot,

  Whom falling from the plain of air drave down the bird of Jove

  From open heaven: strung out at length they hang the earth above,

  And now seem choosing where to pitch, now on their choice to gaze,

  As wheeling round with whistling wings they sport in diverse ways

  And with their band ring round the pole and cast abroad their song.

  Nought otherwise the ships and youth that unto thee belong

  Hold haven now, or else full sail to harbour-mouth are come. 400

  Set forth, set forth and tread the way e’en as it leadeth home.”

  She spake, she turned, from rosy neck the light of heaven she cast,

  And from her hair ambrosial the scent of Gods went past

  Upon the wind, and o’er her feet her skirts fell shimmering down,

  And very God she went her ways. Therewith his mother known,

  With such a word he followed up a-fleeing from his eyes:

  “Ah cruel as a God! and why with images and lies

  Dost thou beguile me? wherefore then is hand to hand not given

  And we to give and take in words that come from earth and heaven?”

  Such wise he chided her, and then his footsteps townward bent: 410

  But Venus with a dusky air did hedge them as they went,

  And widespread cloak of cloudy stuff the Goddess round them wrapped,

  Lest any man had seen them there, or bodily had happed

  Across their road their steps to stay, and ask their dealings there.

  But she to Paphos and her home went glad amidst the air:

  There is her temple, there they stand, an hundred altars meet,

  Warm with Sabæan incense-smoke, with new-pulled blossoms sweet.

  But therewithal they speed their way as led the road along;

  And now they scale a spreading hill that o’er the town is hung,

  And looking downward thereupon hath all the burg in face. 420

  Æneas marvels how that world was once a peasants’ place,

  He marvels at the gates, the roar and rattle of the ways.

  Hot-heart the Tyrians speed the work, and some the ramparts raise,

  Some pile the burg high, some with hand roll stones up o’er the ground;

  Some choose a place for dwelling-house and draw a trench around;

  Some choose the laws, and lords of doom, the holy senate choose.

  These thereaway the havens dig, and deep adown sink those

  The founding of the theatre walls, or cleave the living stone

  In pillars huge, one day to show full fair the scene upon.

  As in new summer ‘neath the sun the bees are wont to speed 430

  Their labour in the flowery fields, whereover now they lead

  The well-grown offspring of their race, or when the cells they store

  With flowing honey, till fulfilled of sweets they hold no more;

  Or take the loads of new-comers, or as a watch well set

  Drive off the lazy herd of drones that they no dwelling get;

  Well speeds the work, and thymy sweet the honey’s odour is.

  “Well favoured of the Fates are ye, whose walls arise in bliss!”

  Æneas cries, a-looking o’er the housetops spread below;

  Then, wonderful to tell in tale, hedged round with cloud doth go

  Amid the thickest press of men, and yet of none is seen. 440

  A grove amid the town there is, a pleasant place of green,

  Where erst the Tyrians, beat by waves and whirling of the wind,

  Dug out the token Juno once had bidden them hope to find,

  An eager horse’s head to wit: for thus their folk should grow

  Far-famed in war for many an age, of victual rich enow.

  There now did Dido, Sidon-born, uprear a mighty fane

  To Juno, rich in gifts, and rich in present godhead’s gain:

  On brazen steps its threshold rose, and brass its lintel tied,

  And on their hinges therewithal the brazen door-leaves cried.

  And now within that grove again a new thing thrusting forth 450

  ‘Gan lighten fear; for here to hope Æneas deemed it worth,

  And trust his fortune beaten down that yet it might arise.

  For there while he abode the Queen, and wandered with his eyes

  O’er all the temple, musing on the city’s fate to be,

  And o’er the diverse handicraft and works of mastery,

  Lo there, set out before his face the battles that were Troy’s,

  And wars, whereof all folk on earth had heard the fame and noise;

  King Priam, the Atridæ twain, Achilles dire to both.

  He stood, and weeping spake withal:

  “Achates, lo! forsooth

  What place, what land in all the earth but with our grief is stored? 460

  Lo Priam! and even here belike deed hath its own reward.

  Lo here are tears for piteous things that touch men’s hearts anigh:

  Cast off thy fear! this fame today shall yet thy safety buy.”

  And with the empty painted thing he feeds his mind withal,

  Sore groaning, and a very flood adown his face did fall.

  For there he saw, as war around of Pergamus they cast,

  Here fled the Greeks, the Trojan youth for ever following fast;

  There fled the Phrygians, on their heels high-helmed Achilles’ car;

  Not far off, fair with snowy cloths, the tents of Rhesus are;

  He knew them weeping: they of old in first of sleep betrayed, 470

  Tydides red with many a death a waste of nothing made,

  And led those fiery steeds to camp ere ever they might have

  One mouthful of the Trojan grass, or drink of Xanthus’ wave.

  And lo again, where Troilus is fleeing weaponless,

  Unhappy youth, and all too weak to bear Achilles’ stress,

  By his own horses, fallen aback, at empty chariot borne,

  Yet holding on the reins thereof; his neck, his tresses torn

  O’er face of earth, his wrested spear a-writing in the dust.

