antony-第4节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　to　secure　the　troops　that　still　remained　undischarged。　Cicero　was　at　this　time　the　man　of　greatest　influence　in　Rome。　He　made　use　of　all　his　art　to　exasperate　the　people　against　Antony；　and　at　length　persuaded　the　senate　to　declare　him　a　public　enemy；　to　send　Caesar　the　rods　and　axes　and　other　marks　of　honour　usually　given　to　proctors；　and　to　issue　orders　to　Hirtius　and　Pansa；　who　were　the　consuls；　to　drive　Antony　out　of　Italy。　The　armies　engaged　near　Modena；　and　Caesar　himself　was　present　and　took　part　in　the　battle。　Antony　was　defeated；　but　both　the　consuls　were　slain。　Antony；　in　his　flight；　was　overtaken　by　distresses　of　every　kind；　and　the　worst　of　all　of　them　was　famine。　But　it　was　his　character　in　calamities　to　be　better　than　at　any　other　time。　Antony；　in　misfortune；　was　most　nearly　a　virtuous　man。　It　is　common　enough　for　people；　when　they　fall　into　great　disasters；　to　discern　what　is　right；　and　what　they　ought　to　do；　but　there　are　but　few　who　in　such　extremities　have　the　strength　to　obey　their　judgment；　either　in　doing　what　it　approves　or　avoiding　what　it　condemns；　and　a　good　many　are　so　weak　as　to　give　way　to　their　habits　all　the　more；　and　are　incapable　of　using　their　using　minds。　Antony；　on　this　occasion；　was　a　most　wonderful　example　to　his　soldiers。　He；　who　had　just　quitted　so　much　luxury　and　sumptuous　living；　made　no　difficulty　now　of　drinking　foul　water　and　feeding　on　wild　fruits　and　roots。　Nay；　it　is　related　they　ate　the　very　bark　of　trees；　and；　in　passing　over　the　Alps；　lived　upon　creatures　that　no　one　before　had　ever　been　willing　to　touch。　　　The　design　was　to　join　the　army　on　the　other　side　the　Alps；　commanded　by　Lepidus；　who　he　imagined　would　stand　his　friend；　he　having　done　him　many　good　offices　with　Caesar。　On　coming　up　and　encamping　near　at　hand；　finding　he　had　no　sort　of　encouragement　offered　him；　he　resolved　to　push　his　fortune　and　venture　all。　His　hair　was　long　and　disordered；　nor　had　he　shaved　his　beard　since　his　defeat；　in　this　guise；　and　with　a　dark　coloured　cloak　flung　over　him；　he　came　into　the　trenches　of　Lepidus；　and　began　to　address　the　army。　Some　were　moved　at　his　habit；　others　at　his　words；　so　that　Lepidus；　not　liking　it；　ordered　the　trumpets　to　sound；　that　he　might　be　heard　no　longer。　This　raised　in　the　soldiers　yet　a　greater　pity；　so　that　they　resolved　to　confer　secretly　with　him；　and　dressed　Laelius　and　Clodius　in　women's　clothes；　and　sent　them　to　see　him。　They　advised　him　without　delay　to　attack　Lepidus's　trenches；　assuring　him　that　a　strong　party　would　receive　him；　and；　if　he　wished　it；　would　kill　Lepidus。　Antony；　however；　had　no　wish　for　this；　but　next　morning　marched　his　army　to　pass　over　the　river　that　parted　the　two　camps。　He　was　himself　the　first　man　that　stepped　in；　and；　as　he　went　through　towards　the　other　bank；　he　saw　Lepidus's　soldiers　in　great　numbers　reaching　out　their　hands　to　help　him；　and　beating　down　the　works　to　make　him　way。　Being　entered　into　the　camp；　and　finding　himself　absolute　master；　he　nevertheless　treated　Lepidus　with　the　greatest　civility；　and　gave　him　the　title　of　Father；　when　he　spoke　to　him；　and　though　he　had　everything　at　his　own　command；　he　left　him　the　honour　of　being　called　the　general。　This　fair　usage　brought　over　to　him　Munatius　Plancus；　who　was　not　far　off　with　a　considerable　force。　Thus　in　great　strength　he　repassed　the　Alps；　leading　with　him　into　Italy　seventeen　legions　and　ten　thousand　horse；　besides　six　legions　which　he　left　in　garrison　under　the　command　of　Varius；　one　of　his　familiar　friends　and　boon　companions；　whom　they　used　to　call　by　the　nickname　of　Cotylon。　　　Caesar；　perceiving　that　Cicero's　wishes　were　for　liberty；　had　ceased　to　pay　any　further　regard　to　him；　and　was　now　employing　the　mediation　of　his　friends　to　come　to　a　good　understanding　with　Antony。　They　both　met　together　with　Lepidus　in　a　small　island；　where　the　conference　lasted　three　days。　The　empire　was　soon　determined　of；　it　being　divided　amongst　them　as　if　it　had　been　their　paternal　inheritance。　That　which　gave　them　all　the　trouble　was　to　agree　who　should　be　put　to　death；　each　of　them　desiring　to　destroy　his　enemies　and　to　save　his　friends。　But；　in　the　end；　animosity　to　those　they　hated　carried　the　day　against　respect　for　relations　and　affection　for　friends；　and　Caesar　sacrificed　Cicero　to　Antony；　Antony　gave　up　his　uncle　Lucius　Caesar；　and　Lepidus　received　permission　to　murder　his　brother　Paulus；　or；　as　others　say；　yielded　his　brother　to　them。　