cleopatra-第51节

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Mother；　I　might　speak　no　more。　And　I　grew　exceedingly　wise　also；

pondering　on　all　those　mysteries　to　which　I　held　the　key。　For

abstinence　and　prayer　and　sorrowful　solitude　wore　away　the　grossness

of　my　flesh；　and　with　the　eyes　of　the　Spirit　I　learned　to　look　deep

into　the　heart　of　things　till　the　joy　of　Wisdom　fell　like　dew　upon　my

soul。



Soon　the　rumour　was　wafted　about　the　city　that　a　certain　holy　man

named　Olympus　abode　in　solitude　in　the　tombs　of　the　awful　Valley　of

the　Dead；　and　hither　came　people　bearing　sick　that　I　might　cure　them。

And　I　gave　my　mind　to　the　study　of　simples；　in　which　Atoua　instructed

me；　and　by　lore　and　the　weight　of　my　thought　I　gained　great　skill　in

medicine；　and　healed　many　sick。　And　thus　ever；　as　time　went　on；　my

fame　was　noised　abroad；　for　it　was　said　that　I　was　also　a　magician　and

that　in　the　tombs　I　had　commune　with　the　Spirits　of　the　Dead。　And

this；　indeed；　I　didthough　it　is　not　lawful　for　me　to　speak　of　these

matters。　Thus；　then；　it　came　to　pass　that　no　more　need　Atoua　go　forth

to　seek　food　and　water；　for　the　people　brought　itmore　than　was

needful；　for　I　would　receive　no　fee。　Now　at　first；　fearing　lest　some

in　the　hermit　Olympus　might　know　the　lost　Harmachis；　I　would　only　meet

those　who　came　in　the　darkness　of　the　tomb。　But　afterwards；　when　I

learned　how　it　was　held　through　all　the　land　that　Harmachis　was

certainly　no　more；　I　came　forth　and　sat　in　the　mouth　of　the　tomb；　and

ministered　to　the　sick；　and　at　times　calculated　nativities　for　the

great。　And　thus　my　fame　grew　continually；　till　at　length　folk

journeyed　even　from　Memphis　and　Alexandria　to　visit　me；　and　from　them

I　learned　how　Antony　had　left　Cleopatra　for　a　while；　and；　Fulvia　being

dead；　had　married　Octavia；　the　sister　of　C？sar。　Many　other　things　I

learned　also。



And　in　the　second　year　I　did　this：　I　despatched　the　old　wife；　Atoua；

disguised　as　a　seller　of　simples；　to　Alexandria；　bidding　her　seek　out

Charmion；　and；　if　yet　she　found　her　faithful；　reveal　to　her　the　secret

of　my　way　of　life。　So　she　went；　and　in　the　fifth　month　from　her

sailing　returned；　bearing　Charmion's　greetings　and　a　token。　And　she

told　me　that　she　had　found　means　to　see　Charmion；　and；　in　talk；　had

let　fall　the　name　of　Harmachis；　speaking　of　me　as　one　dead；　at　which

Charmion；　unable　to　control　her　grief；　wept　aloud。　Then；　reading　her

heartfor　the　old　wife　was　very　clever；　and　held　the　key　of　knowledge

she　told　her　that　Harmachis　yet　lived；　and　sent　her　greetings。

Thereon　Charmion　wept　yet　more　with　joy；　and　kissed　the　old　wife；　and

made　her　gifts；　bidding　her　tell　me　that　she　had　kept　her　vow；　and

waited　for　my　coming　and　the　hour　of　vengeance。　So；　having　learned

many　secrets；　Atoua　returned　again　to　Tápé。



And　in　the　following　year　messengers　came　to　me　from　Cleopatra；

bearing　a　sealed　roll　and　great　gifts。　I　opened　the　roll；　and　read

this　in　it：



