Telegram-herald., 1889-10-17

tae of quiet which herz.ds TIE rising "
TIE desert ntlt Antony and Cleopatra
onco sgsin gave themselves up 70 lehury,
aEd night by night fsasted a sP4endor at
The palace. They sent ambassadors %
Cesar bat Cesar wo4ld have none Of
them; sd. tins hope being gone, they
turned Their miucs - the defense OF Alex
sncr.A Men were gathered, ships were
buLt and great force WAS made ready
against Us coming Of Cesar.
And now, aided by Charraion, ] began NY
last work Of hate and vengesnce. Deep /
w0rmed myself into the secrets OF the
palace. cOuusellng al things for evil l
bade Cleopatra keep Antony gay, lest he
should brood upon his s0rrows, and thus
she saDped his strength and energy with
luxury and wine. gave him OF my
draughts-oraughts that sank bis soul Ia
dreams OF happiness and power, leaving
HIM 70 wake 10 the heavier misery. Soon,
without my healing medicine be could not
sleep, and thus, being ever 81 his side,
bound his weakened Will 70 mine, TIL At last
little would he do IL said not I'll Is well"
Cleopatra, also grown very supersntious,
leaned much upon me; for l prophesied
falsely TO her In secret Moreover, wove
other webs. Great was my fame through
out Egypt, for during the long years that
had dwelt In Tape 10 had spread through
al the land. Therefore came many men OF
note 10 me, both for their health's sake and
because IL was known that had tho ear OF
Antony and the Queen; and, In these days
OF doubt and trouble, fain were they 70
learn the truth. All these men / worked
upon with doubtful words, sapping their
loyalty; and many caused 70 fall away,
I'll 81
what had said. Moreover, Cleopatra sent
me 10 Memh, there 10 move the Priests and
Governors that they should gather men in
Upper Egypt for the defense OF Alexandria.
And / went and spoke TO the Priests with
such double meaning and with so much
wisdom that they knew me 10 be one Of the
initiated in the deeper mysteries. But how
], Olympus, tho physician, came thus to
be initiated none might cay. And after
ward they sought me secretly, aud I gave
them the holy sign Of brotherhood, ana
Hereunder bade them not TO ask who I
might be, but send no aid TO Cleopatra
Rather, l said, must they make peace with
Caesar, for by Cesar, grace only could tho
worship Of the Gods endure Ia Khem. 30,
having taken counsel of the holy Apis, they
promised in public 10 give help to Cleopa-
ira, but IN secret sent an embassy TO Caesar
Thus then it came 10 pass that but little
aid did Egypt give 70 its hated Macedonian
Queen. Thence from Memh / came once
more TO Alexandra, and having made re-
port, continued my secret work. And, in
deed, the Alexandrians could not easily be
stirred, for, as they say In the market
place, "T'he ass looks at the burden and Is
blind to the master" So long had Cleopa-
ira oppressed them that the Roman was
like welcome friend
Thus the time passed on, and every night
found Cleopatra with fewer friends than
that which had gone before. for In evil days
friends fly like swallows before the frost.
Yet she would not give up Antony, whom
she loved; though to my knowledge did
Caesar, by his freedman, Thyreus, make
promise 10 her Of her dominions for herself
and for her children II she would but slave
Antony, or even betray him bound But
hereunto a woman's heart (for still she had
heart) would not consent, and, therefore,
Of necessity must we hold him to her. lest
Antony escaping or being slain, Cleopatra
might ride out the storm and yet be Queen
Of Egypt And this grieved me, because
Antony, though weak, was still brave man
and a great; and moreover, in my own heart
read the lesson Of his woes. For were we
not akin in wretchednessg Had not the
Same woman robbed Us of empire, friends
and honori But pity has no place in poll
tics, nor could II turn my feet from the path
of vengeance II was ordained that | should
tread. Cesar drew nigh; Pelusum fell;
the end was e. hand. Twas Charmion who
brought the tidings to the Queen aad An
tony, as they slept in the heat Of the day,
and with her came.
"Awakel" she cried. "Awakel This is
no tine for sleepi Seleucus hath surren-
dered Pelusium unto 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 itl Now thou shalt pay tho pricer'
And snatching up his sword he drew it.
Stay thy hand, Antony" she cried.
"It Is false-nsught know CT thisw And
she sprang upon him, and cung about his
neck, weeping. "Naught know !, my Lord.
Take thou the wife of Seleucus and his 1T
to children, whom hold in guard, and
arenge thyself. o, Anto1yi Antony why
dcstt1ou doubt mein
Then Antony threw down h,s sword upon
tic marble, and, casting himself upon the
couch, hid his face, and grosned In bitter
ness Of spirit.
Dat Clarmion smiled, for she IL yvss who
had sent secretly 70 Scleucus her friend.
counselug him 70 surrender forthwith,
sayingtha at Alexandria would no fight be
made. And that very night Cleopatra took
q her great store of pearls aud enersis-
those that remained of the treasure Of Men
ka-ra-an her wealth OK god, ebony, ivory
and cinnamon, treasure without price, aud
placed - in the msuso.eum of granite.
which, after our Egyptian fashion, she had
buItupon the biz that ia by the Temple Il
the holy Isis These riches she piled up
upon q bed 81 flax, that when she fred il
al might perish IN the flames and escape
the greed of mogey loving Octavisuus And
in this tomb benccforth she slept. away
from Antony; bat in the day tine SIN she
saw hlm al the palace
But little while after, when Cesar With
a. bis great force had already crossed the
Canopic mouth o, the Nile and was hard
OF Alexandria. came 20 the palace whittier
Cleopatra bad summoned me- There
found her 10 tie Alabaster Hall, royalty
clad, 4 Wild Agh. in her eves, and with her
Iras and CharUion, aud before her guards.
and stretched here and there upon the mar
Die, bodies of dead men, among whom lay
ore yet dyrg
"Gree'lns, thou Olympus" she cried
Here IL sight % glad physician = heart
men dead and men SICK u-,. GtathF'
What doest thou, o QgeonH said
afrghfed
What DO II fdo Justice on these Grim
ioals ard traitors, and. olympus,
earn the ways q desth sH dtdersnt
poisons have / caused ta be grsn ~ these
slaves, sad wl,h al st-e1tvs egr lave