Mnestheus and the others withdraw to perform his commands. Æneas remains buried in deep thought. He turns and sees Dido standing before him. They gaze at each other in silence. _Dido_ (305-330): And didst thou hope that thou couldst hide thy fell design, O faithless, and in silence steal away from this My land? Does not our love, and pledge of faith once given, Nor thought of Dido, doomed to die a cruel death, Detain thee? Can it be that under wintry skies Thou wouldest launch thy fleet and urge thy onward way Mid stormy blasts across the sea, O cruel one? But what if not a stranger’s land and unknown homes Thou soughtest; what if Troy, thy city, still remained: Still wouldst thou fare to Troy along the wave-tossed sea? Is ‘t I thou fleest? By these tears and thy right hand— Since in my depth of crushing woe I’ve nothing left— And by our marriage bond and sacred union joined, If ever aught of mercy I have earned of thee, If I have ever giv’n thee one sweet drop of joy, Have pity on my falling house, and change, I pray, Thy cruel purpose if there still is room for prayer. For thee the Libyan races hate me, and my lords Of Tyre; for thee my latest scruple was o’ercome; My fame, by which I was ascending to the stars, My kingdom, fates,—all these have I giv’n up for thee. And thou, for whom dost thou abandon me, O guest?— Since from the name of husband this sole name remains. What wait I more? Is ‘t till Pygmalion shall come, And lay my walls in ruins, or the desert prince, Iarbas, lead me captive home? O cruel fate! If only ere thou fled’st some pledge had been conceived Of thee, if round my halls some son of thine might sport, To bear thy name and bring thine image back to me, Then truly should I seem not utterly bereft. _Æneas_, seemingly unmoved by her appeal (333-361):