Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1909-03-12
GREAT LOVE STORY
HISTORICAL HOAX
Ferrero Skaters the Beautiful
Romance of Antony and
Cleopatra.

New York, Special: Guglielmo Fer
zero. the Italian historian, in a lecture
at Columbia university on Antony and
Cleopatra" not only shattered one OF
the greatest love stories OF the ages,
but he did 1t with an uptodate ham,
mer fashioned to the present crisis. He
pronounced this tale OF a strong mans
weakness under the enchantment of a
woman's smile IAN anti-feminist legend
illustrative Of how dangerous ii is to
leave to women the government or
public affairs"
THE figures OF women" said Mr..
Ferrero, are rare in RomaS history.
III this world of men a woman suddenly
appears--a woman strange and Won
derful. She is sailing TRANQUILITY along
the Cydnus on her way to Tarsus,
where her first meeting with Antony
occurred. Posterity is yet dazzled by
this ship, effulgent with purple and
gold. We are sp%ellpound. Small won
wer that Antony should be so. The ro-
nance p~leases, but does not keep off
the brutal hands Of criticism"
A New Cleopatra.
The lecturer then proceeded to draw
the real picture of the heroine, cru
ely divesting her of charms at every
step. He spoke of the portraits of the
siren found by Psychologists. Com
pairing them with the poetic descrip-
lions of her due to poetic fancy" he
went on. we do not see the counte-
nance of a venus, delicate, gracious,
smiling. Her face is fleshy-bouffie,
as the French would say with a pow
erful acquiline nose.
ut is the face of a woman on IN
years, ambitious, imperious. But
beautiful or ugly is Of little concern
when one studies her relations with
Antony. in the spirit of criticism, and
tirds that the passion of love had small
place therein"
Mr.. Ferrero touched upon the meet
ing of the pair In Tarsus, of Antony's
tarrying with the queen throughout the
winter, leaving in the spring. He
stayed away three years, during which
there is M proof that he was signing
for her. He was preparing for the Per-
sian campaign. The idea was con-
ceived by Caesar. for only great sue
cess could give him and his party au-
thority."
Why He Married Her.
The speaker went back to the dis
cCvery by the Frenchman, Latronne,
about a century ago, through a COM
parison Of ancient coins, that Antony
q married Cleopatra, for the basis OF
his deductions. This marriage" he
said, took place at Antioch with all
the dynastic ceremonies Of Egypt In 36
3. c., and thereupon Antony became
king of Egypt, though he never dared
assume the title.
This was brought about, not by
love, but politics. scheme which
Caesar understood perfectly. After the
plumber OF other regions the only state
left that was rich in precious mater
falls was Egypt, and these were
wanted to use In the campaign OF
Persia.
why did Antony marry Cleopatra
instead OF conquering Egypt? Because
there was an old standing tradition In
n-~-- %L-k TN-xpx -hDx,ll ~ lunIa;kAl
but respect shown her independence"
1t is, therefore, to Egypt as much as
TO Cleopatra, to whom he grants fas-
cination m what passed for culture
in those days that MIR. Ferrero attri-
buted the change In Antony's charac-
ter. The magnificence of his surround
ings. who had himself sprung from
a noble but impoverished family, his
sway as king with unnumbered men
ials to crafty his every within, the
subtle influence Of the most highly de-
veIoped civilization in the world, all
seized upon his mind.
Antony's Undoing.
Cleopatra urged him to give up the
onquest of Persia and to found with
her and their children a new dynasty
that should be the controlling power
Of Orient and Occident. While his
thoughts returned to his country. to
oppose Cleopatra and relinquish a
kingdom were beyond him. And from
this point Mr.. Ferrero traced the end
less tangle of crooked policies which
in the end wrought Antony's undo
ing.
Antony succumbed in the famous
war, not because he was mad with
love. but because he was abandoned
by his soldiery when they understood
his contemplated treachery, and, ac-
cording to the lecturer, 1t was this
sentiment which made Augustus at
Actium an easy conqueror.
The present story h q has so en-
tertained posterity, he said, was in
vented by the vicious party OF Angus
tus and accepted as the populag ex-
PLANTATION of the eastern peril. VI do
not believe" Mr.. Ferrero said, In con-
c~Iusion. that II Is the office Of history
TO give men who have guided human
events q posthumous Justice