Classic Poem

There was an auncient Citty, peopled by
The Tyrian Colonies, to Italy ,
And farre-remoued Tiber opposite;
Hight Carthage , proud in wealth, and fierce in fight.
In Iuno's loue then all on earth more deare;
More pris'd then Samos: here her charriot, here
Her armes she plac't: this foster'd, this had made
The Worlds great Head, had Destenyes obayd.
But she had heard the Troian Progeny
Hereafter should the Tyrian towers destroy:
Thence that farre-ruling Race, in battaile bold,
Should Libya wast: This fate the Parce told.
This feares, those armes remembers, which before
Troys walls she for her much lou'd Argos bore:
Old seeds of wrath, and bitter griefe, infest
As yet her mind: deepe rooted in her brest
Was Paris Iudgement, and the iniury
Of her despised forme; His kindred high
In her distast; and Ioue -rapt Ganimed
To honours rais'd: her flame this fuell fed.
Who farre from Latium droue the Troians , tost
On Seaes; poore Reliques, which the Grecian Hoast
And dire Achilles fury left vnslaine:
Wandring through all th' vnhospitable maine
For many winters, driven by force of Fate.
A worke so great to raise the Roman state.
Sicilia yet in sight, they hoise their sailes,
And plough the foming brine with prosperous gailes:
When Iuno , who in rancled bosome bare
Eternall wounds, thus said; Must I despaire
And yeild my selfe as vanquisht? Cannot I
This Troian Prince devert from Italy ?
Because the Fates forbid. Could Pallas fier
The Grecian Fleete, and drowne them in her ire,
For one mans sin; Oileus rapefull loue?
She horrid lightning from the clouds of Ioue
Flung on their shippes, and seas with stormes vp-turnd:
Him, vometing hot flames, his entrailes burnd,
Her whirlewinds fixt on poynted rocks. But I,
Ioues sister, wife and empresse of the sky,
Still with one nation warre: who will adore
Our Power, or offer on our altars more?
She this revolving in her burning brest
T' Æolia flyes, the land of windes, possest
By Æolus: who here in fetters bindes
The howling Tempests, and still strugling windes;
Pent in vast caues: they muteny the more,
And in the hollow mountaine lowdly rore.
Great Æolus , thron'd in a lofty tower,
With scepter calmes their rage, and curbes their power;
Else Sea, Earth, and high heauen, that heady throng
Would sweepe away, and hurry all along.
Almighty Ioue , this fearing, these inclos'd
In pitchy caues; high hills thereon impos'd:
And gaue a King, who knew how to restraine,
To calme their strife, and when to giue the reine.
Whom Iuno thus intreats. O Æolus ,
(For vnto thee, the King of men, and vs,
Giue power to smoothe, and lift the floods on high:)
A nation, long with me at enmity,
Now sailes through Tyrrhen Seas; who Ilium
Would bring to Italy , and Gods' ore-com:
Their ships strike with thy stormes; or bury these
In the vast deepe, or scatter on the seas.
Twice seauen Nymphs serue me, elegantly faire;
Yet none with Deiopaea may compare:
Her for this merit, I to thee will ioyne
In constant wedlock, to be only thine:
She shall thy bed and boord for euer grace
And make thee father to a goodly race.
Then Æolus: O Queene, 'tis thine to will;
My duty thy commaundment to fulfill.
This kingdome, scepter, and my grace with Ioue ,
Sprung from thy bounty; that I feast aboue
Among the Gods: by thee so potent made
O're tempests and proud stormes. This hardly said,
His launce into the hollow mountaine pusht:
Windes as in troopes through that wide passage rusht.
Earth rend with whirlwindes: on vast seas now raue.
East, South, South-west windes, ioyntly quit the caue
In hideous gusts; high billows driue to shore:
Shrouds rattle, men cry out, and surges rore.
Forth-with darke clowdes from Troians take the sight
Of Heauen, and Day; the Sea vsurpt by Night.
