Two Dramatizations from Vergil: I. Dido—the Phœnecian Queen; II. The Fall of Troy

Come then, dear father, mount upon my back,
For on my shoulders will I carry thee,
Nor will I find that burden overhard.
Whatever comes, ‘twill come to both of us,
We’ll share misfortune and deliverance too.

He takes the old man upon his shoulders, first spreading over his back a lion’s skin.

Let young Iulus fare along with me,
But at a distance let my wife note well
The way I take. And ye, attendants, hark
To what I say. Without the city walls
There is a mound, where stands an ancient fane
Of Ceres, all alone, a cypress tree
Of ancient stock, preserved with reverent care
For many generations, overhangs
The temple walls. Be this our meeting place
To which by devious ways in many bands
We all shall come.
Do thou, my father, carry in thy hands
The sacred emblems and our household gods;
For me, late come from strife, and stained with blood,
‘Twere sacrilege to touch the holy things,
Till I have cleansed me in some running stream.

With his father upon his shoulders and leading Iulus by the hand he takes his way out of the house. The household follows, leaving the room deserted.

Scene 2

A dark street near the Ida gate. Æneas, Anchises, and Ascanius as before. Suddenly through the darkness there comes the distant sound of feet and shouting as of pursuers.

Anchises, peering in the direction of the sound (733, 734):

Oh, speed thy steps, my son; the foe are near;

I see their gleaming shields and flashing spears.

At this Æneas hastens his steps and leaves the scene, his band hurrying after him.

Scene 3

At the ancient temple of Ceres without the walls. The fugitives come straggling in in various bands, a motley array, Æneas and his immediate followers among the rest. Æneas watches them as they come and gather about him, counting and identifying them. He now discovers that Creüsa is missing.

Æneas (738-748):

Alas, Creüsa, by what wretched fate
Hast thou been overwhelmed? Where art thou now?
Hast wandered from the way, or, spent with toil,
Hast thou given o’er the journey? Woe is me!
My eyes shall never more behold thy face!
What god or man is guilty of this crime?
Or what more cruel deed have I beheld
In all our stricken town?

To his friends:

Behold, my friends,
To you my son and sire and household gods
Do I commend, while I reseek the streets
And ruined dwellings of our fallen Troy,
If haply I may find her once again.

He puts on his full armor, and rushes back through the dark gate into the city.

Scene 4

A deserted street in Troy, lit up fitfully by smoldering fires. Æneas enters, peering through the gloom on all sides, and calling loudly upon the name of his wife. Suddenly a shadowy form appears before him.

The Ghost of Creüsa (776-789):

What boots it to indulge this storm of grief,
O dearest husband? For be sure of this,
That not without permission of the gods
Have these things come to pass. ‘Twas not allowed
That thy Creüsa should go hence with thee,
Nor does Olympus’ ruler suffer it.
To distant lands, long exiled must thou roam,
Must plow the water of the vasty deep,
Until thou come to that far western land,
Where Lydian Tiber’s gently murmuring stream
Rolls down through rich and cultivated fields.
There joyful state and kingdom wait for thee,
There one who is allotted for thy wife.
Then dry the tears which now affection sheds
For thy well-loved Creüsa, once thy wife;
For ‘tis not mine to see the haughty seats
Of Myrmidonian or Dolopian foes;
Nor shall I go to serve the Grecian dames,
Proud princess of Dardania that I am,
By marriage made the child of Venus’ self.
But Cybele, great mother of the gods,
Detains me still upon these Trojan shores.
Then look thy last upon me, and farewell,
And let our common son employ your love.

Æneas starts forward with a cry to embrace the ghost, but it eludes his grasp and vanishes from sight. He sorrowfully turns away and leaves the scene.

Scene 5

The gray dawn breaks; Mount Ida looms dimly in the distance; the exiles a weary, discouraged band of men, women, and children, take their way out into the unknown world.

PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE

Silently corrected simple spelling, grammar, and typographical errors.
Retained anachronistic and non-standard spellings as printed.
Added [Listen] links just before the lyrics and the music illustrations. The Midi music files should begin playing provided the listener has a Midi player installed.