antony-第17节

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eat　or　medicine　they　pleased。　　　Some　few　days　after；　Caesar　himself　came　to　make　her　a　visit　and　comfort　her。　She　lay　then　upon　her　pallet…bed　in　undress；　and；　on　his　entering；　sprang　up　from　off　her　bed；　having　nothing　on　but　the　one　garment　next　her　body；　and　flung　herself　at　his　feet；　her　hair　and　face　looking　wild　and　disfigured；　her　voice　quivering；　and　her　eyes　sunk　in　her　head。　The　marks　of　the　blows　she　had　given　herself　were　visible　about　her　bosom；　and　altogether　her　whole　person　seemed　no　less　afflicted　than　her　soul。　But；　for　all　this；　her　old　charm；　and　the　boldness　of　her　youthful　beauty；　had　not　wholly　left　her；　and；　in　spite　of　her　present　condition；　still　sparkled　from　within；　and　let　itself　appear　in　all　the　movements　of　her　countenance。　Caesar；　desiring　her　to　repose　herself；　sat　down　by　her；　and；　on　this　opportunity；　she　said　something　to　justify　her　actions；　attributing　what　she　had　done　to　the　necessity　she　was　under；　and　to　her　fear　of　Antony；　and　when　Caesar；　on　each　point；　made　his　objections；　and　she　found　herself　confuted；　she　broke　off　at　once　into　language　of　entreaty　and　deprecation；　as　if　she　desired　nothing　more　than　to　prolong　her　life。　And　at　last；　having　by　her　a　list　of　her　treasure；　she　gave　it　into　his　hands；　and　when　Seleucus；　one　of　her　stewards；　who　was　by；　pointed　out　that　various　articles　were　omitted；　and　charged　her　with　secreting　them；　she　flew　up　and　caught　him　by　the　hair；　and　struck　him　several　blows　on　the　face。　Caesar　smiling　and　withholding　her；　〃Is　it　not　very　hard；　Caesar；〃　said　she；　〃when　you　do　me　the　honour　to　visit　me　in　this　condition　I　am　in；　that　I　should　be　accused　by　one　of　my　own　servants　of　laying　by　some　women's　toys；　not　meant　to　adorn；　be　sure；　my　unhappy　self；　but　that　I　might　have　some　little　present　by　me　to　make　your　Octavia　and　your　Livia；　that　by　their　intercession　I　might　hope　to　find　you　in　some　measure　disposed　to　mercy？〃　Caesar　was　pleased　to　hear　her　talk　thus；　being　now　assured　that　she　was　desirous　to　live。　And；　therefore；　letting　her　know　that　the　things　she　had　laid　by　she　might　dispose　of　as　she　pleased；　and　his　usage　of　her　should　be　honourable　above　her　expectation；　he　went　away；　well　satisfied　that　he　had　overreached　her；　but；　in　fact；　was　himself　deceived。　　　There　was　a　young　man　of　distinction　among　Caesar's　companions　named　Cornelius　Dolabella。　He　was　not　without　a　certain　tenderness　for　Cleopatra　and　sent　her　word　privately；　as　she　had　besought　him　to　do；　that　Caesar　was　about　to　return　through　Syria；　and　that　she　and　her　children　were　to　be　sent　on　within　three　days。　When　she　understood　this；　she　made　her　request　to　Caesar　that　he　would　be　pleased　to　permit　her　to　make　oblations　to　the　departed　Antony；　which　being　granted；　she　ordered　herself　to　be　carried　to　the　place　where　he　was　buried；　and　there；　accompanied　by　her　women；　she　embraced　his　tomb　with　tears　in　her　eyes；　and　spoke　in　this　manner：　〃O；　dearest　Antony；〃　said　she；　〃it　is　not　long　since　that　with　these　hands　I　buried　you；　then　they　were　free；　now　I　am　a　captive；　and　pay　these　last　duties　to　you　with　a　guard　upon　me；　for　fear　that　my　just　griefs　and　sorrows　should　impair　my　servile　body；　and　make　it　less　fit　to　appear　in　their　triumph　over　you。　