cleopatra-第54节

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in　the　folds　of　his　toga。



〃Most　noble　Antony；〃　said　Charmion　drawing　near；　〃unwrap　thy　face　and

hearken　to　me；　for　I　bring　thee　tidings。〃



Then　he　lifted　up　his　head。　His　face　was　marred　by　sorrow；　his　tangled

hair；　grizzled　with　years；　hung　about　his　hollow　eyes；　and　white　on

his　chin　was　the　stubble　of　an　unshaven　beard。　His　robe　was　squalid；

and　his　aspect　more　wretched　than　that　of　the　poorest　beggar　at　the

temple　gates。　To　this；　then；　had　the　love　of　Cleopatra　brought　the

glorious　and　renowned　Antony；　aforetime　Master　of　half　the　World！



〃What　will　ye　with　me；　Lady；〃　he　asked；　〃who　would　perish　here　alone？

And　who　is　this　man　who　comes　to　gaze　on　fallen　and　forsaken　Antony？〃



〃This　is　Olympus；　noble　Antony；　that　wise　physician；　the　skilled　in

auguries；　of　whom　thou　hast　heard　much；　and　whom　Cleopatra；　ever

mindful　of　thy　welfare；　though　but　little　thou　dost　think　of　hers；　has

sent　to　minister　to　thee。〃



〃And；　can　thy　physician　minister　to　a　grief　such　as　my　grief？　Can　his

drugs　give　me　back　my　galleys；　my　honour；　and　my　peace？　Nay！　Away　with

thy　physician！　What　are　thy　tidings？quick！out　with　it！　Hath

Canidius；　perchance；　conquered　C？sar？　Tell　me　but　that；　and　thou　shalt

have　a　province　for　thy　guerdonay！　and　if　Octavianus　be　dead；　twenty

thousand　sestertia　to　fill　its　treasury。　Speaknayspeak　not！　I　fear

the　opening　of　thy　lips　as　never　I　feared　an　earthly　thing。　Surely　the

wheel　of　fortune　has　gone　round　and　Canidius　has　conquered？　Is　it　not

so？　Nayout　with　it！　I　can　no　more！〃



〃O　noble　Antony；〃　she　said；　〃steel　thy　heart　to　hear　that　which　I

needs　must　tell　thee！　Canidius　is　in　Alexandria。　He　has　fled　far　and

fast；　and　this　is　his　report。　For　seven　whole　days　did　the　legions

wait　the　coming　of　Antony；　to　lead　them　to　victory；　as　aforetime；

putting　aside　the　offers　of　the　envoys　of　C？sar。　But　Antony　came　not。

And　then　it　was　rumoured　that　Antony　had　fled　to　T？narus；　drawn

thither　by　Cleopatra。　The　man　who　first　brought　that　tale　to　the　camp

the　legionaries　cried　shame　onay；　and　beat　him　to　the　death！　But

ever　it　grew；　until　at　length　there　was　no　more　room　to　doubt；　and

then；　O　Antony；　thy　officers　slipped　one　by　one　away　to　C？sar；　and

where　the　officers　go　there　the　men　follow。　Nor　is　this　all　the　story；

for　thy　alliesBocchus　of　Africa；　Tarcondimotus　of　Cilicia；

Mithridates　of　Commagene；　Adallas　of　Thrace；　Philadelphus　of

Paphlagonia；　Archelaus　of　Cappadocia；　Herod　of　Jud？a；　Amyntas　of

Galatia；　Polemon　of　Pontus；　and　Malchus　of　Arabiaall；　all　have　fled

or　bid　their　generals　fly　back　to　whence　they　came；　and　already　their

ambassador's　crave　cold　C？sar's　clemency。〃



〃Hast　done　thy　croakings；　thou　raven　in　a　peacock's　dress；　or　is　there

more　to　come？〃　asked　the　smitten　man；　lifting　his　white　and　trembling

face　from　the　shelter　of　his　hands。　〃Tell　me　more；　say　that　Egypt's

dead　in　all　her　beauty；　say　that　Octavianus　lowers　at　the　Canopic

