Straightway went Rumor and told these things through the cities of Libya.  Now Rumor, men say, is the youngest daughter of Earth, a marvelous creature, moving very swiftly with feet and wings, and having many feathers upon her, and under every feather an eye and a tongue and a mouth and an ear.  In the night she flieth between heaven and earth, and sleepeth not; and in the day she sitteth on some housetop or lofty tower, or spreadeth fear over mighty cities; and she loveth that which is false even as she loveth that which is true.  So now she went telling through Libya how AEneas of Troy was come, and Dido was wedded to him, and how they lived careless and at ease, and thinking not of the work to which they were called.

And first of all she went to Prince Iarbas, who himself had sought Dido in marriage.  And Iarbas was very wroth when he heard it, and, coming to the temple of Jupiter, spread his grief before the Gods, how that he had given a place on his coasts to this Dido, and would have taken her to wife, but that she had married a stranger from Phrygia, another Paris, whose dress and adornments were of a woman rather than of a man.

And Jupiter saw that this was so, and he said to Mercury, who was his messenger, “Go speak to AEneas these words:  ’Thus saith the king of Gods and men.  Is this what thy mother promised of thee, twice saving thee from the spear of the Greeks?  Art thou he that shall rule Italy and its mighty men of war, and spread thy dominion to the ends of the world?  If thou thyself forgettest these things, dost thou grudge to thy son the citadels of Rome?  What doest thou here?  Why lookest thou not to Italy?  Depart and tarry not.’”

Then Mercury fitted the winged sandals to his feet, and took the wand with which he driveth the spirits of the dead, and came right soon to Mount Atlas, which standeth bearing the heaven on his head, and having always clouds about his top, and snow upon his shoulders, and a beard that is stiff with ice.  There Mercury stood awhile; then, as a bird which seeks its prey in the sea, shot headlong down, and came to AEneas where he stood, with a yellow jasper in his sword-hilt, and a cloak of purple shot with gold about his shoulders, and spake:  “Buildest thou Carthage, forgetting thine own work?  The Almighty Father saith to thee, ’What meanest thou?  Why tarriest thou here?  If thou carest not for thyself, yet think of thy son, and that the Fates have given to him Italy and Rome.’”

And AEneas saw him no more.  And he stood stricken with fear and doubt.  Fain would he obey the voice, and go as the Gods commanded.  But how should he tell this purpose to the queen?  But at the last it seemed good to him to call certain of the chiefs, as Mnestheus, and Sergestus, and Antheus, and bid them make ready the ships in silence, and gather together the people, but dissemble the cause, and he himself would watch a fitting time to speak and unfold the matter to the queen.