th the sword, and serve up the young
Ascanius at his meal? And if I had perished, what then? for I die to-day.
O Sun, that regardest all the earth, and Juno, that carest for marriage
bonds, and Hecate, Queen of the dead, and ye Furies that take vengeance on
evil-doers, hear me. If it be ordered that he reach that land, yet grant
that he suffer many things from his enemies, and be driven from his city,
and beg for help from strangers, and see his people cruelly slain with the
sword; and, when he shall have made peace on ill conditions, that he enjoy
not long his kingdoms, but die before his day, and lie unburied on the
plain. And ye, men of Tyre, hate his children and his people forever. Let
there be no love or peace between you. And may some avenger arise from my
grave who shall persecute the race of Dardanus with fire and sword. So
shall there be war forever between him and me."

Then she spake to old Barce, who had been nurse to her husband Sichaeus,
"Bid my sister bathe herself in water, and bring with her beasts for
sacrifice. And do thou also put a garland about thy head, for I am minded
to finish this sacrifice which I have begun, and to burn the image of the
man of Troy."

And when the old woman made haste to do her bidding, Queen Dido ran to the
court where the pile was made for the burning, and mounted on the pile,
and drew the sword of AEneas from the scabbard. Then did she throw herself
upon the bed, and cry,

"Now do I yield up my life. I have finished my course. I have built a
mighty city. I have avenged my husband on him that slew him. Happy had I
been, yea, too happy! had the ships of Troy never come to this land." Then
she kissed the bed and cried, "Shall I die unavenged? Nevertheless let me
die. The man of Troy shall see this fire from the sea whereon he journeys,
and carry with him an augury of death."

And when her maidens looked, lo! she had fallen upon the sword, and the
blood was upon her hands. And a great cry went up through the palace,
exceeding loud and bitter, even as if the enemy had taken Carthage or
ancient Tyre, and the fire were mounting over the dwellings of men and of
Gods. And Anna her sister heard it, and rushing through the midst called
her by name: "O my sister, was this thy purpose? Were the pile and the
sword and the fire for this? Why wouldst thou not suffer that I should die
with thee? For surely, my sister, thou hast slain thyself, and me, and thy
people, and thy city. But g