The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-02-18

nights, giving more magnificent
feast each night than the. previous
one. On the eighth night the famous
wager was made. She captivated
Anthony, who was fifty years
of age, old enough to be her
father, ana old enough to know
better. Her first request was
that her sister. Arsinoe, be killed,
and this was done. She teased Mark
Anthony with jealousy and delighted
him with attentions until he had no
will but Cleopatra's. Their conduct
became byword even in that age.
Anthony learned to dance and sing,
and took part in plays, masks, etc.
When he was forced to return to
Rome he babe farewell to Cleopatra
and their three children.
Afterwards Sextus Pompey, who
controlled an immense feet, visited
her and was smitten with her charms.
Then Herod of Judea, on his way to
Rome to be crowned king of Judea
visited her and ref used large sum of
money to take command of her army.
Cleopatra afterwards joined Anthony,
and he gave her the greatest gift
ever given by lover to his beloved
several countries which he, as mere
governor, had no right to give away.
| She asked for the deaths Of Herod
and of the king Of Arabia, but in
stead he gave her sthe. library Of
Pergamus, 100000 precious scrolls of
papyrus. She afterwards dined with
Herod, but both were so afraid of
Anthony that's they did net try to
poison one another. Anthony pre-
sented her with the spoils Of his
Parthian campaign and for years
lived at Alexandria and with Cleo
patra INDUCED in every possible form
of vice and excess. Their company
called themselves "the inimitables"
and the "Bavhinals." Finally, An
thony gave a great feast to the
Alexandrians, lasting many days, and
he and Cleopatra proclaimed that
they divided the government of the
Roman province and that it would
descend to their heirs Cleopatra
retired and shortly returned attired
in the splendid robes of lcis and was
proc aimed a goddess ard was Wor.
shipped by the people. For these eX-
cesses, Octavius Caesar proclaimed
Mark Anthony Rome's public enc my
and waged war oB hsas. Al Cleo
patra's request, all was risked in
great naval battle, but she deserted
Anthony with her fleet during the
| battle and he was defeated. He re-
turned to Alexandria, however, and
the orgies were renewed on more
disgraceful scale than ever to drown
the disappointment and the forebod-
ings. Anthony, hearing false report
that Cleopatra had killed herself, fell
on his sword, but did not die at once.
Cleopatra had him removed to the
Mausoleum, and the royal lovers met
and parted for the last time in a
tomb. Cleopatra was taken alive,
and Octavlus intended to take her to
Rome to exhibit in his triumph. To
allay her suspicious, he called on her,
and she shot her dangerous chances
out of their quivers. He was armed
by ambition. and no flush came to his
pale cheek, his hand did not tremble,
and his voice was as cold when he
uttered farewell as when he came.
She looked into her mirror and
wondered why he had not worshipped
her as great Caesar had done. She
had passed her fortieth year her
beauty had met with many foes. She
killed herself, but whether with an
asp is not known. Her Roman guard
found her dressed in her royal robe,
with her golden crown on her head,
and not mark or bruise on her body.
So ended the dynasty of Ptolomy,
thirty years before the Christian era,
and Egypt passed into a Roman pro-
vince. The British museum claims
/ to have among its treasures mummy
of Cleopatra, but the only way it
could be identified from any other
mummy was by the inscription on the
sarcophagus. Reading this inscrip-
tion between the lines, beauty is but
a doubtful good-a gloss, glass,
| fower-lost, broken, dead within an
hour.