Cleopatra

  CHAPTER VI

  OF THE WORKINGS OF THE LEARNED OLYMPUS AT MEMPHIS; OF THE POISONINGS OFCLEOPATRA; OF THE SPEECH OF ANTONY TO HIS CAPTAINS; AND OF THE PASSINGOF ISIS FROM THE LAND OF KHEM

  Now I, Harmachis, must make speed with my task, setting down that whichis permitted as shortly as may be, and leaving much untold. For of thisI am warned, that Doom draws on and my days are wellnigh sped. After thedrawing forth of Antony from the Timonium came that time of heavy quietwhich heralds the rising of the desert wind. Antony and Cleopatraonce again gave themselves up to luxury, and night by night feasted insplendour at the palace. They sent ambassadors to Caesar; but Caesar wouldhave none of them; and, this hope being gone, they turned their mindsto the defence of Alexandria. Men were gathered, ships were built, and agreat force was made ready against the coming of Caesar.

  And now, aided by Charmion, I began my last work of hate and vengeance.I wormed myself deep into the secrets of the palace, counselling allthings for evil. I bade Cleopatra keep Antony gay, lest he should broodupon his sorrows: and thus she sapped his strength and energy withluxury and wine. I gave him of my draughts--draughts that sank hissoul in dreams of happiness and power, leaving him to wake to a heaviermisery. Soon, without my healing medicine he could not sleep, and thus,being ever at his side, I bound his weakened will to mine, till at lasthe would do little if I said not "It is well." Cleopatra, also grownvery superstitious, leaned much upon me; for I prophesied falsely to herin secret.

  Moreover, I wove other webs. My fame was great throughout Egypt, forduring the long years that I had dwelt in Tape it had spread through allthe land. Therefore many men of note came to me, both for their health'ssake and because it was known that I had the ear of Antony and theQueen; and, in these days of doubt and trouble, they were fain to learnthe truth. All these men I worked upon with doubtful words, sappingtheir loyalty; and I caused many to fall away, and yet none could bearan evil report of what I had said. Also, Cleopatra sent me to Memphis,there to move the Priests and Governors that they should gather men inUpper Egypt for the defence of Alexandria. And I went and spoke to thepriests with such a double meaning and with so much wisdom that theyknew me to be one of the initiated in the deeper mysteries. But how I,Olympus the physician, came thus to be initiated none might say. Andafterwards they sought me secretly, and I gave them the holy sign ofbrotherhood; and thereunder bade them not to ask who I might be, butsend no aid to Cleopatra. Rather, I said, must they make peace withCaesar, for by Caesar's grace only could the worship of the Gods endure inKhem. So, having taken counsel of the Holy Apis, they promised in publicto give help to Cleopatra, but in secret sent an embassy to Caesar.

  Thus, then, it came to pass that Egypt gave but little aid to its hatedMacedonian Queen. Thence from Memphis I came once more to Alexandria,and, having made favourable report, continued my secret work. And,indeed, the Alexandrians could not easily be stirred, for, as they sayin the marketplace, "The ass looks at its burden and is blind to itsmaster." Cleopatra had oppressed them so long that the Roman was like awelcome friend.

  Thus the time passed on, and every night found Cleopatra with fewerfriends than that which had gone before, for in evil days friends flylike swallows before the frost. Yet she would not give up Antony, whomshe loved; though to my knowledge Caesar, by his freedman, Thyreus, madepromise to her of her dominions for herself and for her children if shewould but slay Antony, or even betray him bound. But to this her woman'sheart--for still she had a heart--would not consent, and, moreover, wecounselled her against it, for of necessity we must hold him to her,lest, Antony escaping or being slain, Cleopatra might ride out the stormand yet be Queen of Egypt. And this grieved me, because Antony, thoughweak, was still a brave man, and a great; and, moreover, in my own heartI read the lesson of his woes. For were we not akin in wretchedness? Hadnot the same woman robbed us of Empire, Friends, and Honour? But pityhas no place in politics, nor could it turn my feet from the path ofvengeance it was ordained that I should tread. Caesar drew nigh; Pelusiumfell; the end was at hand. It was Charmion who brought the tidings tothe Queen and Antony, as they slept in the heat of the day, and I camewith her.

