Classic Poem

When Troy towne for ten yeeres warr
w i thstood the greekes in manfull wise,
yett did their foes encrease soe ffast,
tha t to resist none cold suffise;
wast ly those wall[s] tha t were soe good,
& corne now growes where Troy towne stoode.

Æneas, wandring prince of Troy,
when he ffor land long time had sought,
att last arriued w i th great ioy,
to mighty carthage walls was brought,
where dido queene w i th s[u]mptuous feast
did entertaine tha t wandering guest.

And as in hall att meate the sate,
the queene, desirous newes to heare
of thy vnhappy 10 yeeres warr,
" declare to me, thou troian deere,
thy heauy hap, & chance soe bad,
tha t thou, poore wandering prince, hast had. "

And then anon this comelye k nigh t,
w i th words demure, as he cold well,
of his vnhappy ten yeeres warr
soe true a tall begun to tell,
w i th words sooe sweete & sighes soe deepe,
tha t oft he made them all to weepe;

And then a 1000 sighes he ffeiht,
& euery sigh brought teares amaine,
tha t where he sate, the place was wett
as though he had seene those warrs againe;
soe tha t the Queene w i th ruth therfore
said, " worthy prince, enough! no more! "

And then the darkesome night drew on,
& twinkling starres on skye was spread,
& he his dolefull tale had told.
euery one were layd in bedd,
where they full sweetly tooke their rest,
saue only didos boyling brest.

This sillye woman neu er slept,
but in her chamber all alone,
as one vnhappye, alwayes wept.
vnto the walls shee made her moane
tha t she shold still desire in vaine
the thing tha t shee cold not obtaine.

And thus in greeffe shee spent the night
[Till twinkling starres] in skye were ffledd,
[And now bright Phebus morn]ing beames
[Amidst they] clouds appeared redd
[Then tidings] came to her anon
[How that the] T ROIAN shipps we[r]e gone.

And then the queene w i th bloody kniffe
did armee, her hart as hard as stone;
yett something loth to loose her liffe,
in wofull wise shee made her mone;
then rowling on her carfull bed,
w i th sighes & sobbs these words shee sayd:

" O wretched dido queene! " shee said,
" I see thy end approcheth neere,
ffor hee is gone away ffrom thee
whom thou didst loue & hold soe dere.
what, is he gone, & passed by?
O hart, p re pare thy selfe to dye!

" Though reason sais thou shouldest fforbeare,
to stay thy hand ffrom bloudy stroke,
yett ffancy sais thou shalt not ffeare
who ffettereth thee in cupids yoke.
come death! " q uo th shee, " resolue my smart! "
& w i th those words shee peerced her hart.

when death had peercet the tender hart
of Dido , C ARTHIGINIAN Queene,
& bloudy kniffe had ended the same,
w hi ch shee sustaind in mournfull teene,
Æneas being shipt & gone,
whose fflatery caused all her mone.

Her ffunerall most costly made,
& all things ffinisht mournefullye,
her body ffine in mold was laid,
where itt consumed speedilye:
her sisters teares her tombe bestrewde,
he[r] subiects greeffe their kindnesse shewed.

Then was Æneas in an Ile
in grecya, where he stayd long space,
wheras her sister in short while
writt to him in his vile disgrace;
In speeches bitter to his mind
shee told him plaine, he was vnkind:

" ffalse harted wretch, " q uo th shee, " thou art!
& traiterously thou hast betraid
vnto thy lure a gentle hart
w hi ch vnto thee much welcome made,
my sister deere, & carthage Ioy,
whose ffolly bred her deere annoy.

" Yett on her deathbed when shee lay,
shee prayd for thy p ro speritye,
beseeching god tha t euery day
might breed thy great ffelicitye.
thus by thy meanes I lost a ffreind:
heauens send thee such an v[n]timely end! "

When he these lines, ffull ffraught w i th gall,
perused had, and wayed them right,
his Losty courage then did ffall;
& straight appeared in his sight
Queene didoes Ghost, both grim & pale,
w hi ch made this vallyant souldier for to quaile.

" Æneas, " q uo th this gastly ghost,
" my whole delight when I did liue!
thee of all men I loued most,
my ffancy & my will did giue;
ffor Entertainment I the gaue;
vnthankefully thou didst me graue;

" Therfore p re pare thy fflitting soule
to wander w i th me in the aire,
where deadly greeffe shall make itt howle
because on me thou tookest no care.
delay not time, thy glasse is run,
thy date is past, & death is come! "

" O stay a while, thou [lovely sprite!]
be not soe hasty to conuay
my soule into eternall night,
where itt shall neere behold bright day!
O doe not ffrowne! thy angry looke
hath made my breath my liffe fforsooke.

" But woe is me! all is in vaine,
& booteles is my dismall crye!
time will not be recalled againe,
nor thou surcease before I dye.
O lett me liue, & make amends
to some of thy most deerest ffreinds!

" But seeing thou obdurate art,
& will no pittye to me show
because ffrom thee I did dep ar t,
& lefft vnpaid what I did owe,
I must content my selfe to take
what Lott to me thou wilt p ar take "

And thus, as one being in a trance,
a multitude of vglye ffeinds
about this woffull prince did dance: —
he had no helpe of any ffreinds; —
his body then they tooke away,
& no man knew his dying day.