ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA.

MAR

ARK ANTONY, one of the triumvirs of Rome, the triple pillars of the ancient world, had extended his conquests into the East, and brought Egypt under the Roman rule, so that its queen, Cleopatra, became his vassal; but when, with many precious gifts and costly trappings and in all her radiant beauty, she went by sea to Tarsus to do homage to the great general, he straightway fell in love with this voluptuous queen, and became, in fact, her subject rather than her ruler.

So infatuated was he, indeed, that his officers called his passion a dotage, for, said they, his goodly eyes that once glowed like plated Mars over the files and musters of the war, now bent and turned their devotion upon this tawny face, and his captain's heart, which in the scuffles of great fights had burst the buckles on his breast, had become the bellows to cool a gypsy's lust. Day long he was with her, and her clinging caresses and insidious wiles so took up his thoughts that he would hear no news from Rome, but dismissed 17

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the messengers sent by Cæsar and Lepidus, his fellow-triumvirs, bidding Rome melt into the Tiber and the wide arch of the empire to fall, for here, he said, was his space, and that the nobleness of life was to do as he then did; and, when such a pair as he and Cleopatra were together, they stood up peerless.

So it fared for a little time, but the world is not so wide but that a man's sin may sooner or later find him out, and at last Antony awoke to the gravity of his affairs in Rome. A messenger had come bringing news of wars in Italy, and of the conquests in Asia of Antony's fellow-general, Labienus, who had, with his Parthian force, extended the Roman dominions to the Euphrates, and, the messenger said, his conquering banner shook from Syria to Lydia and to Ionia, lands of the far East.

This pricked Antony's martial pride and touched him with shame at his idle course; but he dismissed the messenger presently and called another, a man from Sicyon, who told him bluntly that Fulvia, his wife, was dead in Sicyon, and handed him a letter bearing further advices.

Upon this Antony sent him away and fell to pondering on these latest tidings. "There's a great spirit gone," he murmured, and thought how he had desired it thus, but that what our contempts hurl from us we often wish to be ours again. She was good, and she was gone; but the hand that shoved her on could now willingly pluck her back; and he resolved that he would break off

from this enchanting queen who had him in her toils, for his idleness did hatch ten thousand harms.

Then he called his officer Enobarbus, and delivered him the contents of his letters, bidding him let the army have notice that he purposed going from thence. Not alone did the death of Fulvia strongly speak to him, but the letters of many friends in Rome petitioned him to set out for home, for Sextus Pompeius had given the dare to Cæsar, and now commanded the empire of the sea, and the slippery people began to throw the dignities of Pompey the great upon his son.

When Antony broached his purpose to Cleopatra she scorned him for his little love, who could thus leave her to go to the married woman, as she slightingly called his wife; he pleaded that the strong necessity of time commanded his services awhile, but that his full heart remained with her. He told her, too, how Rome was menaced without and within, how Pompey made his approaches, and lastly he said that that which most should reconcile her to his going was the death of Fulvia.

The captious queen upon this found a new cause for upbraiding Antony. She asked where were the sacred vials he should fill with water, arguing that if he stood thus untearful at news of his wife's death, he would equally disregard absence from her. "By the fire that quickens Nilus' slime," he swore, "I go from hence thy soldier and servant, making peace or war as thou affectest."

Still she reproached him, striving thus by oppo

sition to win him the closer to her, for she had told her attendant, Charmian, that the way to lose him was to indulge him. But Antony's purpose was fixed, and telling her again that, even residing there, she still went with him, he called his men together and tore himself from her embraces.

When Antony arrived in Rome he found Cæsar much angered with him, both because of his reported excesses in Egypt, and because of the wars which Antony's wife and brother had made against Rome while he was absent. With secretly aiding in these he boldly charged Antony. But from this blame Antony freed himself, declaring his brother never did urge him in his act, and for his wife, he granted that she did too much disquiet Cæsar, but he said he could not help it, so much incurable were the troubles she stirred up.

Then Cæsar accused him, when rioting in Alexandria, of pocketing his letters and taunting and gibing his messenger out of audience. This also Antony, with manful apologies, explained. He had, he said, newly feasted three kings, and the messenger fell upon him ere he was admitted, but next day he told him the cause of his dismissal, which was as much as to have asked his pardon. But Cæsar persisted, saying Antony had broken the article of his oath: to lend him arms and aid when he required them, for both he had denied. "Neglected, rather," said the patient warrior, "for the summons came when poisoned hours had bound me up from mine own knowledge," and he