  "Awake!" she cried. "Awake! This is no time for sleep! Seleucus hathsurrendered Pelusium to Caesar, who marches straight on Alexandria!"

  With a great oath, Antony sprang up and clutched Cleopatra by the arm.

  "Thou hast betrayed me--by the Gods I swear it! Now thou shalt pay theprice!" And snatching up his sword he drew it.

  "Stay thy hand, Antony!" she cried. "It is false--I know naught ofthis!" And she sprang upon him, and clung about his neck, weeping. "Iknow naught, my Lord. Take thou the wife of Seleucus and his littlechildren, whom I hold in guard, and avenge thyself. O Antony, Antony!why dost thou doubt me?"

  Then Antony threw down his sword upon the marble, and, casting himselfupon the couch, hid his face, and groaned in bitterness of spirit.

  But Charmion smiled, for it was she who had sent secretly to Seleucus,her friend, counselling him to surrender forthwith, saying that no fightwould be made at Alexandria. And that very night Cleopatra took all hergreat store of pearls and emeralds--those that remained of the treasureof Menkau-ra--all 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 theTemple 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 thegreed 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 Caesar with all his great forcehad already crossed the Caponic mouth of the Nile and was hard onAlexandria, I came to the palace, whither Cleopatra had summoned me.There I found her in the Alabaster Hall, royally clad, a wild light inher eyes, and, with her, Iras and Charmion, and before her guards; andstretched here and there upon the marble, bodies of dead men, among whomlay one yet dying.

  "Greeting, thou Olympus!" she cried. "Here is a sight to glad aphysician's heart--men 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 poisonsto be given to these slaves, and with an attentive eye have watchedtheir working. That man," and she pointed to a Nubian, "he went mad, andraved of his native deserts and his mother. He thought himself a childagain, poor fool! and bade her hold him close to her breast and savehim 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 whostill lives and groans; first he took the draught--the deadliest draughtof all, they swore--and yet the slave so dearly loves his life he willnot leave it! See, he yet strives to throw the poison from him; twicehave I given him the cup and yet he is athirst. What a drunkard we havehere! 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 played--away with thoseslaves whom I have forced through the difficult gates of Joy!" and sheclapped her hands. But when they had borne the bodies thence she drew meto her, and spoke thus:

  "Olympus, for all thy prophecies, the end is at hand. Caesar mustconquer, and I and my Lord Antony be lost. Now, therefore, the playbeing wellnigh done, I must make ready to leave this stage of earth insuch fashion as becomes a Queen. For this cause, then, I do make trialof these poisons, seeing that in my person I must soon endure thoseagonies of death that to-day I give to others. These drugs please menot; some wrench out the soul with cruel pains, and some too slowly worktheir end. But thou art skilled in the medicines of death. Now, do thouprepare me such a draught as shall, pangless, steal my life away."

  And as I listened the sens
e of triumph filled my bitter heart, forI knew now that by my own hand should this ruined woman die and thejustice 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 andsink thee in a sea of slumber whence, upon this earth, thou shalt neverwake again. Oh! fear not Death: Death is thy hope; and, surely, thoushalt pass sinless and pure of heart into the dreadful presence of theGods!"

  She trembled. "And if the heart be not altogether pure, tell me--thoudark man--what then? Nay, I fear not the Gods! for if the Gods of Hellbe men, there I shall Queen it also. At the least, having once beenroyal, 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. Ifollowed 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 herhe leapt to the ground, and, all armed as he was, clasped her to hisbreast.

  "What is it?" she cried; "is Caesar fallen?"

  "Nay, not altogether fallen, Egypt: but we have beat his horsemen backto 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,Caesar has my challenge, and if he will but meet me hand to hand, theworld 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 "Amessenger from Caesar!"

  The herald entered, and, bowing low, gave a writing to Antony, bowedagain, and went. Cleopatra snatched it from his hand, broke the silk andread aloud:

  "Caesar to Antony, greeting.

  "This answer to thy challenge: Can Antony find no better way of deaththan beneath the sword of Caesar? Farewell!"

  And thereafter they cheered no more.