Cleopatra

by H. Rider Haggard

  CHAPTER VII

  OF THE SURRENDER OF THE TROOPS AND FLEET OF ANTONY BEFORE THE CANOPICGATE; OF THE END OF ANTONY, AND OF THE BREWING OF THE DRAUGHT OF DEATH

  On the morrow, at dawn, Antony came forth and gave command that hisfleet should advance against the fleet of Caesar, and that his cavalryshould open the land-battle with the cavalry of Caesar. Accordingly, thefleet advanced in a triple line, and the fleet of Caesar came out tomeet it. But when they met, the galleys of Antony lifted their oars ingreeting, and passed over to the galleys of Caesar; and they sailed awaytogether. And the cavalry of Antony rode forth beyond the Hippodrometo charge the cavalry of Caesar; but when they met, they lowered theirswords and passed over to the camp of Caesar, deserting Antony. ThenAntony grew mad with rage and terrible to see. He shouted to his legionsto stand firm and wait attack; and for a little while they stood.One man, however--that same officer who would have slain me on theyesternight--strove to fly; but Antony seized him with his own hand,threw him to the earth, and, springing from his horse, drew his sword toslay him. He held his sword on high, while the man, covering his face,awaited death. But Antony dropped his sword and bade him rise.

  "Go!" he said. "Go to Caesar, and prosper! I did love thee once. Why,then, among so many traitors, should I single thee out for death?"

  The man rose and looked upon him sorrowfully. Then, shame overwhelminghim, with a great cry he tore open his shirt of mail, plunged his swordinto his own heart and fell down dead. Antony stood and gazed at him,but he said never a word. Meanwhile the ranks of Caesar's legions drewnear, and so soon as they crossed spears the legions of Antony turnedand fled. Then the soldiers of Caesar stood still mocking them; butscarce a man was slain, for they pursued not.

  "Fly, Lord Antony! fly!" cried Eros, his servant, who alone with mestayed by him. "Fly ere thou art dragged a prisoner to Caesar!"

  So he turned and fled, groaning heavily. I went with him, and as we rodethrough the Canopic gate, where many folk stood wondering, Antony spoketo me:

  "Go, thou, Olympus; go to the Queen and say: 'Antony sends greeting toCleopatra, who hath betrayed him! To Cleopatra he sends greeting andfarewell!'"

  And so I went to the tomb, but Antony fled to the palace. When I cameto the tomb I knocked upon the door, and Charmion looked forth from thewindow.

  "Open," I cried, and she opened.

  "What news, Harmachis?" she whispered.

  "Charmion," I said, "the end is at hand. Antony is fled!"

  "It is well," she answered; "I am aweary."

  And there on her golden bed sat Cleopatra.

  "Speak, man!" she cried.

  "Antony has fled, his forces are fled, Caesar draws near. To Cleopatrathe great Antony sends greeting and farewell. Greeting to Cleopatra whobetrayed him, and farewell."

  "It is a lie!" she screamed; "I betrayed him not! Thou, Olympus, goswiftly to Antony and answer thus: 'To Antony, Cleopatra, who hath notbetrayed him, sends greeting and farewell. Cleopatra is no more.'"

  And so I went, following out my purpose. In the Alabaster Hall I foundAntony pacing to and fro, tossing his hands toward heaven, and with himEros, for of all his servants Eros alone remained by this fallen man.

  "Lord Antony," I said, "Egypt bids thee farewell. Egypt is dead by herown hand."

  "Dead! dead!" he whispered, "and is Egypt dead? and is that form ofglory now food for worms? Oh, what a woman was this! E'en now my heartgoes out towards her. And shall she outdo me at the last, I who havebeen so great; shall I become so small that a woman can overtop mycourage and pass where I fear to follow? Eros, thou hast loved me from aboy--mindest thou how I found thee starving in the desert, and made theerich, giving thee place and wealth? Come, now pay me back. Draw thatsword thou wearest and make an end of the woes of Antony."

  "Oh, Sire," cried the Greek, "I cannot! How can I take away the life ofgodlike Antony?"

  "Answer me not, Eros; but in the last extreme of fate this I chargethee. Do thou my bidding, or begone and leave me quite alone! No morewill I see thy face, thou unfaithful servant!"

