cleopatra-第63章

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treasure　of　Menkau…raall　her　wealth　of　gold；　ebony；　ivory；　and

cinnamon；　treasure　without　price；　and　placed　it　in　the　mausoleum　of

granite　which；　after　our　Egyptian　fashion；　she　had　built　upon　the　hill

that　is　by　the　Temple　of　the　Holy　Isis。　These　riches　she　piled　up　upon

a　bed　of　flax；　that；　when　she　fired　it；　all　might　perish　in　the　flame

and　escape　the　greed　of　money…loving　Octavianus。　And　she　slept

henceforth　in　this　tomb；　away　from　Antony；　but　in　the　daytime　she

still　saw　him　at　the　palace。



But　a　little　while　after；　when　C？sar　with　all　his　great　force　had

already　crossed　the　Caponic　mouth　of　the　Nile　and　was　hard　on

Alexandria；　I　came　to　the　palace；　whither　Cleopatra　had　summoned　me。

There　I　found　her　in　the　Alabaster　Hall；　royally　clad；　a　wild　light　in

her　eyes；　and；　with　her；　Iras　and　Charmion；　and　before　her　guards；　and

stretched　here　and　there　upon　the　marble；　bodies　of　dead　men；　among

whom　lay　one　yet　dying。



〃Greeting；　thou　Olympus！〃　she　cried。　〃Here　is　a　sight　to　glad　a

physician's　heartmen　dead　and　men　sick　unto　death！〃



〃What　doest　thou；　O　Queen？〃　I　said　affrighted。



〃What　do　I？　I　wreak　justice　on　these　criminals　and　traitors；　and；

Olympus；　I　learn　the　ways　of　death。　I　have　caused　six　different

poisons　to　be　given　to　these　slaves；　and　with　an　attentive　eye　have

watched　their　working。　That　man；〃　and　she　pointed　to　a　Nubian；　〃he

went　mad；　and　raved　of　his　native　deserts　and　his　mother。　He　thought

himself　a　child　again；　poor　fool！　and　bade　her　hold　him　close　to　her

breast　and　save　him　from　the　darkness　which　drew　near。　And　that　Greek；

he　shrieked；　and；　shrieking；　died。　And　this；　he　wept　and　prayed　for

pity；　and　in　the　end；　like　a　coward；　breathed　his　last。　Now；　note　the

Egyptian　yonder；　he　who　still　lives　and　groans；　first　he　took　the

draughtthe　deadliest　draught　of　all；　they　sworeand　yet　the　slave

so　dearly　loves　his　life　he　will　not　leave　it！　See；　he　yet　strives　to

throw　the　poison　from　him；　twice　have　I　given　him　the　cup　and　yet　he

is　athirst。　What　a　drunkard　we　have　here！　Man；　man；　knowest　thou　not

that　in　death　only　can　peace　be　found？　Struggle　no　more；　but　enter

into　rest。〃　And　even　as　she　spoke；　the　man；　with　a　great　cry；　gave　up

the　spirit。



〃There！〃　she　cried；　〃at　length　the　farce　is　playedaway　with　those

slaves　whom　I　have　forced　through　the　difficult　gates　of　Joy！〃　and　she

clapped　her　hands。　But　when　they　had　borne　the　bodies　thence　she　drew

me　to　her；　and　spoke　thus：



〃Olympus；　for　all　thy　prophecies；　the　end　is　at　hand。　C？sar　must

conquer；　and　I　and　my　Lord　Antony　be　lost。　Now；　therefore；　the　play

being　wellnigh　done；　I　must　make　ready　to　leave　this　stage　of　earth　in

such　fashion　as　becomes　a　Queen。　For　this　cause；　then；　I　do　make　trial

of　these　poisons；　seeing　that　in　my　person　I　must　soon　endure　those

agonies　of　death　that　to…day　I　give　to　others。　These　drugs　please　me

not；　some　wrench　out　the　soul　with　cruel　pains；　and　some　too　slowly

work　their　end。　But　thou　art　skilled　in　the　medicines　of　death。　Now；

do　thou　prepare　me　such　a　draught　as　shall；　pangless；　steal　my　life

away。〃



And　as　I　listened　the　sense　of　triumph　filled　my　bitter　heart；　for　I

knew　now　that　by　my　own　hand　should　this　ruined　woman　die　and　the

justice　of　the　Gods　be　done。



〃Spoken　like　a　Queen；　O　Cleopatra！〃　I　said。　〃Death　shall　cure　thy

ills；　and　I　will　brew　such　a　wine　as　shall　draw　him　down　a　sudden

friend　and　sink　thee　in　a　sea　of　slumber　whence；　upon　this　earth；　thou

shalt　never　wake　again。　Oh！　fear　not　Death：　Death　is　thy　hope；　and；

surely；　thou　shalt　pass　sinless　and　pure　of　heart　into　the　dreadful

presence　of　the　Gods！〃



She　trembled。　〃And　if　the　heart　be　not　altogether　pure；　tell　methou

dark　manwhat　then？　Nay；　I　fear　not　the　Gods！　for　if　the　Gods　of　Hell

be　men；　there　I　shall　Queen　it　also。　At　the　least；　having　once　been

royal；　royal　I　shall　ever　be。〃



And；　as　she　spoke；　suddenly　from　the　palace　gates　came　a　great

