nec quae te circum stent deinde pericula cernis, demens, nec Zephyros audis spirare secundos? illa dolos dirumque nefas in pectore versat, certa mori, varioque irarum fluctuat aestu. non fugis hinc praeceps, dum praecipitare potestas? iam mare turbari trabibus saevasque videbis 566 conlucere faces, iam fervere litora flammis, si te his attigerit terris Aurora morantem. heia age, rumpe moras ! varium et mutabile semper femina." sic fatus nocti se immiscuit atrae. Tum vero Aeneas subitis exterritus umbris corripit e somno corpus sociosque fatigat : "praecipites vigilate, viri, et considite transtris ; solvite vela citi. deus aethere missus ab alto festinare fugam tortosque incidere funis 570 575 ecce iterum instimulat. sequimur te, sancte deorum, quisquis es, imperioque iterum paremus ovantes. adsis o placidusque iuves et sidera caelo dextra feras." dixit vaginaque eripit ensem fulmineum strictoque ferit retinacula ferro. idem omnis simul ardor habet; rapiuntque ruuntque ; litora deseruere ; latet sub classibus aequor ; adnixi torquent spumas et caerula verrunt. 580 MP 585 Et iam prima novo spargebat lumine terras Tithoni croceum linquens Aurora cubile. regina, e speculis ut primum albescere lucem vidit et aequatis classem procedere velis, litoraque et vacuos sensit sine remige portus, terque quaterque manu pectus percussa decorum flaventisque abscissa comas," pro Iuppiter! ibit 590 hic," ait, "et nostris inluserit advena regnis ? 564 vario M: varios FP. FMab1 aestus the other MSS. fluctuat M: concitat FP. aestu 576 stimulat M, Servius. seest thou not the perils that from henceforth hem thee in, madman! Hearest not the kindly breezes blowing? She, resolved on death, revolves in her heart fell craft and crime, and is tossed on the changing surge of passion. Wilt not flee hence in haste, while hasty flight is possible? Soon thou wilt see the waters swarming with ships, see fierce brands ablaze, and soon the shore flashing with flames, if the dawn find thee lingering in these lands. Up ho! break off delay! A fickle and changeful thing is woman ever." So he spake and melted into the black night. 571 Then indeed Aeneas, scared by the sudden vision, tears himself from sleep and bestirs his comrades. "Make haste, my men, awake and man the benches! Unfurl the sails with speed! A god sent from high heaven, lo! again spurs us to hasten our flight and cut the twisted cables. We follow thee, holy among gods, whoe'er thou art, and again joyfully obey thy command. Oh, be with us, give thy gracious aid, and in the sky vouchsafe kindly stars! He spoke, and from its sheath snatches his flashing sword and strikes the hawser with the drawn blade. The same zeal catches all at once; with hurry and scurry they have quitted the shore; the sea is hidden under their fleets; lustily they churn the foam and sweep the blue waters. 584 And now early Dawn, leaving the saffron bed of Tithonus, was sprinkling her fresh rays upon the earth. Soon as the queen from her watch-tower saw the light whiten and the fleet move on with even sails, and knew the shores and harbours were void of oarsmen, thrice and four times she struck her comely breast with her hand, and tearing her golden. hair, "O God," she cries, "shall he go? Shall the non arma expedient totaque ex urbe sequentur, deripientque rates alii navalibus? ite, ferte citi flammas, date tela, impellite remos! quid loquor? aut ubi sum? quae mentem insania mutat? infelix Dido, nunc te facta impia tangunt? 595 600 tum decuit, cum sceptra dabas. en dextra fidesque, quem secum patrios aiunt portare Penatis, quem subiisse umeris confectum aetate parentem ! non potui abreptum divellere corpus et undis spargere? non socios, non ipsum absumere ferro Ascanium patriisque epulandum ponere mensis ? verum anceps pugnae fuerat fortuna. fuisset; quem metui moritura ? faces in castra tulissem implessemque foros flammis natumque patremque 605 cum genere exstinxem, memet super ipsa dedissem. Sol, qui terrarum flammis opera omnia lustras, tuque harum interpres curarum et conscia Iuno, nocturnisque Hecate triviis ululata per urbes et Dirae ultrices et di morientis Elissae, accipite haec, meritumque malis advertite numen et nostras audite preces. si tangere portus infandum caput ac terris adnare necesse est, et sic fata Iovis poscunt, hic terminus haeret: at bello audacis populi vexatus et armis, finibus extorris, complexu avolsus Iuli, auxilium imploret videatque indigna suorum funera; nec, cum se sub leges pacis iniquae tradiderit, regno aut optata luce fruatur, 592 diripient MSS. 598 portasse M. 610 615 597 tum M: tunc P, Priscian. 599 umero P1. intruder have made of our realm a laughing-stock? Will they not bring arms with speed, and pursue from all the city, and some tear the ships from the docks? Go, fetch fire in haste, serve weapons, ply the oars! What do I say? or where am I? What madness sways my brain? Unhappy Dido! now do thy sinful deeds come home to thee! Then was the fitting time, when thou didst offer the crown. Lo! this is the pledge and faith of him who, they say, carries about with him his country's home-gods! who bore on his shoulders a father outworn with age! Could I not have seized him, torn him limb from limb and scattered him on the waves? Could I not have slain his comrades with the sword-yea, Ascanius himself, and served him in the feast at his father's table? But the issue of battle had been doubtful! Be it so; doomed to death, whom had I to fear? I should have fired his camp, filled his decks with flames, blotted out father and son with the whole race, and flung myself on top of all. O Sun, who with thy beams surveyest all the works of earth, and thou, Juno, mediatress and witness of these my sorrows, and Hecate, whose name is shrieked by night at the cross-roads of cities, ye avenging Furies, and ye gods of dying Elissa, hear ye this, and, as is meet, let your power stoop to my ills, and hearken unto my prayers! If that accursed wretch must needs touch his haven and float to shore-if thus Jove's doom demands, and there his goal stands fixed-yet, beset in war by the arms of a gallant race, driven from his borders, and torn from Iülus' embrace, let him sue for aid and see the cruel slaughter of his friends! Then, when he hath yielded to the terms of an unjust peace, may he not enjoy his kingdom or the pleasant light, but let him fall before his sed cadat ante diem mediaque inhumatus harena. 620 haec precor, hanc vocem extremam cum sanguine fundo. tum vos, o Tyrii, stirpem et genus omne futurum exercete odiis, cinerique haec mittite nostro munera. nullus amor populis nec foedera sunto. exoriare, aliquis nostris ex ossibus ultor, qui face Dardanios ferroque sequare colonos, nunc, olim, quocumque dabunt se tempore vires. litora litoribus contraria, fluctibus undas 625 635 imprecor, arma armis; pugnent ipsique nepotesque." interiora domus inrumpit limina, et altos 640 flammis M. 645 641 celerabat M1, Servius: celebrabat M2P, known to Servius. inilem P1. 646 rogos M: gradus P2: radus P1. |