cleopatra-第1章

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Cleopatra


by　H。　Rider　Haggard









DEDICATION



　　My　dear　Mother；



　　I　have　for　a　long　while　hoped　to　be　allowed　to　dedicate　some　book

　　of　mine　to　you；　and　now　I　bring　you　this　work；　because　whatever

　　its　shortcomings；　and　whatever　judgment　may　be　passed　upon　it　by

　　yourself　and　others；　it　is　yet　the　one　I　should　wish　you　to

　　accept。



　　I　trust　that　you　will　receive　from　my　romance　of　〃Cleopatra〃　some

　　such　pleasure　as　lightened　the　labour　of　its　building　up；　and　that

　　it　may　convey　to　your　mind　a　picture；　however　imperfect；　of　the

　　old　and　mysterious　Egypt　in　whose　lost　glories　you　are　so　deeply

　　interested。



Your　affectionate　and　dutiful　Son；

H。　Rider　Haggard。



January　21；　1889。









AUTHOR'S　NOTE



The　history　of　the　ruin　of　Antony　and　Cleopatra　must　have　struck　many

students　of　the　records　of　their　age　as　one　of　the　most　inexplicable

of　tragic　tales。　What　malign　influence　and　secret　hates　were　at　work；

continually　sapping　their　prosperity　and　blinding　their　judgment？　Why

did　Cleopatra　fly　at　Actium；　and　why　did　Antony　follow　her；　leaving

his　fleet　and　army　to　destruction？　An　attempt　is　made　in　this　romance

to　suggest　a　possible　answer　to　these　and　some　other　questions。



The　reader　is　asked　to　bear　in　mind；　however；　that　the　story　is　told；

not　from　the　modern　point　of　view；　but　as　from　the　broken　heart　and

with　the　lips　of　an　Egyptian　patriot　of　royal　blood；　no　mere　beast…

worshipper；　but　a　priest　instructed　in　the　inmost　mysteries；　who

believed　firmly　in　the　personal　existence　of　the　gods　of　Khem；　in　the

possibility　of　communion　with　them；　and　in　the　certainty　of　immortal

life　with　its　rewards　and　punishments；　to　whom　also　the　bewildering

and　often　gross　symbolism　of　the　Osirian　Faith　was　nothing　but　a　veil

woven　to　obscure　secrets　of　the　Sanctuary。　Whatever　proportion　of

truth　there　may　have　been　in　their　spiritual　claims　and　imaginings；　if

indeed　there　was　any；　such　men　as　the　Prince　Harmachis　have　been　told

of　in　the　annals　of　every　great　religion；　and；　as　is　shown　by　the

testimony　of　monumental　and　sacred　inscriptions；　they　were　not　unknown

among　the　worshippers　of　the　Egyptian　Gods；　and　more　especially　of

Isis。



Unfortunately　it　is　scarcely　possible　to　write　a　book　of　this　nature

and　period　without　introducing　a　certain　amount　of　illustrative

matter；　for　by　no　other　means　can　the　long　dead　past　be　made　to　live

again　before　the　reader's　eyes　with　all　its　accessories　of　faded　pomp

and　forgotten　mystery。　To　such　students　as　seek　a　story　only；　and　are

not　interested　in　the　faith；　ceremonies；　or　customs　of　the　Mother　of

Religion　and　Civilisation；　ancient　Egypt；　it　is；　however；　respectfully

suggested　that　they　should　exercise　the　art　of　skipping；　and　open　this

tale　at　its　Second　Book。



That　version　of　the　death　of　Cleopatra　has　been　preferred　which

attributes　her　end　to　poison。　According　to　Plutarch　its　actual　manner

is　very　uncertain；　though　popular　rumour　ascribed　it　to　the　bite　of　an

asp。　She　seems；　however；　to　have　carried　out　her　design　under　the

advice　of　that　shadowy　personage；　her　physician；　Olympus；　and　it　is

more　than　doubtful　if　he　would　have　resorted　to　such　a　fantastic　and

uncertain　method　of　destroying　life。



It　may　be　mentioned　that　so　late　as　the　reign　of　Ptolemy　Epiphanes；

pretenders　of　native　blood；　one　of　whom　was　named　Harmachis；　are　known

to　have　advanced　their　claims　to　the　throne　of　Egypt。　Moreover；　there

was　a　book　of　prophecy　current　among　the　priesthood　which　declared

that　after　the　nations　of　the　Greeks　the　God　Harsefi　would　create　the

〃chief　who　is　to　come。〃　It　will　therefore　be　seen　that；　although　it

lacks　historical　confirmation；　the　story　of　the　great　plot　formed　to

stamp　out　the　dynasty　of　the　Macedonian　Lagidae　and　place　Harmachis　on

the　throne　is　not　in　itself　improbable。　Indeed；　it　is　possible　that

many　such　plots　were　entered　into　by　Egyptian　patriots　during　the　long

