antony-第22章

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d　pay　these　last　duties　to　you　with　a　guard　upon　me；　for　fear　that　my　just　griefs　and　sorrows　should　impair　my　servile　body；　and　make　it　less　fit　to　appear　in　their　triumph　over　you。　No　further　offerings　or　libations　expect　from　me；　these　are　the　last　honours　that　Cleopatra　can　pay　your　memory；　for　she　is　to　be　hurried　away　far　from　you。　Nothing　could　part　us　whilst　we　lived；　but　death　seems　to　threaten　to　divide　us。　You；　a　Roman　born；　have　found　a　grave　in　Egypt；　I；　an　Egyptian；　am　to　seek　that　favour；　and　none　but　that；　in　your　country。　But　if　the　gods　below；　with　whom　you　now　are；　either　can　or　will　do　anything　（since　those　above　have　betrayed　us）；　suffer　not　your　living　wife　to　be　abandoned；　let　me　not　be　led　in　triumph　to　your　shame；　but　hide　me　and　bury　me　here　with　you　since；　amongst　all　my　bitter　misfortunes；　nothing　has　afflicted　me　like　this　brief　time　that　I　have　lived　away　from　you。〃　　　Having　made　these　lamentations；　crowning　the　tomb　with　garlands　and　kissing　it；　she　gave　orders　to　prepare　her　a　bath；　and；　coming　out　of　the　bath；　she　lay　down　and　made　a　sumptuous　meal。　And　a　country　fellow　brought　her　a　little　basket；　which　the　guards　intercepting　and　asking　what　it　was　the　fellow　put　the　leaves　which　lay　uppermost　aside；　and　showed　them　it　was　full　of　figs；　and　on　their　admiring　the　largeness　and　beauty　of　the　figs；　he　laughed；　and　invited　them　to　take　some；　which　they　refused；　and；　suspecting　nothing；　bade　him　carry　them　in。　After　her　repast；　Cleopatra　sent　to　Caesar　a　letter　which　she　had　written　and　sealed；　and；　putting　everybody　out　of　the　monument　but　her　two　women；　she　shut　the　doors。　Caesar；　opening　her　letter；　and　finding　pathetic　prayers　and　entreaties　that　she　might　be　buried　in　the　same　tomb　with　Antony；　soon　guessed　what　was　doing。　At　first　he　was　going　himself　in　all　haste；　but；　changing　his　mind；　he　sent　others　to　see。　The　thing　had　been　quickly　done。　The　messengers　came　at　full　speed；　and　found　the　guards　apprehensive　of　nothing；　but　on　opening　the　doors　they　saw　her　stone…dead；　lying　upon　a　bed　of　gold；　set　out　in　all　her　royal　ornaments。　Iras；　one　of　her　women；　lay　dying　at　her　feet；　and　Charmion；　just　ready　to　fall；　scarce　able　to　hold　up　her　head；　was　adjusting　her　mistress's　diadem。　And　when　one　that　came　in　said　angrily；　〃Was　this　well　done　of　your　lady；　Charmion？〃　〃Extremely　well；〃　she　answered；　〃and　as　became　the　descendant　of　so　many　kings；〃　and　as　she　said　this；　she　fell　down　dead　by　the　bedside。　　　Some　relate　that　an　asp　was　brought　in　amongst　those　figs　and　covered　with　the　leaves；　and　that　Cleopatra　had　arranged　that　it　might　settle　on　her　before　she　knew；　but；　when　she　took　away　some　of　the　figs　and　saw　it；　she　said；　〃So　here　it　is；〃　and　held　out　her　bare　arm　to　be　bitten。　Others　say　that　it　was　kept　in　a　vase；　and　that　she　vexed　and　pricked　it　with　a　golden　spindle　till　it　seized　her　arm。　