# The Legend of Good Women/The Legend of Dido
### The Legend of Dido, Queen of Carthage

| | Glory and honour, Virgil Mantuan, |
| | Be to thy name! and I shal, as I can, |
| | Folow thy lantern, as thou gost biforn, |
| | How Eneas to Dido was forsworn. |
| | In thyn Eneid and Naso wol I take |
| | The tenour, and the grete effectes make. |
| 930 | Whan Troye broght was to destuccioun |
| | By Grekes sleighte, and namely of Sinoun, |
| | Feyning the hors y-offred to Minerve, |
| | Through which that many a Troyan moste sterve; |
| | And Ector had, after his deeth, appered, |
| | And fyr so wood, it mighte nat be stered, |
| | In al the noble tour of Ilioun, |
| | That of the citee was the cheef dungeoun; |
| | And al the contree was so lowe y-broght, |
| | And Priamus the king fordoon and noght; |
| 940 | And Eneas was charged by Venus |
| | To fleen away, he took Ascanius, |
| | That was his sone, in his right hand, and fledde; |
| | And on his bakke he bar and with him ledde |
| | His olde fader, cleped Anchises, |
| | And by the weye his wyf Creusa he lees. |
| | And mochel sorwe hadde he in his minde |
| | Er that he coude his felawshippe finde. |
| | But, at the laste, whan he had hem founde, |
| | He made him redy in a certein stounde, |
| 950 | And to the see ful faste he gan him hye, |
| | And saileth forth with al his companye |
| | Toward Itaile, as wolde destinee. |
| | But of his aventures in the see |
| | Nis nat to purpos for to speke of here, |
| | For hit acordeth nat to my matere. |
| | But, as I seide, of him and of Dido |
| | Shal be my tale, til that I have do. |
| | So longe he sailed in the salte see |
| | Til in Libye unnethe aryved he, |
| 960 | With shippes seven and with no more navye; |
| | And glad was he to londe for to hye, |
| | So was he with the tempest al to-shake. |
| | And whan that he the haven had y-take, |
| | He had a knight, was called Achates; |
| | And him of al his felawshippe he chees |
| | To goon with him, the contre for tespye; |
| | He took with him no more companye. |
| | But forth they goon, and lafte his shippes ryde, |
| | His fere and he, with-outen any gyde. |
| 970 | So longe he walketh in this wildernesse |
| | Til, at the laste, he mette an hunteresse. |
| | A bowe in honde and arwes hadde she, |
| | Her clothes cutted were unto the knee; |
| | But she was yit the fairest creature |
| | That ever was y-formed by nature; |
| | And Eneas and Achates she grette, |
| | And thus she to hem spak, whan she hem mette. |
| | "Sawe ye," quod she, "as ye han walked wyde, |
| | And of my sustren walke yow besyde, |
| 980 | With any wilde boor or other beste |
| | That they han hunted to, in this foreste, |
| | Y-tukked up, with arwes in her cas?" |
| | "Nay, soothly, lady," quod this Eneas; |
| | "But, by thy beaute, as hit thinketh me, |
| | Thou mightest never erthely womman be, |
| | But Phebus suster artow, as I gesse. |
| | And, if so be that thou be a goddesse, |
| | Have mercy on our labour and our wo." |
| | "I nam no goddes, soothly," quod she tho; |
| 990 | "For maidens walken in this contree here, |
| | With arwes and with bowe, I this manere. |
| | This is the regne of Libie, ther ye been, |
| | Of which that Dido lady is and queen" -- |
| | And shortly tolde him al the occasioun |
| | Why Dido com into that regioun, |
| | Of which as now me lusteth nat to ryme; |
| | Hit nedeth nat; hit nere but los of tyme. |
| | For this is al and som, it was Venus, |
| | His owne moder, that spak with him thus; |
| 1000 | And to Cartage she bad he sholde him dighte, |
| | And vanished anoon out o fhis sighte. |
| | I coude folwe, word for word, Virgyle, |
| | But it wolde lasten al to longe a whyle. |
| | This noble queen, that cleped was Dido, |
| | That whylom was the wyf of Sitheo, |
| | That fairer was then is the brighte sonne, |
| | This noble toun of Cartage hath begonne; |
| | In which she regneth in so greet honour, |
| | That she was holde of alle quenes flour, |
| 1010 | Of gentilesse, of freedom, of beautee; |
| | That wel was him that mighte her ones see; |
| | Of kinges and of lordes so desyred, |