Skies thunder, and quick lightning fires the aire:
All menace instant ruine. Cold despaire
Dissolues Æneas feoble knees: dismaid,
He sighs, and hand to heauen erecting said:
Thrice happy you, who in your parents sight
Before Troy fell in honourable fight.
O Diomed , of Greekes the most renoun'd,
Why could not thy strong hand this life confound
In Phrigian fields? Where great Sarpedon , where
Brave Hector fell by fierce Achilles speare:
Where Simois in his tainted streames o'rewhelmes
So many worthies, heapes of sheilds and helmes.
This vtterd, from the North the lowd wind warres;
Flats all their sailes; swolne seas advans'd to starres.
Ores crack: the winding ships their sides expose
To crushing floods, which in huge mountaines rose.
These on high billowes hang; the yawning waues
Shew those their bottom sands, and troubled graues.
By Southwindes rapt, on hidden rocks three fall,
(Those fatall rocks th' Italians Altars call)
The seas all-wracking Ridge: three Eurus spight
Droue on dire Syrts (a lamentable sight)
Bilgd on the flats, in quick-sands wrapt. Before
His eyes, a mighty Sea o're that which bore
Faithfull Orontes and his Licians flew
And from the Poope the Maister head-long threw:
Then in swift eddies turnes; thrice hurries round
The foundred vessell, in that whirlepit drownd.
Armes, plancks, and Troian riches, here and there
Flote on broad seaes. And now these tumults tere
Iliones strong ship; the shippes which bold
Achates held; which Abas , which the old
Alethes bore: the hostil water breakes
Through all their ript-vp seames, and springing leakes.
Neptune meane while perceiu'd the sea to rore
With blustring windes, which from the bottome tore
The tost-vp waues, incenst, the cause suspects;
And o're the flood his sacred head erects.
There sees Æneas wretched fleet distrest:
His Troian friends by seas and skies opprest.
Iuno's deceipt and hate her brother knew
Who Zephyrus and Eurus hales: Are you
(Said he) so confident in your high birth;
That dare, without our leaue, mix heauen with earth,
And with your tumults swell th' inraged Seas?
Which I — Yet first we will our floods appease:
Nor shall like insolencies be forgot.
Fly timely hence; and tell your King, the lot
Gaue vs, not him, the empire of the Deepes,
And this fear'd Trident. Ragged rocks hee keepes;
Eurus , your court: there let him domineare;
And o're th' incaued windes his Scepter beare.
Sooner then said, he calmes the boistrous maine;
Scatters the cloudes, the Sun restores againe.
Cymothae, Tryton , now their force vnite;
Ships shoue from rocks, rais'd by his Tridents might:
He loosens the vast Syrts , the surges raignes;
And rakes with nimble wheiles the liquid Plaines.
As when Sedition often flames among
A mighty People, the ignoble throng
To out-rage fall: then stones and fier-brands fly;
Rage armes provides: when they by chance espy
One reverenst for his worth, all silent stay
With listening eares; whose graue perswasions sway,
And pacify their mindes: so when the rude
Tumultuous Seas their King and Father viewd,
Their fury fell. Who vnder clear'd-vp skies
With slack rein'd steeds on prosperous charriot flyes.
Altering their course, the weary Troians stand
For nearest shores, and reach the Libyan strand.
Deepe in a Bay and Ile with stretcht-out sides
A Harbor makes, and breakes the iustling tides:
The parting floods into a land-lockt sound
Their streames discharge, with rocks invirond round:
Whereof two, equall lofty, threat the skyes;
Vnder whose lee the safe Sea silent lies:
Their browes with darke and trembling woods arayd
Whose spreading branches cast a dreadfull shade.
Within the hanging rock a caue, well knowne
To sacred Sea-nymphs, bencht with living stone,
In fountaines fruitfull. Here no hauser bound
The shaken shipps, nor anchor broke the ground.
Hether Æneas brought seuen ships (no more
Were left of all); the much-desired shore
The Troians now possesse: who land in hast,
And on the beach their Sea-sick bodies cast.
