cleopatra-第10章

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and　minister　to　the　luxury　of　the　Macedonian　Lagid？ay；　and　when　she

had　been　so　long　a　serf　that；　perchance；　she　had　forgotten　how　to　put

off　the　servile　smile　of　Bondage　and　once　more　to　look　across　the

world　with　Freedom's　happy　eyes？



Then　I　bethought　me　of　my　prayer　upon　the　pylon　tower　of　Abouthis　and

of　the　answer　given　to　my　prayer；　and　wondered　if　that；　too；　were　a

dream。



And　one　night；　as；　weary　with　study；　I　walked　within　the　sacred　grove

that　is　in　the　garden　of　the　temple；　and　mused　thus；　I　met　my　uncle

Sepa；　who　also　was　walking　and　thinking。



〃Hold！〃　he　cried　in　his　great　voice；　〃why　is　thy　face　so　sad；

Harmachis？　Has　the　last　problem　that　we　studied　overwhelmed　thee？〃



〃Nay；　my　uncle；〃　I　answered；　〃I　am　overwhelmed　indeed；　but　not　of　the

problem；　it　was　a　light　one。　My　heart　is　heavy；　for　I　am　weary　of　life

within　these　cloisters；　and　the　piled…up　weight　of　knowledge　crushes

me。　It　is　of　no　avail　to　store　up　force　which　cannot　be　used。〃



〃Ah；　thou　art　impatient；　Harmachis；〃　he　answered；　〃it　is　ever　the　way

of　foolish　youth。　Thou　wouldst　taste　of　the　battle；　thou　dost　tire　of

watching　the　breakers　fall　upon　the　beach；　thou　wouldst　plunge　into

them　and　venture　the　desperate　hazard　of　the　war。　And　so　thou　wouldst

be　going；　Harmachis？　The　bird　would　fly　the　nest　as；　when　they　are

grown；　the　swallows　fly　from　the　eaves　of　the　Temple。　Well；　it　shall

be　as　thou　desirest；　the　hour　is　at　hand。　I　have　taught　thee　all　that

I　have　learned；　and　methinks　that　the　pupil　has　outrun　his　master；〃

and　he　paused　and　wiped　his　bright　black　eyes；　for　he　was　very　sad　at

the　thought　of　my　departure。



〃And　whither　shall　I　go；　my　uncle？〃　I　asked　rejoicing；　〃back　to

Abouthis　to　be　initiated　into　the　mysteries　of　the　Gods？〃



〃Ay；　back　to　Abouthis；　and　from　Abouthis　to　Alexandria；　and　from

Alexandria　to　the　Throne　of　thy　fathers；　Harmachis！　Listen；　now；

things　are　thus：　Thou　knowest　how　Cleopatra；　the　Queen；　fled　into

Syria　when　that　false　eunuch　Pothinus　set　the　will　of　her　father

Aulêtes　at　naught　and　raised　her　brother　Ptolemy　to　the　sole　lordship

of　Egypt。　Thou　knowest　also　how　she　came　back；　like　a　Queen　indeed；

with　a　great　army　in　her　train；　and　lay　at　Pelusium；　and　how　at　this

juncture　the　mighty　C？sar；　that　great　man；　that　greatest　of　all　men；

sailed　with　a　weak　company　hither　to　Alexandria　from　Pharsalia's

bloody　field　in　hot　pursuit　of　Pompey。　But　he　found　Pompey　already

dead；　having　been　basely　murdered　by　Achillas；　the　General；　and　Lucius

Septimius；　the　chief　of　the　Roman　legions　in　Egypt；　and　thou　knowest

how　the　Alexandrians　were　troubled　at　his　coming　and　would　have　slain

his　lictors。　Then；　as　thou　hast　heard；　C？sar　seized　Ptolemy；　the　young

King；　and　his　sister　Arsino？；　and　bade　the　army　of　Cleopatra　and　the

army　of　Ptolemy；　under　Achillas；　which　lay　facing　each　other　at

Pelusium；　disband　and　go　their　ways。　And　for　answer　Achillas　marched

on　C？sar；　and　besieged　him　straitly　in　the　Bruchium　at　Alexandria；　and

so；　for　a　while；　things　were；　and　none　knew　who　should　reign　in　Egypt。

But　then　Cleopatra　took　up　the　dice；　and　threw　them；　and　this　was　the

throw　she　madein　truth；　it　was　a　bold　one。　For；　leaving　the　army　at

Pelusium；　she　came　at　dusk　to　the　harbour　of　Alexandria；　and　alone

with　the　Sicilian　Apollodorus　entered　and　landed。　Then　Apollodorus

bound　her　in　a　bale　of　rich　rugs；　such　as　are　made　in　Syria；　and　sent

the　rugs　as　a　present　to　C？sar。　And　when　the　rugs　were　unbound　in　the

palace；　behold！　within　them　was　the　fairest　girl　on　all　the　earthay；

and　the　most　witty　and　the　most　learned。　And　she　seduced　the　great

C？sareven　his　weight　of　years　did　not　avail　to　protect　him　from　her

charmsso　that；　as　a　fruit　of　his　folly；　he　wellnigh　lost　his　life；

and　all　the　glory　he　had　gained　in　a　hundred　wars。〃



〃The　fool！〃　I　broke　in〃the　fool！　Thou　callest　him　great；　but　how　can

the　man　be　truly　great　who　has　no　strength　to　stand　against　a　woman's