　〃Cleopatra　to　Olympus；　the　learned　Egyptian　who　dwells　in　the

　　Valley　of　Death　by　Tápé



　〃The　fame　of　thy　renown；　O　learned　Olympus；　hath　reached　our　ears。

　　Tell　thou；　then；　this　to　us；　and　if　thou　tellest　aright　greater

　　honour　and　wealth　shalt　thou　have　than　any　in　Egypt：　How　shall　we

　　win　back　the　love　of　noble　Antony；　who　is　bewitched　of　cunning

　　Octavia；　and　tarries　long　from　us？〃



Now；　in　this　I　saw　the　hand　of　Charmion；　who　had　made　my　renown　known

to　Cleopatra。



All　that　night　I　took　counsel　with　my　wisdom；　and　on　the　morrow　wrote

my　answer　as　it　was　put　into　my　heart　to　the　destruction　of　Cleopatra

and　Antony。　And　thus　I　wrote：



　〃Olympus　the　Egyptian　to　Cleopatra　the　Queen



　〃Go　forth　into　Syria　with　one　who　shall　be　sent　to　lead　thee；　thus

　　shalt　thou　win　Antony　to　thy　arms　again；　and　with　him　gifts　more

　　great　than　thou　canst　dream。〃



And　with　this　letter　I　dismissed　the　messengers；　bidding　them　share

the　presents　sent　by　Cleopatra　among　their　company。



So　they　went　wondering。



But　Cleopatra；　seizing　on　the　advice　to　which　her　passion　prompted

her；　departed　straightway　with　Fonteius　Capito　into　Syria；　and　there

the　thing　came　about　as　I　had　foretold；　for　Antony　was　subdued　of　her

and　gave　her　the　greater　part　of　Cilicia；　the　ocean　shore　of　Arabia

Nabath？a；　the　balm…bearing　provinces　of　Jud？a；　the　province　of

Ph？nicia；　the　province　of　C？le…Syria；　the　rich　isle　of　Cyprus；　and　all

the　library　of　Pergamus。　And　to　the　twin　children　that；　with　the　son

Ptolemy；　Cleopatra　had　borne　to　Antony；　he　impiously　gave　the　names　of

〃Kings；　the　Children　of　Kings〃of　Alexander　Helios；　as　the　Greeks

name　the　sun；　and　of　Cleopatra　Selene；　the　moon；　the　long…winged。



These　things　then　came　to　pass。



Now　on　her　return　to　Alexandria　Cleopatra　sent　me　great　gifts；　of

which　I　would　have　none；　and　prayed　me；　the　learned　Olympus；　to　come

to　her　at　Alexandria；　but　it　was　not　yet　time；　and　I　would　not。　But

thereafter　she　and　Antony　sent　many　times　to　me　for　counsel；　and　I

ever　counselled　them　to　their　ruin；　nor　did　my　prophecies　fail。







Thus　the　long　years　rolled　away；　and　I；　the　hermit　Olympus；　the

dweller　in　a　tomb；　the　eater　of　bread　and　the　drinker　of　water；　by

strength　of　the　wisdom　that　was　given　me　of　the　avenging　Power；　became

once　more　great　in　Khem。　For　I　grew　ever　wiser　as　I　trampled　the

desires　of　the　flesh　beneath　my　feet　and　turned　my　eyes　to　heaven。



At　length　eight　full　years　were　accomplished。　The　war　with　the

Parthians　had　come　and　gone；　and　Artavasdes；　King　of　Armenia；　had　been

led　in　triumph　through　the　streets　of　Alexandria。　Cleopatra　had

visited　Samos　and　Athens；　and；　by　her　counselling；　the　noble　Octavia

had　been　driven；　like　some　discarded　concubine；　from　the　house　of

Antony　at　Rome。　And　now；　at　the　last；　the　measure　of　the　folly　of

Antony　was　full　even　to　the　brim。　For　this　Master　of　the　World　had　no

longer　the　good　gift　of　reason；　he　was　lost　in　Cleopatra　as　I　had　been

lost。　Therefore；　in　the　event；　Octavianus　declared　war　against　him。



