The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-10-14
MISS LEWIS CLEOPATRA
A NEW VERSION OF THE LIFE or
THE EGYPTIAN QUEEN.
rh. Fair LI,lIa. Bismes Old Piufsrch for
Placing q Stigma on the Character
of Woman.


It Is wonderful to me how Shakespeare
who had no women TO play his hero,'e''
ever wrote such character as
patra.
Shakespeare does Cleoo .tra more ~
tice than any other writer. Yet, even nc
falls into the general habit OF reVliihe
her. Excepting this. Shakespeare's Geo
patra is what / imagine the real one "
have been. A woman all emotioh- an
love-an life-a1l animal-aH ahsei-'i'''
Shakespeare makes her. - -. c1aLa,
Sardou's Cleopatra Is a slave OF onah1s
peare's Cleopatra-she tries 10 whsle .nr
same tune, but she has no ear ioi
music. -. .uo,x. so,,a
Eber's Cleopatra is a vision from hoiiie
otner land than Egypt. Dryden queeh
of Egypt is a coarse Enghsh "omah'
Haggard's Is a necromanceF. l.,
AZ there is, after al, n2tnIng IN aro any
Cleopatra but the one Shakespeare drew
too pad ne mad something OF the hoIiIaI
grudge against her-but on secohu
thought he did not revile her; lie Hdde
his Romans do so, and that Is certainty
in character. <.,,.
the constraint OF e3nveat C hi-iities, IL
may be OF interest TO know that the prlh.
cipal | may say the only garment OK
women in tue Cleopatra age, was FASH
toned like a modern mans night SHIRT;
A sash, reaching from the hips to the
Knees.
ends, producing the apron effect; we
find in ali Egyptian costumes.
Peer, peasant, king-prlest, wore these
odd aprons. They served a hyBiehlc pro-
tective purpose, and, like the modern
Chinese button, quickly placed the rank
of the wearer.
The longer the apron, the higher the
rank.
THE CORSET.
The fashion Of wearing corsets Is older
than the pyramids In Cleopatra's time
the corset consisted OF yards or H hS,,
cloth wound smoothly around the pody
fro II arm-pits TO waist.
The glamor OF antiquity should az
least give TO this time-honored article
of fair lady's toilet, respectful cohs u
era ton.
Cleopatra must have been beyond tie
81 adow of doubt, great in all Se7s'5
of that often misused word-a woman
the reyerberatious, virile and vibrant, or
whose glorious ca Ger, have kept pace
with immortal jamestown the echt ing
halls of time she shines resplendant IN
every role-as politician, queen, hoiher,
daughter wife and swae. heart.
The amOurs Of Cleopatra, her cnarac-
ter. and her time, has furnished poets,
historians, and romantiCists with an
inexhaustible theme.
The enchantress that old serpent OF the
Nile, is as much alive to-day az she was
80 b. c. and is as much wronged In many
respects as she was then.
Since putting on the play which so
mastery relates and depicts Cleopatra
life ! have given her career and her
character much attention.
/ think the witch has her Invisible
spell over me, and what started IN, as
research from curiosity, has become
desperate passion.
[ love Cleopatra because she IS all wo-
man, and from the acquaintance | nave
with her, / can understand now tSe
great men Of her time, sacrihced lie III"
Kingdoms for her smiles
In general, Cleopatra is looked up~A
as a dissilute character.
I know ta5s to be wrong, and l nlame
P'utarch Tor this stigma on her charac-
ter.