ge.]

Now it came to pass on the next day that AEneas, having first hidden his
ships in a bay that was well covered with trees, went forth to spy out the
new land whither he was come, and Achates only went with him. And AEneas
had in each hand a broad-pointed spear. And as he went there met him in
the middle of the wood his mother, but habited as a Spartan virgin, for
she had hung a bow from her shoulders after the fashion of a huntress, and
her hair was loose, and her tunic short to the knees, and her garments
gathered in a knot upon her breast. Then first the false huntress spake:
"If perchance ye have seen one of my sisters wandering hereabouts, make
known to me the place. She is girded with a quiver, and is clothed with
the skin of a spotted lynx, or, maybe, she hunts a wild boar with horn and
hound."

To whom AEneas, "I have not seen nor heard sister of thine, O virgin--for
what shall I call thee? for, of a surety, neither is thy look as of a
mortal woman, nor yet thy voice. A goddess certainly thou art, sister of
Phoebus, or, haply, one of the nymphs. But whosoever thou art, look
favorably upon us and help us. Tell us in what land we be, for the winds
have driven us hither, and we know not aught of place or people."

And Venus said, "Nay, stranger, I am not such as ye think. We virgins of
Tyre are wont to carry a quiver and to wear a buskin of purple. For indeed
it is a Tyrian city that is hard by, though the land be Libya. And of this
city Dido is queen, having come hither from Tyre, flying from the
wrong-doing of her brother. And indeed the story of the thing is long, but
I will recount the chief matter thereof to thee. The husband of this Dido
was one Sichaeus, richest among all the men of Phoenicia, and greatly
beloved of his wife, whom he married from a virgin. Now the brother of
this Sichaeus was Pygmalion, the king of the country, and he exceeded all
men in wickedness. And when there arose a quarrel between them, the king,
being exceedingly mad after gold, took him unaware, even as he did
sacrifice at the altar, and slew him. And the king hid the matter many
days from Dido, and cheated her with false hopes. But at the last there
came to her in her dreams the likeness of the dead man, baring his wounds
and showing the wickedness which had been done. Also he bade her make
haste and fly from that land, and, that she might do this the more easily,
told her of great treasure, gold and silver, that was hidden