_Iarbas_, kneeling before the altar, his face lifted defiantly upward (206-218): O Jove omnipotent, to whom the Moorish race From ‘broidered couches pour their offering of wine, Dost thou regard th’ affairs of men? or is ‘t in vain We tremble, father, when thou hurl’st thy thunderbolts? And is it only aimless flashings that we fear, And meaningless vain mutterings that fill the sky? That vagrant queen to whom we gave within our bounds A site whereon to build her town, a bit of shore To till, and granted full possession of the place, Hath this our suit disdained and to her realm received Æneas as her lord. And now that puny prince, That Paris, with his train of weaklings, and his locks Perfumed, bedecked and sheltered by a Phrygian cap, Hath carried off the prize.—And we, poor fools, bring gifts Unto thy temple and adore an empty shrine! Sullen mutterings of distant thunder. Curtain. SCENES 2 AND 3 The temple colonnade, as in Act I. Scene 1. Æneas, surrounded by Achates, Ihoneus, and many other Trojans, is directing the work in the city below them. He has in his hands the plan of the citadel, which he is tracing for his countrymen. Mercury appears upon the temple steps, crosses the stage, and stands a moment behind Æneas and his companions, unnoticed. _Mercury_, to Æneas, as the Trojans turn and discover him (265-276): And can it be that thou art building here the walls Of Tyrian Carthage, and uprearing her fair towers, Thou dotard, of thy realm and thy great destiny Forgetful! Jove himself, the ruler of the gods, Who holds the heavens and earth and moves them at his will, To thee from bright Olympus straight hath sent me here. He bade me bear on speeding pinions these commands: What dost thou here? or with what hopes dost thou delay Upon the Libyan shores? If thou, indeed, art moved By no regard for thine own glorious destiny, Respect at least the budding hopes of him, thy son, Who after thee shall hold the scepter; for to him Are due the realms of Italy, the land of Rome. While Mercury is giving his message, Dido, followed by her maidens, comes forth from the temple, and as she catches the import of his words, stands horror-stricken upon the temple steps, unnoticed by Æneas or his men, whose faces are turned intently toward Mercury. _Æneas_, overwhelmed with astonishment, aside (281-294): O Jove, and I had near forgot my destiny, To oblivion lulled amid the sweets of this fair land! But now my heart’s sole longing is for Italy, Which waits me by the promise of the fates. But how From this benumbing passion shall I free myself? How face the queen and put away her clinging love? To his attendants: Go ye, and swiftly call the Trojans to the shore; Bid them equip the vessels quickly for the sea, And frame for this our sudden voyage some fitting cause.