| | That al the world her beaute hadde y-fyred; |
| | She stood so wel in every wightes grace. |
| | Whan Eneas was come un-to that place, |
| | Unto the maister-temple of al the toun |
| | Ther Dido was in her devocioun, |
| | Ful prively his wey than hath he nome. |
| | Whan he was in the large temple come, |
| 1020 | I can nat seyn if that hit be possible, |
| | But Venus hadde him maked invisible -- |
| | Thus seith the book, with-outen any lees. |
| | And whan this Eneas and Achates |
| | Hadden in this temple been over-al, |
| | Than founde they, depeynted on a wal, |
| | How Troye and al the lond destroyed was. |
| | "Allas! that I was born," quod Eneas, |
| | "Through-out the world our shame is kid so wyde, |
| | Now it is peynted upon every side! |
| 1030 | We, that weren in prosperitee, |
| | Be now disslaudred, and in swich degre, |
| | No lenger for to liven I ne kepe!" |
| | And, with that worde, he brast out for to wepe |
| | So tenderly, that routhe hit was to sene. |
| | This fresshe lady, of the citee quene, |
| | Stood in the temple, in her estat royal, |
| | So richely, and eek so fair with-al, |
| | So yong, so lusty, with her eyen glade, |
| | That, if that god, that heven and erthe made, |
| 1040 | Wolde han a love, for beaute and goodnesse, |
| | And womanhod, and trouthe, and seemlinesse, |
| | Whom sholde he loven but this lady swete? |
| | There nis no womman to him half so mete. |
| | Fortune, that hath the world in governaunce, |
| | Hath sodeinly broght in so newe a chaunce, |
| | That never was ther yit so fremd a cas. |
| | For al the companye of Eneas, |
| | Which that he wende han loren in the see, |
| | Aryved is, nat fer fro that citee; |
| 1050 | For which, the grettest of his lordes some |
| | By aventure ben to the citee come, |
| | Unto that same temple, for to seke |
| | The quene, and of her socour her beseke; |
| | Swich renoun was ther spronge of her goodnesse. |
| | And, whan they hadden told al hir distresse, |
| | And al hir tempest and hir harde cas, |
| | Unto the quene appered Eneas, |
| | And openly beknew that hit was he. |
| | Who hadde Ioye than but his meynee, |
| 1060 | That hadden founde hir lord, hir governour? |
| | The quene saw they dide him swich honour, |
| | And had herd ofte of Eneas, er tho, |
| | And in her herte she hadde routhe and wo |
| | That ever swich a noble man as he |
| | Shal been disherited in swich degree; |
| | And saw the man, that he was lyk a knight, |
| | And suffisaunt of persone and of might, |
| | And lyk to been a veray gentil man; |
| | And wel his wordes he besette can, |
| 1070 | And had a noble visage for the nones, |
| | And formed wel of braunes and of bones. |
| | For, after Venus, hadde he swich fairnesse, |
| | That no man might be half so fair, I gesse. |
| | And wel a lord he seemed for to be. |
| | And, for he was a straunger, somwhat she |
| | Lyked him the bet, as, god do bote, |
| | To som folk ofte newe thing is swote. |
| | Anoon her herte hath pitee of his wo, |
| | And, with that pitee, love com in also; |
| 1080 | And thus, for pitee and for gentilesse, |
| | Refressed moste he been of his distresse. |
| | She seide, certes, that she sory was |
| | That he hath had swich peril and swich cas; |
| | And, in her frendly speche, in this manere |
| | She to him spak, and seide as ye may here. |
| | "Be ye nat Venus sone and Anchises? |
| | In good feith, al the worship and encrees |
| | That I may goodly doon yow, ye shul have. |
| | Your shippes and your meynee shal I save;" |
| 1090 | And many a gentil word she spak him to; |
| | And comaunded her messageres go |
| | The same day, with-outen any faile, |
| | His shippes for to seke, and hem vitaile. |
| | She many a beste to the shippes sente, |
| | And with the wyn she gan hem to presente; |
| | And to her royal paleys she her spedde, |
| | And Eneas alwey with her she ledde. |
| | What nedeth yow the feste to descryve? |
| | He never beter at ese was his lyve. |
| 1100 | Ful was the feste of deyntees and richesse, |
| | Of instruments, of song, and of gladnesse, |
| | And many an amorous loking and devys. |
| | This Eneas is come to Paradys |