And　as　I　slept　upon　a　certain　day　in　the　chamber　of　the　Harpers；　in

the　tomb　of　Pharaoh　that　is　by　Tápé；　there　came　to　me　a　vision　of　my

father；　the　aged　Amenemhat；　and　he　stood　over　me；　leaning　on　his

staff；　and　spoke；　saying：



〃Look　forth；　my　son。〃



Then　I　looked　forth；　and　with　the　eyes　of　my　spirit　saw　the　sea；　and

two　great　fleets　grappling　in　war　hard　by　a　rocky　coast。　And　the

emblems　were　those　of　Octavian；　and　of　the　other　those　of　Cleopatra

and　Antony。　The　ships　of　Antony　and　Cleopatra　bore　down　upon　the　ships

of　C？sar；　and　drove　them　on；　for　victory　inclined　to　Antony。



I　looked　again。　There　sat　Cleopatra　in　a　gold…decked　galley　watching

the　fight　with　eager　eyes。　Then　I　cast　my　Spirit　on　her　so　that　she

seemed　to　hear　the　voice　of　dead　Harmachis　crying　in　her　ear。



〃/Fly；　Cleopatra；/〃　it　seemed　to　say；　〃/fly　or　perish！/〃



She　looked　up　wildly；　and　again　she　heard　my　Spirit's　cry。　Now　a

mighty　fear　took　hold　of　her。　She　called　aloud　to　the　sailors　to　hoist

the　sails　and　make　signal　to　her　fleet　to　put　about。　This　they　did

wondering　but　little　loath；　and　fled　in　haste　from　the　battle。



Then　a　great　roar　went　up　from　friend　and　foe。



〃Cleopatra　is　fled！　Cleopatra　is　fled！〃　And　I　saw　wreck　and　red　ruin

fall　upon　the　fleet　of　Antony　and　awoke　from　my　trance。



The　days　passed；　and　again　a　vision　of　my　father　came　to　me　and　spoke；

saying：



〃Arise；　my　son！the　hour　of　vengeance　is　at　hand！　Thy　plots　have　not

failed；　thy　prayers　have　been　heard。　By　the　bidding　of　the　Gods；　as

she　sat　in　her　galley　at　the　fight　of　Actium；　the　heart　of　Cleopatra

was　filled　with　fears；　so　that；　deeming　she　heard　thy　voice　bidding

her　fly　or　perish；　she　fled　with　all　her　fleet。　Now　the　strength　of

Actium　is　broken　on　the　sea。　Go　forth；　and　as　it　shall　be　put　into　thy

mind；　so　do　thou。〃



In　the　morning　I　awoke；　wondering；　and　went　to　the　mouth　of　the　tomb；

and　there；　coming　up　the　valley；　I　saw　the　messengers　of　Cleopatra；

and　with　them　a　Roman　guard。



〃What　will　ye　with　me　now？〃　I　asked；　sternly。



〃This　is　the　message　of　the　Queen　and　of　great　Antony；〃　answered　the

Captain；　bowing　low　before　me；　for　I　was　much　feared　by　all　men。　〃The

Queen　commands　thy　presence　at　Alexandria。　Many　times　has　she　sent；

and　thou　wouldst　not　come；　now　she　bids　thee　to　come；　and　that

swiftly；　for　she　has　need　of　thy　counsel。〃



〃And　if　I　say　Nay；　soldier；　what　then？〃



〃These　are　my　orders；　most　holy　Olympus；　that　I　bring　thee　by　force。〃



I　laughed　aloud。　〃By　force；　thou　fool！　Use　not　such　talk　to　me；　lest　I

smite　thee　where　thou　art。　Know；　then；　that　I　can　kill　as　well　as

cure！〃



〃Pardon；　I　beseech　thee！〃　he　answered；　shrinking。　〃I　say　but　those

things　that　I　am　bid。〃



〃Well；　I　know　it；　Captain。　Fear　not；　I　come。〃



So　on　that　very　day　I　departed；　together　with　the　aged　Atoua。　Ay；　I

went　as　secretly　as　I　had　come；　and　the　tomb　of　the　Divine　Rameses

knew　me　no　more。　And　with　me　I　took　all　the　trea