clamour；　and　the　noise　of　joyful　shouting。



〃Why；　what　is　this？〃　she　said；　springing　from　her　couch。



〃Antony！　Antony！〃　rose　the　cry；　〃Antony　hath　conquered！〃



She　turned　swiftly　and　ran；　her　long　hair　streaming　on　the　wind。　I

followed　her；　more　slowly；　down　the　great　hall；　across　the　courtyards；

to　the　palace　gates。　And　here　she　met　Antony；　riding　through　them；

radiant　with　smiles　and　clad　in　his　Roman　armour。　When　he　saw　her　he

leapt　to　the　ground；　and；　all　armed　as　he　was；　clasped　her　to　his

breast。



〃What　is　it？〃　she　cried；　〃is　C？sar　fallen？〃



〃Nay；　not　altogether　fallen；　Egypt：　but　we　have　beat　his　horsemen　back

to　their　trenches；　and；　like　the　beginning；　so　shall　be　the　end；　for；

as　they　say　here；　'Where　the　head　goes；　the　tail　will　follow。'

Moreover；　C？sar　has　my　challenge；　and　if　he　will　but　meet　me　hand　to

hand；　the　world　shall　soon　see　which　is　the　better　man；　Antony　or

Octavian。〃　And　even　as　he　spoke　and　the　people　cheered　there　came　the

cry　of　〃A　messenger　from　C？sar！〃



The　herald　entered；　and；　bowing　low；　gave　a　writing　to　Antony；　bowed

again；　and　went。　Cleopatra　snatched　it　from　his　hand；　broke　the　silk

and　read　aloud：



　〃C？sar　to　Antony；　greeting。



　〃This　answer　to　thy　challenge：　Can　Antony　find　no　better　way　of

　　death　than　beneath　the　sword　of　C？sar？　Farewell！〃



And　thereafter　they　cheered　no　more。







The　darkness　came；　and　before　it　was　midnight；　having　feasted　with　his

friends　who　to…night　went　over　his　woes　and　to…morrow　should　betray

him；　Antony　went　forth　to　the　gathering　of　the　captains　of　the　land…

forces　and　of　the　fleet；　attended　by　many；　among　whom　was　I。



When　all　were　come　together；　he　spoke　to　them；　standing　bareheaded　in

their　midst；　beneath　the　radiance　of　the　moon。　And　thus　he　most　nobly

spoke：



〃Friends　and　companions　in　arms！　who　yet　cling　to　me；　and　whom　many　a

time　I　have　led　to　victory；　hearken　to　me　now；　who　to…morrow　may　lie

in　the　dumb　dust；　disempired　and　dishonoured。　This　is　our　design：　no

longer　will　we　hang　on　poised　wings　above　the　flood　of　war；　but　will

straightway　plunge；　perchance　thence　to　snatch　the　victor's　diadem；

or；　failing；　there　to　drown。　Be　now　but　true　to　me；　and　to　your

honour's　sake；　and　you　may　still　sit；　the　most　proud　of　men；　at　my

right　hand　in　the　Capitol　of　Rome。　Fail　me　now；　and　the　cause　of

Antony　is　lost　and　so　are　ye。　To…morrow's　battle　must　be　hazardous

indeed；　but　we　have　stood　many　a　time　and　faced　a　fiercer　peril；　and

ere　the　sun　had　sunk；　once　more　have　driven　armies　like　desert　sands

before　our　gale　of　valour　and　counted　the　spoil　of　hostile　kings。　What

have　we　to　fear？　Though　allies　be　fled；　still　is　our　array　as　strong

as　C？sar's！　And　show　we　but　as　high　a　heart；　why；　I　swear　to　you；　upon

my　princely　word；　to…morrow　night　I　shall　deck　yonder　Canopic　gate

with　the　heads　of　Octavian　and　his　captains！



〃Ay；　cheer；　and　cheer　again！　I　love　that　martial　music　which　swells；

not　as　from　the　indifferent　lips　of　clarions；　now　'neath　the　breath　of

Antony　and　now　of　C？sar；　but　rather　out　of　the　single　hearts　of　men

who　love　me。　Yetand　now　I　will　speak　low；　as　we　do　speak　o'er　the

bier　of　some　beloved　deadyet；　if　Fortune　should　rise　against　me　and

if；　borne　down　by　the　weight　of　arms；　Antony；　the　soldier；　dies　a

soldier's　death；　leaving　you　to　mourn　him　who　ever　was　your　friend；

this　is　my　will；　that；　after　our　rough　fashion　of　the　camp；　I　here

declare　to　you。　You　know　where　all　my　treasure　lies。　Take　it；　most

dear　friends；　and；　in　the　memory　of　Antony；　make　just　division。　Then

go　to　C？sar　and　speak　thus：　'Antony；　the　dead；　to　C？sar；　the　living；

sends　greeting；　and；　in　the　name　of　ancient　fellowship　and　of　many　a

peril　dared；　craves　this　boon：　the　safety　of　those　who　clung　to　him

and　that　which　he　hath　given　them。'



〃Nay；　let　not　my　tearsfor　I　must　weepoverflow　your　eyes！　Why；　it

is　not　manly；　'tis　most　womanish！　All　men　must　die；　and　death　were

welcome　were　it　not　so　lone。　Should　I　fall；　I　leave　my　children