But　what　really　took　place　is　known　to　no　one；　since　it　was　also　said　that　she　carried　poison　in　a　hollow　bodkin；　about　which　she　wound　her　hair；　yet　there　was　not　so　much　as　a　spot　found；　or　any　symptom　of　poison　upon　her　body；　nor　was　the　asp　seen　within　the　monument；　only　something　like　the　trail　of　it　was　said　to　have　been　noticed　on　the　sand　by　the　sea；　on　the　part　towards　which　the　building　faced　and　where　the　windows　were。　Some　relate　that　two　faint　puncture…marks　were　found　on　Cleopatra's　arm；　and　to　this　account　Caesar　seems　to　have　given　credit；　for　in　his　triumph　there　was　carried　a　figure　of　Cleopatra；　with　an　asp　clinging　to　her。　Such　are　the　various　accounts。　But　Caesar；　though　much　disappointed　by　her　death；　yet　could　not　but　admire　the　greatness　of　her　spirit；　and　gave　order　that　her　body　should　be　buried　by　Antony　with　royal　splendour　and　magnificence。　Her　women；　also；　received　honourable　burial　by　his　directions。　Cleopatra　had　lived　nine…and…thirty　years；　during　twenty…two　of　been　she　had　reigned　as　queen；　and　for　fourteen　had　been　Antony's　partner　in　his　empire。　Antony；　according　to　some　authorities；　was　fifty…three；　according　to　others；　fifty…six　years　old。　His　statues　were　all　thrown　down；　but　those　of　Cleopatra　were　left　untouched；　for　Archibius；　one　of　her　friends；　gave　Caesar　two　thousand　talents　to　save　them　from　the　fate　of　Antony's。　　　Antony　left　by　his　three　wives　seven　children；　of　whom　only　Antyllus；　the　eldest；　was　put　to　death　by　Caesar；　Octavia　took　the　rest；　and　brought　them　up　with　her　own。　Cleopatra；　his　daughter　by　Cleopatra；　was　given　in　marriage　to　Juba；　the　most　accomplished　of　kings；　and　Antony；　his　son　by　Fulvia；　attained　such　high　favour　that；　whereas　Agrippa　was　considered　to　hold　the　first　place　with　Caesar；　and　the　sons　of　Livia　the　second；　the　third；　without　dispute；　was　possessed　by　Antony。　Octavia；　also；　having　had　by　her　first　husband；　Marcellus；　two　daughters；　and　one　son　named　Marcellus；　this　son　Caesar　adopted；　and　gave　him　his　daughter　in　marriage；　as　did　Octavia　one　of　the　daughters　to　Agrippa。　But　Marcellus　dying　almost　immediately　after　his　marriage；　she；　perceiving　that　her　brother　was　at　a　loss　to　find　elsewhere　any　sure　friend　to　be　his　son…in…law；　was　the　first　to　recommend　that　Agrippa　should　put　away　her　daughter　and　marry　Julia。　To　this　Caesar　first；　and　then　Agrippa　himself；　gave　assent；　so　Agrippa　married　Julia；　and　Octavia；　receiving　her　daughter；　married　her　to　the　young　Antony。　Of　the　two　daughters　whom　Octavia　had　borne　to　Antony；　the　one　was　married　to　Domitius　Ahenobarbus；　and　the　other；　Antonia；　famous　for　her　beauty　and　discretion；　was　married　to　Drusus；　the　son　of　Livia；　and　stepson　to　Caesar。　Of　these　parents　were　born　Germanicus　and　Claudius。　Claudius　reigned　later；　and　of　the　children　of　Germanicus；　Caius；　after　a　reign　of　distinction；　was　killed　with　his　wife　and　child；　Agrippina；　after　bearing　a　son　Lucius　Domitius；　to　Ahenobarbus；　was　married　to　Claudius　Caesar；　who　adopted　Domitius；　giving　him　the　name　of　Nero　Germanicus。　He　was　emperor　in　our　time；　and　put　his　mother　to　death；　and　with　his　madness　and　folly　came　not　far　from　ruining　the　Roman　empire；　being　Antony's　descendant　in　the　fifth　generation。


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