The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1889-09-18


eral, and Lucins Septimins, the chief Of tie
Roman leginns in Egypt; and thsa knowest
how the Alexandrinns were trouhled at his
coming and would have slain his hctors
Then, as thou hast heard, Cesar sei1ed
Ptolemy, the young King, and his sister
Arsinoe, and bade the army Of Cleopatra
and the army Of Ptolemy, under AchiIas,
which lay facing each other at Pelusim. dis
band and go their WAYS. And for
answer AchiIlas marched on Cesar and be-
sieged him straitly in the Bruchium al
Alexandria, ana 50, for awhile, things
were, and none knew who should reign IN
Egypt But then Cleopatra took up the dice
and threw them, andithis was the throw she
made-in truth il was a bold one For,
leaving the army at Pelusim, she came 81
dusk to the harbor OF Alexandria, and alone
with the Sicilian ApoIlodorus entered and
landed. Then did Apoilodorus bind her in
q bale of rich rugs. such rs are made In
SYRIA, and sent the rugs as apresent TO
Caesar. And when the rugs were unbound
in the palace, behold within them was the
fairest girl on all the earth-ay, and the
most witty and the most learned And she
seduced the great Cesar-even his weight
of years did not avail to protect HIM from
her charms-so that, as q fruit Of his folly,
he wellnigb lost his life and all the giory
he had gained in hundred wars"
THE foolln 1 broke in, s'the fooli Thou
callest him great, but how can the man who
hath no strength to stand against q woman's
wiles be truly greati Caesar, with the
world hanging on his. wordi Cesar, al
whose breath forty legions marched and
changed the fate Of peopiesl Cesar, the
coldI the far-seeingi the heroi Cesar, to
fall like a ripe fruit into false girls lapl
Why, in the issue, Of what common clay
was this Roman Cesar, and how poor .
thingI'
But Sepa looked at me and shook his
head.
"Be not SO rash, Harmachis, and talk not
with 50 proud a voice. Knowest thou not
that in every suit Of mail there Is q joint
and woe to him that wears il IL the sword
should search it out For woman, in her
weakness, is vet the strongest force upon
the earth. She Is the helm Of all things
human; she comes in many shapes and
knocks at many doors; she is quick and
patient, and her passion is not ungoyerD-
able like that Of man, but as Q gentle steed
that she can guide cen where she viii, and
as occasion offers can now bit up and now
give rein. She hath captains eye, and
strong must be the fortress Of the heart
wherein she finds no place Of vantage.
Doth thy blood beat fast In youthl she viii
outrun II, nor viii her kisses tire Art
thou set toward ambitionl she win unlock
thy inner heart, and show thee secret roads
that lead TO glory. Art thou worn and
wearyl she hath comfort in her breast
| Art thou TALENT she can lift thee up
and 70 the illusion Of thy sense gid
defeat with triumph Ay, Harmschis,
| these things she can do, for Nature
ever fights upon her side; and the while
| she does them she can deceive and shape
secret end IN which thou hast no part And
thus woman rules the world For her are
wars; for her men spend their strength in
| gathering gains; for her they do well and
Ill, and seekfor greatness and find forgetful-
ness. And all the while she sits like yonder
Sphinx, and smiles; and no man hath ever
read all the riddle Of heI smiles or known
all the mystery Of her heart. Mock mott
mock not Harmachis; for strong indeed
must he be who can defy the power Of
woman, which, pressing round him Ike the
general air, is ofttimes most present when
the senses least discover it."
laughed aloud. Thou spealzest earn
estly, o, my uncle Sepa,n said; ''almost
might one think that thou hadst not come
unscathed through this fierce IRE Of temptA-
ton. Well, for myself, / fear not woman
and all her wiles; naught know Of them,
and naught do wish to know; and still
hold that this Caesar was a fool Had
stood where Caesar stood, TO cool its wan.
tonness that bale Of rugs should have been
rolled adown the palace steps, even into the
harbor of mud"
"Nay, ceasel ceaser' he cried aloud.
'Evil is II to speak thus; and may the gods
avert the omen and preserve TO thee this
cold strength whereof thou Doastestl o
man, thou knowest notl-thou In thy
strength and beauty that is without CON-
pare, in the power Of thy learning and the
sweetness OF thy tongue-thou knowest
mott The world where thou must mix Is
not sanctuary as that Of the divine Isis
But there-it may be sol Pray that thy
hearts ice may never melt, so shalt thou be
great and happy and Egypt be delivered.
And now let me take up my taie-thou
seest, Harmachis, even in so grave story
woman claims her place. The young
Ptolemy, Cleopatra's brother, being loosed
Of Caesar, treacherously turned on him.
Thereon Caesar and Mithridates stormed
the camp OF Ptolemy, who took TO flight
across the river. But his boat was sunk by
the fugitives who pressed upon IL, and such
was the miserable end Of Ptolemy.
Thereon, the war being ended, Cesar
appointed the younger PtoleIny to rule
with Cleopatra, and be, in name, her
husband, though she had but then
borne him q son, Cesarion, and he
himself departed for Rome, bearing with
him the beautiful Princess Arsinoe TO
follow his triumphs in her chains. But the
great Caesar is no more. He died as he had
lived, in blood, and right royalty. And but
now hath Cleopatra, the Queen, II my It'd
ings may be trusted, slain Ptolemy, her
brother and her husband. by poison, and
taken the child CGsarion TO be her fellow
on the throne, which sne holds by the help
Of the Rome legioas, and, as they say, Of
young Sextus Pompeius, who hath sue
ceeded Caesar in her love. But Harmachis,
the whole land boils and seethes against
her, In every city the children Of Khem
talk Of the deliverer who Is TO come-and
thou art he, o Harmachis. Almost Is the
time ripe. The hour Is nigh at hand. Go
thou back 10 Abouthis and learn the last
secrets OF the gods, and meet those who
shall direct the bursting Of the storm. And
then act, Harmachis-act, l say, and strike
home for Khem, and rid the land Of the
Roman and the Greek, and take thy place
upon the throne Of thy fathers and be a King
Of men. For unto this end vast thou born
0Prncew
CHAPTER v.
OF THE RETuRN OF HARMACHIs 10 AnnurnIR