Part 4 (1/2)

The Trojan chief appeared in open sight August in visage, and serenely bright.

His mother-G.o.ddess, with her hands divine, Had formed his curling locks, and made his temples s.h.i.+ne, And given his rolling eyes a sparkling grace, And breathed a youthful vigor on his face.

DRYDEN, _AEneid_, BOOK I.

AEneas now made himself known to the queen and thanked her for her kindness to his people. Dido was astonished at the sudden appearance of the hero, of whom she had already heard much. Her father, Belus, she said, had told her of the fall of Troy and of the name of AEneas, and having herself suffered many misfortunes, she had learned to have pity for the distressed.

”For I myself, like you, have been distressed; Till heaven afforded me this place of rest; Like you, an alien in a land unknown, I learn to pity woes so like my own.”

DRYDEN, _AEneid_, BOOK I.

Then she invited the hero into the royal apartments where a grand banquet was prepared in his honor. She also caused a supply of provisions to be taken to his people on the sh.o.r.e--twenty oxen, a hundred swine, and a hundred fat lambs. Meanwhile AEneas sent Achates to bring his son Ascanius to the city, bidding him at the same time to take with him presents for the queen, costly and beautiful things that had been saved from the ruins of Troy--a mantle embroidered with gold, a scepter which had belonged to I-li'o-ne, King Priam's daughter, and a necklace strung with pearls.

At the banquet Queen Dido sat on a golden couch, surrounded by the Trojan chiefs and her Tyrian lords. By her side was seated the handsome youth whom Achates had brought from the s.h.i.+ps as the son of AEneas. Dido admired the beautiful boy and fondled him in her arms little thinking that it was Cupid, the G.o.d of love, whom Venus had sent to the banquet under the appearance of Iulus.

Unhappy Dido little thought what guest, How dire a G.o.d she drew so near her breast.

DRYDEN, _AEneid_, BOOK I.

The real Ascanius meantime lay in peaceful slumber in a sacred grove in the island of Cyprus, to which Venus had borne him away.

Lulled in her lap, amidst a train of Loves, She gently bears him to her blissful groves; Then with a wreath of myrtle crowns his head, And softly lays him on a flowery bed.

DRYDEN, AEneid BOOK 1.

And so Queen Dido entertained the chiefs of Troy and of Carthage, with the G.o.d of love seated beside her on her golden couch. A hundred maids and as many pages attended upon the guests. After the viands were removed, I-o'pas, the Tyrian minstrel and poet, played upon his gilded lyre, and sang about the wondrous things in the heavens and on earth.

The various labors of the wandering moon, And whence proceed the eclipses of the sun; The original of men and beasts; and whence The rains arise, and fires their warmth dispense; What shakes the solid earth; what cause delays The summer nights, and shortens winter days.

DRYDEN, AEneid. BOOK I.

The song of Iopas was applauded by the entire a.s.semblage. Then Queen Dido after asking Aeneas many questions about Priam and Hector, and Achilles, and Memnon, and Diomede and other heroes of the Trojan war, begged him to tell the whole story from the beginning. ”Come, my guest,” said she, ”relate to us from the very first the stratagems of the Greeks, the adventures of your friends, and your own wanderings.”

It was in compliance with this request that Aeneas, as has been said, recounted the history (already given) of the ruin of Troy, and of his own misfortunes, commencing with the artifice of the wooden horse, and ending with the storm which drove his s.h.i.+ps upon the Carthaginian coast. The events of the story extended over a period of seven years, for it was now that length of time since the fatal ”peace offering”

brought destruction on the city of Priam.

IV. DIDO'S LOVE--THE FUNERAL GAMES--s.h.i.+PS BURNED BY THE WOMEN.

Queen Dido was much interested in the story told by Aeneas, but more so in the hero himself. His many virtues, the honors and glories of his race, made a strong impression on her mind; his looks and words were imprinted on her heart. In short, the Carthaginian queen was in love with the Trojan prince. She confided her secret to her sister Anna, and she said that if she had not vowed, on the death of her dear husband Sichaeus, never again to unite with any one in the bond of marriage, she might think of giving her hand to her n.o.ble guest.

Sister Anna knew that such a marriage would be a great advantage to Carthage, which might need brave defenders like the Trojans, since there were many warlike princes in that part of Africa, who might some time attack the new city. And if the Trojan arms were joined to those of Carthage, both would be strong enough to resist the most powerful enemy, and the new kingdom would become great and flouris.h.i.+ng. ”Let us therefore,” said she, ”pray to the G.o.ds for help and at the same time endeavor by all means to detain our Trojan guests as long as possible upon our sh.o.r.e.”

The queen listened to her sister's advice with pleasure, more especially as it was in accord with her own feelings. Her scruples about a second marriage soon vanished, and so she continued to entertain the Trojans and their chief with princely hospitality.

And now she leads the Trojan chief along The lofty walls, amidst the busy throng; Displays her Tyrian wealth, and rising town, Which love, without his labor makes his own.

This pomp she shows, to tempt her wandering guest: Her faltering tongue forbids to speak the rest.

When day declines and feasts renew the night, Still on his face she feeds her famished sight; She longs again to hear the prince relate His own adventures, and the Trojan fate.

He tells it o'er and o'er; but still in vain; For still she begs to hear it once again.

DRYDEN, _AEneid_, BOOK IV

Meanwhile the G.o.ddess Juno, watching the course of events, also saw the advantage, to her favorite city, of a union with the Trojan chief.

If he and his people, she thought, could be persuaded to settle in Carthage, that city and not the long talked of Rome, would come to be the center of power and the ruler of the world. She therefore proposed to Venus a treaty of ”eternal peace” on the condition of a marriage between Aeneas and Dido.

”Your Trojan with my Tyrian let us join; So Dido shall be yours, AEneas mine-- One common kingdom, one united line.”

DRYDEN, _AEneid_, BOOK IV.