gate；　and　that；　headed　by　dead　Cicero；　all　the　ghosts　of　Hell　do

audibly　shriek　out　the　fall　of　Antony！　Yea；　gather　up　every　woe　that

can　o'erwhelm　those　who　once　were　great；　and　loose　them　on　the　hoary

head　of　him　whomin　thy　gentlenessthou　art　still　pleased　to　name

'the　noble　Antony'！〃



〃Nay；　my　Lord；　I　have　done。〃



〃Ay；　and　so　have　I　donedone；　quite　done！　It　is　altogether　finished；

and　thus　I　seal　the　end；〃　and　snatching　a　sword　from　the　couch；　he

would；　indeed；　have　slain　himself　had　I　not　sprung　forward　and　grasped

his　hand。　For　it　was　not　my　purpose　that　he　should　die　as　yet；　since

had　he　died　at　that　hour　Cleopatra　had　made　her　peace　with　C？sar；　who

rather　wished　the　death　of　Antony　than　the　ruin　of　Egypt。



〃Art　mad；　Antony？　Art；　indeed；　a　coward？〃　cried　Charmion；　〃that　thou

wouldst　thus　escape　thy　woes；　and　leave　thy　partner　to　face　the　sorrow

out　alone？〃



〃Why　not；　woman？　Why　not？　She　would　not　be　long　alone。　There's　C？sar

to　keep　her　company。　Octavianus　loves　a　fair　woman　in　his　cold　way；

and　still　is　Cleopatra　fair。　Come　now；　thou　Olympus！　thou　hast　held　my

hand　from　dealing　death　upon　myself；　advise　me　of　thy　wisdom。　Shall　I；

then；　submit　myself　to　C？sar；　and　I；　Triumvir；　twice　Consul；　and

aforetime　absolute　Monarch　of　all　the　East；　endure　to　follow　in　his

triumph　along　those　Roman　ways　where　I　myself　have　passed　in　triumph？〃



〃Nay；　Sire；〃　I　answered。　〃If　thou　dost　yield；　then　art　thou　doomed。

All　last　night　I　questioned　of　the　Fates　concerning　thee；　and　I　saw

this：　when　thy　star　draws　near　to　C？sar's　it　pales　and　is　swallowed

up；　but　when　it　passes　from　his　radiance；　then　bright　and　big　it

shines；　equal　in　glory　to　his　own。　All　is　not　lost；　and　while　some

part　remains；　everything　may　be　regained。　Egypt　can　yet　be　held；

armies　can　still　be　raised。　C？sar　has　withdrawn　himself；　he　is　not　yet

at　the　gates　of　Alexandria；　and　perchance　may　be　appeased。　Thy　mind　in

its　fever　has　fired　thy　body；　thou　art　sick　and　canst　not　judge

aright。　See；　here；　I　have　a　potion　that　shall　make　thee　whole；　for　I

am　well　skilled　in　the　art　of　medicine；〃　and　I　held　out　the　phial。



〃A　potion；　thou　sayest　man！〃　he　cried。　〃More　like　it　is　a　poison；　and

thou　a　murderer；　sent　by　false　Egypt；　who　would　fain　be　rid　of　me　now

that　I　may　no　more　be　of　service　to　her。　The　head　of　Antony　is　the

peace　offering　she　would　send　to　C？sarshe　for　whom　I　have　lost　all！

Give　me　thy　draught。　By　Bacchus！　I　will　drink　it；　though　it　be　the

very　elixir　of　Death！〃



〃Nay；　noble　Antony；　it　is　no　poison；　and　I　am　no　murderer。　See；　I　will

taste　it；　if　thou　wilt；〃　and　I　held　forth　the　subtle　drink　that　has

the　power　to　fire　the　veins　of　men。



〃Give　it　me；　Physician。　Desperate　men　are　brave　men。　There！　Why；

what　is　this？　Yours　is　a　magic　draught！　My　sorrows　seem　to　roll　away

like　thunder…clouds　before　the　southern　gale；　and　the　spring　of　Hope

blooms　fresh　upon　the　desert　of　my　heart。　Once　more　I　am　Antony；　and

once　again　I　see　my　legions'　spears　asparkle　in　the　sun；　and　hear　the