  Then Eros drew his sword and Antony knelt before him and bared hisbreast, turning his eyes to heaven. But Eros, crying "I cannot! oh, Icannot!" plunged the sword to his own heart, and fell dead.

  Antony rose and gazed upon him. "Why, Eros, that was nobly done," hesaid. "Thou art greater than I, yet I have learned thy lesson!" and heknelt down and kissed him.

  Then, rising of a sudden, he drew the sword from the heart of Eros,plunged it into his bowels, and fell, groaning, on the couch.

  "O thou, Olympus," he cried, "this pain is more than I can bear! Make anend of me, Olympus!"

  But pity stirred me, and I could not do this thing.

  Therefore I drew the sword from his vitals, staunched the flow of blood,and, calling to those who came crowding in to see Antony die, I badethem summon Atoua from my house at the palace gates. Presently she came,bringing with her simples and life-giving draughts. These I gave toAntony, and bade Atoua go with such speed as her old limbs might toCleopatra, in the tomb, and tell her of the state of Antony.

  So she went, and after a while returned, saying that the Queen yet livedand summoned Antony to die in her arms. And with her came Diomedes. WhenAntony heard, his ebbing strength came back, for he was fain to lookupon Cleopatra's face again. So I called to the slaves--who peeped andpeered through curtains and from behind pillars to see this great mandie--and together, with much toil, we bore him thence till we came tothe foot of the Mausoleum.

  But Cleopatra, being afraid of treachery, would no more throw wide thedoor; so she let down a rope from the window and we made it fastbeneath the arms of Antony. Then did Cleopatra, who the while wept mostbitterly, together with Charmion and Iras the Greek, pull on the ropewith all their strength, while we lifted from below till the dyingAntony swung in the air, groaning heavily, and the blood dropped fromhis gaping wound. Twice he nearly fell to earth: but Cleopatra, strivingwith the strength of love and of despair, held him till at length shedrew him through the windowplace, while all who saw the dreadful sightwept bitterly, and beat their breasts--all save myself and Charmion.

  When he was in, once more the rope was let down, and, with some aid fromCharmion, I climbed into the tomb, drawing up the rope after me. There Ifound Antony, laid upon the golden bed of Cleopatra; and she, her breastbare, her face stained with tears, and her hair streaming wildly abouthim, knelt at his side and kissed him, wiping the blood from his woundswith her robes and hair. And let all my shame be written: as I stoodand watched her the old love awoke once more within me, and mad jealousyraged in my heart because--though I could destroy these twain--I couldnot destroy their love.

  "O Antony! my Sweet, my Husband, and my God!" she moaned. "Cruel Antony,hast thou the heart to die and leave me to my lonely shame? I willfollow thee swiftly to the grave. Antony, awake! awake!"

  He lifted up his head and called for wine, which I gave him, mixingtherein a draught that might allay his pain, for it was great. And whenhe had drunk he bade Cleopatra lie down on the bed beside him, and puther arms about him; and this she did. Then was Antony once more a man;for, forgetting his own misery and pain, he counselled her as to her ownsafety: but to this talk she would not listen.

  "The hour is short," she said; "let us speak of this great love of oursthat hath been so long and may yet endure beyond the coasts of Death.Mindest thou that night when first thou didst put thine arms about meand call me 'Love'? Oh! happy, happy night! Having known that night itis well to have lived--even to this bitter end!"

  "Ay, Egypt, I mind it well and dwell upon its memory, though from thathour fortune has fled from me--lost in my depth of love for thee, thouBeautiful. I mind it!" he gasped; "then didst thou drink the pearlin wanton play, and then did that astrologer of thine call out hishour--'The hour of the coming of the curse of Menkau-ra.' Through allthe after-days those words have haunted me, and now at the last theyring in my ears."

  "He is long dead, my love," she whispered.
r />   "If he be dead, then I am near him. What meant he?"

  "He is dead, the accursed man!--no more of him! Oh! turn and kiss me,for thy face grows white. The end is near!"

  He kissed her on the lips, and for a little while so they stayed, tothe moment of death, babbling their passion in each other's ears, likelovers newly wed. Even to my jealous heart, it was a strange and awfulthing to see.

  Presently, I saw the Change of Death gather on his face. His head fellback.

  "Farewell, Egypt; farewell!--I die!"

  Cleopatra lifted herself upon her hands, gazed wildly on his ashen face,and then, with a great cry, she sank back swooning.