I　do　not　believe　anything　ever　took　place　more　truly　savage　or　barbarous　than　this　composition；　for；　in　this　exchange　of　blood　for　blood；　they　were　guilty　of　the　lives　they　surrendered　and　of　those　they　took；　or；　indeed；　more　guilty　in　the　case　of　their　friends　for　whose　deaths　they　had　not　even　the　justification　of　hatred。　To　complete　the　reconciliation；　the　soldiery；　coming　about　them；　demanded　that　confirmation　should　be　given　to　it　by　some　alliance　of　marriage；　Caesar　should　marry　Clodia；　the　daughter　of　Fulvia；　wife　to　Antony。　This　also　being　agreed　to；　three　hundred　persons　were　put　to　death　by　proscription。　Antony　gave　orders　to　those　that　were　to　kill　Cicero　to　cut　off　his　head　and　right　hand；　with　which　he　had　written　his　invectives　against　him；　and；　when　they　were　brought　before　him；　he　regarded　them　joyfully；　actually　bursting　out　more　than　once　into　laughter；　and；　when　he　had　satiated　himself　with　the　sight　of　them；　ordered　them　to　be　hung　up　above　the　speaker's　place　in　the　forum；　thinking　thus　to　insult　the　dead；　while　in　fact　he　only　exposed　his　own　wanton　arrogance；　and　his　unworthiness　to　hold　the　power　that　fortune　had　given　him。　His　uncle；　Lucius　Caesar；　being　closely　pursued；　took　refuge　with　his　sister；　who；　when　the　murderers　had　broken　into　her　house　and　were　pressing　into　her　chamber；　met　them　at　the　door；　and　spreading　out　hands；　cried　out　several　times。　〃You　shall　not　kill　Lucius　Caesar　till　you　first　despatch　me　who　gave　your　general　his　birth；〃　and　in　this　manner　she　succeeded　in　getting　her　brother　out　of　the　way；　and　saving　his　life。　　　This　triumvirate　was　very　hateful　to　the　Romans；　and　Antony　most　of　all　bore　the　blame；　because　he　was　older　than　Caesar；　and　had　greater　authority　than　Lepidus；　and　withal　he　was　no　sooner　settled　in　his　affairs；　but　he　turned　to　his　luxurious　and　dissolute　way　of　living。　Besides　the　ill　reputation　he　gained　by　his　general　behaviour；　it　was　some　considerable　disadvantage　to　him　his　living　in　the　house　of　Pompey　the　Great；　who　had　been　as　much　admired　for　his　temperance　and　his　sober；　citizen…like　habits　of　life；　as　ever　he　was　for　having　triumphed　three　times。　They　could　not　without　anger　see　the　doors　of　that　house　shut　against　magistrates；　officers；　and　envoys；　who　were　shamefully　refused　admittance；　while　it　was　filled　inside　with　players；　jugglers；　and　drunken　flatterers；　upon　whom　were　spent　the　greatest　part　of　the　wealth　which　violence　and　cruelty　procured。　For　they　did　not　limit　themselves　to　the　forfeiture　of　the　estates　of　such　as　were　proscribed；　defrauding　the　widows　and　families；　nor　were　they　contented　with　laying　on　every　possible　kind　of　tax　and　imposition；　but　hearing　that　several　sums　of　money　were；　as　well　by　strangers　as　citizens　of　Rome；　deposited　in　the　hands　of　the　vestal　virgins；　they　went　and　took　the　money　away　by　force。　When　it　was　manifest　that　nothing　would　ever　be　enough　for　Antony；　Caesar　at　last　called　for　a　division　of　property。　The　army　was　also　divided　between　them；　upon　their　march　into　Macedonia　to　make　war　with　Brutus　and　Cassius；　Lepidus　being　left　with　the　command　of　the　city。　　　However；　after　they　had　crossed　the　sea　and　engaged　in　operations　of　war；　encamping　in　front　of　the　enemy；　Antony　opposite　Cassius；　and　Caesar　opposite　Brutus；　Caesar　did　nothing　worth　relating；　and　all　the　success　and　victory　were　Antony's。　In　the　first　battle；　Caesar　was　completely　routed　by　Brutus；　his　camp　taken；　he　himself　very　narrowly　escaping　by　flight。　As　he　himself　writes　in　his　Memoirs；　he　retired　before　the　battle；　on　account　of　a　dream　which　one　of　his　friends　had。　But　Antony；　on　the　other　hand；　defeated　Cassius；　though　some　have　written　that　he　was　not　actually　present　in　the　engagement；　and　only　joined　afterwards　in　the　pursuit。　Cassius　was　killed；　at　his　own　entreaty　and　order；　by　one　of　his　most　trusted　freedmen；　Pindarus；　not　being　aware　of　Brutus's　victory。　After　a　few　days'　interval；　they　fought　another　battle；　in　which　Brutus　lost　the　day；　and　slew　himself；　and　Caesar　being　sick；　Antony　had　almost　all　the　honour　of　the　victory。　Standing　over　Brutus's　dead　body；　he　uttered　a　few　words　of　reproach　upon　him　for　the　death　of　his　brother　Caius；　who　had　been　executed　by　Brutus's　order　in　Macedonia　in　revenge　of　Cicero；　but；　saying　presently　that　Hortensius　was　most　to　blame　for　it；　he　gave　order　for　his　being　slain　upon　his　brother's　tomb；　and；　throwing　his　own　scarlet　mantle；　which　was　of　great　value；　upon　the　body　of　Brutus；　he　gave　charge　to　one　of　his　own　freedmen　to　take　care　of　his　funeral。　This　man；　as　Antony　came　to　understand；　did　not　leave　the　mantle　with　the　corpse；　but　kept　both　it　and　a　good　part　of　the　money　that　should　have　been　spent　in　the　funeral　for　himself；　for　which　he　had　him　put　to　death。　　　But　Caesar　was　conveyed　to　Rome；　no　one　expecting　th