thunderous　shout　of　welcome　as　Antonybeloved　Antonyrides　in　pomp

of　war　along　his　deep…formed　lines！　There's　hope！　there's　hope！　I　may

yet　see　the　cold　brows　of　C？sarthat　C？sar　who　never　errs　except　from

policyrobbed　of　their　victor　bays　and　crowned　with　shameful　dust！〃



〃Ay；〃　cried　Charmion；　〃there　still　is　hope；　if　thou　wilt　but　play　the

man！　O　my　Lord！　come　back　with　us；　come　back　to　the　loving　arms　of

Cleopatra！　All　night　she　lies　upon　her　golden　bed；　and　fills　the

hollow　darkness　with　her　groans　for　'Antony！'　who；　enamoured　now　of

Grief；　forgets　his　duty　and　his　love！〃



〃I　come！　I　come！　Shame　upon　me；　that　I　dared　to　doubt　her！　Slave；

bring　water；　and　a　purple　robe：　not　thus　can　I　be　seen　of　Cleopatra。

Even　now　I　come。〃







In　this　fashion；　then；　did　we　draw　Antony　back　to　Cleopatra；　that　the

ruin　of　the　twain　might　be　made　sure。







We　led　him　up　the　Alabaster　Hall　and　into　Cleopatra's　chamber；　where

she　lay；　her　cloudy　hair　about　her　face　and　breast；　and　tears　flowing

from　her　deep　eyes。



〃O　Egypt！〃　he　cried；　〃behold　me　at　thy　feet！〃



She　sprang　from　the　couch。　〃And　art　thou　here；　my　love？〃　she　murmured；

〃then　once　again　are　all　things　well。　Come　near；　and　in　these　arms

forget　thy　sorrows　and　turn　my　grief　to　joy。　Oh；　Antony；　while　love　is

left　to　us；　still　have　we　all！〃



And　she　fell　upon　his　breast　and　kissed　him　wildly。







That　same　day；　Charmion　came　to　me　and　bade　me　prepare　a　poison　of　the

most　deadly　power。　And　this　at　first　I　would　not　do；　fearing　that

Cleopatra　would　therewith　make　an　end　of　Antony　before　his　time。　But

Charmion　showed　me　that　this　was　not　so；　and　told　me　also　for　what

purpose　was　the　poison。　Therefore　I　summoned　Atoua；　the　skilled　in

simples；　and　all　that　afternoon　we　laboured　at　the　deadly　work。　And

when　it　was　done；　Charmion　came　once　more；　bearing　with　her　a　chaplet

of　fresh　roses；　that　she　bade　me　steep　in　the　poison。



This　then　I　did。



That　night　at　the　great　feast　of　Cleopatra；　I　sat　near　Antony；　who　was

at　her　side；　and　wore　the　poisoned　wreath。　Now　as　the　feast　went　on；

the　wine　flowed　fast；　till　Antony　and　the　Queen　grew　merry。　And　she

told　him　of　her　plans；　and　of　how　even　now　her　galleys　were　being

drawn　by　the　canal　that　leads　from　Bubastis　on　the　Pelusiac　branch　of

the　Nile；　to　Clysma　at　the　head　of　the　Bay　of　Heroopolis。　For　it　was

her　design；　should　C？sar　prove　stubborn；　to　fly　with　Antony　and　her

treasure　down　the　Arabian　Gulf；　where　C？sar　had　no　fleet；　and　seek

some　new　home　in　India；　whither　her　foes　might　not　follow。　But；

indeed；　this　plan　came　to　nothing；　for　the　Arabs　of　Petra　burnt　the

galleys；　incited　thereto　by　a　message　sent　by　the　Jews　of　Alexandria；

who　hated　Cleopatra　and　were　hated　of　her。　For　I　caused　the　Jews　to　be

warned　of　what　was　being　done。



Now；　when　she　had　made　an　end　of　telling　him；　the　Queen　called　on　him

to　drink　a　cup　with　her；　to　the　success　of　this　new　scheme；　bidding

him；　as　she　did　so；　steep