No　further　offerings　or　libations　expect　from　me；　these　are　the　last　honours　that　Cleopatra　can　pay　your　memory；　for　she　is　to　be　hurried　away　far　from　you。　Nothing　could　part　us　whilst　we　lived；　but　death　seems　to　threaten　to　divide　us。　You；　a　Roman　born；　have　found　a　grave　in　Egypt；　I；　an　Egyptian；　am　to　seek　that　favour；　and　none　but　that；　in　your　country。　But　if　the　gods　below；　with　whom　you　now　are；　either　can　or　will　do　anything　（since　those　above　have　betrayed　us）；　suffer　not　your　living　wife　to　be　abandoned；　let　me　not　be　led　in　triumph　to　your　shame；　but　hide　me　and　bury　me　here　with　you　since；　amongst　all　my　bitter　misfortunes；　nothing　has　afflicted　me　like　this　brief　time　that　I　have　lived　away　from　you。〃　　　Having　made　these　lamentations；　crowning　the　tomb　with　garlands　and　kissing　it；　she　gave　orders　to　prepare　her　a　bath；　and；　coming　out　of　the　bath；　she　lay　down　and　made　a　sumptuous　meal。　And　a　country　fellow　brought　her　a　little　basket；　which　the　guards　intercepting　and　asking　what　it　was　the　fellow　put　the　leaves　which　lay　uppermost　aside；　and　showed　them　it　was　full　of　figs；　and　on　their　admiring　the　largeness　and　beauty　of　the　figs；　he　laughed；　and　invited　them　to　take　some；　which　they　refused；　and；　suspecting　nothing；　bade　him　carry　them　in。　After　her　repast；　Cleopatra　sent　to　Caesar　a　letter　which　she　had　written　and　sealed；　and；　putting　everybody　out　of　the　monument　but　her　two　women；　she　shut　the　doors。　Caesar；　opening　her　letter；　and　finding　pathetic　prayers　and　entreaties　that　she　might　be　buried　in　the　same　tomb　with　Antony；　soon　guessed　what　was　doing。　At　first　he　was　going　himself　in　all　haste；　but；　changing　his　mind；　he　sent　others　to　see。　The　thing　had　been　quickly　done。　The　messengers　came　at　full　speed；　and　found　the　guards　apprehensive　of　nothing；　but　on　opening　the　doors　they　saw　her　stone…dead；　lying　upon　a　bed　of　gold；　set　out　in　all　her　royal　ornaments。　Iras；　one　of　her　women；　lay　dying　at　her　feet；　and　Charmion；　just　ready　to　fall；　scarce　able　to　hold　up　her　head；　was　adjusting　her　mistress's　diadem。　And　when　one　that　came　in　said　angrily；　〃Was　this　well　done　of　your　lady；　Charmion？〃　〃Extremely　well；〃　she　answered；　〃and　as　became　the　descendant　of　so　many　kings；〃　and　as　she　said　this；　she　fell　down　dead　by　the　bedside。　　　Some　relate　that　an　asp　was　brought　in　amongst　those　figs　and　covered　with　the　leaves；　and　that　Cleopatra　had　arranged　that　it　might　settle　on　her　before　she　knew；　but；　when　she　took　away　some　of　the　figs　and　saw　it；　she　said；　〃So　here　it　is；〃　and　held　out　her　bare　arm　to　be　bitten。　Others　say　that　it　was　kept　in　a　vase；　and　that　she　vexed　and　pricked　it　with　a　golden　spindle　till　it　seized　her　arm。　