| | Out of the swolow of helle, and thus in Ioye |
| | Remembreth him of his estat in Troye. |
| | To dauncing-chambres ful of parements, |
| | Of riche beddes, and of ornaments, |
| | This Eneas is lad, after the mete. |
| | And with the quene whan that he had sete, |
| 1110 | And spyces parted, and the wyn agoon, |
| | Unto his chambres was he lad anoon |
| | To take his ese and for to have his reste, |
| | With al his folk, to doon what so hem leste. |
| | Ther nas coursere wel y-brydled noon, |
| | Ne stede, for the Iusting wel to goon, |
| | Ne large palfrey, esy for the nones, |
| | Ne Iuwel, fretted ful of riche stones, |
| | Ne sakkes ful of gold, of large wighte, |
| | Ne ruby noon, that shynede by nighte, |
| 1120 | Ne gentil hautein faucon heronere, |
| | Ne hound, for hert or wilde boor or dere, |
| | Ne coupe of gold, with florins newe y-bete, |
| | That in the lond of Libie may be gete, |
| | That Dido ne hath hit Eneas y-sent; |
| | And al is payed, what that he hath spent. |
| | Thus can this [noble] quene her gestes calle, |
| | As she that can in freedom passen alle. |
| | Eneas sothly eek, with-outen lees, |
| | Hath sent un-to his shippe, by Achates, |
| 1130 | After his sone, and after riche thinges, |
| | Both ceptre, clothes, broches, and eek ringes, |
| | Som for to were, and som for to presente |
| | To her, that all thise noble thinges him sente; |
| | And bad his sone, how that he sholde make |
| | The presenting, and to the quene hit take. |
| | Repaired is this Achates again, |
| | And Eneas ful blisful is and fain |
| | To seen his yonge sone Ascanius. |
| | But natheles, our autour telleth us, |
| 1140 | That Cupido, that is the god of love, |
| | At preyere of his moder, hye above, |
| | Hadde the lyknes of the child y-take, |
| | This noble quene enamoured to make |
| | On Eneas; but, as of that scripture, |
| | Be as be may, I make of hit no cure. |
| | But sooth is this, the quene hath mad swich chere |
| | Un-to this child, that wonder is to here; |
| | And of the present that his fader sente |
| | She thanked him ful ofte, in good entente. |
| 1150 | Thus is this quene in plesaunce and in Ioye, |
| | With al this newe lusty folk of Troye. |
| | And of the dedes hath she more enquered |
| | Of Eneas, and al the story lered |
| | Of Troye; and al the longe day they tweye |
| | Entendeden to speken and to pleye; |
| | Of which ther gan to breden swich a fyr, |
| | That sely Dido hath now swich desyr |
| | With Eneas, her newe gest, to dele, |
| | That she hath lost her hewe, and eek her hele. |
| 1160 | Now to theffect, now to the fruit of al, |
| | Why I have told this story, and tellen shal. |
| | Thus I beginne; hit fil, upon a night, |
| | When that the mone up-reysed had her light, |
| | This noble quene un-to her reste wente; |
| | She syketh sore, and gan her-self turmente. |
| | She waketh, walweth, maketh many a brayd, |
| | As doon thise loveres, as I have herd sayd. |
| | And at the laste, unto her suster Anne |
| | She made her moon, and right thus spak she thanne. |
| 1170 | "Now, dere suster myn, what may hit be |
| | That me agasteth in my dreme?" quod she. |
| | "This ilke Troyan is so in my thoght, |
| | For that me thinketh he is so wel y-wroght, |
| | And eek so lykly for to be a man, |
| | And therwithal so mikel good he can, |
| | That al my love and lyf lyth in his cure. |
| | Have ye not herd him telle his aventure? |
| | Now certes, Anne, if that ye rede hit me, |
| | I wolde fain to him y-wedded be; |
| 1180 | This is theffect; what sholde I more seye? |
| | In him lyth al, to do me live or deye." |
| | Her suster Anne, as she that coude her good, |
| | Seide as her thoughte, and somdel hit with-stood. |
| | But her-of was so long a sermoning, |
| | Hit were to long to make rehersing; |
| | But fynally, hit may not been with-stonde; |
| | Love wol love -- for no wight wol hit wonde. |
| | The dawning up-rist out of the see; |
| | This amorous quene chargeth her meynee |
| 1190 | The nettes dresse, and speres brode and kene; |
| | An hunting wol this lusty fresshe quene; |
| | So priketh her this newe Ioly wo. |