  Meanwhile were faring to the fane of Pallas little just

  The wives of Troy with scattered hair, bearing the gown refused, 480

  Sad they and suppliant, whose own hands their very bosoms bruised,

  While fixed, averse, the Goddess kept her eyes upon the ground.

  Thrice had Achilles Hector dragged the walls of Troy around,

  And o’er his body, reft of soul, was chaffering now for gold.

  Deep groaned Æneas from his heart in such wise to behold

  The car, the spoils, the very corpse of him, his fellow dead,

  To see the hands of Priam there all weaponless outspread.

  Yea, thrust amidst Achæan lords, his very self he knew;

  The Eastland hosts he saw, and arms of Memnon black of hue.

  There mad Penthesilea leads the maids of moony shield, 490

  The Amazons, and burns amidst the thousands of the field,

  And with her naked breast thrust out above the golden girth,

  The warrior maid hath heart to meet the warriors of the earth.

  But while Æneas, Dardan lord, beholds the marvels there,

  And, all amazed, stands moving nought with eyes in one set stare,

  Lo cometh Dido, very queen of fairest fashion wrought,

  By youths close thronging all about unto the temple brought.

  Yea, e’en as on Eurotas’ rim or Cynthus’ ridges high

  Diana leadeth dance about, a thousandfold anigh

  The following Oreads gather round, with shoulder quiver-hung 500

  She overbears the Goddesses her swift feet fare among,

  And great Latona’s silent breast the joys of godhead touch.

  Lo, such was Dido; joyously she bore herself e’en such

  Amidst them, eager for the work and ordered rule to come;

  Then through the Goddess’ door she passed, and midmost ‘neath the dome,

  High raised upon a throne she sat, with weapons hedged about,

  And doomed, and fashioned laws for men, and fairly sifted out

  And dealt their share of toil to them, or drew the lot as happed.

  There suddenly Æneas sees amidst a concourse wrapped

  Antheus, Sergestus, and the strong Cloanthus draw anigh, 510

  And other Teucrians whom the whirl, wild, black, all utterly

  Had scattered into other lands afar across the sea.

  Amazed he stood, nor stricken was Achates less than he

  By joy, by fear: they hungered sore hand unto hand to set;

  But doubt of dealings that might be stirred in their hearts as yet;

  So lurking, cloaked in hollow cloud they note what things betide

  Their fellows there, and on what shore the ships they manned may bide,

  And whence they come; for chosen out of all the ships they bear

  Bidding of peace, and, crying out, thus temple-ward they fare.

  But now when they were entered in, and gained the grace of speech, 520

  From placid heart Ilioneus the elder ‘gan beseech:

  “O Queen, to whom hath Jove here given a city new to raise,

  And with thy justice to draw rein on men of wilful ways,

  We wretched Trojans, tossed about by winds o’er every main,

  Pray thee forbid it from our ships, the dreadful fiery bane.

  Spare pious folk, and look on us with favouring kindly eyes!

  We are not come with sword to waste the Libyan families,

  Nor drive adown unto the strand the plunder of the strong:

  No such high hearts, such might of mind to vanquished folk belong.

  There is a place, Hesperia called of Greeks in days that are, 530

  An ancient land, a fruitful soil, a mighty land in war.

  Oenotrian folk first tilled the land, whose sons, as rumours run,

  Now call it nought but Italy from him who led them on.

  And thitherward our course was turned,

  When sudden, stormy, tumbling seas, Orion rose on us,

  And wholly scattering us abroad with fierce blasts from the south,

  Drave us, sea-swept, by shallows blind, to straits with wayless mouth:

  But to thy shores we few have swum, and so betake us here.

  What men among men are ye then? what country’s soil may bear

  Such savage ways? ye grudge us then the welcome of your sand, 540

  And fall to arms, and gainsay us a tide-washed strip of strand.

  But if men-folk and wars of men ye wholly set at nought,

  Yet deem the Gods bear memory still of good and evil wrought

  Æneas was the king of us; no juster was there one,

  No better lover of the Gods, none more in battle shone:

  And if the Fates have saved that man, if earthly air he drink,

  Nor ‘neath the cruel deadly shades his fallen body shrink,

  Nought need we fear, nor ye repent to strive in kindly deed

  With us: we have in Sicily fair cities to our need.

  And fields we have; Acestes high of Trojan blood is come. 550

  Now suffer us our shattered ships in haven to bring home,

  To cut us timber in thy woods, and shave us oars anew.

  Then if the Italian cruise to us, if friends and king are due,

  To Italy and Latium then full merry wend we on.

  But if, dear father of our folk, hope of thy health be gone,

  And thee the Libyan water have, nor hope Iulus give,

  Then the Sicanian shores at least, and seats wherein to live,

  Whence hither came we, and the King Acestes let us seek.”