Then fier from flints Achates strikes: touch-wood
The sparks receaues, inlarg'd with flaming food.
Corne, in salt water drencht, they spent and pin'd
In hast produce; some parch on coles, some grind.
Meanwhile Æneas climbes a steepe ascent;
And throws his eyes on all the seas extent,
In search of Phrygian ships: for Anthus , chac't
In stormes; for Caphis ; for the bright armes plac't
On Caicus high poope; but none descry'd.
Three stragling staggs then on the shore espy'd,
Who all the heard, that followed sloly, led;
And now along the ranker vally fed.
His bow and quiver, which Achates bore,
In hast he snatcht; and those that stalkt before
(Their branched hornes aloft advancing) slew:
Then to the couert they the rest pursew;
Nor left, till seauen lay bathed in their blood:
The number of those ships which scap't the flood.
Return'd to euery one doth one afford:
Then wine (by good Acestes laid aboard
When lately they Trinacria left) imparts
In flowing bowles; thus chearing their sad hearts. . . .
Pious Æneas , hauing spent the night
In wakefull cares, arose with early light;
To make discouery on what Country cast;
Whether by beasts (since all lay wild and wast)
Or men possest: this seriously intends;
And to impart his knowledge to his friends.
Vnder a hanging rock the Navy lay,
Conceal'd with trees, which made a night of day.
With him he bold Achates onely tooke
And in his hand two steele-tipt iauelins shooke.
His mother meets him in the silvan shade;
Arm'd and accoutred like a Spartan Maid:
Or like the swift Harpalice of Thrace ;
Out-stripping steeds, and Hebers heady Race.
The Huntresse on her shoulder hung her bow;
In amarous windes her dangling tresses flow,
Her spreading garments tuckt aboue the knee;
Who thus began: Harke young-men, did you see
None of my Quiver-bearing sisters, clad
In Lynxes skinnes? Nor heard them when they had
The foming bore in chace, with shouts and cryes?
This Venus spake, thus Venus son replies:
Wee nor thy sisters saw, nor heard their cry.
But o what art thou? sure a deity!
Such beauty shines not in a mortall face;
Nor spake they so that are of humane race;
Or Phaebus sister, or a Nymph thou art:
What ere, o favour! and reliefe impart:
Say, vnder what strange clime? In all the round
Of Earth, what land haue our misfortunes found?
Here wander we, the place nor people knowne;
By Seas and tempests on this country throwne:
Thy Alters our fat offering shall imbrew.
She thus reply'd: Such honours are not dew.
The Tyrian virgins quivers vse to beare;
And purple buskins, bound with ribands, weare.
The Punick Realmes, Agenors Citty, man'd
By Tyrians , know; though in the Lybian land:
A nation great in armes. Here Dido raignes;
Who fled from Tyrus , and her brothers traines.
The iniuries and circumstance to tell
At large, were long: in brief it thus befell.
Sychaeus was her spouse, in wealth aboue
All that Phaenitia knew; nor lesse her loue.
To him her sire, with sacred Auguries,
In nuptiall bands the modest Virgin tyes.
And now her brother, dire Pigmalion , held
The Tyrian scepter: he in ill exceld
Even men possest with hellish Furies: who
With trecherous hands before the alter slew
Secure Sychaeus : by the blind desire
Of gold incenst; and slights his sisters fire.
The murder long conceal'd, with many wiles
And flattering hopes, the louers griefe beguiles.
When lo, her husbands Ghost (he vninterd)
In dead of sleepe, with gastly looke appear'd:
The bloody altar, his deepe wounds displaies;
With all the secret murderer bewrayes.
Then charg'd her to forsake that place with speed:
And hidden treasure to supply her need
Reveales. These motiues Dido's thoughts incite:
Who mustering vp her friends, prepares for flight.
Such flock about her, who or hate or feare
The Tyrant. Now in seaz'd-on ships they beare
Their wealth to Sea; with it ill purchased
Pygmalions treasure; by a woman led:
And there arriu'd, where now to lofty skies
The stately walls and towers of Carthage rise
The purchas'd soyle called Brisa : built within
The compasse of a Bulls extended skin.