| | To hors is al her lusty folk y-go; |
| | Un-to the court the houndes been y-broght, |
| | And up-on coursers, swift as any thoght, |
| | Her yonge knightes hoven al aboute, |
| | And of her wommen eek an huge route. |
| | Up-on a thikke palfrey, paper-whyt, |
| | With sadel rede, enbrouded with delyt, |
| 1200 | Of gold the barres up-enbossed hye, |
| | Sit Dido, al in gold and perre wrye; |
| | And she is fair, as is the brighte morwe, |
| | That heleth seke folk of nightes sorwe. |
| | Upon a courser, startling as the fyr, |
| | Men mighte turne him with a litel wyr, |
| | Sit Eneas, lyk Phebus to devyse; |
| | So was he fresshe arayed in his wyse. |
| | The fomy brydel with the bit of gold |
| | Governeth he, right as him-self hath wold. |
| 1210 | And forth this noble guene thus lat I ryde |
| | An hunting, with this Troyan by her syde. |
| | The herd of hertes founden is anoon, |
| | With "hey! go bet! prik thou! lat goon, lat goon! |
| | Why nil the leoun comen of the bere, |
| | That I mighte ones mete him with this spere?" |
| | Thus seyn thise yonge folk, and up they kille |
| | These hertes wilde, and han hem at hir wille. |
| | Among al this to-romblen gan the heven, |
| | The thunder roret with a grisly steven; |
| 1220 | Doun com the rain, with hail and sleet so faste, |
| | With hevenes fyr, that hit so sore agaste |
| | This noble quene, and also her meynee, |
| | That ech of hem was glad a-wey to flee. |
| | And shortly, for the tempest her to save, |
| | She fledde her-self into a litel cave, |
| | And with her wente this Eneas al-so; |
| | I noot, with hem if ther wente any mo; |
| | The autour maketh of hit no mencioun. |
| | And heer began the depe affeccioun |
| 1230 | Betwix hem two; this was the firste morwe |
| | Of her gladnesse, and ginning of her sorwe. |
| | For ther hath Eneas y-kneled so, |
| | And told her al his herte, and al his wo, |
| | And sworn so depe, to her to be trewe, |
| | For wele or wo, and chaunge for no newe, |
| | And as a fals lover so wel can pleyne, |
| | That sely Dido rewed on his peyne, |
| | And took him for husband, [to been] his wyf |
| | For ever-mo, whyl that hem laste lyf, |
| 1240 | And after this, whan that the tempest stente, |
| | With mirth out as they comen, hoom they wente. |
| | The wikked fame up roos, and that anon, |
| | How Eneas hath with the queen y-gon |
| | In-to the cave; and demed as hem liste; |
| | And whan the king, that Yarbas hight, hit wiste, |
| | As he that had her loved ever his lyf, |
| | And wowed her, to have her to his wyf, |
| | Swich sorwe as he hath, maked, and swich chere, |
| | Hit is a routhe and pitee for to here. |
| 1250 | But, as in love, al-day hit happeth so, |
| | That oon shal laughen at anothers wo; |
| | Now laugheth Eneas, and is in Ioye |
| | And more richesse than ever he was in Troye. |
| | O sely womman, ful of innocence, |
| | Ful of pitee, of trouthe, and conscience, |
| | What maked yow to men to trusten so? |
| | Have ye swich routhe upon hir feined wo, |
| | And han swich olde ensamples yow beforn? |
| | See ye nat alle, how they been for-sworn? |
| 1260 | Wher see ye oon, that he ne hath laft his leef, |
| | Or been unkinde, or doon her som mischeef, |
| | Or pilled her, or bosted of his dede? |
| | Ye may as wel hit seen, as ye may rede; |
| | Tak heed now of this grete gentil-man, |
| | This Troyan, that so wel her plesen can, |
| | That feineth him so trewe and obeising, |
| | So gentil and so privy of his doing, |
| | And can so wel doon alle his obeisaunces, |
| | And waiten her at festes and at daunces, |
| 1270 | And whan she goth to temple and hoom ageyn, |
| | And fasten til he hath his lady seyn, |
| | And bere in his devyses, for her sake, |
| | Noot I nat what; and songes wolde he make, |
| | Iusten, and doon of armes many thinges, |
| | Sende her lettres, tokens, broches, ringes -- |
| | Now herkneth, how he shal his lady serve! |
| | Ther-as he was in peril for to sterve |
| | For hunger, and for mischeef in the see, |
| | And desolat, and fled from his contree, |
| 1280 | And al his folk with tempest al to-driven, |
| | She hath her body and eek her reame yiven |