  So spake he, and the others made as they the same would speak,

  The Dardan-folk with murmuring mouth. 560

  But Dido, with her head hung down, in few words answer gave:

  “Let fear fall from you, Teucrian men, and set your cares aside;

  Hard fortune yet constraineth me and this my realm untried

  To hold such heed, with guard to watch my marches up and down.

  Who knoweth not Æneas’ folk? who knoweth not Troy-town,

  The valour, and the men, and all the flame of such a war?

  Nay, surely nought so dull as this the souls within us are,

  Nor turns the sun from Tyrian town, so far off yoking steed.

  So whether ye Hesperia great, and Saturn’s acres need,

  Or rather unto Eryx turn, and King Acestes’ shore, 570

  Safe, holpen will I send you forth, and speed you with my store:

  Yea and moreover, have ye will in this my land to bide.

  This city that I build is yours: here leave your ships to ride:

  Trojan and Tyrian no two wise at hands of me shall fare.

  And would indeed the King himself, Æneas, with us were,

  Driven by that self-same southern gale: but sure men will I send,

  And bid them search through Libya from end to utmost end,

  Lest, cast forth anywhere, he stray by town or forest part.”

  Father Æneas thereupon high lifted up his heart,

  Nor stout Achates less, and both were fain the cloud to break; 580

  And to Æneas first of all the leal Achates spake:

  “O Goddess-born, what thought hereof ariseth in thy mind?

  All safe thou seest thy ships; thy folk fair welcomed dost thou find:

  One is away, whom we ourselves saw sunken in the deep;

  But all things else the promised word thy mother gave us keep.”

  Lo, even as he spake the word the cloud that wrapped them cleaves,

  And in the open space of heaven no dusk behind it leaves;

  And there Æneas stood and shone amid the daylight clear,

  With face and shoulders of a God: for loveliness of hair

  His mother breathed upon her son, and purple light of youth, 590

  And joyful glory of the eyes: e’en as in very sooth

  The hand gives ivory goodliness, or when the Parian stone,

  Or silver with the handicraft of yellow gold is done:

  And therewithal unto the Queen doth he begin to speak,

  Unlooked-for of all men:

  “Lo here the very man ye seek,

  Trojan Æneas, caught away from Libyan seas of late!

  Thou, who alone of toils of Troy hast been compassionate,

  Who takest us, the leavings poor of Danaan sword, outworn

  With every hap of earth and sea, of every good forlorn,

  To city and to house of thine: to thank thee to thy worth, 600

  Dido, my might may compass not; nay, scattered o’er the earth

  The Dardan folk, for what thou dost may never give thee meed:

  But if somewhere a godhead is the righteous man to heed,

  If justice is, or any soul to note the right it wrought,

  May the Gods give thee due reward. What joyful ages brought

  Thy days to birth? what mighty ones gave such an one today?

  Now while the rivers seaward run, and while the shadows stray

  O’er hollow hills, and while the pole the stars is pasturing wide,

  Still shall thine honour and thy name, still shall thy praise abide

  What land soever calleth me.” 610

  Therewith his right hand sought

  His very friend Ilioneus, his left Serestus caught,

  And then the others, Gyas strong, Cloanthus strong in fight.

  Sidonian Dido marvelled much, first at the hero’s sight,

  Then marvelled at the haps he had, and so such word doth say:

  “O Goddess-born, what fate is this that ever dogs thy way

  With such great perils? What hath yoked thy life to this wild shore?

  And art thou that Æneas then, whom holy Venus bore

  Unto Anchises, Dardan lord, by Phrygian Simoïs’ wave?

  Of Teucer unto Sidon come a memory yet I have,

  Who, driven from out his fatherland, was seeking new abode 620

  By Belus’ help: but Belus then, my father, over-rode

  Cyprus the rich, and held the same as very conquering lord:

  So from that tide I knew of Troy and bitter Fate’s award,

  I knew of those Pelasgian kings — yea, and I knew thy name.

  He then, a foeman, added praise to swell the Teucrian fame,

  And oft was glad to deem himself of ancient Teucer’s line.

  So hasten now to enter in ‘neath roofs of me and mine.

  Me too a fortune such as yours, me tossed by many a toil,

  Hath pleased to give abiding-place at last upon this soil,

  Learned in illhaps full wise am I unhappy men to aid.” 630

  Such tale she told, and therewith led to house full kingly made

  Æneas, bidding therewithal the Gods with gifts to grace;

  Nor yet their fellows she forgat upon the sea-beat place,

  But sendeth them a twenty bulls, an hundred bristling backs

  Of swine, an hundred fatted lambs, whereof his ewe none lacks,

  And gifts and gladness of the God.

  Meanwhile the gleaming house within with kingly pomp is dight,

  And in the midmost of the hall a banquet they prepare:

  Cloths laboured o’er with handicraft, and purple proud is there;

  Great is the silver on the board, and carven out of gold 640

  The mighty deeds of father-folk, a long-drawn tale, is told,

  Brought down through many and many an one from when their race began.

  Æneas, through whose father’s heart unquiet love there ran,

  Sent on the swift Achates now unto the ships to speed,

 

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