Act 4 — Act IV. Scene 2

The same chamber in Dido’s palace. The shrine of Sychæus is adorned with flowers; fire glows on the altar. Barce sits spinning at one side.

Dido is pacing the room with fierce energy. She goes to the window from time to time, then renews her fierce walking to and fro. Suddenly she presses her hand to her head as if a new thought had come to her. Her face assumes an expression of cunning. She picks up a golden goblet, and with a gesture to the old woman sends her to fill it.

When Barce has gone, Dido stealthily but quickly takes Æneas’ sword from the wall, and, seating herself, with trembling fingers draws it from its scabbard. She feels the edge, shrinking in terror at the thought of her intended suicide. With a shudder, she presses the cold blade against her neck.

As she is thus meditating, her sister is heard coming. Dido quickly conceals the sword beneath the draperies of the couch. She assumes an air of gayety, kissing her sister and drawing her to a seat.

Dido (478-498):

I’ve found a way, my sister—give me joy—to bring

Him back to me, or free me from the love of him.

Hard by the confines of the Ocean in the west

The Æthiop country lies, where mighty Atlas holds

Upon his giant shoulders heaven’s vault, all set

With stars. There dwells a priestess skilled in magic art,

Of the Massylian race, and guardian of the shrine

Of the Hesperides; her care, the dragon huge

To which she offers honeydew and soothing herbs,

The while she guards the precious boughs.—She claims the power

At will to free the soul from sorrow with her charms,

Or burden it with care; to stop the rapid stream,

And backward roll the stars; the shades of darkness too

Can she awake, and at her bidding shalt thou hear

The rumbling earth beneath thy feet, and see the trees

Descend the mountain slopes.—I swear it by the gods

And thee, unwillingly I seek the magic art.

Do thou within the palace rear a lofty pyre,

And place upon its top the faithless hero’s arms

50Which in his flight he left within our halls, yea all

That he has left, and then our wedding couch, my cause

Of woe, my heart is set to banish every trace

Of that perfidious one, and this the priestess bids.

Anna assents to her plan and hurries away to execute it. Dido quickly takes the sword from its hiding-place and in tremulous haste hangs it again upon the wall. Barce enters. Dido turns, fearing detection, but seeing that the old nurse has not suspected her, she takes the cup in her trembling fingers and drains it. Curtain.