But　what　really　took　place　is　known　to　no　one；　since　it　was　also　said　that　she　carried　poison　in　a　hollow　bodkin；　about　which　she　wound　her　hair；　yet　there　was　not　so　much　as　a　spot　found；　or　any　symptom　of　poison　upon　her　body；　nor　was　the　asp　seen　within　the　monument；　only　something　like　the　trail　of　it　was　said　to　have　been　noticed　on　the　sand　by　the　sea；　on　the　part　towards　which　the　building　faced　and　where　the　windows　were。　Some　relate　that　two　faint　puncture…marks　were　found　on　Cleopatra's　arm；　and　to　this　account　Caesar　seems　to　have　given　credit；　for　in　his　triumph　there　was　carried　a　figure　of　Cleopatra；　with　an　asp　clinging　to　her。　Such　are　the　various　accounts。　But　Caesar；　though　much　disappointed　by　her　death；　yet　could　not　but　admire　the　greatness　of　her　spirit；　and　gave　order　that　her　body　should　be　buried　by　Antony　with　royal　splendour　and　magnificence。　Her　women；　also；　received　honourable　burial　by　his　directions。　Cleopatra　had　lived　nine…and…thirty　years；　during　twenty…two　of　been　she　had　reigned　as　queen；　and　for　fourteen　had　been　Antony's　partner　in　his　empire。　Antony；　according　to　some　authorities；　was　fifty…three；　according　to　others；　fifty…six　years　old。　His　statues　were　all　thrown　down；　but　those　of　Cleopatra　were　left　untouched；　for　Archibius；　one　of　her　friends；　gave　Caesar　two　thousand　talents　to　save　them　from　the　fate　of　Antony's。　　　Antony　left　by　his　three　wives　seven　children；　of　whom　only　Antyllus；　the　eldest；　was　put　to　death　by　Caesar；　Octavia　took　the　rest；　and　brought　them　up　with　her　own。　Cleopatra；　his　daughter　by　Cleopatra；　was　given　in　marriage　to　Juba；　the　most　accomplished　of　kings；　and　Antony；　his　son　by　Fulvia；　attained　such　high　favour　that；　whereas　Agrippa　was　considered　to　hold　the　first　place　with　Caesar；　and　the　sons　of　Livia　the　second；　the　third；　without　dispute；　was　possessed　by　Antony。　Octavia；　also；　having　had　by　her　first　husband；　Marcellus；　two　daughters；　and　one　son　named　Marcellus；　this　son　Caesar　adopted；　and　gave　him　his　daughter　in　marriage；　as　did　Octavia　one　of　the　daughters　to　Agrippa。　But　Marcellus　dying　almost　immediately　after　his　marriage；　she；　perceiving　that　her　brother　was　at　a　loss　to　find　elsewhere　any　sure　friend　to　be　his　son…in…law；　was　the　first　to　recommend　that　Agrippa　should　put　away　her　daughter　and　marry　Julia。　To　this　Caesar　first；　and　then　Agrippa　himself；　gave　assent；　so　Agrippa　married　Julia；　and　Octavia；　receiving　her　daughter；　married　her　to　the　young　Antony。　Of　the　two　daughters　whom　Octavia　had　borne　to　Antony；　the　one　was　married　to　Domitius　Ahenobarbus；　and　the　other；　Antonia；　famous　for　her　beauty　and　discretion；　was　married　to　Drusus；　the　son　of　Livia；　and　stepson　to　Caesar。　Of　these　parents　were　born　Germanicus　and　Claudius。　Claudius　reigned　later；　and　of　the　children　of　Germanicus；　Caius；　after　a　reign　of　distinction；　was　killed　with　his　wife　and　child；　Agrippina；　after　bearing　a　son　Lucius　Domitius；　to　Ahenobarbus；　was　married　to　Claudius　Caesar；　who　adopted　Domitius；　giving　him　the　name　of　Nero　Germanicus。　He　was　emperor　in　our　time；　and　put　his　mother　to　death；　and　with　his　madness　and　folly　came　not　far　from　ruining　the　Roman　empire；　being　Antony's　descendant　in　the　fifth　generation。


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