wiles？　C？sar；　with　the　world　hanging　on　his　word！　C？sar；　at　whose

breath　forty　legions　marched　and　changed　the　fate　of　peoples！　C？sar

the　cold！　the　far…seeing！　the　hero！C？sar　to　fall　like　a　ripe　fruit

into　a　false　girl's　lap！　Why；　in　the　issue；　of　what　common　clay　was

this　Roman　C？sar；　and　how　poor　a　thing！〃



But　Sepa　looked　at　me　and　shook　his　head。　〃Be　not　so　rash；　Harmachis；

and　talk　not　with　so　proud　a　voice。　Knowest　thou　not　that　in　every

suit　of　mail　there　is　a　joint；　and　woe　to　him　who　wears　the　harness　if

the　sword　should　search　it　out！　For　Woman；　in　her　weakness；　is　yet　the

strongest　force　upon　the　earth。　She　is　the　helm　of　all　things　human；

she　comes　in　many　shapes　and　knocks　at　many　doors；　she　is　quick　and

patient；　and　her　passion　is　not　ungovernable　like　that　of　man；　but　as

a　gentle　steed　that　she　can　guide　e'en　where　she　will；　and　as　occasion

offers　can　now　bit　up　and　now　give　rein。　She　has　a　captain's　eye；　and

stout　must　be　that　fortress　of　the　heart　in　which　she　finds　no　place

of　vantage。　Does　thy　blood　beat　fast　in　youth？　She　will　outrun　it；　nor

will　her　kisses　tire。　Art　thou　set　toward　ambition？　She　will　unlock

thy　inner　heart；　and　show　thee　roads　that　lead　to　glory。　Art　thou　worn

and　weary？　She　has　comfort　in　her　breast。　Art　thou　fallen？　She　can

lift　thee　up；　and　to　the　illusion　of　thy　sense　gild　defeat　with

triumph。　Ay；　Harmachis；　she　can　do　these　things；　for　Nature　ever

fights　upon　her　side；　and　while　she　does　them　she　can　deceive　and

shape　a　secret　end　in　which　thou　hast　no　part。　And　thus　Woman　rules

the　world。　For　her　are　wars；　for　her　men　spend　their　strength　in

gathering　gains；　for　her　they　do　well　and　ill；　and　seek　for　greatness；

to　find　oblivion。　But　still　she　sits　like　yonder　Sphinx；　and　smiles；

and　no　man　has　ever　read　all　the　riddle　of　her　smile；　or　known　all　the

mystery　of　her　heart。　Mock　not！　mock　not！　Harmachis；　for　he　must　be

great　indeed　who　can　defy　the　power　of　Woman；　which；　pressing　round

him　like　the　invisible　air；　is　often　strongest　when　the　senses　least

discover　it。〃



I　laughed　aloud。　〃Thou　speakest　earnestly；　my　uncle　Sepa；〃　I　said；

〃one　might　almost　think　that　thou　hadst　not　come　unscathed　through

this　fierce　fire　of　temptation。　Well；　for　myself；　I　fear　not　woman　and

her　wiles；　I　know　naught　of　them；　and　naught　do　I　wish　to　know；　and　I

still　hold　that　this　C？sar　was　a　fool。　Had　I　stood　where　C？sar　stood；

to　cool　its　wantonness　that　bale　of　rugs　should　have　been　rolled　down

the　palace　steps；　into　the　harbour　mud。〃



〃Nay；　cease！　cease！〃　he　cried　aloud。　〃It　is　evil　to　speak　thus；　may

the　Gods　avert　the　omen　and　preserve　to　thee　this　cold　strength　of

which　thou　boastest。　Oh！　man；　thou　knowest　not！thou　in　thy　strength

and　beauty　that　is　without　compare；　in　the　power　of　thy　learning　and

the　sweetness　of　thy　tonguethou　knowest　not！　The　world　where　thou

must　mix　is　not　a　sanctuary　as　that　of　the　Divine　Isis。　But　thereit

may　be　so！　Pray　that　thy　heart's　ice　may　never　melt；　so　thou　shalt　be

great　and　happy　and　Egypt　shall　be　delivered。　And　now　let　me　take　up

my　talethou　seest；　Harmachis；　even　in　so　grave　a　story　woman　claims

her　place。　The　young　Ptolemy；　Cleopatra's　brother；　being　loosed　of

C？sar；　treacherously　turned　on　him。　Then　C？sar　and　Mithridates　stormed

the　camp　of　Ptolemy；　who　took　to　flight　across　the　river。　But　his　boat

was　sunk　by　the　fugitives　who　pressed　upon　it；　and　such　was　the

miserable　end　of　Ptolemy。



〃Thereon；　the　war　being　ended；　though　she　had　but　then　borne　him　a

son；　C？sarion；　C？sar　appointed　the　younger　Ptolemy　to　rule　with

Cleopatra；　and　be　her　husband　in　name；　and　he　himself　departed　for

Rome；　bearing　with　him　the　beautiful　Princess　Arsino？　to　follow　his

triumph　in　her　chains。　But　the　great　C？sar　is　no　more。　He　died　as　he

had　lived；　in　blood；　and　right　royally。　And　but　now　Cleopatra；　the

Queen；　if　my　tidings　may　be　trusted；　has　slain　Ptolemy；　her　brother

and　husband；　by　poison；　and　taken　the　child　C？sarion　to　be　her　fellow

on　the　throne；　which　she　hol