| | In-to his hond, ther-as she mighte have been |
| | Of other lond than of Cartage a queen, |
| | And lived in Ioye y-nogh; what wolde ye more? |
| | This Eneas, that hath so depe y-swore, |
| | Is wery of his craft with-in a throwe; |
| | The hote ernest is al over-blowe. |
| | And prively he doth his shippes dighte, |
| | And shapeth him to stele a-wey by nighte. |
| 1290 | This Dido hath suspecioun of this, |
| | And thoughte wel, that hit was al a-mis; |
| | For in his bedde he lyth a-night and syketh; |
| | She asketh him anoon, what him mislyketh -- |
| | "My dere herte, which that I love most?" |
| | "Certes," quod he, "this night my fadres gost |
| | Hath in my sleep so sore me tormented, |
| | And eek Mercurie his message hath presented, |
| | That nedes to the conquest of Itaile |
| | My destinee is sone for to saile; |
| 1300 | For which, me thinketh, brosten is myn herte!" |
| | Ther-with his false teres out they sterte; |
| | And taketh her with-in his armes two. |
| | "Is that in ernest," quod she; "wil ye so? |
| | Have ye nat sworn to wyve me to take, |
| | Alas! what womman wil ye of me make? |
| | I am a gentil-woman and a queen, |
| | Ye wil nat fro your wyf thus foule fleen? |
| | That I was born! allas! what shal I do?" |
| | To telle in short, this noble queen Dido, |
| 1310 | She seketh halwes, and doth sacrifyse; |
| | She kneleth, cryeth, that routhe is to devyse; |
| | Coniureth him, and profreth him to be |
| | His thral, his servant in the leste gree; |
| | She falleth him to fote, and swowneth there |
| | Dischevele, with her brighte gilte here, |
| | And seith, "have mercy! let me with yow ryde! |
| | Thise lordes, which that wonen me besyde |
| | Wil me destroyen only for your sake. |
| | And, so ye wil me now to wyve take, |
| 1320 | As ye han sworn, than wol I yive yow leve |
| | To sleen me with your swerd now sone at eve! |
| | For than yit shal I dyen as your wyf. |
| | I am with childe, and yive my child his lyf. |
| | Mercy, lord! have pite in your thoght!" |
| | But al this thing availeth her right noght; |
| | For on a night, slepinge, he let her lye, |
| | And stal a-wey un-to his companye, |
| | And, as a traitour, forth he gan to saile |
| | Toward the large contree of Itaile. |
| 1330 | Thus hath he laft Dido in wo and pyne; |
| | And wedded ther a lady hight Lavyne. |
| | A cloth he lafte, and eek his swerd stonding, |
| | Whan he fro Dido stal in her sleping, |
| | Right at her beddes heed, so gan he hye |
| | Whan that he stal a-wey to his navye; |
| | Which cloth, whan sely Dido gan awake, |
| | She hath hit kist ful ofte for his sake; |
| | And seide, "O cloth, whyl Iupiter hit leste, |
| | Tak now my soule, unbind me of this unreste! |
| 1340 | I have fulfild of fortune al the cours." |
| | And thus, allas! with-outen his socours, |
| | Twenty tyme y-swowned hath she thanne. |
| | And, whan that she un-to her suster Anne |
| | Compleyned had, of which I may nat wryte -- |
| | So greet a routhe I have hit for tendyte -- |
| | And bad her norice and her suster goon |
| | To fecchen fyr and other thing anoon, |
| | And seide, that she wolde sacrifye. |
| | And, whan she mighte her tyme wel espye, |
| 1350 | Up-on the fyr of sacrifys she sterte, |
| | And with his swerd she roof her to the herte. |
| | But, as myn autour seith, right thus she seyde; |
| | Or she was hurt, before that she deyde, |
| | She wroot a lettre anoon, that thus began: -- |
| | "Right so," quod she, "as that the whyte swan |
| | Ayeins his deeth beginneth for to singe, |
| | Right so to yow make I my compleyninge. |
| | Nat that I trowe to geten yow again, |
| | For wel I woot that it is al in vain, |
| 1360 | Sin that the goddes been contraire to me. |
| | But sin my name is lost through yow," quod she, |
| | "I may wel lese a word on yow, or letter, |
| | Al-be-it that I shal be never the better; |
| | For thilke wind that blew your ship a-wey, |
| | The same wind hath blowe a-wey your fey," -- |
| | But who wol al this letter have in minde, |
| | Rede Ovide, and in him he shal hit finde. |
| | Explicit Legenda Didonis martiris, Cartaginis regine. |