Classic Poem

" UNTO no happy end can woman come
In such a way. Aeneas' love to keep
Did Dido strive in vain, though she was queen
Of Carthage, and the great advantage had
That she had succored him with food and clothes
When he was but a wretched fugitive
From that fair land of Troy where he was born.
She honored his companions for the love
She bore to him, and had his ships repaired
To be of service and to please him well.
To hold his love she offered him herself,
Her wealth, her city; he in turn took oath —
Gave promises and firm assurances —
That he was hers, as he would always be,
And never would desert her. But small joy
She had of him. The traitor fled away
Over the sea in ships, without good-by.
Because of this the fair one lost her life
When, on the morrow, in her chamber, she
With her own hand committed suicide,
Using the sword that he had given her.
Still mindful of the friend whose love she'd lost,
She stood the sword upright upon its hilt
And, standing naked, placed the naked point
Between her breasts and fell upon the blade.
Great pity 'twas to see that deed performed;
Hard would the man have been who did not feel
Compassion when he saw Queen Dido fair
Impaled throughout her body on the sword,
Such grief she had because she had been tricked.
" Phyllis awaited Demophon so long
That, when she knew he'd broken vows and faith
Because he came not when he said he would,
She hanged herself.
" And how did Paris serve
Oenone, who had given him her soul
And body when he offered her his love?
Too soon he rendered back to her the gift
When with his knife he carved, in place of scroll,
Upon a tree that grew upon a bank,
In little letters hardly worth a tart,
That Xanthus would return unto its source
Sooner than he would leave her. It would seem
That Xanthus must have soon reversed its flow!
For Helen promptly he deserted her,
Leaving the letters carved on poplar bark.
" Was not Medea treacherously betrayed
By Jason, who had sworn to keep his faith
With her until his death, but soon proved false
After she had delivered him by charms
So that he suffered neither burn nor wound
From those fire-breathing bulls who came to rend
And cremate him, and after she had drugged
The dragon so that he could not awake
From out the sleep profound that she produced —
And after she had caused the earth-born knights,
Warlike and fierce, who would have Jason killed
After he threw the stone into their midst,
Each other to engage, each other kill —
And after she had helped him gain the fleece
By means of her concoctions and her arts —
And after she restored to youth his sire,
Old Aeson, that she might have better hold
On Jason? She demanded naught of him
Save that he love her as he once had done
And recognize the merits she possessed
And better keep the faith he swore to her.
The evil traitor, liar, recreant, knave
Then left her — she in sorrow and in rage
Strangled the children she had borne for him;
When she perceived the truth her mind gave way,
Maternal tenderness abandoned her,
And she performed a deed far worse than those
That bitter stepdames have been guilty of.
" I know a thousand tales like this to tell,
But far too long the narrative would be.
In brief, these ribalds say they give their hearts
To many a maid, but trick and cheat them all;
Therefore should woman trick the men in turn
And never give her heart to one alone.
She's but a fool who does so; she should have
A host of friends, and strive to please them all,
So, if she can, to give them all misease,
If she lack graces, she must some acquire.
Most haughty she should be to those who try
The most to gain her love by serving her.
The ones who of her loving set least store
Are those she must work hardest to attract
By learning games and songs, by trying hard
To shun dispute and clamor when they are about. "