ages　of　their　country's　bondage。　But　ancient　history　tells　us　little

of　the　abortive　struggles　of　a　fallen　race。




The　Chant　of　Isis　and　the　Song　of　Cleopatra；　which　appear　in　these

pages；　are　done　into　verse　from　the　writer's　prose　by　Mr。　Andrew　Lang；

and　the　dirge　sung　by　Charmion　is　translated　by　the　same　hand　from　the

Greek　of　the　Syrian　Meleager。











CLEOPATRA







INTRODUCTION



In　the　recesses　of　the　desolate　Libyan　mountains　that　lie　behind　the

temple　and　city　of　Abydus；　the　supposed　burying　place　of　the　holy

Osiris；　a　tomb　was　recently　discovered；　among　the　contents　of　which

were　the　papyrus　rolls　whereupon　this　history　is　written。　The　tomb

itself　is　spacious；　but　otherwise　remarkable　only　for　the　depth　of　the

shaft　which　descends　vertically　from　the　rock…hewn　cave；　that　once

served　as　the　mortuary　chapel　for　the　friends　and　relatives　of　the

departed；　to　the　coffin…chamber　beneath。　This　shaft　is　no　less　than

eighty…nine　feet　in　depth。　The　chamber　at　its　foot　was　found　to

contain　three　coffins　only；　though　it　is　large　enough　for　many　more。

Two　of　these；　which　in　all　probability　inclosed　the　bodies　of　the　High

Priest；　Amenemhat；　and　of　his　wife；　father　and　mother　of　Harmachis；

the　hero　of　this　history；　the　shameless　Arabs　who　discovered　them

there　and　then　broke　up。



The　Arabs　broke　the　bodies　up。　With　unhallowed　hands　they　tore　the

holy　Amenemhat　and　the　frame　of　her　who　had；　as　it　is　written；　been

filled　with　the　spirit　of　the　Hathorstore　them　limb　from　limb；

searching　for　treasure　amidst　their　bonesperhaps；　as　is　their

custom；　selling　the　very　bones　for　a　few　piastres　to　the　last　ignorant

tourist　who　came　their　way；　seeking　what　he　might　destroy。　For　in

Egypt　the　unhappy；　the　living　find　their　bread　in　the　tombs　of　the

great　men　who　were　before　them。



But　as　it　chanced；　some　little　while　afterwards；　one　who　is　known　to

this　writer；　and　a　doctor　by　profession；　passed　up　the　Nile　to　Abydus；

and　became　acquainted　with　the　men　who　had　done　this　thing。　They

revealed　to　him　the　secret　of　the　place；　telling　him　that　one　coffin

yet　remained　entombed。　It　seemed　to　be　the　coffin　of　a　poor　person；

they　said；　and　therefore；　being　pressed　for　time；　they　had　left　it

unviolated。　Moved　by　curiosity　to　explore　the　recesses　of　a　tomb　as

yet　unprofaned　by　tourists；　my　friend　bribed　the　Arabs　to　show　it　to

him。　What　ensued　I　will　give　in　his　own　words；　exactly　as　he　wrote　it

to　me：



〃I　slept　that　night　near　the　Temple　of　Seti；　and　started　before

daybreak　on　the　following　morning。　With　me　were　a　cross…eyed　rascal

named　AliAli　Baba　I　named　himthe　man　from　whom　I　got　the　ring

which　I　am　sending　you；　and　a　small　but　choice　assortment　of　his

fellow　thieves。　Within　an　hour　after　sunrise　we　reached　the　valley

where　the　tomb　is。　It　is　a　desolate　place；　into　which　the　sun　pours

his　scorching　heat　all　the　long　day　through；　till　the　huge　brown　rocks

which　are　strewn　about　become　so　hot　that　one　can　scarcely　bear　to

touch　them；　and　the　sand　scorches　the　feet。　It　was　already　too　hot　to

walk；　so　we　rode　on　donkeys；　some　way　up　the　valleywhere　a　vulture

floating　far　in　the　blue　overhead　was　the　only　other　visitortill　we

came　to　an　enormous　boulder　polished　by　centuries　of　action　of　sun　and

sand。　Here　Ali　halted；　saying　that　the　tomb　was　under　the　stone。

Accordingly；　we　dismounted；　and；　leaving　the　donkeys　in　charge　of　a

fellah　boy；　went　up　to　the　rock。　Beneath　it　was　a　small　hole；　barely

large　enough　for　a　man　to　creep　through。　Indeed　it　had　been　dug　by

jackals；　for　the　doorway　and　some　part　of　the　cave　were　entirely

silted　up；　and　it　was　by　means　of　this　jackal　hole　that　the　tomb　had

been　discovered。　Ali　crept　in　on　his　hands　and　knees；　and　I　followed；

to　find　myself　in　a　place　cold　after　the　hot　outside　air；　and；　in

contrast　with　the　light；　filled　with　a　dazzling　darkness。　We　lit　our

candles；　and；　the　select　body　of　thieves　having　arrived；　I　made　an

examination。　We　were　in