But what are you? Whence come you? whether bound?
He sighing said, his words in passion drownd:
Goddesse, should I from their originall
Our sufferings tell; should you giue eare to all
The Annals of our toyles, approching Night
First in Olympus would inclose the light.
We auntient Troians (if that name be knowne)
Long tost on sundry seas; by tempests throwne
On Lybian shores: Æneas is my name,
Who bring with me my rescu'd Gods; my fame
Surmountes the starres: now Italy , the place
From whence we sprung, we seeke; Ioues sacred Race
Lost Phrygia I with twenty ships forsooke;
And by my mother-Goddesse counsell, tooke
The way which fates prescrib'd: seauen, vnbereft
By seas, and cruell stormes, alone are left.
Vnknowne, distressed, on the Libyan wast
We stray; from Asia and from Europ chast.
Venus the sad expressions of his hart
Thus gently interrupts: What ere thou art,
Thou by the favour of the heavenly Powers
Surviu'st to see the Cathaginian towers.
Goe on to Dido's Court: thy men againe
(Vnlesse my skill in Augury be vaine)
And scattered ships, thou shalt in safety find;
Borne into harbor by the Northerne wind.
Twelue ioyful swans behold, late chased by
Ioues towring Eagle through the empty sky;
Which now in ordered files together light
On vnder earth; or thither bend their flight;
How freed from danger, sporting in a ring,
They clap their siluer wings, and ioyntly sing:
Even so those storme-chas'd ships in glad consort
Are entred, or now safely saile to Port.
Proceede, and tread that ready path. This said
In turning she her rosy neck displayd
Her tresses with Ambrosia dewd expire
A heauenly odor; her inlarg'd attire
Trailes on the ground: her gate a goddesse showes.
He by these signes his flying Mother knowes;
And thus pursuews her: Art thou cruell growne?
Why dost thou, to deceaue thy son, put on
Such varied figures? O, why may not wee
Ioyne hands, discourse, and seem the same we be.
Accusing thus, his way to Carthage holds:
Whom Venus in a dusky clowd infolds;
That none may see them in that gloomy mask,
Hurt, hinder, or their cause of comming ask.
The pleased Queene to Paphos then retires,
Where stood her Temples: there a hundred fiers
(Whose flagrant flames Sabean gums devoures)
Blaze on as many altars, crownd with flowers.
Meanewhile they both the troden path pursue,
And from a hill the neighbouring Citty view:
That ample Pile (a village late) they then
Admire; the gates, the streets, and noise of men.
The Tyrians ply their taskes: some bulwarks reare,
Strong walls extend, and stones or roule or beare:
Some seats for houses choose, some lawes proiect,
Graue Magistrates and Senators elect.
Here these an ample Heuen dig; there they
For lofty Theaters foundations lay:
Others in quarries mighty Pillars hew,
To grace the Spectacles that should ensew.
Industrious Bees so in the prime of May
By sun-shine through the flowry meddows stray,
When they produce their young, or store their hiue
With liquid hony, or in cabins stiue
That pleasant Nectar: when they take the loads
Which others bring, or chase from their aboads
The lazy drone; the hony redolent
With flowers of thime: all hot on labour bent.
O happy you whose citty thus aspires.
( Æneas said) and her high roofes admires.
With that (o wonderful!) wrapt in a clowd,
Invisible he mingles with the crowd.
A shady groue amidst the Citty stood:
Here Tyrians erst, when by the raging flood
And furious tempests on those borders throwne,
Dig'd vp a Horses head, by Iuno showne:
Which never-failing Plenty did fore-tell;
And here they should in glorious armes excell.
Here Tyrian Dido Iuno's Temple plac'd;
In offerings rich, by her faire statue grac'd:
The staires of brasse, the beames with brasse were bound,
The brazen doores on grinding hinges sound.
The sights within this sumptuous Fane his feare
Did first asswage; and first Æneas here
Durst hope for safety, his sad spirits rais'd.